Work to begin on Island project
at Wednesday night’s borough council meeting, the council approved a proposal from Rettew Engineering Inc., Pottsville, to conduct a topographical survey and erosion and sedimentation plan on the property.
The “Island” is approximately 21 acres of open green space in the middle of the borough surrounded on three sides by the Schuylkill River and by the railroad on the fourth side.
The survey will cost approximately $30,000, with some of the funding coming from $85,000 of FEMA money allotted for improvements on the lower part of the Island after flood damage last June.
“Are we anywhere near doing anything over there that we want to spend money on that right now?” asked council President Kurt E. Montz.
“I mean, is it going to change? If we spend 30 grand now to do this, in six months, is anything going to change? Are we going to move forward?” he asked. “We’ve been talking about the Island for two years and we haven’t done anything over there.”
However, council members said the plan for the Island is finalized and the survey would need to be done for the project to get off the ground. The surveying may start next month, according to Councilman Carl F. Berger.
The plan for the Island has changed a number of times, and a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for the first phase of the project was denied last month.
However, with funding from FEMA to address improvements in the flood plain area in the lower portion of the Island, Berger said work on the soccer fields could commence in August.
Berger said the previous design was ratified so that the soccer fields would now be located within the flood plain, as opposed to the baseball fields.
Berger said the logic in that planning is to save the borough money should a flood occur again. He said it’s less of a loss to lose soccer fields than to replace a baseball diamond.
In other business, Rettew also submitted a proposal for flood repair to the Sewage Treatment Plant, including the replacement of comminutors, repairs to damaged Mag Flow meters and replacement of the office trailer.
Borough Administrator James New said the borough received $640,000 from the insurance company for damage repairs after June’s flood.
Since then, the borough has only spent $250,000.
However, council member Marlin W. “Mudge” Berger complained that some of the work allocated to the engineering firm could be handled — at a cheaper price — by borough employees.
Montz suggested tabling the discussion until the proposal was re-evaluated.
at Wednesday night’s borough council meeting, the council approved a proposal from Rettew Engineering Inc., Pottsville, to conduct a topographical survey and erosion and sedimentation plan on the property.
The “Island” is approximately 21 acres of open green space in the middle of the borough surrounded on three sides by the Schuylkill River and by the railroad on the fourth side.
The survey will cost approximately $30,000, with some of the funding coming from $85,000 of FEMA money allotted for improvements on the lower part of the Island after flood damage last June.
“Are we anywhere near doing anything over there that we want to spend money on that right now?” asked council President Kurt E. Montz.
“I mean, is it going to change? If we spend 30 grand now to do this, in six months, is anything going to change? Are we going to move forward?” he asked. “We’ve been talking about the Island for two years and we haven’t done anything over there.”
However, council members said the plan for the Island is finalized and the survey would need to be done for the project to get off the ground. The surveying may start next month, according to Councilman Carl F. Berger.
The plan for the Island has changed a number of times, and a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for the first phase of the project was denied last month.
However, with funding from FEMA to address improvements in the flood plain area in the lower portion of the Island, Berger said work on the soccer fields could commence in August.
Berger said the previous design was ratified so that the soccer fields would now be located within the flood plain, as opposed to the baseball fields.
Berger said the logic in that planning is to save the borough money should a flood occur again. He said it’s less of a loss to lose soccer fields than to replace a baseball diamond.
In other business, Rettew also submitted a proposal for flood repair to the Sewage Treatment Plant, including the replacement of comminutors, repairs to damaged Mag Flow meters and replacement of the office trailer.
Borough Administrator James New said the borough received $640,000 from the insurance company for damage repairs after June’s flood.
Since then, the borough has only spent $250,000.
However, council member Marlin W. “Mudge” Berger complained that some of the work allocated to the engineering firm could be handled — at a cheaper price — by borough employees.
Montz suggested tabling the discussion until the proposal was re-evaluated.
It looks like the park is covering those old parcels of land and canal. I guess one town finally learned not to rebuild on the flood plain. Some day they may do that with the Isle of Que. (another "not an island" island) but not really.
