CRANBERRY TWP — The township will apply for a $5 million loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank to help fund the MSA Thruway project.

At its Thursday meeting, the board of supervisors appointed Dismore & Shohl as special counsel for the preparation and filing of the loan application. PIB loans require the township to pass an ordinance, and the board will consider such an ordinance at its March 26 meeting.

According to township manager Jerry Andree, Cranberry has secured a letter of credit from the developer, who will be responsible for reimbursing the township for loan payments.

Infrastructure bank loans provide municipalities with loans for transportation projects, with terms up to 10 years and interest rates at one-half the prime rate. Currently, that rate would be 2.375 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

As the project picks up speed, so does the pace at which the township allocates or receives funds for the Thruway.

In November, Cranberry entered into a more-than $12 million contract with Allegheny Excavating, and the township received an approximately $6.7 million loan from the Butler County Infrastructure Bank in December 2018.

The MSA Thruway project consists of a tunnel constructed under Route 228, connecting the off ramp from northbound Interstate 79 to Cranberry Springs. According to the township, an estimated 700 vehicles are expected to use the bypass each hour during peak evening times rather than Route 228, and an additional 1,280 to use the roundabout from I-79 to Cranberry Springs during the morning rush hour.

Municipal renovations

The board will consider at its March 5 meeting the expenditure of nearly $360,000 on the design of office renovations in the municipal center.

Andree said the changes in technology added to the need to renovate offices in the center, saying a small group of employees can take up a large meeting room because smaller spaces don't have the same technology.

Perkins Eastman will provide the design services, and some of the key goals of the township in the renovation include adding more than a dozen offices, creating “right-size” meeting rooms with equal technology and significant changes to the customer service area.

“We're focusing on eliminating doors and respecting privacy needs,” Andree said. “We need more space for employees and we could not, in good faith, have asked to expand.”

EMA coordinator

Supervisors on Thursday recommended that Scott Garing be appointed the township's emergency management agency coordinator.

Garing, who recently was installed as chief of fire and emergency services, would fill the gap left by the death of Mark Nanna, who served in that role from 2017 until his passing in January.

Gov. Tom Wolf is responsible for appointing EMA coordinators on the recommendation of municipalities.

Garing would take on the duties of implementing and activating the township's EMA program. EMAs are responsible for the mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from natural, technological and man-made disasters.