Harmony signs up for stormwater management study
HARMONY — Borough Council approved Harmony's participation in an intermunicipal stormwater management study Tuesday, becoming the seventh local government to do so.
That was a change of pace for the council, which decided at its February meeting to postpone the vote due to the cost of the study. Originally, Harmony was to pay $5,500 as its share, but an agreement with Jackson Township allowed the borough to lower its cost to $3,500.
Details of that agreement were not immediately available.
The study will, should all nine municipalities approve it, look at release rates from the municipalities into the Connoquenessing watershed. The engineering firm conducting the study — Herbert, Rowland & Grubic — will also design three projects for each municipality to lower their release rates.
Despite its unanimous approval, there was some apprehension by some members of council. In particular, Councilman Don Sims was wary of the study because he was unsure if it would yield the results for which others hoped. He said he wanted PennDOT to participate in the study or with the municipalities in some way as he believes a sizable amount of the stormwater ending up in the borough comes from the interstate.
“We're going to end up paying for a piece of paper that we're going to be able to hold up,” he said. “And it doesn't mean anything to anybody but us.”
Upon being asked if the study could give the borough any leverage in discussions with the transportation department, Solicitor Matt Racunas said he thinks that piece of paper could have a net benefit. “I think it's better than not having anything,” he said. “I think it's better than you sitting at the table with us, individually, and saying, 'We believe this is what the cause is, and we need you to help us.'”
Council President Greg Such added the study would look at more than just PennDOT or Harmony's contributions to the Connoquenessing watershed, and would also include new developments in neighboring communities.
The study is the result of meetings between the municipalities — Adams, Cranberry, Jackson and Lancaster townships as well as Evans City, Harmony, Mars, Seven Fields and Zelienople boroughs — on how to mitigate damage from flooding. The county organized the study and is paying 20 percent of the project's $76,380 cost, or $15,275. The local governments are responsible for the remaining 80 percent, with Jackson Township paying $10,000, the most of any municipality.
With seven municipalities having approved the study, only two remain: Cranberry Township and Mars. It's on the agenda for Cranberry's Thursday meeting, and will likely be voted upon in April by Mars.
