Jul 8, 2014 2 min read

CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Borough council was informed Tuesday the borough will be receiving $19,624.18 this year in Act 13 natural gas drilling impact fee money.

Borough secretary Brandi Streit told council she received notification of this year’s Act 13 distribution and reminded members the borough also has Act 13 money left over from the last two years.

The borough currently has $30,632.44 of Act 13 money in a reserve account from 2012 and 2013, she said. Of all Act 13 money the borough has received, council has spent only $2,000, which was in the form of contributions of $1,000 each to the fire company and water authority.

Councilman Michael Dohanich suggested council set up a committee to consider use for the money.

The act specifies permitted uses for impact fee money. They include work on roads and bridges; water, stormwater and sewer systems; law enforcement and emergency services; parks and recreation; tax reduction; housing; records management; social services; judicial services and local or regional planning.

In the past, council discussed saving the borough’s Act 13 money and possibly using it for a large road repaving project.

In other business, Mayor David Jack suggested the borough purchase more cold patch to repair pot holes on borough streets. The pot holes were patched once, but those same areas are getting bad again, he said.

He spoke of one area on Market Street in front of Gabler’s Drug Store that needs to be repaired and suggested Act 13 money be used to improve the road surface in that area.

Streit said before any work is done in that area the borough should wait to see what Gabler’s plans to do there. Gabler’s purchased the house south of the store and apparently intends to install a drive-through window and a parking area there, she said.

Council held a brief executive session for personnel. After returning to open session, Dohanich made a motion to give the borough’s three employees three percent raises retroactive to Jan. 1. The motion was approved unanimously.

Council normally approves raises in December or January. Dohanich apologized for overlooking the matter at the beginning of the year and thanked the employees for their work.

The three borough employees are Streit and police Chief Mike Gyurke, who are both part time; and the borough’s only full-time employee, street worker Jim Petrone.