Oct 13, 2014 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg Borough Council agreed Monday to hold a special meeting later this month to open bids for the Jackson Run project and to approve the scope of work for revising the comprehensive plan.

Jackson Run passes under High Street just west of Woodland Avenue. As part of the project, the borough will replace the culverts that carry the stream on both sides of High Street and the state will replace the bridge on High Street over the stream.

Borough manager Mike Simms told council he met recently with representatives of Mackin Engineering, the firm completing the design, and was informed the company that makes the concrete culverts might not be able to deliver the culverts until March.

Arrangements might have to be made to begin the project on the south side of the street earlier, because part of the project grant funding expires in January, Simms said.

The borough’s portion of the project, the installation of the culverts, is being funded by state grants. The borough received a $770,000 H2O grant for the project and the county contributed about $900,000 from a 2009 state Growing Greener grant.

The Growing Greener grant expires in January and county officials said they didn’t believe they could get an extension on it, Simms said.

The special meeting, at 6 p.m. Oct. 27, also will be held to approve the scope of work for the comprehensive plan the borough is conducting in conjunction with the county and Waynesburg University.

The scope of the project was only submitted to the borough Monday by the consulting engineers, Mackin Engineering and HRG Engineering, and council wanted time to review it before approving it.

The borough was awarded a $45,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to revise the plan. The borough will contribute $30,000 and the university $20,000 toward the plan’s development. Personnel from the county will assist in the effort.

A workshop session also will be held following the special meeting to discuss a demolition ordinance or an historic preservation ordinance.

The idea for the ordinances grew out of a meeting held last month regarding the preservation of historic downtown buildings. That meeting was prompted by concerns raised by some property owners following the demolition of the former county office building.

Several council members said Monday, however, they opposed considering a demolition ordinance or a historic preservation ordinance until council begins the process of revising the comprehensive plan.

Councilman Mark Fischer, who said he opposed the idea of telling a person he can’t tear down a building he owns, said the process of preparing the comprehensive plan will give people in favor of these ordinances a forum to present their ideas.

In other business, council approved a master service agreement with the engineering firm Gannett Fleming to develop a plan to address required improvements to the borough’s sewage treatment system.

Council earlier terminated its agreement with Fayette Engineering, which previously was preparing the borough’s plan to address overflows in the sewage system as required by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Council agreed to demolish the Midtown Auto building to allow for additional permit parking spaces in the Midtown lot and to construct a lean-to on a building at the street department complex on First Street for equipment now stored in the Midtown building.

A proposal to demolish the building set the cost at $6,500. The cost for materials for the lean-to was estimated at $5,312. Materials to replace the street department building’s roof, which also was said to be needed, was estimated at $3,330.

The borough plans to have an inmate work crew replace the roof and build the lean-to.

It was announced the borough will hold clean-up days Thursday through Saturday at the street department complex. The borough will be accepting electronic items. Tires and items containing Freon will be accepted for a fee.

Council agreed to hold trick or treat from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30. The annual Halloween parade will begin at 6 p.m.