SMETHPORT – Four municipalities across McKean County – including
the City of Bradford and Foster Township – will share $1 million in
state funding allotted for capital projects through the Growing
Greener Environmental Initiative Program.
The announcement was made Tuesday by the McKean County
Commissioners. The county program is a result of the passage of the
Growing Greener bond referendum – also known as Act 45 – last
May.
As part of the referendum, counties statewide were eligible to
receive $90 million for projects based on the size of their
population; the county was qualified to obtain the $1 million.
“This is reimbursable money,” Commissioner John Egbert said.
“They (municipalities) have to be able to spend it to get the
funding.”
Among the projects receiving funding include the Elm Street
revitalization neighborhood effort in Bradford, $100,000; a sewer
replacement project in Port Allegany, $250,000; sewer replacement
in Eldred Township, $200,000; a stream stabilization initiative
through the county, $150,000; a dirt and gravel road maintenance
program administered by the McKean County Conservation District,
$50,000; and a wetland construction project at the Lafferty Hollow
industrial park in Foster Township, $250,000.
Officials said, all told, 22 municipalities across the county
were eligible for the funding – only the four responded. The
projects were recommended to the commissioners for funding by the
Growing Greener Environmental Initiative Program committee; the
commissioners voted 3 to 0 to award the funding.
“Any municipality could have asked for some money,” Egbert said.
“They are all worthy projects.”
The Bradford Elm Street plan is part of a state program designed
to revitalize neighborhoods near historic districts. The plan
includes the renovation of two neighborhoods within the city – the
Elm Street West Neighborhood, with a perimeter of Barbour, Bennett,
Mechanic and School street along with a portion of Pleasant Street;
and the Elm Street North Neighborhood, which includes Bishop,
Kennedy, Miller, Amm, Forman, Boylston and Davis streets.
Meanwhile, in regards to the Lafferty Hollow project, Egbert
said the funding is enough to finish the access road leading into
the project.
“It will help take the trucks off the residential road leading
into the site,” Egbert said, adding the funding will also be used
to relocate a wetland elsewhere on the property. The access road
travels across a creek near the site.
Plans for the industrial park began several years ago, with
thousands of dollars in funding being allocated for the site.
Officials said previously the construction of the access road and
bridge will not begin until next year.
Officials said the stream stabilization initiative will focus on
stream erosion in various locations across the county.
Only capital projects that meet the purpose of the Growing
Greener legislation were eligible for funding.
In other news, the commissioners approved a resolution
authorizing the panel to enter into negotiations and reach a
contract with Verizon Business of Clarksburg, W.Va., to purchase
911 Customer Premise Equipment systems.
Officials said the new system is necessary because the current
one does not provide the “future functionality” required of the 911
Center.
“This deals with wireless 911 service,” County Administrator
Richard Casey said. “We want to provide the capability required to
identify a caller by a name and location who is using a cell
phone.”
As an example, Egbert said somebody could be standing in the
middle of the woods, use their cell phone and be located through
the 911 Center with the new technology.
Officials said the 911 Center is currently using the Verizon
MAARS system to receive inbound calls. A total of seven vendors
responded to the county’s request for proposal for the system, with
two bidders – Verizon Business and Positron – submitting bids
before the deadline.
“The Verizon bid was the cheapest of the two,” according to
Casey, adding the contract with the company is for $312,000 over
five years, which includes the installation of the system and
vendor support.
The funding comes out of the 911 fund, according to county
officials. There was no timeline available for the installation of
the new system.
