At its regular meeting this week, Bradford City Water Authority accepted the high bid from Northwest Hardwoods — $350,000 — for more than 850,000 feet of timber on the Lafayette Watershed.

Bids opened April 22, then the authority tabled them at the April board meeting “to allow the current climate of economic instability to settle.”

Upon the recommendation of authority forester Ken Kane, Northwest Hardwoods will purchase 865,660 lineal board feet of timber, primarily black cherry, hard and soft maple and tulip poplar.

Also on the watershed, the authority approved a request from the Willow Creek Snowmobile Club to extend a trail on the lower Marilla Watershed.

“The authority has enjoyed a very good working relationship with the snowmobile club and enjoys sharing the great resources the watershed has to offer,” said Steve Disney, authority executive director.

The authority is also developing herbicide application plans across specific blocks of the watershed to control invasive species, and Kane will provide a forestry tour of the Bradford Watershed on June 20, to include the Penn State University dean of agriculture.

Disney also updated the capital project status at the water treatment plant.

“The authority is currently working with Roberts Filters to schedule a pilot test at the treatment plant to provide definitive results of the clarification method proposed utilizing raw water from Bradford’s reservoir sources,” he said, adding an in-person consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would be held.

Delinquencies, Disney noted during the meeting, were steady in April. During the sheriff sale May 7, Matthew M. Johnston’s property at 21 Bagley Ave. — which carries an outstanding total balance of $19,635.35 — received no bids. Ken Marsh has until June 17 to respond to the lien the authority filed against his property at 11 Edwards St., which carries a past due total balance of $4,599.07. Liens were also filed against the OYO Hotel at 153 Main St. for $10,411.13 and a Rasheed Deeb property at 23 Glenwood Ave. for $7,658.37.

Final restoration and walkthrough were performed for the 8-inch main replacement for the Route 219 pump station. Crews will continue to monitor restored areas to ensure they are sufficiently reestablished, and final payments and reimbursements were approved. The authority received a COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) H2O PA grant for the project.

In new business, the authority’s 8-inch water main is within PennDOT limits for a project to replace a box culvert on Derrick Road, and will need to be relocated. The authority is requesting 75% reimbursement from PennDOT for all associated design, engineering and construction costs.

In other business:

• An abstractor is conducting a parcel history review to determine legal ownership of the parcel between 61 and 65 Edgewood Road as the authority explores the area for potential access to a nearby storage tank.
• Authority crews completed the systemwide valve exercising and spring flushing activities.
• Disney reported that emergency repairs are underway at both the Marilla and Luther reservoir fishing piers. The McKean County Conservation District approved $30,000 in funding to help the authority fund the repairs and a similar request has been made to the McKean County commissioners.
• The authority awaits core test hole results to confirm drainage and utility locations — and the scope of their impact on the authority’s buried infrastructure — for the PennDOT corridor improvement project on West Washington Street. The authority’s infrastructure is designed to be more easily raised than lowered, which is what PennDOT is currently proposing.
• The authority is finalizing all documents needed to close out and secure the new water meter project with PENNVEST. A final meeting is scheduled for June 18.