Pottstown Council Mulls New Ricketts Center Lease

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN — Borough council may approve a new lease with the Olivet Boys and Girls Club to use the Ricketts Center that would include borough-funded replacement of the roof and upgrading the heating/air-conditioning system.

Currently, council is considering a five-year lease agreement that would begin in September and extend to Dec. 31, 2019.

“During that time, the borough obligation would be to continue to fund the Ricketts Center at its present level of funding, which is $40,000 a year,” Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. said at Wednesday night’s committee of the whole meeting of council. “That’s obviously a whole lot less than what the borough was spending on the Ricketts Center 10 years ago.”

Garner said the “success of the Olivets has helped significantly in running the programs and relieve the borough of some of that financial obligation” in parks and recreation. Programs have also grown over the five years the Olivet Boys and Girls Club has run the center, according to Garner.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140807/pottstown-council-mulls-new-ricketts-center-lease

Luzerne County Council Must Decide How To Spend $16 Million

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Luzerne County has $16 million in past-borrowed fundsavailable for capital projects, or $2 million less than officials had estimated, county Operational Services Division Head Tanis Manseau said Monday.

Manseau said he received the revised figure after the budget/finance division recently reviewed payments and outstanding invoices from the account.

County Council members called a special meeting tonight to discuss how they want to earmark this remaining funding because they’re supposed to adopt a capital budget by Sept. 1 under home rule.

Manseau emailed an updated list of suggested projects to council Friday night, but Manseau said he is working on additional revisions that will total around $14 million.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/news/50041470/Luzerne-County-Council-must-decide-how-to-spend-$16-million

Pittsburgh’s Water And Sewer Rates Will Rise To Cover Capital Improvements

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers will see their rates rise over the next four years to help pay for capital improvement to the city’s antiquated infrastructure, projected to cost $150 million over the next three years.

The board of PWSA voted todaty to approve a graduated rate increases for 2014 through 2017. The average household customer will see rates increase about $8.29 a month over three years, from $42.03 a month to $50.32 a month. Rates will rise about $3 a month for the first year, $1.94 for the second, $1.26 for the third and 77 cents for the fourth.

Larger consumers — like industrial customers — will share a larger portion of the increased burden.

The additional revenue will be used to pay down the $150 million bond issue expected to be finalized by the end of this year.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburghs-water-and-sewer-rates-will-rise-to-cover-capital-improvements-707198/#ixzz2hRV7cnjN

Pottstown Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program

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The Borough of Pottstown will begin accepting applications for the Pottstown Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program on Monday, March 14th, 2011. Description The Pottstown Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program is a cooperative effort between the Borough of Pottstown and Genesis Housing Corporation, Inc. Based on applicant eligibility and available funding, grants are available for major capital improvements and repairs to owner occupied dwellings in the Borough of Pottstown. Assistance has been provided by the Montgomery County Department of Housing & Community Development. A maximum of $40,000 per home is available, and requires the filing of an 8-year forgivable lien placed on the property. For more information:  http://www.pottstown.org/pottstown-oohrp.html