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Manager's Message

Tom Hartswick
This past spring/summer construction season, Borough Council continued work on capital projects
relating to the Boroughs transportation and recreational infrastructure. These included
replacement of the Grove Rd. Bridge, reconstruction of the tennis courts at Hamilton Park, reconstruction
of the batting cages, installation of the half fence at the basketball courts and additional
overall ball field upgrades at the Municipal Center and Hamilton Park.
Additionally, Council completed the Boroughs Annual Road Improvement Program and continued
work on structural deficiencies in the borough sanitary sewer system.
Planning/design and financial structuring continued for the Shannon Station project, along with
watershed analysis and drainage improvements for the Killarney Rd. Area.
The Grove Road Bridge
The Grove Rd. Bridge is an important component
in the overall transportation linkage
through Castle Shannon to the City of Pittsburgh.
As such, the replacement of this facility
has been at the forefront of Boroughs
capital planning for some time. This year,
with financial support from the State of Pennsylvania
($425,000) and Allegheny County
($180,000), Borough Council entered into a
contract with C.H. & D. Construction to have
this vision become a reality. This process is
explained in further detail in other sections of
the newsletter, however, it is sufficient to say
that persistence does pay off. Official dedication
of the bridge was conducted by Congressman
Tim Murphy, State Representative
Chelsa Wagner, and Mayor Baumgarten with
Borough Council on July 6, 2010.
Hamilton Park
Tennis Courts Reconstruction
As many residents have noticed, the condition
of the tennis courts at Hamilton Park have required
major reconstruction efforts. Council
recognized this and initiated bidding to undertake
this complete upgrade. Although
material costs and the location of the courts
were significant cost drivers, we worked with
the Public Works Department to internally address
restoration requirements and awarded
bids to T.A. Robinson Asphalt. Again we were
fortunate to receive support from both Representative
Wagner and Senator Fontana.
The nearly $90,000 rehabilitation project
will be initiated this season with line striping
completed in early spring. Based on this
schedule the court will be reopened for usage
next season.
2010 Road Improvement
Program (RIP)
This year completed the 10 year cycle in our
annual Road Improvement Program (RIP)
schedule. Folino Construction was the successful
bidder this year and undertook the following
segmental improvements: McRoberts
Rd. from 3097 to the Whitehall Borough line,
the alley running from Thompson and Shady
Run, Hoodridge Ave. from the Chateguay
Apartments to 900 Baldwin St., and Canal St.
from Willow Ave. to Castle Shannon Blvd.
Although the initial estimated cost for these
improvements was approximately $170,000,
significant cost savings as a result of previous
proactive maintenance operations on road
sub-base conditions reduced this number to
$120,000. These preventive measures have
continually decreased this component in our
yearly RIP.
In 2011, in keeping with previously identified
investment levels, in order to maintain
our twenty 26 miles of Borough roads, we
will conduct a two tiered road condition inventory.
This will involve utilizing our previously
developed improvement schedule and
a visual determination by the Department of
Public Works.
Council is anticipating a proposed award date
of mid March 2011. Council continues to take
early action on bid proposals, which in turn
tend to deliver better prices, from vendors.
Administrative Consent Order (ACO)
As we have indicated in previous editions of
the Boroughs newsletter, the ACO is one of
the biggest if the not the biggest challenge
that Castle Shannon and over 80 other
communities in Allegheny County face for
at least the next 10 years.
One of the major work items in the Administrative
Consent Order signed by Castle
Shannon in 2004, ALCOSAN and its customer
municipalities, is the mandate to
correct structural system deficiency in our
sanitary system. To undertake this task
Castle Shannon is divided into five Water
Shed areas.
- Water Shed One (the Killarney Area subsystem)-
The final project costs for this water
shed were approximately $2.4 million.
- Water Shed Two (the Havlock/Sleepy Hollow
Rd. subsystem) - The final costs are:
sewer repairs $732,470 and manhole rehabilitation
$241,450. Total costs $973,920.
- Water Shed Three (the Grove Rd./Mary
Pl. subsystem) - Final costs are: sewer
repairs-$460,980 and manhole rehabilitation-$
295,950. Total costs $756,930.
To complete the structural deficiency corrections
in the first three watersheds, approximately
$4.1 million dollars was expended
on construction costs alone.
Castle Shannon continues to make yearly
progress on structural deficiencies existing
in our watersheds.
We have engaged our engineers to begin
the establishment of an overall structural
listing prioritizing repairs based on their
severity level. This systematic schedule for
corrections will require annual allocations
of approximately $200 to $250,000.
As noted above, we have estimated that $2
million worth of structural repairs alone remains
to be undertaken in Watersheds Four
and Five. Based on these observations, this
will be an ongoing component of our Sanitary
Sewer Construction/Rehabilitation Fund.
We continue to strive to keep our compliance
costs as low as possible. Nearly 100%
of all CCTV activities are done in house. We
continually look for opportunities in early
project scheduling, joint bidding and other
areas where municipal cooperation will
minimize repair work costs.
Due to the nature and the magnitude of
this activity, it is my intention to provide
annual updates, in the Newsletter, on the
progress we are making in our ACO work
components.
Shannon Station
All participants involved with the Shannon
Station are continuing their attempts to
bring this idea to reality. Although the developer
has committed to financing nearly
$18 million in overall project costs the market
for commercial based lending has not
improved.
Several major reworks of the site development
plan have been undertaken with a renewed
emphasis placed on the residential
component. This has led to the exploration
of alternate financing sources.
Significant county and state support has
materialized to assist with the parking deck
development. Officials of the Borough and
the School District continue to keep open
communications on possible tax incentive
programs. This could be the final public sector
component in this extremely complex
and exciting project.
Although this statement has been made
before, council is still confident that after
nearly 12 years of work, the long awaited
Transit Oriented Development project slated
for the large Port Authority Park and Ride
Lot on Castle Shannon Blvd. (Shannon Station)
will become a reality. As this project
progresses, developments will be reported
in the Newsletter.
In 2010, a variety of long-standing capital
projects were undertaken to address
community infrastructure maintenance of
public facilities within Castle Shannon. Borough
Council strives to maintain a hands
on approach with these issues to ensure
public input and involvement.
The Boroughs Annual Road Improvement
Program along with the sanitary sewer line
upgrades all function in an inter-related process
that improves the efficient provision of
municipal services and address community
environment, health and safety.
Borough Council views the challenges
posed by the continued maintenance and
upgrades of our transportation and recreational
assets as potential opportunities
and is committed to their successful resolution.
In closing, on behalf of Mayor Baumgarten
and all members of Borough Council, we
wish all residents a safe and joyous holiday
season.
Thomas C. Hartswick
Borough Manager
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