SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

Almost $1.5 million in water and sewer American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants were awarded to fund various projects in the county following approval by the Lycoming County Commissioners.

The Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority received $500,000, which will be used on five projects across water and sewer systems.

“We have the Limestone Township water system, so that will be distribution improvements,” said Olivia Lapatofsky, project engineer/stormwater administrator for the authority. “We’re going to put the largest portion of the funding towards that. That will be for various water main replacements throughout the system.”

Parts of the water mains in that system had been installed in the 1930s and ’40s, she noted.

Other projects slated for the funds include the evaluation of the wastewater treatment plant at Mifflin Manor at Salladasburg; addressing failing laterals along Route 15, which is part of the Armstrong Township sewer system; replacing grinder pumps and extensions in the Beaver Lake sewer system; and the Lakeside Drive sewer main extensions at the Beaver Lake sewer system.

Other grant awards went to Muncy Borough Municipal Authority, $207,346 for three projects; Williamsport Municipal Water Authority, $250,000; Williamsport Sanitary Authority, $250,000; and Montoursville Borough, $250,000.

Earlier this month, the commissioners had awarded over $500,000 in ARPA water and sewer funds.

The county received $22 million in ARPA funds last year, and the commissioners spent time deciding where the funds should be spent, asking for input from the community.

The decision was made to allocate $5 million of the funds for water and sewer projects, which commissioner Scott Metzger called generational.

“These are going to generational projects that are going to help the residents of those townships, boroughs and municipalities for generations,” Metzger said.

Commissioner Rick Mirabito pointed out that the projects receiving the grant awards help to alleviate some of the pressure on residents caused by rising water and sewer rates.

“It’s not going to solve all the problems, and they’re still going to have to raise rates over time to keep the infrastructure functioning…but it is a bit that helps,” Mirabito said.

The commissioners also approved awarding $50,000 each in ARPA business assistance grants to Julie’s Cafe, 33 West Third St., and V & M DiSalvo Corp., 341 East Fourth St. These are funds to help businesses who struggled during the pandemic.

In other actions, under personnel, the commissioners approved Denise Breen as a full-time clerk III in the Adult Probation Office at a rate of $16.17 per hour, and Phillip Bergeman as a full-time software specialist in Information Services at $47,250 per year.

Other actions items approved included a county criminal justice advisory board technical assistance and training grant request form to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for funds to help with the recidivism study; Adult Probation grant-in-aid application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which could bring the county $161,590 to offset salaries of employees in that department; an intergovernmental agreement with Centre County for inmate housing on an as needed basis; agreement for delegation of administrative responsibilities for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance program to apply for Agriculture Conservation Assistance grant funds which will bring over $1.9 million to improve agriculture in the county; an amendment to the subrecipient agreement with Ways Garden to extend the restoration project; a subrecipient monitoring agreement with STEP, Inc. for the 2022 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) funds; an amendment to the subrecipient agreement with the East Lycoming Recreation Authority to modify the use of funds to purchase lawn equipment; and an agreement with Steelfusion Clinical Toxicology to supply swabs for the coroner’s office.

The next commissioners meeting will be at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, first floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.