2019 Borough Manager Open Letter to Steelton Residents
Dear Valued Residents:
This year Steelton Borough officials and staff worked hard behind the scenes to keep existing projects moving forward and look towards the future. While the progress we are making may not be flashy, and may not yet be highly visible, 2019 marked a year in which we continued to build the foundation for a successful future.
Here are just a few items in which we made significant progress in 2019:Borough Eliminates General Fund and Sewer Fund Debt in order to Reduce 2020 Taxes:
With the sale of the Steelton Water System to PA-American Water, Steelton Borough Council used a portion of proceeds to pay off all existing General Fund and Sewer Fund debt. This clears the way for Council to eliminate the annual “debt service tax” for 2020, saving taxpayers on their bills. The Borough has also engaged a consultant to prepare a report on restructuring sewer rates with the goal of lowering rates for residents. By being debt-free, the Borough now has the ability to look at lowering costs to residents for services.
Development Plans Submitted for Steel Works Project/Demolition Scheduled for Later This Year:
This year, the Borough’s economic development arm, the Steelton Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), successfully closed the sale of the North Front Street redevelopment properties to Integrated Development Partners of Enola. The SEDC also successfully secured $1.5 million in state grant funding to assist in site work and a demolition contract has been awarded with work to begin before the end of the year. Finally, Integrated Development Partners officially submitted its land development plans for the project which is currently before the Steelton Borough Planning Commission. Pending approval, we anticipate site work and vertical construction to begin late summer/early Fall 2020.
Frank S. Brown Boulevard Town House Project Breaks Ground:
October 31st marks the official groundbreaking for construction of Phase I of the townhouse project. You can expect to see site work being performed throughout November/December and construction taking place in the Spring. The end result of Phase I will be six new townhomes that are owner-occupied. Phase II will add another six townhomes resulting in a total of 12 new residential homes in Steelton.
Paving Completed on Major Sections of Lincoln Street, Walnut Street, and Fourth Street:
We are beginning to take a bite out of the deferred backlog of streets that need paved in the Borough. This started with the completion of the first phase of paving on Lincoln, Walnut, and Fourth Streets this year. We are discussing the next phase of paving in an effort to catch up on number of streets needing repaved.
Sewer Line Replacements on Third and 7th Streets Under Way:
On top of paving, the Borough is working on systematically addressing its aging sewer infrastructure. As of this letter, contractors are readying to replace 738 linear feet of sewer main and restore six (6) sewer man holes as part of the 2019 Steelton Sewer Rehabilitation Project. The Borough plans to continue to make progress on replacing sewer mains in the future.
Design Approved for Hoffer Street Sewer Pump Station Rehabilitation:
This year, the Borough also approved design on a complete renovation of the Hoffer Street Pump Station. The project will drastically increase pumping capacity at the Hoffer Street Pump Station which translates to better sewer flow and conveyance. The Borough hopes that this project will reach the bidding and preliminary construction phase in 2020.
Number of Blighted Vacant Properties Demolished by the Borough:
This year, the Borough also continued to address the stock of blighted vacant properties by demolishing 200 Frank S. Brown Boulevard and 24-26 Frank S. Brown Boulevard. The Borough will continue to budget demolition funds to proactively take down properties that have fallen into neglect.
Phase II of Steelton Skate Park Approved:
Building off of the overwhelming success of the Steelton Skate Park, Borough Council approved the design of Phase II of the park, adding an additional 8,000 square feet of expert-to-intermediate level terrain, additional parking, and storm water management facilities at the park. Our goal is to begin construction of Phase II in Spring 2020.
Steelton Fest 2020 Draws Record Crowd:
This year’s Steelton Fest drew a record crowd of approximately 3,000 people to the Borough to dance the night away. The festival, entering its third year, is quickly becoming an event that is looked forward to throughout the region and is bringing much-needed exposure to Steelton.
My office and our Council continue to work diligently at the everyday task of improving the Borough, serving residents, and clawing our way out of an economic depression. Progress takes time and constant, vigilant, effort. We cannot express our gratitude enough for the patience, understanding, and dedication of residents who are sticking out the tough times to forge our way to a bright future.
As always, you are welcome to stop by my office anytime and say hello.
Very Truly Yours,
Doug Brown, Borough Manager