(11/20) Hamiltonban Township supervisors approved its "five-year" plan at their November meeting for infrastructure improvements, including bridgework, paving and patching. However, the plan as approved only addresses work proposed to take place over the next four years.
The township excluded scheduling projects into a fifth year due to anticipated shortfall in available monies. Supervisor Coleen Reemer said, "Because of the pandemic, it (the five-year plan) has really turned into a four-year plan - because we expect dropped revenues in State Liquid Fuels (SLF) funding in 2022."
The allocation of SLF funds is based on state-wide gas usage totals, which have been on the decline, since the state’s population overall has been declining due to potential threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reemer stated that gas usage has fallen to the degree that available funding for 2020 through 2021 was reduced, and that this is expected to continue into 2022.
Thus far, 2020 projects proposed by the township include: paving on Gum Springs Road to Mount Hope Bridge at an estimated cost of $274,000; patching on Cold Springs Road from Fitz property to Deer Track Road at an estimated cost of $26,000; patching on Newman Road beyond the Lee Baker at an estimated cost of $27,000; sealing Mount Carmel Road at an estimated cost of $25,932; and sealing Newman Road at a cost of $19,945.
Projects proposed for 2021 include: work on Mount Hope Road from the railroad crossing to Carroll Tract Road for an estimated cost of $66,000; repairing and paving a culvert on Old Waynesboro Road (for an estimated cost of $40,000; repair and relocate a portion of Mortiz Road for an estimated cost of $12,000; sealcoat Lower Bullfrog Road for an estimated cost of $15,000; and pave CS Main Farm to Whipporwill at an estimated cost of $72,000.
Projects proposed for 2022 include: paving lower Mortiz Road at an estimated cost of $27,000; base-repair of upper Moritz Road at an estimated cost of $18,000; seal coating Old Waynesboro Road at an estimated cost of $38,000; and notifying landowners along Mount Hope Road with regard to proposed bridgework and surveying work on upper Mortiz Road.
Projects proposed for 2023 include: applying sealing on Hickory Bridge Road to work done in 2019 applying sealing on Carroll Tract Road to work done in 2019 paving upper Moritz Road (no cost estimate provided); and replacing Mount Hope Bridge. Cost estimates have not been determined applicable to the proposed 2023 projects.
