Oct 6, 2015 3 min read

McMURRAY – They came armed with wish lists.

Peters Township Council and municipal department directors met Monday to begin planning the 2016 budget by determining which projects need to be funded and which ones did not.

At the top of the list were new radios for township police. Chief Harry Fruecht said the radios used by the force are older and their replacement parts are no longer made. The radios would cost $27,000 over a three-year period to replace, said Fruecht, who wants to keep the old radios as back-ups.

“It would give us a good reserve,” he said.

The meeting was the first in a series of workshops township officials are holding to plan its 2016 capital and operating budgets.

The township is considering spending around $1.55 million on paving projects in 2016, making it one of the township’s largest proposed capital improvement projects. Roads targeted for paving include Will Scarlet Lane, Snyder Road and Hidden Valley Road.

“We’ve been fortunate that some of our roads have held up well,” said Michael Silvestri, Peters manager.

Township officials are looking at renovations of the municipal building in order to make it more efficient and safer. The building, which was constructed in the early 1960s, was remodeled in 1983 and 1984. It is used frequently as a meeting site, making it hard to keep track of who is inside, township officials said.

The first phase of this project is $202,000, according to township staff.

“The goal is to create areas available to the public and leave areas for the staff,” Silvestri said.

Officials are looking at the possibility of replacing the playground equipment near Shelter 4 at Peterswood Park, said Michelle Harmel, the township parks and recreation director, adding the equipment is designed to accommodate those with disabilities. It would cost around $250,000.

On a related item, township officials are considering spending $60,000 on a swimming pool feasibility study. Earlier this year when Harmel’s department asked residents what recreational amenity they most wanted to have, the No. 1 response was a swimming pool.

Councilman Robert Lewis suggested it might make better financial sense to partner with Peters Township School District on the project.

“An all-season facility makes a lot of sense,” Lewis said.

Other big-ticket items under consideration by the township include replacing the township amphitheater at a cost of $800,000. The 30-year-old amphitheater needs repairs, such as shoring up retaining walls.

The facility, however, is still usable.

Council is expected to pass its budget in late December.