Dec 30, 2023 By Paul Paterra 3 min read

DONORA – The borough hopes to build a new public works garage and has applied for Local Share Account grants from the county and the state to help in that effort.

Borough Administrator Michael Thornton said the borough is seeking a $500,000 grant from the county and $1 million from the state. The funding should cover the price of the project, but the borough has committed up to $100,000 for cost overruns.

The current building at Donora Industrial Park, 470 Galiffa Drive, does not have enough space to hold some of the borough’s equipment. A new facility would be built on a lot off of Scott Street to accommodate those assets.

“We have a lot of assets like a street sweeper and a chipper,” Thornton said. “We’ve got a couple new snowplows. All of these things are out in the weather. We don’t have the space for them. Also, because of the parking lot that we don’t own, we don’t have the ability to service our fire trucks.”

Along with a place to house borough vehicles, there will be a service garage to accommodate the fire trucks, along with two service bays for borough vehicles. Street foreman Dean Fronzaglio, who currently works out of the borough building, will have an office at the new facility. A drainage system also is planned to make washing vehicles easier.

“It will be two buildings in one,” Thornton said. “One to replace what we have and one to enhance it. We’re going to protect the assets. Now that we have them we have to take care of them.”

The grants were written by the Mon Valley Alliance.

Thornton said the borough has received letters of support from state Sen. Camera Bartolotta and state Rep. Tim O’Neal.

Thornton said he will make his presentation to the county on Jan. 16.

Also, council adopted a 2024 budget that calls for no tax increase.

A $2,529,500 spending plan was approved by the four members of council in attendance at a special meeting Thursday: council President Michael McDowell and Cynthia Brice, Thomas Thompson and Fred Berestecky. Not in attendance were outgoing council members P. Jane Ackerman, Gilbert Szakal Jr. and Joseph Greco.

The tax rate remains at 6.887 for general tax purposes, .125 mills for fire protection, .219 mills for recreation and .031 mills for the Donora Public Library.

Council will hold its reorganization meeting Tuesday to swear in new council members DeAnne Pavelko, James Brice and Casey Perrotta. Thornton said he expects the new council to reopen the budget.

“They’re going to manage it even tighter,” Thornton said. “All good news for the taxpayers. No increases are going to come out of their pocketbooks.”