Canonsburg approves state grant applications, adopts new ticket tax
Tax will not apply to school events
Canonsburg is seeking substantial state grant funding to improve the drainage around the West Pike Street and McBurney Road intersection that has proven prone to severe flooding.
The $750,000 in requested statewide Local Share Account funds would finish the second phase of the ongoing joint project with Chartiers Township, according to Borough Manager Jennifer Foster. Canonsburg Borough Council unanimously approved the application during its regular meeting on Monday.
Contractors hired by the borough scoped and dredged a portion of the drain entrance on its half of the intersection after four intense flash floods inundated the area in August and September, but a far larger project is needed to permanently reduce the flood risk, according to Foster.
Borough officials have worked with their Chartiers Township counterparts to design a reworked culvert and drain entrance that would channel more water into the storm sewer system and increase the overall inflow capacity.
Both municipalities have now submitted Local Share Account (LSA) grant applications to secure the necessary funding.
Foster said the goal is to have both municipalities receive funding, as this would be the “ideal solution,” but Canonsburg could likely proceed on its own if Chartiers does not receive a grant award.
According to Foster, the state Department of Community and Economic Development – which administers the program – typically selects award recipients in April of the following year after the application deadline, so Canonsburg should have a determination around that time.
Borough Council also approved a $611,000 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation grant to repair a bridge across a tributary of Chartiers Creek on Adams Avenue.
Foster said that although the bridge is safe to motorists, grating underneath the bridge is deteriorating and in need of repair.
The bridge is currently open with a steel plate across its road surface to ensure safety.
Foster credited state Rep. Jason Ortitay’s help in completing the borough’s grant applications.
She said the staff in Ortitay’s district office in Southpointe are “really helpful,” especially in navigating the more intricate aspects of grant writing.
Council also unanimously approved a new 5% tax on amusement tickets sold in the borough to raise revenue heading into the annual budget season.
The new tax will apply to tickets sold at the newly opened Canon Theatre and local entertainment clubs, but will not apply to school events such as varsity football games.
Foster said council has tasked her with seeking creative ways to generate new sources of revenue for the borough beyond raising tax rates, which is what led to the amusement ticket tax.
This ticket tax is estimated to generate approximately $35,000 of revenue within the first year of implementation, she said.