Canonsburg seeks grant funds for McBurney project
Canonsburg and Chartiers Township are moving forward with a joint application to Washington County’s Local Share Account grant program in hopes of securing essential funds for a crucial flood resiliency project.
Canonsburg Borough Council approved a matching funds contribution up to $15,000 during a Monday night meeting following weeks of discussion with Chartiers officials regarding project scope and cost.
Chartiers is anticipated to approve a similar contribution during their Tuesday night meeting.
The $210,000 in requested funds would complete the second phase of an ongoing effort to protect the intersection of McBurney Road and West Pike Street from further flooding, after intense flash flooding throughout August and September devastated several adjacent homes and businesses.
The first phase was completed in September which included a limited culvert and drain cleaning along McBurney Road following the first flood that month using $90,000 of previously awarded county Local Share Account (LSA) funding.
According to Canonsburg Borough Manager Jennifer Foster, the second phase will include more extensive drain and culvert cleaning, as well as resizing pipes in the drainage system under the road.
The total project will cost between $700,000 and $1 million to fully correct all drainage and pipe issues that contribute to the area being so flood-prone, she said.
Canonsburg staff initially scoped the comprehensive project in 2021, but were unable to proceed due to a lack of funds at the time.
The borough redoubled efforts to get the project off the ground following the flooding earlier this year.
Foster said the borough should receive a response from the Washington County Redevelopment Authority, which administers the grant program, sometime in April.
Also Monday, council welcomed two new hires, bolstering the borough’s staff ahead of annual budget season and the holidays.
Incoming Public Works Director Jordan D’Ambrosio will replace outgoing director Brian Moody in the coming weeks, Foster said.
Moody served the borough for over 22 years.
D’Ambrosio brings over a decade of experience leading the public works departments of Swissvale Borough and Sharpsburg Borough, which makes him a great fit to lead a comparably sized department in Canonsburg, Foster said.
“Every well-run community has a great public works department, and we hope (D’Ambrosio) will help us shine a little brighter,” she said.
Sujitha “Suji” Velnamby will begin her new part-time position as borough finance officer with immediate effect and will help staff prepare for upcoming borough budgeting.
Velnamby spent the past three months in an equivalent role working for the borough through a third-party accounting firm that was contracted after Foster assumed the full-time borough manager position this summer.
Foster previously served as the borough’s finance director before being appointed as interim borough manager in February 2026 following the resignation of Angela Senay.