Council adjusts CIP following change of sewer sale plans

Capital improvement plan also accounts for August flooding damages

Members of the Norristown Municipal Council unanimously authorized an amendment to the 2021-25 capital improvement plan Tuesday during a virtual work session.

While the original capital improvement plan was adopted in September 2020, Finance Director Norman Butts noted several adjustments that needed to be addressed.

Butts said there was roughly $4.76 million in planned projects over the next few years previously accounted for by the municipality’s plan to sell the sewer sale to Aqua Pennsylvania.

The agreement for the $82 million sale, initially approved in June 2020 in a 5-2 vote, was a major point of contention in the community – until the company decided to no longer pursue the venture in early December 2020.

Officials had expressed intentions of using the sale’s proceeds for a variety of improvements. Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones had previously informed local elected leaders about exploring options to pay off existing debts and finance programs including establishing a scholarship fund for Norristown Area High School students, merging the borough’s fire department stations and improving the Norristown

Recreation Center.

“Since we don’t have that as a source of funds, we need to … delete those projects from the current [capital improvement plan],” Butts said Tuesday evening.

Most notably, there was $3 million included for the public works building in 2024, $850,000 to purchase Roosevelt Field, located on Markley Street on the grounds of Roosevelt

school, in 2021 and $600,000 to upgrade the lighting at Latshaw-McCarthy Field, located on West Sterigere Street, which was to be doled out in $200,000 increments in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“That sounds like that was going to the children of Norristown,” said President Derrick Perry.

Butts said he experienced some audio issues, not able to hear Perry’s remark. The council president then repeated his “comment,” adding “which we desperately need, but you know, no harm, no foul.”

Officials also needed to account for repairing damages to areas affected by flooding in August following Tropical Storm Isaias, a storm which brought heavy rain to much of the area.

Norristown received $544,244 by way of insurance, according to Butts.

He added the funds were “deposited into capital projects fund to allow us to undertake the repair and renovation to the assets that were damaged in the flood.”

Of the six-figure return, several big ticket items included $210,500, which would go toward the restoration of fences at the baseball field, located near the municipality’s recreation center, and $194,877 to fix the structure, located on Harding Boulevard, with another $43,525 for “rec center contents,” according to municipal officials.

The next Norristown Municipal Council meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2.

— Norristown Finance Director Norman Butts