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Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Honored by American Water Resources Association

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James Tomaine accepts an award for Integrated Water Resources Management at the American Water Resources Association national conference, November 2022Congratulations to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA), who received an award this week from the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) for Integrated Water Resources Management.  The authority’s executive director Jim Tomaine accepted the award at a luncheon during AWRA’s national conference in Seattle.

The Integrated Water Resources Management Award honors exemplary teamwork on a complex water resource challenge.  WVSA received the award for their work creating a regional stormwater authority to help communities in Luzerne County reduce watershed pollution and comply with MS4 requirements. The project is noteworthy because it was the first regional stormwater authority in Pennsylvania, and it blazed a trail for others to pursue regional stormwater solutions. WVSA partners with more than 30 municipalities in Luzerne County on a joint Pollutant Reduction Plan and BMPs.  Working together, they are able to address pollution on the watershed scale, producing better results than small, uncoordinated projects could.  They are also able to achieve economies of scale that reduce the overall cost burden on individual communities.  The collaboration does not end there, however.  WVSA and its member municipalities work with Luzerne County and its flood protection authority on stream restoration and partner with private landowners, who install BMPs on their property in exchange for reduced stormwater fees.

HRG helped WVSA develop and implement this innovative program, and we are proud to have worked with their passionate and visionary leaders:  Jim Tomaine, Jeff Colella, Sandy Bartosiewics, Sam Guesto, Gerry Cross, and the entire WVSA board. This program also received the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence in 2018.

Adam Hartwig Joins HRG as Capital Management Analyst

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Adam HartwigAdam Hartwig has joined Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. as a capital management analyst.  He is a former manager of Middlesex Township with more than 10 years of experience in local government.

He’s also a past executive director of the Butler County Council of Government who served in the Butler County Association of Township Officials, the Butler County Parks and Recreation Board, and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

Hartwig began his career in the management of sewer authorities, where he handled the administrative duties of the authority, oversaw daily operations of the wastewater treatment plant, and performed rate and budget analyses.  He then transitioned to the role of municipal manager, overseeing the day-to-day operations of a growing township where his duties included overseeing their police and public works department.

Hartwig has a decade of experience with budgeting, capital planning, and capital improvement programs.  He applies this knowledge and experience on behalf of municipalities at HRG, helping them manage operations, pursue grant funding, and prepare budgets.  He also assists with long-term strategic planning.

ABOUT HERBERT, ROWLAND & GRUBIC, INC

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 250 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Act 43: What Water & Sewer Systems Need to Know about the Impact on Multi-Family Billings

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An amendment to the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act allows the owner of a multi-family dwelling to request a billing adjustment every five years if the amount billed exceeds the usage by 30% or more.  This could have wide-ranging impacts for water and sewer authorities that serve multi-family dwellings.  Our vice president Russ McIntosh discusses all of the implications in the August issue of The Authority, a magazine published by the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association.  Read the article on their website here

Bumble Bee Hollow Residential Development

Municipal Budgeting in Uncertain Times

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Municipalities must finalize their budgets before the end of the year, but sometimes — like during a global pandemic — it’s hard to predict how much revenue will be available and what expenses the municipality will incur.  In this video series, a variety of experts offer their advice for how to craft a municipal budget that is resilient and responsive to change.

 

Lee Stinnett shares tips for municipal budget flexibility

Lee Stinnett, an attorney and municipal solicitor at Salzmann Hughes, offers 5 tips municipalities can use to build flexibility into their budgets, so they can move money around where it’s needed most and respond to unforeseen changes.

 

Bond attorney Jen Caron discusses restructuring and refinancing municipal debt

Bond attorney resident Jen Caron discusses options for refinancing and restructuring debt to increase cash flow.

 

Pat Dennis Discusses His Borough's Approach to Municipal Budgeting during COVID

Camp Hill Borough’s former manager Pat Dennis shares one municipality’s approach to budgeting during COVID and his efforts to maintain levels of service even though the borough anticipates reduced revenue in the coming year.

 

Josh Fox discusses capital improvement planning

Josh Fox discusses the benefits of a Capital Improvement Plan and the reasons why municipalities will want to stick to the plan even when budgets are tight or revenue and expenses are uncertain.

 

Route 39 Intersection Improvements Honored with Road & Bridge Safety Award

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West Hanover Township received a Road & Bridge Safety Award Friday for improvements that HRG designed at the intersection of Route 39 with Douglas and Devonshire Heights Roads. This location had been the site of several rear-end and angle accidents due to poor intersection alignment and sight distance deficiencies.  HRG realigned the intersection, installed a northbound right turn lane along Route 39, enhanced advance signing and pavement markings, and installed a flashing yellow control beacon.  We also increased the separation between this intersection and a second intersection where Douglas Road met Devonshire Heights Road. This second intersection had been less than 100 feet away from the Route 39 intersection, creating the opportunity for confusion and conflict between drivers.

Our civil practice area leader Matt Bonanno and our traffic team leader Eric Stump attended a brief ceremony at the intersection where West Hanover Township received their award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. You can view the ceremony below:

 

 

You can also see photos of the project by clicking through this slideshow:

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ABOUT THE ROAD & BRIDGE SAFETY AWARD

The Road & Bridge Safety Award is given annually to townships that have completed road or bridge improvements in the prior year that increased public safety.  It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, and PennDOT.

WEBINAR: How to Cut Stormwater Costs with Partnerships & Collaboration

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Communities report increased flooding in recent years – even outside the flood zone.
Aging infrastructure is at or near the end of its useful life, and signs of failure are appearing.
Regulatory agencies are requiring communities to do more to manage stormwater, but additional funding is not being provided.

These are big problems, and most communities can’t solve them alone. Collaboration is the key to keeping the cost of stormwater improvements manageable, and this webinar will show you how to make collaboration work for your community.

Our financial services practice area leader Adrienne Vicari joined Jim Cosgrove of Kleinfelder, Inc. and the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters to discuss the benefits of collaboration and offer tips communities can use to form effective partnerships. She identifies specific entities for partnership (including other municipalities, state and federal agencies, property owners, and a variety of non-profit organizations) and shows real world examples of how partnerships are saving municipalities millions of dollars on stormwater management and MS4 compliance.

Watch this free webinar below and contact Adrienne Vicari to discuss partnership opportunities for your community.

 

Laura Ludwig Joins HRG as a Community Planner

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Laura Ludwig portraitLaura Ludwig has joined the Pittsburgh office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a community planner.  She will assist HRG’s municipal clients with zoning, ordinance amendments, and requests for land development plan approvals and permits.  She will also act as a liaison between community groups, government agencies, developers and other stakeholders in developing neighborhood plans.

She has extensive experience as a community organizer, municipal government employee, and consultant.  Prior to joining HRG, she served as the director of community development for North Fayette Township.  Her responsibilities included guiding residents and businesses through the subdivision and land development review process, ensuring local construction project comply with codes and ordinances, and implementing the community’s comprehensive land use plan.  She also worked as a private consultant, drafting a comprehensive plan for South Beaver Township and assisting dozens of municipalities with their zoning and land use programs.

Ms. Ludwig earned her master’s degree in urban and regional affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.