Council meets early, starts a solar process for WWTP, and passes 2025 budget

Something Indiana has talked about for two and a half years — solar panels for the borough’s Wastewater Treatment Plant in Center Township — finally is on the path to becoming a reality.

In a 5-0 vote Monday night, borough council chose to move ahead with a project involving Energy Independent Solutions LLC or EIS Solar of Carnegie, Allegheny County.

EIS Solar was among companies that answered the borough’s request for proposals for a system that would offset, as was discussed Monday night, 20% of the electricity consumed by WWTP, the largest user of power among borough assets.

“We try when possible to use American-made products,” EIS Solar Commercial Projects Consultant Hal Saville told council. “For example, those panels we are going to be using are from a company that has been offshore but they decided to manufacture in the U.S, in Texas.”

Saville made the presentation along with EIS Solar Commercial Business Development Manager David Sargus and Ryan Brockman, vice president for public finance and debt investment banking with Raymond James in Lancaster.

Brockman would handle a possible $1 million-plus bond issue, with $900,000 to cover the project itself. Saville said the idea was to try to take advantage of tax credits available for such a project.

Saville conceded that there are concerns about the future of such projects, based on changing federal policy for using solar power.

The vote almost didn’t happen, as a council meeting moved back from a normal Tuesday night to Monday to cope with three likely absentees almost had four — and that would be one more than what’s allowed for a quorum on the eight-member panel.

Councilman Jonathan Smith was a late arrival but was there in time for all the votes of the night, which also included administration and public works matters and two items under public safety.

Council Vice President Kaycee Newell, one of three councilors who could not make it Tuesday, ran the meeting until she had to leave to take care of her daughter, at which time Council Administration Chairman Peter Broad ran the rest of the more-than-90-minute gathering.

Council President Luke DeBuyser could not make either Monday or Tuesday, nor could Councilwoman Jessica Frick. Councilwoman Betsy Sarneso also could not make Monday’s meeting.

Councilman Donald Lancaster and Councilwoman Tamara Collazzo rounded out the five members making up Monday’s quorum. One item Monday night was passing a 2025 budget for the borough.

If one thinks that should have been done late last year, it probably was.

However, borough Manager Nichole Sipos said, “we needed to vote on it because it never made the minutes (of the Dec. 3, 2024, council meeting). We made the motion to pass the tax ordinance.”

And that was in the minutes for Dec. 3, a 1-mill increase approved by a 6-2 vote, with DeBuyser and Frick voting no.

Also at the Dec. 3 meeting, Kukurin Contracting Inc. was awarded a contract for general and mechanical wastewater treatment plant improvements. On Monday, council voted 5-0 to approve a $45,377 change order for Kukurin.

Also Monday, council approved:

• A series of motions regarding Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority or PennVEST funding for WWTP improvements, including a letter of responsibility for the funding request, an actual application for that funding, and a provision for PennVEST funds to reimburse borough general fund expenditures.

• A $5,190 bid from Kirkpatrick Construction for repairs to the parking garage stairs.

• A motion to review the borough’s noise ordinance.

• A borough Retirement and Welfare Plans Engagement Agreement set forth by Knox Law.

• An application from Downtown Indiana Inc. for its 2025 Car Show on June 15 from 3 to 7 p.m. along Philadelphia Street between Fifth and Ninth streets in downtown Indiana.

Council also heard from a borough employee suffering from cancer, whose wife also has been ailing, and whose personal days are running out.

Other borough employees said they would like to help Donald Peffer, who works in the Parking Department. Solicitor Patrick Dougherty said such matters are normally handled on a case-by-case basis, but the borough is seeking to develop a policy.

Police Chief Justin Schawl said the borough will host the annual Indiana County Peace Officers Memorial Service, on May 15 at 12:15 p.m. in IRMC Park, weather permitting.

The chief said he also is looking for funding for a fence for a dog walking area along the Water Street side of the still-being-renovated borough building.

Smith, who represents the borough on the new county municipal emergency services authority, said those making up the authority locally still are waiting for action from Harrisburg on the request for its incorporation.

He hoped there would be “something on the table” for municipalities involved in the authority by the fall.