News – Page 57 – SEDA Council of Governments

Limited no-cost elevation certificates for Selinsgrove homeowners Others can get discounted rates

Posted on May 26, 2020 by DNS Admin

SELINSGROVE – Homeowners who live in the 100-year floodplain have a limited opportunity to get no-cost certificates that could reduce their flood insurance costs.

Selinsgrove Borough is offering the first seven homeowner applicants no-cost Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) elevation certificates. The certificates normally would cost $700. Borough residents must own and occupy their homes.

This free-of-charge certificate is only available to Selinsgrove homeowners, said Sharon Badman, assistant borough manager, and urged homeowners to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

“We are unique in the region for offering these elevation certificates at no cost for residents,” Badman said.

She explained how elevation certificates can reduce flood insurance premiums.

“There is a correlation between how high your property is above the base flood elevation and the actual cost of a flood insurance policy. In a high-risk zone, the higher the elevation of your property, the lower your policy cost will most likely be. Conversely, the lower your elevation, the more your flood insurance policy will cost. You need to supply an elevation certificate for an insurance agent to compare it against your property’s elevation,” Badman said.

The normal certificate cost of $700 for Selinsgrove homeowners is a discounted group price that SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) negotiated with Orangeville Surveying Consultants Inc. Without the discount, the rate can be as expensive as $2,000.

Geralee Zeigler, a program analyst in SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency program, said the certificates also can help when homeowners want to sell their homes.

“Not only can elevation certificates greatly reduce flood insurance premiums, they also make a home more attractive for buyers since the buyer will know where the house stands in relation to the floodplain and knowing they’ll have less of a flood insurance cost,” Zeigler said.

Besides Selinsgrove, the group discount is available in Bloomsburg and Danville for $600, and in Lewisburg and Milton for $700.

Homeowners can get the application from their municipality or SEDA-COG.

Interested Selinsgrove homeowners can contact Badman at 570-374-2311 or sbadman@selinsgrove.org or SEDA-COG’s Geralee Zeigler at gzeigler@seda-cog.org or 570-524-4491 ext. 7218.

Homeowners in Bloomsburg, Danville, Lewisburg, and Milton also may contact Zeigler for more information.

SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency Program offers services related to flood resiliency and mitigation assistance both within and outside of its 11-county region. Its goal is to help break the damage cycle and stop its drain on people and communities. For more information, visit https://seda-cog.org/departments/flood-resiliency/.

Residents can get no-cost repairs through SEDA-COG

Posted on May 22, 2020 by DNS Admin

Residents in a seven-county area may qualify to get their heating unit repaired or replaced at no cost now through August, thanks to CARES Act funds awarded to SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG)

The Cold Weather Crisis program normally ends April 10, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a new program open from May 18 through Aug. 31 or until funds are spent. It is called the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program.

Mandy Fox, chief of SEDA-COG’s Weatherization program, said the timing is crucial for many families.

“This is a benefit to those who may have lost their jobs or substantial income due to the pandemic and may not have qualified when the regular Cold Weather Crisis program closed,” Fox said.

The $159,000 CARES funds awarded to SEDA-COG is to repair or replace heating units.

SEDA-COG’s program is for those who qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Perry, Snyder, and Union counties.

For those whose heat source is malfunctioning, they should call their county assistance office. The county assistance office will forward the completed referral to SEDA-COG to assign to a subcontractor.

SEDA-COG and its subcontractors will follow Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and use the proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) during home visits. SEDA-COG asks those who have been sick, have symptoms, or have been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 that they reschedule their appointments.

COUNTY ASSISTANCE OFFICES

Columbia: 570-387-4200
Juniata: 717-436-2158
Mifflin: 717-248-6746
Montour: 570-275-7430
Perry: 1-800-991-1929
Snyder: 570-374-8126
Union: 570-524-2201

For more information on the recovery program, call SEDA-COG’s Christine Bohart at 570-522-7219 or visit https://bit.ly/2WV26pJ.

Lycoming Valley Railroad Grade Crossing Work to start in late May

Posted on May 14, 2020 by DNS Admin

The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) will reconstruct two railroad grade crossings, which are part of the Lycoming Valley Railroad operations.

Canfields Lane in Montoursville and Commerce Park Drive in Williamsport will be down to single-lane traffic during construction.

The Canfields Lane grade crossing construction starts May 18 and both lanes will reopen May 22.

The crossing is adjacent to the Glenn O. Hawbaker asphalt plant and Jersey Shore Steel’s Met-Fab. The construction will also affect river boat access, and Loyalsock Township parks.

Work on the Commerce Park Drive grade crossing at the Faxon Exit will start May 29 and paving is projected to be completed on June 3. Access to Water Tower Square, Planet Fitness, and other businesses will continue over a flagged, temporary one-lane crossing.

Jannotti Rail Consulting Inc. is the track engineer, Railroad Constructors, Inc. from New Jersey is the track contractor, and Glenn O. Hawbaker is the paving contractor. The SEDA-COG JRA owns the track and Lycoming Valley Railroad is the operator.

The SEDA-COG JRA was formed in 1983 by the forward-looking efforts of its eight member counties to save rail lines and service abandoned by Conrail. The JRA’s public-private partnership was recognized by the World Bank as a model for public-private partnerships to stimulate rural economic development. Since 2004, the JRA has invested or leveraged over $46 million in rail capital projects with over 40 public and private partners. For more information, visit www.sedacograil.org.

SEDA-COG Housing Rehab Work Offers Opportunity for General Contractors

Posted on May 11, 2020 by DNS Admin

With Gov. Tom Wolf allowing construction to resume, general contractors have an opportunity to perform housing rehabilitation work with SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG).

Teri Provost, director of SEDA-COG’s Housing Rehabilitation, said the program benefits both the local community and workforce.

“We know that along with many others, contractors’ workload has been hard hit by the effects of the pandemic. With our housing rehabilitation work, we not only help our communities by rejuvenating housing stock, but we invest in our workforce by bidding out to local contractors,” Provost said.

Contractors are especially needed in Bloomsburg, Milton, and Shamokin. SEDA-COG also does housing rehabilitation work in the Borough of Berwick, Jersey Shore Borough, City of Lock Haven, Mount Carmel Borough, Mount Carmel Township, South Williamsport Borough, and the City of Sunbury, and in Juniata, Montour, Snyder, and Sullivan counties.

Housing rehabilitation bids typically range from $20,000 to $65,000, with timely payment to contractors.

Contractor work may include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon mitigation, energy-related improvements, and, if they have certain certifications, lead-based paint mitigation.

“Contractors can choose where they want to work, so there’s tremendous work flexibility,” Provost said. “Our work is year-round, so we offer a steady flow of projects. And if they don’t want to perform lead-based paint mitigation, we don’t require that certification for lead-free homes.”

Interested contractors can meet with SEDA-COG to answer questions. SEDA-COG streamlines the process for contractors with a rehabilitation specialist assigned to each community.

For more information, contact SEDA-COG’s Danielle King at 570-524-4491 ext. 7325 or dking@seda-cog.org.