Scranton informs residents about stormwater projects – Scranton Times-Tribune

Scranton will hold another public meeting Thursday to update residents on the status of various stormwater improvements planned throughout the city.

The meeting is the latest in a series of stormwater information sessions and will specifically focus on stormwater projects in Minooka, North Scranton, Tripp Park and West Scranton. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Tripp Park Community Center, 2000 Dorothy St.

Stormwater management and flood protection are priorities for the city. Ongoing investments in stormwater infrastructure totaled nearly $23 million, officials said in a news release. Included in this total is approximately $6.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds specifically allocated to the four project areas identified above.

City officials will meet Thursday with representatives from Reilly Associates, Scranton’s engineering firm, and environmental science, engineering and consulting firm Verdantas to share information on the status of those projects, “including the results of site studies and project design details,” according to the statement the city said.

Verdantas acquired Wilkes-Barre company Borton-Lawson early last year, which Scranton contracted to provide stormwater engineering and related services in Minooka, West Side and North Scranton. Reilly Associates is handling Tripp Park.

“We’ve heard from residents at all of these public meetings that the stormwater problems are legacy issues – they’ve been going on for decades,” said the city’s economic administrator, Eileen Cipriani. “The city has been able to raise the funds to finally address this issue through the American Rescue Plan and aggressive grantmaking, so we are taking a comprehensive look at the city. We have projects in every corner of the city. Some of these projects are already in the design phase, allowing construction to begin earlier. However, we plan to complete all these projects by the end of 2026.”

Efforts to improve stormwater on East Mountain and the Keyser Valley section of Scranton, long plagued by persistent flooding problems, are also underway. Keyser Valley, devastated by flooding on September 9, 2023, was the subject of a public meeting in late October to update residents on progress there.

As part of its broader investments, Scranton allocated approximately $7.5 million in federal ARPA funds for stormwater improvements in the Keyser Valley, which were the focus of a September 2021 stormwater and flood mitigation study conducted by engineering firm Greenman-Pedersen Inc.

The city is also pursuing the possible creation of a regional stormwater authority along with several partner communities, including Clarks Summit, Dickson City, Dunmore, Moosic, Old Forge and South Abington Twp. and Taylor. Such an authority would allow the city and other participants to manage stormwater more effectively, efficiently and cost-effectively and meet federal pollution reduction requirements, advocates of the approach contend.

Information about stormwater management and the City’s ongoing efforts to improve stormwater infrastructure is available online at scrantonpa.gov.