Spring City Borough Council approved $45,576.80 in stormwater pipe repairs along Main Street during its Monday, November 2, meeting, addressing deteriorating underground infrastructure that has caused minor sinkholes and required steel plates to be placed in the roadway.
Borough Manager Kisha Tyler explained that the repairs are necessary before winter, when snowplows could dislodge the plates and expose motorists to potentially dangerous road conditions.
"We can't have the steel plates for the winter," Tyler said. "There's some minor sinkholes, and we just don't want them to get any bigger."
The borough accepted a proposal from Sacks & Sons, a contractor that has previously completed projects in Spring City. The work will address two locations currently covered by steel plates near Main Street’s intersections with Chestnut Street and Hall Street.
Tyler said the repairs could be completed within the next couple of weeks. Only portions of Main Street are expected to close during the work, with access maintained for school buses and emergency vehicles.
Larger Project Could Cost $300,000
The immediate repairs are part of a much larger stormwater infrastructure project that Tyler estimated could cost between $250,000 and $300,000.
That project could involve approximately 3,000 linear feet of underground piping along Main Street and Bridge Street. Tyler cautioned that the scope could expand as engineers continue inspecting the borough's stormwater system.
The borough plans to pursue county and state grants to help fund the larger project but is waiting until engineers determine the full extent of the necessary work before submitting applications.
In the meantime, Tyler said the approved repairs should remain effective for several years, allowing the borough additional time to secure funding.
Borough Approves Trash Truck Sale
In separate business, council approved Resolution No. 2026-21, authorizing the sale of the borough's 2005 Leach International trash truck for $42,100 to a buyer in Schwenksville.
The sale price was nearly the same amount as the newly approved stormwater repairs, prompting a joke from Mayor Adam Alberico.
"There's your pipe," he said.
The vehicle was sold through Municibid, an online auction platform used by municipalities to sell surplus equipment.
Tyler said the competitive bidding exceeded expectations, with the borough initially anticipating a sale price between $16,000 and $20,000.
The sale follows an October announcement that the borough was retiring the truck and discontinuing its bulk item pickup service. Residents must now arrange bulk item collection through Whitetail Disposal, the borough's current trash hauler, or another private hauler.
