Public Works

The Department of Public Works takes great pride and hours of hard work to maintain the more than 60 miles of streets, storm sewers, parks and various Borough owned properties, for the highest level of safety for the residents and visitors of Berwick Borough. The Working Foreman, Robert Markle, who has been with the Borough for twenty-four years, heads the Department. The Department also consists of five full-time employees: Doug Carrathers, Jack Kyttle, Michael Long, Curt Rider, and Danny Stout. There are also three part- timers: Tom Cashman, James Dalberto and Phillip Keifer. The Public Works Department also takes care of Street Sweeping, Building Maintenance, Swimming Pool Maintenance, Snow Plowing, Brush Recycling, and Tree Maintenance. The Department is vital to the Borough of Berwick because through its work, the Borough is able to present itself as a beautiful place to live and play to visitors. It also allows the citizens to take pride in their community. Some of the Services Provided by the Public Works Department Annual Leaf and Brush Collection Approximately four weeks are utilized in October and November to pick up the residents’ leaves and brush, which must be left at the curb. We also pick up in the Spring for Christmas Trees and small brush.  The Borough also has a drop off site at the Test Track for small brush, leaves, and grass clippings. Celebration Preparation The Public Works Department helps with preparations of numerous Borough and non-Borough event set ups such as Carnivals, 4th of July, Fireworks, blocking the streets for block parties, concerts, Kids Night, and many other events throughout the Borough. Landscaping/Mowing The Public Works Department spends a great deal of time mowing the seven parks in the Borough.  In addition, there are several other properties in the Borough in which the Department takes care of.  The Department also spends a lot of time landscaping different areas of the town, beautifying the parks, City Hall, and the Downtown. Park and Swimming Pool Maintenance: Berwick has four neighborhood Parks (Sponslors, Arbor Street, Louis Stevens, and Vine Street), a Downtown Park (St. Charles), and two of the most beautiful parks in the area (Ber Vaughn and Test Track).  The Borough also maintains the area’s largest outdoor swimming pool at Ber Vaughn Park, which was built in 1972.   Signs The Department is also responsible for the signs throughout the Borough limits. This includes signs that are missing, damaged, or have graffiti on them. If you see such signs, please call the City Hall at 570-752-2723. Snow Removal/Plowing There are several snow removal duties that are performed: snow removal from the Borough, maintain sidewalks, and hauling snow as needed from uptown areas and parking lots. A list of the equipment used in snow plowing and removal include 5-ton trucks, a pick-up trucks, a front end loader, a Backhoe, and a Skid Steer. All trucks are equipped with plows and salt spreaders. Dumpster Day The Borough had its 1st ever Dumpster Day on May 31, 2009 at the Test Track.  The Public Works Department volunteered their day to ensure that the more than 300 cars that arrived were safely and efficiently unloaded.  Residents were very thankful for this opportunity. Street Maintenance There are over 60 miles of Borough maintained streets that the Public Works Department attempts to keep in the very best condition, despite a challenge in funding.  Potholes are patched as quickly as possible when found. If you know of a pothole that needs patched, call the City Hall at 570-752-2723.   Leave a message with the Receptionist and we will pass it on. Street Painting The Department tries to maintain the highest level of safety for the residents with the painting of curbs, crosswalks, and stop bars, which is done on an annual basis during the Summer months. Street Sweeping This is done throughout the year, although primarily in the summer.  All residents are to follow the posted signage throughout the Borough in regards to parking restrictions. Storm Sewer There are several hundred storm water catch basins and drywells in which the Borough maintains.  The Department tries to keep each of these free and clear of debris.  If you see a blocked catch basin, please contact City Hall at 570-752-2723. Traffic Lights Even though most of the traffic lights in the Borough are on state roads, the Borough is responsible for the maintenance of the traffic lights. Thanks to the Columbia County Commissioners, the Borough has recently installed LED traffic lights throughout the Borough, saving taxpayers over 35% on the cost of traffic lights.  In addition, the new lights have added a “brighter glow” to the Borough.  In upcoming months, crosswalk lights will also be changed.  There are daily inspections to see if all of the lights are working properly. To report lights that are out or malfunctioning, call the Police Station immediately at 570-752-3677.

Public Works Building Addition

The Borough of Berwick recently had an addition completed onto its existing Public Works building located on S. Eaton Street. The addition included three additional bays for equipment and the construction of a storage area/impound yard.  The addition to the building was a resulting of the need to match a portion of the $283,000 Recycling Grant that the Borough received in late 2007 for Recycling Collection Equipment.  The addition to the building is much needed, as the department had previously been storing a great deal of equipment outside the building, exposing it to weather conditions.

Street Projects in the Borough

You may have noticed that Market Street, Vine Street, and Pine Street had been under construction for quite some time. The Market Street project was under the direction of the Berwick Area Joint Sewer Authority and was a sewer separation from storm water project. Market Street will be repaved by Penn-Dot within the next month. Also, the installation of the new curbs was mandated by the state, in order to be in compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. These projects are mandated by the PA Department of Environment Protection. The purpose is to ensure that sewer water goes to the sewer plant, while storm water is released into the Susquehanna River. In August, BAJSA began construction on Oak Street as part of the storm water/sewer separation of the BIDA complex.  The project took several months due to a large number of issues in which the contractor had to deal with under the railway.  We appreciate the patience of our residents throughout the entire process.   The Vine and Pine Streets projects were under the direction of the water company. The projects included the installation of new water pipes.  The entire length of each street where these projects have occurred will be re-paved by Summer's end. You may also have noticed Borough workers using the Dura Patch hot patch machine throughout the Summer and Fall seasons.  The machine is designed to better patch streets, as cold patch is not effective.  Unfortunately, as Winter nears, the hot patch machine is no longer able to be used again until Spring, as the cold weather affects the chemical agents and creates a gelling atmosphere with the material, making it useless.  See the photo below to view how the machine works.

Bowers Lane Bridge is Open!

After about six months of being closed, the Bowers Lane Bridge is finally open again.  The bridge crosses Briar Creek and connects Berwick Borough to a section of Briar Creek Township.  The one-lane bridge began to crumble in the late Summer of 2008.  Thanks to Representative David Millard, Berwick Borough was able to obtain a $29,104.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to purchase a Bailey Bridge.  The project was delayed due to time period restrictions in the grant process. When contractor bids came in at more than $70,000 to put the bridge up, the Borough of Berwick Council and Briar Creek Township Supervisors decided to construct the bridge internally.  Working together, Mike Hart, Briar Creek Township Road Master, and Bob Markle, Berwick Borough Publick Works Foreman, devised a plan in conjunction with Nick Kalanick and Peters Consulting to construct the bridge.  A steel bridge with cement footers and a wooden deck was built in a little over two months.  The Bailey Bridge is a bridge that was used during World War II and has been used throughout the United States and the entire world for years.  By constructing the bridge internally, the Borough of Berwick and Briar Creek Township were able to save approximately $50,000.  The bridge has been regularly inspected and is fully operational!  Many thanks for all who were involved in this process.

Approved and Recommended Street Tree Planting List

Because of the issues that can accompany planting trees as well as removing them, the Borough of Berwick has placed guidelines on trees between the sidewalk and the curb.  Borough Ordinance requires that if a property owner removes a tree between the sidewalk and the curb, they must replant a tree in its place somewhere between the sidewalk and the curb.  Additionally, because of the size some trees can get, the Borough has requirements and approved trees that are allowed to be planted in this area.  Berwick Borough Approved Street Tree Planting List     Trees are categorized by small, medium, or large. If there are utility, cable, or phone wires along the street, the property owner must choose from the “small tree” list.   It is recommended to note on this list of trees, that when a person chooses a tree(s), to keep in mind   Approved Trees:   Small Trees – mature height 25 – 35 ft. If your street has overhead wires, you will need to choose from this category.   ·         Mountain Ash ·         Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn (needs a strong central leader) ·         Washington Hawthorn – “Sentry” (needs a strong central leader) ·         Winder King Hawthorn – “Winter King” ·         Flower Dogwood ·         Pink Flowering Cherry ·         Shadblow / Serviceberry – “Robin Hill”, “Autumn”, “Brilliance”, or “Cumulus” (select a tree form, not a bush form) ·         Japanese Tree Lilac – “Ivory Silk” or “Summer Snow” ·         Columnar Sargent Cherry ·         Amur Maple ·         Trident Maple ·         Bradford Pear (non-fruit bearing) ·         Cleveland Select Pear (non-fruit bearing)(this is the tree in our downtown)   Medium Trees – mature height 35 – 50 ft.   ·         Sunburst Locust ·         American Hornbeam (early pruning critical) ·         European Hornbeam (also upright var. “Fastigiata”) ·         Redspire Calley Pear ·         Aristocrat Calley Pear ·         Imperial Honeylocust (small Imperial variety of the honeylocust)   Large Trees – mature height 50 ft or more.   ·         Northern Red Oak (recommend planting in the fall only) ·         English Oak (specify high branching) ·         Honeylocust – “Skyline” or “Shademaster” (pruned properly) ·         Willow Oak (this tree will drop acorns) ·         White Oak (this tree will drop acorns) ·         Ginkgo (male only) ·         Green Ash – “Summit”, “Patmore”, or “Urbanite” ·         White Ash – “Rosehill” or “Autumn Purple” ·         Zelkova – “Green Vase” ·         Little Leaf Linden – “Greenspire” ·         Blackgum or Tupelo ·         Turkish Filbert ·         Dawn Redwood ·         Red Maple – “Red Sunset” (strong central leader)

PPL Stance on Tree Trimming Practices

The Borough recently had discussions with PPL in regards to our concerns with cutting a "V" shape in the middle of trees that are planted under power lines.  The concern was that there must be a better way to trim a tree because we feel that the "V" is not only an ugly look, but it makes the tree grow outward instead of upward, ultimately causing branches to break and fall.  However, PPL representatives informed Borough officials as to why the company practices this method rather than topping the tree.  Below is a release by Ms. Teri MacBride, PPL Electric Utilities spokewoman, regarding this matter. Tree-trimming helps prevent power outages Planting smart around power lines reduces chance of problems         Trees improve the environment and add beauty to our communities. But when taller trees are allowed to grow close to power lines, they can cause outages and create potential safety hazards.       To lessen the likelihood of problems, PPL Electric Utilities trims along more than 5,500 miles of power lines each year. That’s enough to stretch from New York to Los Angeles and back.       “We prune trees to keep them clear of power lines and maintain reliable service for those who count on us,” said Teri MacBride, PPL Electric Utilities spokeswoman in the Berwick area. “We take great care to protect the health of the trees we prune, and skilled PPL foresters employ practices recommended by industry experts.”       The company uses tree-pruning practices and standards accepted by the National Arbor Day Foundation and other tree-care groups. This practice removes only branches growing toward power lines. These branches are pruned back to the main trunk or another large branch. Remaining branches are left to grow naturally.       Fewer cuts mean healthier and stronger trees, although trees that are growing directly under or beside power lines may have a “V” or “L” shape when you look directly down the line.       “Our preference is not to trim trees,” MacBride said. “Municipalities and property owners can help by picking the right tree for the right place. Planting low-growing tree species near power lines helps us keep the lights on, makes properties safer, reduces tree-trimming expenses for everyone and ensures that the trees will be able to mature into their natural shape.”       MacBride encourages property owners to avoid planting trees near very large power lines (those with steel poles and towers). These lines are vital links in the delivery system, carry large amounts of power and require big clearances.       She said customers who are planting near smaller, neighborhood power lines should take care to pick the right tree for the right place, considering how the tree will look — height and spread — when it’s fully grown and selecting trees that will not grow taller than 25 feet. She said varieties like dogwoods, plums, crab apples and redbuds are appropriate. More information on selecting the right tree can be found at www.ppltrees.com.       MacBride said PPL Electric Utilities does not prune or remove trees around the service wire that runs from poles to homes or businesses. However, she said the company will shut off power and lower the wire to the ground so customers can do the job safely. This service is free. Customers should call PPL Electric Utilities at 1-800-342-5775 at least three days in advance.        For more information, visit www.ppltrees.com, www.patrees.org or isa-arbor.com. The Borough of Berwick approved and recommended street tree planting list is below.