Southwest Butler Stormwater Planning Group Submitted graphic

Members of the Southern Tier Municipalities Collaborative on Wednesday unveiled 25 applications for stormwater projects across Southern Butler County, with a cumulative value of about $13 million.

At the Butler County commissioners meeting, members of the collaborative — which includes, Adams, Cranberry, Forward, Jackson, Lancaster and Penn townships, as well as Evans City, Harmony, Seven Fields, Valencia and Zelienople boroughs — shared its efforts to solving stormwater issues.

“What’s really important is people need help,” Don Pepe, Zelienople borough manager, said. “We’ve tried to determine how to do that.”

The projects shared on Wednesday range from creating and upgrading detention ponds; to creating a joint stormwater authority; to flood-prevention projects at specific locations.

There are stream bank restoration projects in a number of locations, including Adams and Cranberry townships, as well as Evans City, Valencia and Zelienople boroughs.

For some municipalities, these projects constitute a starting point. One of the first projects for Evans City borough is to further assess their needs by using the county’s Geographic Information System to map out problem areas.

“Traditionally, we haven’t put a lot of financial resources into stormwater management,” said Mark Widdersheim, Evans City borough council member. “Basically, getting our act together is step one.”

For others in the collaborative, it’s about connecting with adjoining municipalities and evaluating needs as a region.

Cathy Rape, mayor of Harmony borough, said for many years adverse stormwater and flooding trickled down from other municipalities further north.

“We can’t control what comes in, but this group can control what comes in,” Rape said.

Commissioners praised the presentation and the collaboration.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel acknowledged that the collaborative was formed in response to a number of concerned and determined residents who continued to make their voices heard.

“I also want to give credit to the municipalities who have stepped up,” Boozel said.

Commissioner Kim Geyer said not only has the collaborative created better working relationships on the issue, but it will make gaining federal and state grants easier.

“Who would have ever thought three years ago, we’d be receivers of federal funds in the capacity we’ve become,” she said.

Mark Gordon, the county’s chief of economic development and planning, also received praise from commissioners and collaborative members alike for his guidance.

Gordon said the collaborative began about three years ago, and many of the projects emerged from an extensive study completed in 2021.

“These projects in and of themselves could go a long way to control localized flooding,“ he said.

Gordon said he is happy with the collaborative’s efforts, and he feels there is a need for stormwater management in other regions of the county.

He said the sooner that collaborations emerge in those regions, the better, because they do take time to come together in the beginning.

“There needs to be something similar up in the far northern region, and there needs to be something similar in the mid-county region,“ Gordon said. “The solutions will be found working together, not working independent.“