Unity enjoys revenue boost after year in pandemic; eyes paving, roof replacement

Unity Township is in good financial shape, despite the covid-19 pandemic, and is looking ahead to replacement of the roof on the municipal building and a paving project that will address some roads long overdue for attention.

The township also is updating a piece of heavy equipment and seeking funds for playground improvements. Unity’s supervisors expect to borrow about $8 million through a bond issue slated to close in mid-April and could help cover costs for some of these improvements.

Supervisor Mike O’Barto said the township doesn’t intend to raise taxes to repay the bond, and he reported at this week’s board meeting that the township’s first-quarter revenues stand at $1.6 million — up from $1.4 million for the same period in 2020.

“The significant part of this is the expenditures,” O’Barto said. “Our revenues exceed expenditures by $518,000.

“We came through 2020 in really good shape, and that’s because of the employees that we have, the updated equipment that we have and the ability to look outside of the box and to look into the future.”

As they move into the second quarter of the year, supervisors this week approved purchase of a new Gradall hydraulic excavator and ditching bucket from Highway Equipment Company of Zelienople at a cost of $364,279. Supervisor Ed Poponick said it will replace an existing unit that dates from the mid-1990s.

“It’s one of our most versatile pieces of equipment,” said supervisors Chairman John Mylant.

Supervisors awarded a contract for this year’s road paving project to Tresco Paving of Plum, which submitted a low bid of just under $1.5 million. O’Barto said supervisors have yet to finalize a list of roads for resurfacing, but he said they will be targeting some that haven’t been addressed in four decades.

Unity also will purchase 5,100 tons of various types of asphalt from low-bidder Derry Construction Company, at a cost of $256,125, for other road work that will be handled by township crews.

Derry Construction is installing asphalt walkways as part of a project to close a gap in a walking trail that surrounds a lake next to the township office building and to improve handicapped access to the trail. Mylant said the trail is closed to the public until further notice, as work continues on that roughly $85,500 project. It is being funded through a federal Community Development Block Grant.

The township is seeking bids for two other projects: lining stormwater pipes along Mission Road and in Jamell Acres to extend their lifespan and replacing the township municipal building’s aging rubber roof. The township is applying for close to $400,000 in state grants to help upgrade playgrounds next to the township building and in Pleasant Unity.

O’Barto said housing starts have been a bright spot for the township, with 61 new dwellings added over the last 15 months. He noted a new residential development is proposed along Frye Farm Road while additional housing is being eyed in other areas, including Wimmerton and Victoria Highlands.

That trend defies expectations during the pandemic, O’Barto noted. “You would think the housing market itself would stop, especially with the increased pricing of building materials,” he said. “Every month, we’re getting more and more people moving into Unity Township.”

That has increased the township’s total assessed property value to $302 million, according to O’Barto. He said real estate transfer tax revenue increased by $200,000 last year and is up by $44,000 in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2020.