At the July 8 Bath Borough Council meeting, council approved a number of motions and a resolution, some of which addressed the MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Committee recommendations.

MS4 is a conveyance of stormwater system that discharges storm and other water into creeks, rivers and lakes throughout the United States. The conveyance occurs through storm drains, pipes, ditches and more that are not part of a publicly owned treatment works such as a sewage treatment plant.

The state effort mandating municipalities to develop and implement a MS4 program at the local level is designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants into streams, rivers and lakes to protect water quality to meet the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act and the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law.

The concern of Bath leaders is the high cost of meeting the laws’ standards. It has been estimated the costs to Bath could reach $500,000.

The borough’s MS4 Committee recommended the council authorize the committee to continue its research and statistical analysis for further development of a tiered structure of a stormwater utility fee based on the borough engineer’s draft recommendations. The Bath MS4 Committee recommendation was approved.

A second recommendation from the borough’s MS4 Committee was to begin the official process of forming a local stormwater authority. The process would continue during regular borough council meetings and during public meetings as recommended and guided by specially appointed solicitor Lee Stinnett, the borough’s engineer Ron Madison and the MS4 Committee.

Borough council would authorize any and all steps necessary to create a stormwater authority to the satisfaction of the special solicitor. Council approved this recommendation.

The third recommendation of the MS4 Committee was to agree to have at least three members of the stormwater authority serve without compensation to include the three members of the MS4 Committee. Bath council would advertise to recruit two more members from Bath’s general public for the Bath stormwater authority. All five members would have staggered terms so that one authority member would be up for reappointment every year. Council approved the recommendation.

Borough council addressed the need for bimonthly meetings. Council voted to hold the bimonthly meeting on an as-needed basis rather than a scheduled monthly meeting. During some months, there were no items on the agenda, negating the need for a meeting.

Resolution 2024-006 was considered to add the public works employees to also serve as parking code officials. With the passage of this resolution, it will expand the number of parking code officials to better monitor illegal parking at meters in the borough.

Council approved advertising ordinance 2024-735 to remove an accessible parking zone at 142 Washington St.

All resolutions and ordinances are available from the borough office or by visiting bathborough.org.

A Nurture Nature Center presentation was provided to council.

Council President Frank Hesch provided an update on the upcoming Old Home Week, set for Aug. 8-11 at Ciff Cowling Park. The festival’s daily schedule is available on the borough Facebook page.

The next Bath Borough Council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 12 at borough hall, 121 S. Walnut St.

There also is an MS4 Committee meeting scheduled for 5-6 p.m. July 29 at borough hall.