2009

Merry Christmas to one and all.

I would like to list some thoughts and ideas for the town for 2009. I do not think that next year will be as tough for the town as many think it will. It will be effected though by the DLGF when they give final approval of the 2009 budget which may not come until half way through the year and if they make significant reductions we may have some trouble.
My list of projects for 2009 start out with finishing the east interceptor to the sanitary sewer line. The money is already put aside and we really need this done. There have been rumbling in the county that more businesses want to locate at the 600w (mt comfort road) corridor from the airport down to US 40. With out sewer service this can not happen and they will not wait and with out some businesses coming in to Cumberland our taxes will get worse. Even with the cap they can go up since the state has not provided a vote for us to make a permanent change in the state constitution.
The Pennsy trail project has the funds sitting there as well and so does the Washington street rebuild and street scape projects. all should come into play in 2009.
New items I am looking at are the roads in Cumberland. I plan to work with the town manager to get a list of all roads from worse to good condition and hope to hit as many of them as the budget funds will allow. Now with this I am saying that many only need holes filled then grind the surface and put a top coat down which should last for 5+ years at least, I have been told. My hope is to get as many of those done as possible and each year after start to tackle a major or so a year. If President elect Obama gets his plans through to rebuild roads we should be able to get some of the big project done under that and use our local funds for smaller jobs. His plan should come in about the time we plan to tackle some of the bigger things. That also hinges on IF he gets it through and finds a way to pay for it.