FAQs

Access to Lemoyne Borough Hybrid Meetings

• Borough Council meetings can be accessed via the ZOOM platform. You will need to have a registered ZOOM account to access meetings. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes to set up. For detailed instructions regarding how to download and use ZOOM, please visit this excellent primer offered by the AARP: https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2020/how-to-use-zoom.html
• You can also access the meeting via phone using the phone number provided in the ZOOM announcement sent out from the Borough.
• All participants will be asked to provide their name once entered into the meeting.
• ZOOM Meetings will require a unique Meeting ID and Password to access. This information can be found on the homepage of the borough’s website at www.lemoynepa.com , Facebook and Instagram two hours prior to the meeting.
• You will not be able to access meetings through Google.
• Waiting Room will be enabled. Please log into the meeting 5-10 minutes prior to the start time.

Public Comment:

Public comments are limited to 5 minutes each.

Participants wishing to make a public comment may virtually raise their hand by clicking “Raise Hand” in the webinar controls or by pressing *9 via telephone (Please note *9 will raise and lower hand).  The Council President will recognize those with their hand raised and ask to “unmute”, one at a time, during the public comment sections of the agenda. Those participating via telephone will press *6 for both muting and unmuting. 

Participants will be asked to identify themselves and state their full name and home address.

Since the Borough plans out 5 years and the list of planned repairs is on the website, anyone can check at any time to find out what is happening.  The Five-Year Plan for road replacement and/or repair can be found here.

Simply download and complete the reservation form and bring it to the borough office along with proper ID and payment. If renting the community room, payment in full must be accompanied by a $100.00 CASH Security Deposit (which will be returned to the renter after inspection of the Community Room and the key is returned). If you would like to find out if a specific date is available, please call the office at 717-737-6843.

This question has a number of answers, but here are some of them which explain why they are important.

• Curbs help to control water runoff and, in conjunction with the crown in the roadway, direct rainwater to the side of the street where it will not impede traffic.
• Curbs, if they are high enough, help to keep the water off the sidewalks so that it is safer for pedestrians.
• Curbs help to keep vehicular traffic in the streets and off the sidewalks where they could injure a pedestrian. If they are high enough (between 4 and 8 inches as recommended by PennDOT) they do, in fact help keep traffic in the streets and away from pedestrians.

In 1905, Lemoyne became an incorporated Borough. It had 800 residents and a few roads dirt roads. When it rained, these streets turned into a muddy mess, and travel was difficult and hazardous until the water drained into the ground or evaporated from the surface. There were few personal vehicles. People walked from place to place, or they used trolley cars which ran on railways in the middle of the streets. Over time gas powered buses were added to the transportation mix and the trollies were phased out. At the same time the growing numbers of car owners required roads that were better than dirt. Concrete and asphalt was eventually installed, but this improvement caused a problem with drainage. Sidewalks and gutters had to be added to keep the standing water away from pedestrians and in the gutters until it evaporated or drained off. Later, underground drains were added to improve water runoff. Other parts of the Borough did not experience these problems as severely, so curbs and sidewalks were not always required.

Please note, it is possible that your curb and sidewalk was put there by the prior owner and was not required by the Borough. However, once installed, they must be maintained by the current property owner.

Not all sidewalk and curb repairs are tied to street repairs. If, upon routine inspection by the Borough, it is noted that your sidewalk needs to be replaced, you could be required to repair or replace it regardless of when the roadway may be addressed. If a property owner refuses to fix a sidewalk or curb problem, the Borough is allowed, by state law, to complete the work and then bill the property owner.

No, local taxes are not used to repair roadways. Each year the Borough receives “Liquid Fuel Funds” from the state which is from the gas tax collected at the pumps when motor vehicles fuel up. These are the only funds used for these projects at this time, and road maintenance is the only thing for which these funds can be used. They cannot be used for curbs and sidewalks.

When streets come up for repair or replacement, the Borough also looks at the conditions of abutting sidewalks and curbs. Following an on-site inspection, recommendations are made for Council’s consideration. For many years this was not done, and the current Council realized that there was a growing safety issue arising from broken curbs, cracked and raised sidewalks, tripping hazards. We could not permit this to continue.

The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Act (PMPCA) of 1968, P.L.805, No.247 as reenacted and amended and last updated in 2017 states:

Any borough may, by ordinance, lay out and establish sidewalks, curbs, gutters and surface water drains along any street and, with the consent of the Secretary of Transportation, along any State highway.

Lemoyne Borough ordinance 766, Article VII beginning with Paragraph 472-42 and it can be found here.

This responsibility belongs to the property owner.  The PMPCA specifically states:

The borough may also require owners of property abutting on any street or State highway to grade, construct, drain, pave and repave the sidewalk, curb or gutter and keep them in repair and in safe and usable condition along the property at the grades and under the regulations and specifications as council may prescribe.

Street cleaning begins in April and can run into December, dependent upon the weather. Please check the street sign on your side of the street to find out when your street cleaning day is. If your vehicle is not moved from 8 am-3 pm on your designated day, the West Shore Regional Police Department will issue a ticket. This is not only for street cleaning but other road projects.

The PA Uniform Construction Code regulates when a building permit is required. A permit is required whenever a structural change is made, upgraded electric service, sewer line replacement, replacement of roof components that also require replaced structure i.e. sheething, additions, etc.

The Borough Zoning Ordinance regulates structure placement, property usage, pools, fences,sheds and impervious area in the Borough.

Please contact the Borough Office at 717-737-6843 ext 12 for information concerning your project.

To obtain final billing for sewer, please send Name, Address, and Customer/Account Number (if available) as well as the Settlement Date and New Owner to Jenn Erickson. Please be sure to note that you are seeking a final bill. Thank you!

You can pay your sewer bill with a credit or debit card by clicking on “Online Payments“. You will need to register and pay a convenience fee to the processing company.

Illicit Discharge is defined as any discharge other than rain water or uncontaminated groundwater that enters our MS4 system, except for NPDES-permitted discharges and firefighting discharges.

Trash and litter can clog storm drains and cause localized flooding.  Contaminants can cause significant damage to the pipes and basins in our MS4 system, and pollutants that reach our waterways can cause harmful algal blooms, deoxygenation of the stream and river water, and death of the aquatic insects and wildlife that rely on our streams. Pollutants in stormwater can create human health hazards as well.  We are asking for your help in preventing toxic chemicals from reaching our streams and the Susquehanna River. 

In the event that you witness an illicit discharge, please contact someone immediately. Do your best to obtain a video of the violation, including license plate numbers, faces and/or names of persons involved, and be sure to get as much detail as possible of the what is taking place. 

Please remember, “only rain down our drains!”  Thank you for your help!

How to report an Illicit Discharge:

• Contact the Borough Office at 717-737-6843
• Contact the MS4 Coordinator at 717-317-1412
• Contact West Shore Regional Police at 717-238-9676
• Go to the main Lemoyne Borough website page and click on the “Report an Issue” folder
• Contact the Local Dumping Reporting System at 311
• Contact the PA DEP Emergency Illicit Discharge hotline at 1-800-841-2050

Illicit Discharge can include: 

• pet waste
• cigarette butts
• paint 
• pool water
• fertilizer
• grass clippings, leaves, and yard waste
• oil, gas, antifreeze, and other automotive fluids
• soap from washing vehicles
• household chemicals
• snow removal chemicals
• waste water

Illicit Stormwater Activities are any actions that accidentally or intentionally introduce pollutants into our stormwater system.  They include:

Illicit Discharge – Any liquid not composed entirely stormwater that is introduced into a storm sewer system, including fuels, vehicle fluids, solvents, household chemicals, paint, swimming pool water, etc.

Illicit Dumping – Unloading or disposal of solid, semi-solid, or liquid substances into or near a storm sewer system including trash, leaves, grass clippings, etc.

Illicit Spills – Any intentional or accidental spill of solid, semi-solid, or liquid substances into or near a storm sewer system, including automotive fluids, chemicals from drums or storage tanks, used oil, paint containers, fertilizers, failing or leaking septic systems, etc.

Illicit Connections – Any constructed conveyance that connects non-stormwater discharges directly to a storm sewer system.  These illegal conveyances can be located either above or below the ground and may include drains, pipes, or ditches.

Signs of Illicit Stormwater Activities:

• Foul odor (gas, rotten egg, detergent, or any chemical smell) from storm drains or outfall pipes
• Trash or improper sediment
• Oily sheen
• Murky or discolored water
• Visible soap suds
• Staining on surfaces, storm drains, or outfall pipes
• Abnormal water flowing during dry weather
• Soil erosion from construction projects
• Commercial vehicles discharging liquid onto the street or directly into a storm drain

What information is helpful to report:

• Description of activities, including location
• Any information about the suspected pollutant and where it came from, if known
• Any identifying details about an individual, company, vehicle, etc. involved in illicit activity
• Videos or photos are very helpful but not required

What to do in the event of an Illicit Discharge:

• Report the Illicit Discharge immediately – see links on left Sidebar menu and Quick Forms
• Maintenance staff may contain the discharge to the smallest area possible, keep it away from the MS4 System,  use absorbent socks or mats to help prevent discharge from spreading further, or utilize a spill kit to remove pollutants from site
• MS4 Coordinator or West Shore Regional Police Department may investigate the discharge, evaluate severity of discharge, determine if discharge has entered MS4 system, and report the discharge to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, if applicable

Stormwater is rain or melted snow that flows across the land.  It may infiltrate into the soil, evaporate back into the atmosphere, discharge directly into bodies of water, or enter the MS4 system through MS4 infrastructure.  

In a natural environment, most stormwater is absorbed by trees and plants, or percolates into the ground, which provides stable stream flow, cooler water temperature, and higher water quality. 

In developed areas (suburban/ urban), stormwater that falls on roofs, driveways, patios, paved surfaces, lawns, or streets runs off the surface more quickly, picking up pollutants such as oil, fertilizers, heavy metals from vehicles, pesticides, trash, animal waste, and more as it flows.  The water heats up on impervious surfaces and raises the temperature of the water where it outfalls.

https://youtu.be/52oWvamF7vI?list=PLHSlz9hJa7AaXJKmUcTwfOjQTfiNRAbEw

MS4 stands for “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System”.  An MS4 is a publicly owned system that collects and transports only stormwater via pipes and channels.  

An MS4 is comprised of the “grey” infrastructure that carries stormwater, including storm drain boxes, gutter, inlets, pipes, channels, ditches, culverts, outfalls, and more.

MS4s do not send stormwater runoff to a treatment plant.  The stormwater collected in the MS4 is discharged untreated directly into streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds.  The stormwater collected in our MS4 system is infiltrated into the ground in some areas or discharged to Unnamed Tributaries that outfall untreated directly into the Susquehanna River.

MS4 municipalities have a NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that allows discharge of stormwater into our water bodies.  Our MS4 Permit requires that we comply with a variety of measures that contribute to reducing polluted runoff and improving our stormwater management practices through at Pollutant Reduction Plan (PRP), formerly known as a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP).

In Central PA, most municipalities are required to reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediment in our waterways.

10 things you can do to prevent stormwater runoff pollution:

1. Use fertilizers, pesticides, and ice melt sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks, and roads
2. Never dump anything down storm drains
3. Vegetate bare spots in your yard; native plants have much deeper roots and require significantly less water and fertilizer  
4. Compost your yard waste    
5. Avoid pesticides; learn about Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
6. Direct downspouts and pool water discharge into vegetated areas and away from paved surfaces
7. Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway
8. Check car for leaks, and recycle motor oil
9. Pick up after your pet
10. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly

Here are 10 lawn care practices to improve stormwater quality, offered by Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association:

https://youtu.be/6dTVw70ipmY?list=PLHSlz9hJa7AaXJKmUcTwfOjQTfiNRAbEw

Green Infrastructure (GI) is a network of natural features that provide ecological, economic, and social benefits for communities and the environment.  GI includes parks, trees, woodlands, wetlands, rain gardens, bioretention basins, etc.

GI is designed to manage stormwater, reduce heat, improve air quality, and support biodiversity.

GI often costs far less to build compared to “grey” infrastructure but does require maintenance.

GI is a sustainable way to promote climate resilience.

In addition to providing stormwater benefits, GI enhances quality of life by reducing crime, reducing heat island effects, increasing property values, and improving mental health.

Native trees and urban forests are the most effective and cost-efficient form of stormwater management.

Some property improvements with earth disturbance require a permit.  Please see the Codes Enforcement and Zoning pages for details regarding the process, and click on the Permit Application folder on the main webpage to download the appropriate permit application.