SOMERSET BOROUGH SPRING CLEAN-UP

MAY 8th thru 10th, 2023

With the help and cooperation of Waste Management Hauling. All items must be placed along the road right-of-way before 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 8th, 2023. All objects, including carpets, must be cut into 4-foot lengths and tied or bundled. NO RETURN VISITS WILL BE PERMITTED.

The following items WILL NOT be picked up:

• refrigerators
• freezers
• air conditioners (unless the Freon was removed by a certified technician and tagged as such)
• other items containing Freon
• tires
• batteries
• car and truck parts
• shingles
• building materials from remodeling or demolition
• hazardous/infectious waste
• stones, rocks, dirt, concrete, yard waste
• normal household trash
• flammables
• paint or any liquid
• no 55 gallon drums
• no item two men cannot lift.
• Paint cans accepted only if paint is completely hardened with the lids removed.
• Television/Electronics  

Special Notations:

• Limit one large appliance and one large furniture item per household.
• There is a 500 pound weight limit per household (excluding the furniture and appliance item).
• There will be no return trips. Residents who do not follow the guidelines will be responsible for removal of items.

Somerset Borough Annual Water Quality Report

PWSID# 4560042

We are pleased to present to you our 2022 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. (This report contains important information about your drinking water. Translate it, or speak to someone who understands it.)

VIEW REPORT

Posted 3-21-23

UPDATE 2-22-23

The Church Street Natural Gas Infrastructure Replacement Project is a comprehensive replacement plan to upgrade the gas pipelines in Somerset Borough.

Project plans consists of:

• Approximately 14,650 linear feet of mainline and service pipe will be replaced
• Approximately 256 customers will have service lines upgraded
• Approximately 31 customers will have meters relocated from inside their home to the outside
• Pipeline replacement work will take place on the following streets:
  • Church Street, Harrison Avenue, Louther Street, Tayman Avenue, Patriot Street, Main Street, North Center Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Columbia Avenue, Parson Alley, Rosina Avenue, Park Avenue, and Church Alley
• Hours of operation will be Monday - Friday, 7AM - 5PM. Holidays excluded, with the possibility of Saturday work if adverse weather impacts project
  • Lane closures and detours will be in effect only during work hours
• Project is tentatively proposed to begin in February 2023 and is estimated to take approximately nine months to complete
  • Project duration may be impacted by weather and/or unforeseen construction impediments in existing ground conditions
• Customer properties will be restored to pre-project conditions following the completion of main and service line work. Road, sidewalk and other right-of -way restoration will be completed using reasonable local municipal standards or PennDOT's standards of restoration.

More Information >>

Manage your Water/Sewer Account Online

Sign up for your mySomersetBoro account and enjoy account access at your fingertips. All you need is some basic information from your water/sewer bill and a valid email address to get started.

With your mySomersetBoro account you can view your bills Online, view your usage and payment history and make Online payments from your checking account or by credit card. Don't want a paper bill, go completely paperless and sign up for ebills.

Types of payments accepted

• Bank Account (ACH)
• Mastercard
• Visa
• American Express
• Discover

Fees

• The Borough of Somerset does not charge a fee for Bank Account (ACH) payments.
• A third-party fee will apply to all electronic credit card payments.
  • Effective October 1, 2016 Fee for credit cards is 2.65% or $3.00 minimum charge.

Click the link to sign up for your mySomersetBoro account today!  https://somerset.authoritypay.com/

Attention: Borough Residents!

Waste Management Recycling pick-up has been a little slow due to Employment issues with Waste Management. As a reminder please remember tissues, tissue paper, plastic package strapping and medical masks are NOT recyclable. Please place them in your regular household trash.

Check out this link for their recycling rules.

Local Earned Income Tax Bulletin

In 2021, the Somerset County Tax Collection Committee (TCC) decided to compare the costs of Earned Income Tax (EIT) Collectors for the Somerset County school districts and municipalities to minimize tax collector commissions costs. 

As a result, a new EIT Tax Collector has been appointed.  This new collector is KEYSTONE Collections Group out of Irwin, PA. The Somerset Capital Tax Collections Bureau office is now officially closed.

To file your local EIT taxes quickly and efficiently, simply go to https://keystonecollects.com/pay-file/ to setup your individual account and file your local EIT taxes. This is where you will file your 2021 Final Return and your 2022 quarterly estimates, if you are also self-employed and are required to file quarterly estimates.

You will be receiving a 2021 Final Return in paper form in the mail this year. You can ignore this paper form and file electronically at https://keystonecollects.com/pay-file/ if you choose to do so.

If you have any questions regarding filing your local EIT taxes, you can call KEYSTONE Collections Group at 888-328-0565.

“DROP-OFF HOURS” AT OUR PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE

We will be advertising the following hours, which may be modified to accommodate the daylight savings time hours:

Leaves, Grass and Small Brush ONLY!

• Monday: 6:00 am – 7:00 pm.
• Tuesday: 6:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• Wednesday: 6:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• Thursday: 6:00 am –7:00 pm.
• Friday: 6:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
• Sunday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Closed on Holidays

Public Comment Policy

Adopted by the Council of the Borough of Somerset: January 24, 2011

Council The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act (65 Pa. C.S. 701, et seq.) provides that the Board or Council of a political subdivision shall provide a reasonable opportunity at each advertised regular meeting and advertised special meeting for residents of the political subdivision or for taxpayers of the political subdivision or to comment on matters of concern, official action or deliberation which are or may be before the Board or Council prior to taking official action. (710.1).

To assure compliance with the Act, to inform members of the public who may wish to make comment, and to provide for predictable and orderly implementation of the public comment period, Somerset Borough Council has adopted this Public Comment Policy. READ MORE >

Exploring Pennsylvania Boroughs

Exploring Pennsylvania Boroughs - Somerset Borough from Triscari on Vimeo.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND CODE ENFORCEMENT

As a reminder to Somerset Borough residents, the Borough’s
Code Enforcement Department will continue to enforce the
Property Maintenance Codes and the High Grass Ordinance. Common causes for violations being issued are:

• grass exceeding 6” in height
• garbage around the property
• structural deficiencies
• unsecured vacant structures with broken
  windows / open doors etc.

WHEN ARE BUILDING PERMITS REQUIRED?

With the arrival of warmer weather, here are some tips for those planning construction projects: Permits are required:

• To construct, enlarge, alter, or demolish a structure.
• When sanitary facilities (water / sewer) are added.
• When a proposed change occurs in the use of a building.

AS OF JANUARY 1, 2019

All permits regulated by the UCC are now handled by Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance.

• Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance Somerset Office:
  318 Georgian Place
  Somerset, PA 15501
  Phone:814-444-6112
  Fax: 814-701-2785
  Web Site: https://pacodealliance.com/
  Email: pmcasomerset@pacodealliance.com

Other Permits that are required by the Borough of Somerset:

• Borough of Somerset Building Inspections
  Po Box 71 347
  West Union Street
  Somerset, PA 15501-0071
  Fax: (814) 445-3931
  Phone: (814) 445-5595.
  
  
  • Driveway
  • Sidewalk
  • Fence
  • Sign
  • Shade Tree
  • Water/Sewer Taps

A comprehensive listing of activities requiring permits is available at our Inspections Department; by calling Building Inspector Tom Jury at 445-5595; and on our web site www.somersetborough.com.

NO SIGNS ALLOWED ON TREES, POLES

Somerset Borough reminds residents not to place signs on trees or utility poles. The Somerset Borough Zoning Ordinance prohibits signs from being attached to trees or utility poles. Recently there have been incidents of yard sale signs being placed on trees, utility and sign poles, as well as traffic signal poles.

This is a violation of Section 183-34 of the Somerset Borough Zoning Ordinance, and is subject to a fine of up to $250 per day for each violation.