Money to Reopen Locks Could Come From Local Boaters

by Jonathan Weaver

While the Allegheny River Locks in Armstrong County will only be open for two weekends this summer, a local organization introduced a concept last night to possibly get them open full-time again.

Allegheny River Development Corporation board directors called a public meeting last night at the East Franklin Township fire hall and told about 40 Armstrong County boaters and group members good news and bad news.

The good news is that Locks 6 (in Clinton) and 7 (in Kittanning) will be open for about 60 hours this August – including during the August 3^rd and 4^th during the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival.

However, the bad news is that the Folk Festival and the next weekend will be the only two times open for the foreseeable future unless membership collects enough funding for employees.

ARDC Vice-President Mike Ferris acknowledged that the initial goal last fall was to have the community non-profit operate the locks independently. However, that idea was scratched after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that effort would cost a minimum of $5 million in insurance coverage and an unknown amount for maintenance.

Ferris explained the new suggestion.

“Basically that means that we as a group would contribute funds for the operation of the locks when we wanted them,” Ferris said. “We just don’t have enough draw from commercial traffic above, and I can’t see it’s going to change, to tell you the truth. That’s why this ‘contributing funds’ idea the Corps of Engineers presented to us kinda made a little sense.

“It doesn’t make sense for me from the standpoint that the government is operating with my tax dollars and squandering it away, and now I have to pay more money to get something I want. But, the other side of the coin is, if we really do want to open these locks, they’re giving us an avenue to maybe make that happen,” Ferris added.

Ferris explained that it would cost more than $100,000 to operate Locks 6 and 7, 8 in Templeton and Lock 9 in Rimer for a season, but that its ‘doable.’

“There would be 470 man-hours per lock to do a whole season. At $60.94 per hour, it would cost $28,000 to operate a lock for the recreational season,” Ferris said.

Operating all four locks would cost about $115,000, which is ‘cheap’ compared to the option originally considered.

He reminded residents that the federal government sequesters have also affected the Army Corp of Engineering, resulting in a hiring freeze and nearly half of those employee positions being vacant.

Treasurer Linda Hemmes said that the concept has only been used before on the municipal-level or with other government bodies. But has approached the Armstrong County Board of Commissioners and received support.

If commissioners submit the funding collected, it would eliminate a few extra steps, the group said. Some of the long process includes approval from both Secretary of the Army John McHugh and congressional leaders in the Office of Management and Budget.

“They warned us that this is about a 100-step ladder, and it starts with us negotiating agreements with a municipal body (in this case, the county commissioners). (The commissioners) have come back and essentially said ‘We are more than happy to do this for you, assuming the devil-in-the-details get worked out, Hemmes said.

“We believe the Corps is very committed to getting this to work. We believe Armstrong County is very committed to getting this to work – the dialogue with the commissioners has been superb. I have zero complaints,” she added.

Ferris said that Chief of Operations for the United States Army Corps of Engineers Rich Longwood has been the group’s ‘best ally’ as they look to move forward.

“Every time it looks depressing and that it’s not going to work out, Rich has been the guy that stepped in and said ‘We’re going to make this work somehow,’ Ferris said. “I believe that we’re going to be able to through contributing funds make these locks work for recreational boating.”

Director of Outreach Samuel Breene from Congressman Mike Kelly’s office was also at the meeting. Board President Mike Devinney encouraged boaters to write to Congressmen Kelly and U.S. Sens.Pat Toomey and Bob Casey.

Money will not be able to be collected until after ARDC officially receives its non-profit status again later this month and finalizes its articles of incorporation, but one resident suggested ARDC collect pledges of support to gauge their estimated contributions - which the board thought highly of.

ARDC’s Board of Directors originally proposed the Army Corps of Engineers open the locks for 20 days this season – most recurring around events at the John P. Murtha Ampitheatre and the Fourth of July holiday.

However, they were only approved for 60 hours: from 12:30-4:30PM August 3^rd and 4^th, and from 12:30-8:30PM August 10^th and 11^th during the Armstrong County Chamber of Commerce Poker Run. Ferris explained that those two dates were selected because of Armstrong County’s support and the hope to draw residents into Kittanning during the annual festival and showcase strength-in-numbers.

Board members will also explore grant activities and other funding sources.

Hemmes said the short-term goal is to grow interest. There are nearly 200 members in ARDC to date.

“Our issue now is continuing to grow our membership, growing our voice and moving this whole concept ahead so all of us can continue to enjoy the rivers as we have – most of us all of our lives,” Hemmes said.

Kristi Quinn of Adrian rose to the occasion last night and became a new board member. She is hopeful to get money collected in time ‘as soon as we can.”

“I’m an avid boater – I’m on the river every summer. It’s more than a luxury for boaters to be on the river; its economics, too for everybody clear down to Pittsburgh and clear up to Brady – it’s economic for every town that’s hit in-between,” Quinn said.

When asked how the closures will affect her summer plans, Quinn said they will give her extra motivation to get the locks opened.

Several other comments concerned the economic impact the locks not being open will have on riverfront businesses and marinas. It has already hurt Ken Ritchey at the Kittanning Marina.

Almost 70 locks in the state of Pennsylvania are reportedly also facing closure or are closed due to low-commercial, but high-recreational boaters.

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  By jorn jensen, May 9, 2013 @ 9:46 AM

  1. Didn’t know anything about this meeting last night.
  2. No information given in this article about joining.
  3. $5 million in insurance typically is not much expense (the $5 million is the coverage, not the cost) - the unknown maintenance expenses would be scary and when you hit ‘the big one’, shut that lock down and keep the others operating.
  4. Not only boaters should contact government folks, so should anyone interested in tourism and the local economy up and down the river. At 3 mpg, a 200HP boater buys a lot of fuel, and fuel for the boater also.
  5. Volunteerism - volunteers to run the locks. Why not? Does the Corp of Engineers have a problem with that? Some people can donate time instead of money. Is there some government union rule against working free alongside a paid government worker?

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