Participants in the Laceyville Borough Council meeting held on Nov. 7 included (above from left) Don VanDerMark, Phil Brewer, Kristy Fassett, Keith Pennay, Henry Laportante, Courtney Schaffer, Ken Johnson, and Off. Kevin Costello.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
(As published in the Nov. 9 edition of the Rocket-Courier)
Of all the important business that was conducted at Tuesday evening’s monthly meeting of the Laceyville Borough Council, one that was almost sidestepped sparked the most contentious debate. Street parking is at a premium in Laceyville, and board members are at odds as to who is most at blame and how to remedy the situation.
Mayor Phil Brewer insists that renters who assume rights to the parking spaces closest to their apartments could alleviate the problem if they would park more often behind the former Ebb’s Market or in the Baptist church parking lot. “They’re just too lazy to walk to their apartments,” he remarked.
The church parking lot is generally accessible at all times except on Sundays, Wednesday evenings and whenever it snows. The parking lot behind Ebbs and the hardware store, on the other hand, is maintained by the borough and accessible at all times.
Treasurer Ken Johnson suggested that landlords could be more helpful by informing their tenants of their parking options. Council member Keith Pennay added that, when a nine-unit apartment building has only three parking spaces in front of it, there’s bound to be issues.
“Most landlords make sure there is enough parking,” council member Kristy Johnson maintained.
Council members were generally in agreement that renters tend to leave their vehicles in prime parking spots for more than 24 hours at a time, which is not permitted as per borough ordinances. It is also assumed that some of the vehicles in question aren’t even operable.
Laceyville resident Randy Brigham, who was later sworn in as a new council member to replace Pennay, who stepped down from the board, noted that parking problems aren’t endemic to Main Street. Maple Street from Route 6 to Main Street is narrow, and large trucks parking at the pharmacy make it difficult to maneuver and see where one is driving.
The general consensus of the board is that an ordinance should be crafted for landlords similar to the ordinance already in place for commercial property owners. The council will also consider erecting signage along Maple Street prohibiting the parking of anything larger than compact cars, as well as making Maple Street one way.
In the meantime, Laceyville Borough Police Chief Kevin Costello will begin drawing chalk lines next to the tires of vehicles that are under surveillance and issuing citations for the vehicles that don’t move.
Costello is still without a police cruiser, but council hopes to rectify that within a week with the potential purchase of a 2011 Chevy Tahoe formerly used by the Athens Borough Police Department. “We have to find something that we can afford,” Brewer stated, though unable to disclose the amount of the sealed bid. According to Kristy Johnson, the bids will be opened on Monday, Nov. 13, and the borough should be able to act on the purchase immediately if the offer is approved. Brewer commended Costello for his patience since the old police car broke down.
Costello’s activity report for October indicated 37 responses, including 15 non-documented verbal traffic warnings, seven motorists assists, five pedestrian assists, and six non-specified public assists. He responded to six calls to service, including one theft, one burglary and one related to drug activity.
Celeste Kranick, northeast regional coordinator for The Addict’s Mom, stopped by to return a key to the borough offices that had been lent to her for the purpose of counseling. She thanked board members and related that she has found that it is easier to communicate with those in need by phone. Kranick reminded the council before she left that the borough still has a serious drug problem, which they acknowledged. Costello assured her that he is doing everything he can to address the situation and commended Kranick for her attention to the matter.
Major Water Leak Repaired
Pennay (above), who will continue to serve the borough as director of water services, and Jaye Butler, who serves as director of sewer services, reported that a serious leak in the water delivery system was detected and corrected during the previous week. The leak was on Second Street, but so much water had been discharged through the thumb-sized hole before it was discovered that water had begun to surface on Main Street.
Butler termed the leak a “major loss” and estimated the discharge rate at 5,000 gallons per day. “It could have been leaking for a while before it surfaced,” he stated. “It didn’t happen overnight.”
Water woes in the antiquated system are nothing new to Laceyville, and Butler wondered aloud how many more leaks there might be in the system. “We have rocky soil,” he explained. “It displaces the pipes.” Pennay suggested that the borough could be losing several thousands of dollars per yer per leak.
Clark Construction was brought in to dig down to the three-quarter-inch pipe, and Tunkhannock Borough lent the workers some parts needed to make repairs. “It was so bad, we couldn’t keep water out of the hole,” Butler remarked.
Other Business
In other news, council president Don VanDeMark reported that PennDOT is requiring another round of repairs to the Franklin Street bridge, which has been patched and plated in the past. Upon inspection, PennDOT found structural deficiencies under the relatively short span and also requested that load restriction signage be updated. Council secretary Courtney Salsman said that the signs have already arrived and she is hopeful that borough resident Tobi Kinsman can install them as part of his Eagle Scout project. Structural repairs can be scheduled for the spring.
The board agreed to adopt a Young Lungs at Play initiative that will prohibit smoking in borough parks. An ordinance will be drafted and run by the solicitor, and signs will be installed in the spring.
A draft budget for 2018 should be ready for a special meeting and workshop set for Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 pm. Preliminary approval is expected at the Dec. 5 meeting with hopes that the budget can garner final approval within two weeks of that date.
Rocket-Courier publisher David Keeler (above) announced to the board that he is moving toward retirement after covering Laceyville meetings for 38 years when Mable Clark was the mayor. He introduced reporter, Rick Hiduk, as his replacement prior to his departure.
“We’re gonna miss that guy,” Brewer said to those in attendance after Keeler had left the meeting.
Laceyville Police Chief Kevin Costello (left) looks on as Randy Brigham (center) is sworn in as a new council member by Mayor Phil Brewer.