Streets and sidewalks dominate council meeting
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

The atmosphere was calmer Monday night as Borough Council again reviewed concerns on street upgrades with residents of South Allison Street. Again, the discussion was lengthy.

Borough Manager Kenneth Womack reported that he and council member Harry Foley had met with Brad Reynolds of Triad Engineering, Hagerstown. The geo-technical engineer reviewed inspection records of the work done by Charles E. Brake Co., Inc. prior to the paving scheduled for this summer. Residents had complained at a special meeting Feb. 18 that the storm sewer was not laid properly and the wrong size rocks in the backfill allowed for significant settling of the street. The borough's assessment of which sidewalks and curbs needed to be replaced at resident expense was also questioned.

Womack said March 3 that Reynolds determined any testing except complete removal of the fill would be inconclusive. He had found nothing compelling to suggest the work did not conform to standards. Because the contractor and borough engineer Keith Moore had signed notarized statements, they were each legally standing behind the quality of the work. Any boring would only show results for that particular area.

Womack said Reynolds suggested beefing up the sidewalks to mitigate any possible shortcomings in the road.

Council President Charles Eckstine said, "It's in the council's interest that this project be done right. We won't walk away from it if anything isn't right."

According to an inspection of sidewalks and curbs conducted last April, Womack said the residents of Allison and parts of South Ridge Avenue would be financially responsible for twothirds of the replacements and the borough for the one-third that had been in good condition. He couldn't get bids until he knew how many property owners wanted to use the borough's contractor.

Resident Joel Bittner was pleased with the idea of shoring up the sidewalks. "It's not going to make it perfect, but it will make me feel a lot better."

Mayor Robert Eberly said the use of a vibrator roller could compact the ground more than other methods.

Foley emphasized no one could give a 10-year warranty on concrete projects and Bittner agreed. He had asked for the borough's guarantee for the sidewalks at the previous meeting.

The few residents in attendance challenged the borough's judgement of the quality of the curbs and sidewalks prior to the construction, so Eckstine asked the Community Development Committee to meet with them to reach a conclusion. They were also unhappy that they were only notified in November about the results of the April inspection. The letter was dated the day before previous manager Kenneth Myers left his post.

Anumber of the neighbors had gotten bids for curb and sidewalk replacement in 2005 after being notified by the borough that they would soon need to install them. The project did not get fully underway until 2007 and with the various issues, the residents are no longer of a like mind on banding together to hire one contractor, said Bittner. While Eckstine noted the council's preference was that the homeowners hire their own contractor, Womack said it was possible the borough's agent might be cheaper even as it paid prevailing wage. The borough contractor would use a curb machine so all the concrete was in one piece.

In other sidewalk business, council member Duane Kinzer had met with a representative from Rettew Associates. Both sides agreed that Rettew's $7,000 proposal would not answer the borough's questions on the feasibility or need for sidewalks on particular streets. Rettew said usually when ordinances 'say you have to, you have to' but that an appeal process in many communities was available in front of construction experts, rather than with elected officials.

Womack, scheduled to meet with PennDOT anyway, planned to bring up Rettew's idea that maybe the state would be willing to narrow the travel lane on Williamson Avenue so the curb and sidewalks could be placed along the edge of the properties.

Other business

Preston Strayer was sworn in as the borough's third fulltime police officer, in addition to the chief. The council approved his signing bonus of $3500 as per the last hiring ad.

Police secretary Nicole Bowser, currently working 35 hours per week, was elevated to fulltime status. Eberly said the extra five hours would give the officers more time on the street rather than doing administrative tasks.

Council member Craig Myers was appointed to the joint police force planning committee with Antrim Township to replace Nancy Dunn. The committee has been inactive.

Fulltime billing/payroll clerk Lori Young had resigned, so council approved hiring ALH Bookkeeping of Mercersburg to provide payroll services at $300 per month. Parttime secretary Deanne Gearhart will now become parttime billing clerk and the borough is in the process of hiring a fulltime secretary/receptionist so someone is in the front office all day.

Ethan McNew will volunteer on a short-term basis as an intern in the police department. According to Public Safety Committee chairman Paul Schemel, he will update the business index, which identifies owners of borough businesses.

The council awarded a contract to Nancy's Lock and Key Service, Chambersburg, to install locks for the borough manager office, police chief office and between the police station and borough office. The bid price was $798.50.

It also awarded a professional services contract to Gannett Fleming for an 8-inch sewer interceptor replacement from CVS parking lot to the end of West Franklin Street for $4000.

Eckstine announced council had met in executive session prior to the meeting to discuss issues of potential litigation.

Visitors

High school seniors Beth Berger, Nicole Gentile and Noel Fridgen, on behalf of Peer Leaders, asked for a donation to the National Save a Life Tour scheduled to stop at Greencastle-Antrim High School in May the week before Prom. The multimedia presentation would educate students on the dangers of drinking and driving. It would conclude with seniors using a simulator to experience driving under the influence. The student organization by Monday had raised $3200 of the necessary $4200.

Eckstine said that while the borough normally contributed only to the Greencastle Rescue Hose Company, Medic 2 and the Jerome R. King Playground, this project fit a similar category of health, safety and welfare interests. Myers had researched the program and said it brought a lot of reality to teenagers and could help save a life. The council approved a $500 donation.

Gladys Griffith said trucks at Industrial Pallet Corporation were not covered and dust could blow from them into her adjoining mobile home park. The business, in an industrial zone, has been a source of complaint for the residents for the past year.

"It's a bad situation," said Myers, "but what they're doing is not illegal; it's part of their business."

He said noise at 3:30 a.m. would be from a customer dropping off one trailer and picking up another, but for any other disturbing noise, Griffith should call police. He acknowledged that the pallets stored on the property were a fire hazard as well as a safety issue, and Womack added no borough code required a fence.