Great Bend police plans move forward

BY PAT FARNELLI

The Great Bend Borough Council is making progress on getting a police force up and running, with a building underway and interviews conducted for police officers.

At the Feb. 21 meeting, the council decided to advertise for an Officer in Charge.

The OIC number application was received, and interviews for police were conducted on Mar. 28 and Apr.4.

A contractor has been hired to build a police department office and restroom in the borough garage. The work had already begun before secretary Sheila Guinan pointed out that a building permit had not been obtained.

Susquehanna County Council of Governments was contacted and three sets of drawings were requested.

Council approved, Mar. 3, a contractor to finish the borough garage renovation in order to complete the police office.

Mayor Jim Riecke asked the council to consider doing something to prevent borough homes from becoming worker camps as the gas industry seeks employee housing.

Council member Bret Jennings said he would get legal definitions of a family and rental units. There may be a need for zoning.

The borough had spent almost a year pursuing zoning ordinances in the past, only to have the ordinance not pass when it went up for a vote.

The mayor said that Great Bend is a community consisting of single family homes, and that more parking lots and spaces will have to be added to accommodate growth in population.

There is a parking problem in the borough now, Riecke said, with cars double parked, parked on lawns and sidewalks, even on the streets.

Council members stated that it is time to begin a street survey of the borough, and get estimates for fixing the roads. The borough roadwork is funded through the state Agility program, and roads are usually tarred and chipped.

The municipal building roof should be completed in the coming weeks.

Jennings said he visited Thompson and Harmony township supervisors to discuss an ordinance to protect Comfort Pond, a reservoir for Great Bend and other municipalities.

He said he also plans to meet with officials of the Penn American Water Company, to find out their plan in case an event occurs which makes the water supply go bad.