Traffic, parking to plague Susquehanna travelers

BY HELEN B. FOSTER

Correspondent

Susquehanna residents and others attempting to travel from West Hill to Church Hill will face difficulties once the Main Street bridge work begins.

The bridge holding up the section of Main Street between Exchange Street and Erie Avenue is due to be replaced and the merchants and their customers along this section of state road will find annoying detours and very limited parking.

A discussion concerning the problem at the borough’s council meeting on April 19, found no real solution.

Mayor Michael Matis asked the residents  to bear with the borough as the work progresses.

Council President David Scales described the Main Street work as creating a real problem as he scouts out alternate parking. No timeline has been given for either the start of the work or the length of time to will take to complete the bridge replacement.

David Passetti, representing Barnes Kasson Hospital and the Family Health Clinic, attended the meeting to ask for council’s approval to a memoranda between council and the hospital that is necessary to apply for a program that will stretch health care dollars for many.

According to Passetti, both Reddon Drug Stores (Susquehanna and Hallstead) and the Lenox Pharmacy have signed on to participate once the program takes effect. Passetti said this could take as long as five months.  All members of council voted to approve the request.

Council’s review of the bill list and the quarterly financial report as presented by Treasurer Gail Hanrahan took 40 minutes of the two and half hour council meeting. There was an objection to bills being paid in order to get a discount before they went to council for approval.

Hanrahan was finally given permission to pay all utilities and other bills due every month in time to recieve a discount.

Councilman Bill Perry voted against this motion. Hanrahan was asked to present a monthly, rather than a quarterly, financial statement.

Not all borough residents are connected to the Tri-Boro Municipal Authority sewer system and it is necessary for the borough to have a Sewer Enfiorcement Officer.

The former SEO resigned and a new one was never appointed. There is presently a resident with a an on-sight septic system problem. SEO Tom Button is willing to work on a per diem basis but Perry asked that Button appear before council to be hired before any work pertaining to the septic problem in addressed.

Due to election, the next council meeting is scheduled for May 24. with a special meeting on April 26.

Council approved the two applicants for summer work at the borough’s parks. John Sholtiss reported the Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt had been very successful with more than 100 active participants.

There had been a mistake on a check for a donation to  Riverfront Park memorial to Ira Reynolds from Penn Star Bank. The check has been returned to the bank until such time as work will resume at that site.

On the advice of the Borough’s Association the borough’s contribution to Viaduct Valley Way Scenic Byway has been put on hold until the borough council receives a ruling from its solicitor.