Hop Bottom boro hall damaged by Irene

BY PAT FARNELLI

Hop Bottom’s borough hall was hit hard by Hurricane Irene and the following storm, and council members had to hold their regular meeting at the fire hall on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Siding was blown from the building, and the electric meter and wiring were torn from the structure as well. Even the front door had swollen shut from the torrential downpour, and the phone service was out after Irene, said borough secretary Deb Norton, whose phone service at home was also out of order as of Tuesday’s meeting.

The borough building’s roof was due for replacement, but will have to wait until Mike Ainey can catch his breath after repairing severely damaged roofs in the area, Norton said.

“He will get to it, but others are worse off and in more of an emergency situation,” she said.
The borough building remains without power, and has been without electric since the hurricane. The doors are still stuck shut, said Norton on Tuesday.

Her husband, Michael Norton, is the borough’s emergency management coordinator. He said that Hop Bottom was affected by the subsequent flooding, although Irene itself had not caused Martin’s Creek to overflow its banks.

“We did flood, and the water did come over the banks,” he said.

Fortunately, most of the flooding occurred during the day, and officials could keep track of how high the water was rising.

The borough recommended a voluntary evacuation, and 10-15 homes were temporarily left by their owners. Most of the flooding was around Center Street near the fire hall, as well as Greenwood street in the lower area near the park.

After Irene, Hop Bottom Mayor Paul Henry was called by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to ask how Hop Bottom fared during the hurricane.

“I told them everything was fine, no flood damage, Martin’s Creek is okay,” Henry reported at the council meeting.

However, the worst was yet to come.

Fortunately, the drains, catch basins and culverts had been cleaned just before the flooding, so they were fully operational at that time. They will probably need to be cleared of roots and debris again.

A preliminary flood zone map was reviewed at the council meeting. The council has 30 days to relay the information, and there is a 90 day appeal period after the initial 30 days.

After the hurricane, the fire company only had to pump out one basement: more were flooded during the following storm, but none of the homes had water reaching their first floor.

Martin’s Creek was due for a cleanup before the storms hit, but has to be handled with care, as it is a designated trout stream.
“We aren’t allowed to get into the creek to pull stuff out,” Ron Barankovich said.

The Stream Bank Protection Project’s paperwork has been received by DEP.

The borough park was groomed before the flood, and has been getting a lot of use. A nearby grate was blocked and holding standing water, Barankovich said.

He added that the grate did not seem to connect to any drain. A pipe between a borough drain and a state drain is clogged and full of roots.

A tunnel on Railroad Street needs to be cleared and cleaned up. A heavy stand of invasive bamboo was cut down by two residents, and a plan to administer a good dose of Roundup and to plant perennial rye was discussed.

Whether or not the borough needs a planning commission was an item on the agenda. The council members agreed that there is no incentive to serve on a planning commission, although one was first established in 1973, according to records. A zoning and hearing board was in existence from 1980 until at least 2002. Hop Bottom has lowered the number of council seats to five, after several remained vacant for years. A vacancy board can be created with three council members, the mayor, and one registered voter who will serve as chair.

Some progress was noted on the Durbin-Miles property, with trash pick-up scheduled and mowing being done.
The police report included 14 citations, six assists to other police, two attending hearings, and one controlled substance arrest.

The Berkheimer audit was conducted, and the report was satisfactory.

Hop Bottom Borough Council meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the borough building on Forest Street.