New Milford legal bills mount

BY STACI WILSON

New Milford Borough Council plans to explore the feasibility of borrowing $20,000 from the municipal authority as a bridge to cover expenses until tax revenue begins to come into the borough coffers.

Councilman Rick Ainey said he would look into that option at the Feb. 2 borough meeting. If the borough is unable to take the loan from the municipal authority, it will utilize an existing line of credit to cover expenses.

Borough legal bills have already eaten into a large chunk of the projected revenue of this year’s one mill tax increase levied inNew Milford. The tax increase will bring in about $11,000 in revenue. At the meeting, council approved payment of legal fees totaling over $5,000.

The borough and the Zoning Hearing Board is in the process of fighting an appeal filed by Wayne Bradley to its decision to rezone an area onChurch St.from Industrial to a Developmental zone.

The site in question is a 2.77 acre parcel owned by the Susquehanna County Housing and Redevelopment Corporation which plans to build a 24-unit, three-story, senior apartment building on the site of the former Southern Tier Plastics building.

Susquehanna County President Judge Kenneth Seamans found Bradley’s appeal of the borough’s rezoning to be frivolous and ordered he post a $1 million bond within 10 days to cover the cost a one-year delay in construction would cost the Housing & Redevelopment Corporation if ground breaking for the project does not occur by April 1.

An audience member voiced concerns about the speed of vehicles traveling onChurch St.and the number of vehicle who fail to stop at the stop sign on the corner of Church and Pratt streets.

Council President Teri Gulick said the local police force has been made aware of the problem.

Cpl. Jeffrey Burman, of the Pennsylvania State Police, Gibson barracks, attended the borough meeting as part of a community outreach on behalf of the state police.

He said that although the borough employs a local police force, PSP was still there to service the community.

“If we are more active in the community, the community is more involved with us,” Cpl. Burman said.

Matthew Warren, of Project Keystone, also spoke to council. Project Keystone is a support referral group administered by FEMA to “try to get the right information to the right people so they can help themselves.”

Warrensaid, “The more there is a need and I can prove there is a need, the more programs can be available.”

The first phase in the project is networking with communities. The next phase is public outreach at events and meeting with people who live in areas prone to flooding, such as the Green Valley Mobile Home Park in the Hallstead/Great Bend area.

Council is also pursuing Community Development Block Grant funding to address the impact of flooding in theJohnston St.underpass area.

Councilmen Ken Carey and Larry White have been contacting property owners and have most of the information needed to file the grant request.

The stream bank along Mylert Creek in that area has eroded away. Project plans include installing rip rap to shore up the bank.

White said he has been in contact with PennDOT and the railroad to explain the issues onJohnston St.

Council is also in the process of looking into the impact an earned income tax would have on borough revenue.

Ainey said the committee would present the information to council and to the public once it gathered all of the information. The committee will also provide a recommendation to council as to whether or not to proceed with adoption of an EIT at that time, Ainey said.

A gas lease bid on borough parcels is still a “work in progress.”

Gulick was granted authority by council to sign a lease on behalf of the borough when she deems appropriate and based on previous attorney recommendations.