Susquehanna Council looks ahead at projects

BY STACI WILSON

Susquehanna Council is using the start of the new year to make some changes to better the lines of communication between members.

A way council is looking to improve is with the use of reports included with members’ agendas.

Mayor Nancy Hurley provided her report to council which included the number of police incidents during the previous month.

Hurley said that there had been three burglaries in Susquehanna. She reminded residents to keep home and car doors locked.

She also thanked the police, the borough’s Dept. of Public Works crew and Councilman and Emergency Management Coordinator John Hendrickson for providing her with updates during the cold snap that hit earlier in the month.

Council President Roberta Reddon asked that a concise report from DPW, as well as codes, also be included each month.

Councilman Roy Williams provided a verbal update of the DPW and codes work.
He said the department would be on “pothole patrol” and would be working to provide a temporary fix to some borough streets with cold patch.

On the codes side, it was reported that rental applications were due back to the borough by Feb. 15. Inspections of units are expected to be completed in March.

There are about eight blighted or vacant properties in the town that need to be addressed, Williams said. Two of those – one on Euclid Ave, and one on West Main – have been chosen for revitalization under the Susquehanna County Housing and Redevelopment Association.

Williams advocated the borough visit some of the ordinances that will toughen up the property codes enforcement.

Williams also said that the borough is in the process of sorting through records that are over 40 years old.

Council adopted a municipal record retention schedule.

Treasurer Margaret Biegert said the borough needed to adopt the resolution in order to downsize the records and dispose of them properly.

Council approved disposing of the records as allowed for by the law.

Council also discussed some borough projects it would like to see worked on this year.

Reddon said that in the spring she would like to see movement with the alleged illegal parking happening at several rental properties.

Williams said he would like DPW to look at drainage issues from properties and addressing those before next winter. He said that would help with some of the ice build up on the edges of the roadways.

Hendrickson said he would like to borough to take a look at the stairs that come down over the hill. In winter, he said, the bluestone steps are covered by ice. “I’d like to identify that because I’ve heard a lot about it,” he said.

Many walkers use those steps, Reddon agreed.

Council will begin formulating a plan of projects to be discussed and prioritized in March and April.

Reddon reported that crews have been working on the bridge project through the winter.

The bridge is expected to be finished in June but could possibly be done prior to Memorial Day, one council member reported.

Reddon said, “That will be great. People have been putting up with (construction) for years.”

Hendrickson said he would like to see community events held in the park.

Scheduling for park events is handled through the borough secretary.

Council will also look to see how funds available for the Ira Reynolds Park can be spent. Environmental regulations limit scope of improvements – beyond the existing walking path – that can be made to that borough park.

Susquehanna Borough Council changed meeting dates for 2014. Meetings will now be held on the second Wednesday of every month at the borough building at 7 p.m.