CLARKS GREEN – Lackawanna County Department of Communications Coordinator Gerard Hetman announced to Clarks Green Council Sept. 16 the borough received $4,720 in a Community Re-invest Grant.
Borough Council President David Rinaldi said the borough will use the money for an automatic door opener for the borough building’s side entrance because that is the entrance utilized when the building is used as a polling place.
“The automatic door will make the polling place accessible,” Rinaldi said. An automatic door opener was already installed on the main entrance to the borough building.
The grant money will also be used to reimburse costs for the defibrillator the borough purchased for the department of public works crew. The borough funded the remaining costs for the defibrillator after Mayor William Thorburn donated some funds from the borough’s centennial celebration.
Council voted 7-0 to pass the Scranton Abingtons Planning Association (SAPA) Ordinance No. 3 of 2015. The ordinance approves the intergovernmental cooperative implementation agreement for the SAPA multi-municipal comprehensive plan, according to Borough Solicitor Atty. Alfred Weinschenk.
“The ordinance approves the execution of the implementation agreement,” Weinschenk said.
In other news, chair of public works and council member Lynne Earley discussed the need to correct collapsed catch basins in the borough. The total cost to repair the collapsed catch basins in the borough is $87,000.
Catch basins that need repair and the associated costs include Armstrong Avenue and South Abington Road, $41,000; Highland Avenue and North Abington road, $33,000; and Fairview Road and Grayson Drive, $13,000; according to the estimates Earley received.
“It’s all on state roads. The state has disavowed any responsibility for controlling water on their roads. It’s something that we have to do,” Rinaldi said. “And we are stuck because of the way that PennDOT has decided they were not going to do those.”
Earley said the total cost of all needed public works projects is $95,221. “We’re going to have to talk about these projects.” Earley said she will have Jack Scheuer prioritize the projects, and council will discuss further at the work session.
Also at council’s work session Oct. 7, council members will discuss the ordinances regarding the use of storage containers (PODS) in the borough and the policy for borough employees’ healthcare benefits.
On Oct. 21, Earley will present an MS4 presentation at 6:30 pm in the borough building before the regular council meeting.
