Progress

October 8, 2008

W-B council OKs $1.47M for Coal St. Park work

Council also tables ordinance allowing closure of rentals due to crime, code violations.

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Bill O'Boyle on Facebook   |   @TLBillOboyle on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE – City council on Tuesday approved contracts totaling more than $1.47 million for work on the first phase of the Coal Street Park renovation project.

Council approved Panzitta Enterprises for excavation and foundation work at the park for $1,049,000. G. R. Noto Co. received the contract for electrical and lighting work for $359,000 and Otis Elevator Co. was low bidder on an elevator at $63,500.

In other business, council tabled, on final reading, an ordinance that would allow automatic closure of rental properties if certain criminal activity or code violations persist.

Councilman Rick Cronauer said members of the city’s Community Action Team have not reviewed the ordinance and were unaware how to enforce it. He said that before the ordinance is passed, it should be reviewed with the CAT members to ensure proper enforcement.

Council approved the ordinance on first reading two weeks ago. Cronauer said, and council agreed, to table passing the ordinance for two weeks.

Wayne Flecknoe, who owns a rental property on Hill Street, has been before council twice to try to get the city to remove unauthorized residents from his building. Flecknoe said the city has not followed through on its promises and the problem continues.

Mayor Tom Leighton told Flecknoe he will look into the matter and try to get the issue resolved.

In another matter, Sam Troy, of Joseph Lane, asked council for extended time to discuss council’s decision to limit the amount of time residents have to address council. Troy said he disagreed with council’s recent decision to cut the time per person from 10 minutes to five. Council gave him 10 minutes.

Troy said he felt limiting the public’s time “stifles” the taxpayer’s voice.

“Instead of cutting back our time, I feel you should extend it,” Troy said. “What are you people afraid of? Or do you just want to get home to a quick dinner?”

Troy said there should be public input at work sessions, something council doesn’t currently allow. He said he is researching the legality of that policy.

Troy also questioned the Coal Street Park project and the Intermodal Transportation Center. He said both projects appear to be costing much more than originally planned and he asked where the accountability is.

The Coal Street Park project is set at $14 million, and Leighton said the city will float bonds until state and federal grant money is received to reduce the city’s obligation.

“We know the money is coming, we just don’t know when or the exact amount,” Leighton said.

Troy said the intermodal cost has risen from $17 million to $25 million and he wanted to know what the justification was for the increased costs. Marie McCormick, assistant city administrator, said the project cost has risen as a result of increased costs for materials.

Tony Thomas, council vice chairman, stopped Troy when his time was up and said he recalled Troy coming to council meetings in past years asking when the city was going to fix Coal Street Park.

“Now we’re doing that and all of a sudden you say it’s too expensive,” Thomas said. “There are 40,000 people living in the city who haven’t come here to tell us not to do these projects.”

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