Duryea must fence in new skateboard area in park

Duryea Borough officials will draw up specifications and advertise for contractors to install a fence around the borough’s new skateboard park. The move comes at the request of the borough’s insurers, and will separate the skateboard area from the remainder of the park, located at the back of the borough building.

Council was originally under the impression during Tuesday’s meeting that the work had to be completed by January 1, 2010, and was ready to award the work under an emergency contract, but staff clarified that the work could be completed within the next 12 months as long as the insurance company received an undertaking before the new year that the work was going to be done.

The additional time means that in addition to drawing up full specifications and formally advertising the job, the borough can also apply for grants to cover the necessary work.

Council was also asked what plans were in hand to address the issue of effectively abandoned vehicles parked on borough streets during snow events. Although the borough has an ordinance dealing with the issue, it does not have the ability to immediately remove a vehicle the moment it poses a perceived problem, residents were told

Solicitor Donald Frederickson was asked to review the ordinance and see whether it could be tightened up.

In response to a question about illegally operated quads, Mayor Keith Moss urged residents to call 911 whenever they saw a vehicle exceeding the speed limit, or not being operated in a proper manner, but he also noted that the police department has a no pursuit policy when it comes to the four wheel drive all terrain vehicles, due to the potential risk such a chase could pose.

The borough also passed an ordinance authorizing the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance group to apply on the borough’s behalf to Pennsylvania Conservation Works for a grant to cover a changeover to LED traffic lights. The move has been under discussion for several months, and is expected to save the borough thousands of dollars each year on its electricity costs, as the LED lighting is more energy and cost efficient compared to the current filament bulb system.

The grant covers the cost of changing the lighting structures themselves, as the existing systems can not be used.

The borough was also advised that effective 2010, elderly residents in the service area of the Lower Lackawanna Valley Sewer Authority will be awarded a 10 per cent reduction in their quarterly sewer bills. The move was suggested by Duryea borough council president Al Akulonis, who is also a member of the LLVSA board, according the authority letter that was sent to the borough.

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