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SHICKSHINNY— Mayor Beverly Moore said at Tuesday’s council meeting that she has taken her concerns about the the Shickshinny Sewer Authority and its $4.2 million project to upgrade the borough’s sanitary system to state Sen. Lisa Baker.
“I told Senator Baker,” Moore told council, “that I don’t have any trust, not do I have any faith in the actions of this authority.
“Because of bad decisions and missing files, I’m also concerned about security at the (authority’s) office.”
Moore, as well as Councilwomen Kathleen Llewellyn, made an issue of the disappearance of a computer system from the sewer office. The system, the two officials said, also includes associated files and “volumes” of paper records.
Moore and Llewellyn believe an investigation needs to be instituted. Council President Rosalie Whitebread promised an attempt will be made to have copies of the authority’s by-laws and resolutions available at a work session of the council on April 30.
Moore said Sen. Baker, R-Lehman Township, expressed concerns about the way authority business is being conducted, but overall she believes the project needs to move forward.
A major portion of the funding for the system’s upgrade will be derived from a grant from the State Department of Corrections.
Besides the sewer project, the council also acted to impose a no parking zone on East Union Street between Susquehanna Avenue and Canal Street, and it approved an ordinance instituting a 5 percent penalty on delinquent real estate taxes levied by the borough. The borough levied .09175 mills in real estate taxes in its 2015 budget. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed property value.
The fine for violating the no parking zone was set at $10. Signs will be erected in the affected area .
The council also acted to purchase a new 60-inch lawn mower from Barry’s of Nescopeck at a cost $6,650 and approved $250 in repairs be made to an existing mower. Borough Secretary-Treasurer Amy Evans was given approval to apply for a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant in order to pursue the purchase of a new dump truck for the streets department. Cost of the truck has been estimated at $62,000.
The resignation of Clarence Lewis as a member of the uniformed construction codes unit of the Zoning Board was unanimously accepted. The council immediately acted to replace Lewis with Barry Belles. I n addition, Whitebread announced that council is seeking candidates to serve as alternates on the Zoning Board. Interested persons are asked to contact the borough office.