Municipal News
- Last Updated on Saturday, 24 August 2013 02:15
New Eagle Borough Council Meeting – August 6, 2013
“We haven’t gotten a bill since 1992 when the park was put in and now this large one. It really irked everyone,” said Chuck Deffobis, President of the Community Action Committee. Deffobis is referring to the Larry “Tubby” Hall Park in New Eagle. Payment of the park’s water bill is no longer made by the Borough. It’s now the responsibility of the Community Action Committee.
Deffobis and Mr. Dido told council they received a bill for $236 and then one for $60. They questioned council on who was using all the water, wondering whether someone else was tapping into it or if there could be a leak.
In response Mayor Glenn Petticord, told the Community Action members to install a water meter that the Borough would provide. In exchange, the mayor agreed to have the borough pay the larger bill.
Community Action members told council that there was a verbal agreement in previous years for New Eagle Borough to pay the bill. However, Solicitor Tim Berggren said the current council is not bound by a previous verbal agreement and all official agreements must be made into a motion, voted on and passed.
“If this council decides it doesn’t want to pay the water bill for the park, it doesn’t have to,” stated Berggren.
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In other news, after a two month wait, council agreed to hire New Eagle resident Vickie Shurgott as an eventual replacement for the current secretary of 33 years, Linda Hall. Hall will be retiring in December.
For the next few months, Shurgott will learn the job working about 20 hours a month at the rate of $10 an hour and will then continue in a part-time capacity in 2014. There were ten individuals who were considered for the job.
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The Council agreed to commit $5,000 as New Eagle’s share of local funds which the Borough of Finleyville will match in a joint grant application for “Local Share Funds” to have the ordinances of both Finleyville and New eagle updated and rewritten. Both Councils agree that the ordinance requirements of the two municipalities are sufficiently alike for a joint updating project. The grant request will be for $20,000 with $10,000 of local funds provided ($5,000 each from New Eagle and Finleyville). The total project cost is estimated at $30,000.
The work-release program was once again praised by council. The work party was praised for the good job they have continued to do in cleaning up Marion, the South Alley, painting, weeding and cutting down trees. Due to the heavy rainfall in June and July the borough is trying to get caught up with catch-basin clearing.
Some vandalism of street signs was reported. “Parents need to watch your kids because they can be fined heavily for this,” said Mayor Petticord. The signs reflective coatings were destroyed when vandals painted over them.
The council also approved a motion for a new company to handle credit cards with the PA Local Government Trust.
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