EMPORIUM — Emporium Borough now officially owns several properties along East Fourth Street that are slated for demolition.
The former Admit One building, adjacent storefront and rear apartment building were approved for purchase by both the Cameron County Commissioners and Cameron County School District, paving the way for the buildings to be brought down.
The borough purchased the property for $1, and also had taxes forgiven for this year.
A letter has been sent from Russ Braun, who handles building code violations for the borough, to Ed Lakes, owner of the structure that partially collapsed onto the Third Street Playground. Lakes has 90 days to remedy issues identified by Braun.
The borough is merely monitoring the situation as it violates health and safety ordinances established for Emporium.
The playground has been reopened, though parents are being cautioned to supervise their children while there, and a section of the park close to the building remains roped off.
Council president Luann Reed said the borough is still working on remedies to deal with Emporium’s blighted property issues. A process has been drafted by solicitor Tommy Tompkins, and is expected to be reviewed in the near future.
A few “bugs” are being worked out of the process to clean up the more than 60 abandoned cars strewn across the borough. The process should be under way soon, according to a report written by Borough Manager Don Reed for Monday’s meeting.
Councilman Bob Hostler said he has noticed several of the problem automobiles have already been moved, and he believes that it is due to word of council’s plans getting around town.
With the Jasper Harris building expected to come down in the near future, borough officials plan to meet with Cameron County Chamber of Commerce staff and individuals working to put a community garden into the soon-to-be-empty lot.
Any plans for construction within the lot must conform to borough ordinances and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) regulations, as the demolition is being funded through CDBG funds. A meeting has been scheduled for May.
A concerned citizen attended the meeting to bring attention to traffic speed near his home, at the intersection of Poplar Street with West Sixth/West Allegheny.
In the mornings and afternoons, especially, traffic seems to be heavy and moving at a high rate of speed. This route allows drivers to bypass the 15 mph zone and crossing guard on Woodland Avenue in front of the high school.
Police Chief Dave Merritt said he would go to the area and see if speed lines were still painted on the roadway, and if not, replace them. The speaker stated he would allow officers to park in his driveway while monitoring the area.
An ambulance association meeting was held recently. Board members discovered that there are not grants available for use on day-to-day operations, but grant money secured to cover other expenses could free up budget money to be used on standard expenditures.
Newly-appointed municipal representatives continue to look into ways to keep the ambulance association solvent in the future. The next meeting is scheduled for mid-May.
In other news, a request from the Cameron County Little League to close South Broad Street for the carnival was approved. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has already approved the closure, which will last from Sunday, June 19 through Sunday, June 26.
Several modifications had to be made on plans to replace heating and cooling systems at the Emporium Firehall. One unit had been slated for repair, but is too damaged for that to now be possible. A new unit will have to be purchased. Other equipment also had to be purchased for heating equipment storage areas, as well. The money is available in the 2016 budget.
The borough will apply for a Multi-Modal Transportation Grant, which allows for street lights, sidewalks, parking meters and related infrastructure to be updated. Grant funds are available to municipalities from $100,000 to $3 million through the program. A 30 percent match is required, but that could come from Act 13, liquid fuels or similar funds. E&M Engineering is handling the application, which is due on July 31.
Meanwhile, animal control officer George Sowers said he continues to receive wild animal complaints in the borough. Following a rabies scare last year, residents on the edges of town seem to be maintaining vigilance. A large bear has been reported on the West End, as well, and a mangy bear cub had to be put down near the Driftwood Branch recently.
The next borough council meeting is scheduled for June 6 at the borough building on North Broad Street. The meeting is expected to be held, but due to a number of council members and borough staff planning to attend the borough association meeting that evening, it may have to be rescheduled due to lack of a quorum if there is an emergency with an attending member.
