Bradford Mayor Tom Riel opened Tuesday’s City Council meeting by offering a moment of silence for the late Gene Gigliotti, who was a firefighter for the city for nearly 25 years.
The council proceeded to view bids for its Second Ward Neighborhood Streetscape Improvement Project for 2019-2020. The council received bids from Bob Cummins Construction at $275,416 with a bid bond of ten percent, and from M & B Services, LLC at $317,170 with a bid bond of ten percent.
The bids will be reviewed and acted upon at a future meeting.
A Delaware man by the name of Brian Chapman took the podium during public participation. He explained that he noticed some unkempt yards and suggested imposing a penalty to those who don’t maintain their yards. Riel explained that with state law, the property owners have 30 days to remedy the unkempt yard and by the time the state is notified, the owner may remedy the yard already.
The council then proceeded to vote on four ordinances –– passing the first three on their second reading and approving the fourth for a second reading.
The first ordinance passed regulates eating and drinking establishments within the city. The second ordinance passed provides regulation and enforcement of housing standards within the city. The third ordinance passed imposes zoning regulations.
The fourth ordinance, approved on its first meeting, provides salaries to various employees within the Bradford Sanitation Authority.
The council approved a proposal by Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping to provide landscaping services for the city’s downtown streetscape areas, downtown gateway area, Veterans Square and Office of Economic and Community Development facilities. Payment for the services amounts to $21,684.
Before the city council meeting, the city Board of Health held a meeting where they discussed demolitions and nuisance properties, and received an extension request.
The board passed resolutions satisfying the demolitions that took place at 24 Rochester St. and 1 Leigh St., and gave special counsel Sean Hvizdzak the green light to continue the process of having a structure at 78 Jefferson St. demolished. Hvizdzak also said paperwork was sent to Sara Andrews, executive director of the OECD, to have properties at 115 Kennedy St., 173 South Ave. and 8 Harris Court demolished.
The board also approved a 90-day time extension to Brian and Alyson Piscatelli to remedy their property at 360 East Main St. to comply with the Board of Health’s standards.
