During the Tuesday evening meeting of the Bradford City Council, council members heard from two New York residents with similar complaints about Bradford businessman, Frank Miller. Council also addressed local resident Diane Arnett’s complaint from the previous council meeting concerning alternative parking signs on Visa Circle.
Moszak, no first name given, from Olean, N.Y., and Robert Doxey of Portville, N.Y., told council they had left vehicles with Miller, at his shop location, just past Sears on Chestnut Street. According to City Administrator Chris Lucco, the vehicles were then parked outside the shop and not on Miller’s property, but on property which belonged to the City of Bradford.
“After receiving several complaints to the city concerning the vehicles, the vehicles were found to be on City of Bradford property as well as within the right-of-way of the railroad,” explained Lucco, who investigated the complaints. “On June 1, we gave Miller ten days to contact the vehicle’s owners and have them removed or moved onto his property and then we waited three weeks until we towed the vehicles, which hadn’t been moved.”
Moszak reported to council that he was never contacted by Miller in order to move his vehicle. Doxey was contacted but made three separate attempts to retrieve his keys from Miller’s garage in order to move the vehicles and was unable to each time.
Currently, Moszak’s vehicle and Doxey’s two vehicles are being stored at Donovan’s Towing until the towing fee and storage fees can be rectified — however, the two men told council that Miller is not being held accountable.
Both Lucco and members of council suggested these men investigate litigation in small claims court.
Local resident, Diane Arnett, requested an update from council concerning the petition brought before them during the June 11 council meeting concerning the abolishment of alternative parking on Vista Circle in Bradford.
Lucco, with the expressed permission of council, reported an amendment would be read during the next City Council meeting to change the side of allowed parking, so instead of parking on both sides of the street all week long, it would just be one day.
Before the council spoke of the new agenda, they read aloud correspondence received by Mayor Tom Riel from residents William and Kathy Hager of Jackson Avenue. The letter expressed the deep gratitude of the Hager family for the “impressive response” of Bradford City firefighters who recently responded so rapidly to the Walker Avenue fire that it saved their home from also burning.
Only one bid was received on a 2017 or newer Ford 550 truck for the city from Spitzer Ford in the amount of $69,980 and an additional $4,315 for warranty. Action on this bid was saved for the next meeting before council in August.
Members of city council then handled some routine motions concerning accounts and finance before passing a motion to utilize monies from the PA Office of the State Fire Commissioners Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant program to pay $11,893 to Witmer Public Safety Group Inc. for the purchase of a new LDH Fire Hose.
Additionally, a motion was passed to enter into an intergovernmental subrecipient agreement with the Area Transportation Authority (ATA) of North Central Pa. which will allow the ATA to seek additional funding in order to move forward with the demolition and site preparation of the ATA Multi-Modal Transit Facility on East Corydon Street.
The last motion of the evening, which passed council unanimously, grants permission to advertise for bids for the 2023 Resurfacing Project of five Bradford City streets, including: East Main Street, Russell Boulevard, Welch Avenue, Miller Street and Bon Air Avenue.
The next regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 8.
