Lock Haven City Council Meeting Highlights

By Emily Wright

LOCK HAVEN – The Lock Haven City Council met Monday night at 6:00 p.m. for a presentation of the city’s 2024 Water Public Utility Commission (PUC) Rate Filing, followed by its regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. Council members heard from Piper Airport hangar renters, which opened the meeting and occupied the largest portion of time. Other agenda items included a request for street painting in downtown Lock Haven, a grant funding revision, the approval of a commercial loan for an authentic Mexican food truck, and the KCSD Summer Recreation Program schedule and locations.

A street painting request was made by Matthew Taylor, a resident of East Main Street in Lock Haven, to paint “Happy Birthday America” along the cross bars of Vesper and Grove Streets for the month of July in recognition of Independence Day.

Mayor Long noted that if the city council will continue to allow painting on the streets, they should consider the cost of purchasing the paint. In this case, Taylor volunteered to purchase the paint. Council member Jeff Brinker asked who pays for the stencil to paint the design, and Kasey Campbell, Director of Community Life, said that the city doesn’t have a stencil for street painting. City Manager Greg Wilson added that painter’s tape was used when painting the Pride Flag on the streets in downtown Lock Haven.

Council member Heather Alexander asserted that approval of the “Happy Birthday America” street painting request for July could reignite controversy concerning flags that can be flown on city-owned property. “Obviously, this is gonna get to the flag issue. I don’t want to not say yes; I think this is fun,” Alexander said. “I personally think we need to create some boundaries for what’s going on the street because clearly, we don’t want to be a bulletin board for everyone,” she added.

“Well, that’s not part of this discussion, but if that’s something that’s going to need to be addressed, we’d have to have a different conversation,” Mayor Joel Long said in response.
“What’s in front of us tonight is a specific request,” he added.

Greg Wilson asked Alexander if she was proposing that a discussion about a street painting policy be added to the agenda for the next meeting, to which she said yes.

On a motion made by council member Tami Brannan, seconded by council member Richard Conklin, and carried unanimously, the request to paint “Happy Birthday America” on the cross bars of Vesper and Grove Streets was approved.

The Planning Department requested a resolution to revise the 2021 Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The revision to the grant funds would reallocate $6,546.16 from the E. Bald Eagle and Race Street Paving Project to the Lock Haven Skatepark Project. According to Abbey Roberts, City Planner and Development Coordinator, the paving project came in under budget, and making this revision will cover the costs related to the Skatepark Project, ensuring that it is 100% grant-funded. The current budget for the street paving project is $80,538.00, and after the budget revision for the skatepark, a total of $73,991.84 will remain. The remaining funds for the road project will be adjusted and potentially used for the Hoberman Park Project in the future. The request was approved on a motion made by Council Member Masorti, seconded by Council Member Brannan, and carried unanimously.

Mama Martina’s, LLC applied for a $30,780 loan from the city’s Commercial Loan Program to purchase a food truck to start a business venture focused on authentic Mexican cuisine. “Our commercial loan committee met last week to discuss a potential commercial loan in the amount of $30,780. The loan program offers loans up to $50,000 to small businesses in the city at an interest rate of 3%. Mama Martina’s applied for that loan as an authentic Mexican Cuisine food truck and was recommended with flying colors for loan approval by the committee,” City Planner Abbey Roberts reported. “They are recommending that approval to city council, and if approved, I will move forward with the business and the solicitor on loan closing,” Roberts added.

Before the roll call vote, Amber Reese, who attended the meeting on behalf of her aunt Martina Reese, who could not be present, expressed her appreciation for the council’s consideration. “I just wanted to say thank you for your consideration, and we are super excited to offer authentic Mexican food. I understand that in this area, it’s, in my opinion, more of a Tex-Mex, but there’s so much that my mom is willing to share with you guys, so thank you again so much for your consideration,” Reese said.

On a motion made by Council Member Brannan, seconded by Council Member Alexander, and carried unanimously, approval for the commercial loan for Mama Martina’s LLC was granted.

The KCSD Summer Recreation Program schedule and locations for this summer were discussed at the meeting. This year’s program will begin on Monday, June 17, and last for eight weeks, until August 9. The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. Mazie Chapman and Sydney Cooper are the park supervisors at Hammermill Park in Lock Haven. Benjamin Lucas and Garrison Lucas will be the supervisors at Piper-Harmon Playground, and Rachel Stunk and Sabrina Mandracchia will be in charge of Tiger Den Park. Dylan Carlson will be a floater assisting at busier parks and covering any supervisor absences. Hayley Orndorf, Park Coordinator, and Becky Conklin, Adult and Community Education Supervisor, oversee the program and collaborate with the park supervisors. To ask questions or get more information about the program, please contact Hayley at 570-367-9568 or horndorf@kcsd.k12.pa.us or Becky at 570-893-4900 ext. 4301 or rconklin@kcsd.us.

Last, the 2024 Clinton County Economic Partnership events were noted during the “FYI and Reports of authorities, boards, commissions, and committees” portion of the meeting. The next Clinton County Chamber of Commerce/Economic Partnership Time Out event will be held in June at Mountain Top Provisions, 17333 Coudersport Pike, Lock Haven, with the exact date and time to be announced. For more information about this and other upcoming Partnership events, visit https://www.clintoncountyinfo.com/.

The next Lock Haven City Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 3, 2024. The meeting will be held in person at City Hall in Council Chambers, and it will also be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook.

To watch the meeting on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/@cityoflockhavenpa1348
On Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/groups/cityoflockhaven/