Lock Haven City Council Meeting Tackles Busy Agenda
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN— The Lock Haven City Council meeting covered various topics during its meeting Monday night, including the approval of several accommodations for the upcoming 53rd Annual Lock Haven Labor Day Regatta, such as street closures, park use, and free parking. Hope’s Dream Rescue and Sanctuary was granted $2,500.00 to support its Trap-Neuter-Return program to address the stray cat population in the city. The council also passed an ordinance to widen a section of James Alley to improve traffic flow. Additionally, the council accepted a $95,034.00 bid for a city street paving project and discussed a $20,000.00 grant award from the WalkWorks program to enhance pedestrian and biking infrastructure. Lastly, volunteers were sought for the new playground build event at Hoberman Park in August, with specific roles and donation requests outlined.
The Lock Haven Regatta Foundation requested several accommodations from the City Council to ensure the smooth running of the 53rd Annual Lock Haven Labor Day Regatta. The event is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 29, and run until Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
The key requests included street closures, sidewalk restrictions, park and amphitheater use, dam access for the fireworks show, and city-wide free parking on Saturday, August 31. Street closures will be from Water Street (from Jay Street to Washington Street) and Henderson Street (from Water Street to Jordan Alley) from 6:00 PM on August 29 until 6:00 PM on September 3.
The Regatta Foundation also requested the use of Canal Park and the Corman Amphitheater during the Labor Day Regatta, as well as access to the Grant Street Dam Access Area on Sunday, September 1, for the fireworks show, with September 2 as a rain date.
Last, the Regatta Foundation requested free city-wide parking on Saturday, August 31. On a motion made by Council Member Brinker, seconded by Council Member Masorti, and carried unanimously, the requests were approved by the City Council.
Next on the agenda for the meeting was the consideration of a request for a donation that came from Hope’s Dream Rescue and Sanctuary, a volunteer-run 501(c) non-profit animal rescue organization operating in Centre and Clinton Counties. The organization reached out to City Manager Greg Wilson, seeking financial assistance to bolster its Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts and address the medical needs of stray cats in Lock Haven and surrounding areas.
In the email sent to Wilson, the organization highlighted a growing concern among residents regarding the increasing population of stray cats. They propose to humanely control this growth through TNR, but due to limited financial resources, they struggle to cover the costs of veterinary procedures and necessary trapping equipment. The SPCA provides vouchers for TNR but lacks direct involvement in trapping, a gap that Hope’s Dream Rescue can fill with adequate funding. The nonprofit warned that without intervention, the stray cat population will continue to increase exponentially.
Catrina Armstrong, a board member and volunteer for the organization, was present at the meeting to provide more information about the TNR program and shared that Hope’s Dream Rescue and Sanctuary works closely with the Clinton County SPCA and their voucher program. “Any funding that would be provided to Hope’s would cover costs related to TNR that are not currently covered by the vouchers. That would include medical treatments, antibiotics, and pest treatments,” Armstrong said. “We believe our assistance in trapping and altering will also help relieve some of the burden currently placed on the Clinton County SPCA, and we will also be providing physical and monetary assistance to Lock Haven residents.”
Armstrong shared that currently the organization is receiving about the same amount of requests from Clinton County as it does in Centre County for placement and assistance with cats. “With financial help, our volunteers would be able to track and alter cats as well as assist residents in doing the same. This would drastically lower the number of kittens being born, in turn keeping the stray and feral population from increasing.” Armstrong also mentioned that during surgery, cats are vaccinated for rabies and are microchipped, adding to the benefits of the TNR services the organization provides.
The requested funds would also support the creation of an emergency veterinary fund for Clinton County residents to help them manage veterinary costs, specifically for spaying and neutering, to allow residents to keep their pets and lower the number of abandoned animals. “There doesn’t seem to currently be assistance for owned pets, just for TNR, so we hope to fill that void,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong assured the council that the organization is willing to provide any future documentation to show how the donated funds would be used.
City Council V.P. Steve Stevenson requested that the donation funds be spent only on city residents as opposed to the entire county. “I know we have a little bit of discretionary money for donations, but because it is the city and it is city tax dollars coming from the general fund, I would need to request that it’s only spent on city residents,” he said. In response, Armstrong offered, “I’m sure there’s plenty that can keep us busy just within the city. ” Additionally, Stevenson asked to be able to see the results of the progress made by the TNR program, “If quarterly you could report to us a little bit of how you’re doing and with that documentation, of course, a budget of where you spent the money so that we can track it too,” he said before recommending that the organization also reach out to the County Commissioners or the Clinton County Foundation for funding to be able to provide TNR services outside city limits.
Stevenson motioned to approve a $2,500.00 donation to Hope’s Dream Rescue and Sanctuary for the TNR program, which is contingent upon funds being used only within the city limits and the receipt of a report on how the program is going as well as how the funds are being spent in three months. The council will then consider donating additional funding to the initiative.
On a motion made by Council Member Stevenson, seconded by Council Member Masorti, and carried unanimously, the request for the donation was approved.
Under the “unfinished business” portion of the meeting was the consideration of implementing an ordinance for the widening of a section of James Alley between Commerce Street and Kite Alley to provide more space to accommodate traffic. The dimensions and new layout of the alley are described in the ordinance, enhancing the alley by adding roughly 1062.31 square feet of space, which will allow for a clearer and more defined pathway. This expansion would be effective as of July 1, 2024. On a motion made by Council Member Conklin, seconded by Council Member Brannan, and carried unanimously, the ordinance passed.
The council considered amending the bylaws of the Annie Halenbake Ross Library after its second reading during Monday’s meeting. Ross Library Board President Joshua Hudson was in attendance when the ordinance was introduced at the June 17 city council meeting to answer questions regarding the amendments to the existing bylaws, and he noted that only minor changes are needed. In response to the request to amend the bylaws, the city council drafted Ordinance No. 2024-03: Creating the Board of Directors of the Annie Halenbake Ross Library and the Bylaws.
This ordinance establishes a Board of Trustees to oversee the Annie Halenbake Ross Library. It also formalizes the structure and rules governing the library, maintaining its operational integrity and ensuring its mission to serve the educational and informational needs of the public. Once enacted, it sets forth the guidelines for the effective management and operation of the library and its branches, ensuring transparency, financial responsibility, and continued service to the community. On a motion made by Council Member Masorti, seconded by Council Member Brannan and carried unanimously, the ordinance to amend the Ross Library’s bylaws was approved.
Also under “unfinished business” was a bid recommendation the city received from city-hired engineers Gwin, Dobson & Foreman (GD&F) for the State and Local Paving Project to make necessary repairs to local roads. The project focuses on fixing specific problem areas in the city through patching rather than conducting more extensive road repairs. GD&F reviewed the bids and recommended awarding the project to WYDE Excavation and Hauling for $95,034.00. GD&F stated in its letter to the city, “The cost is reasonable for the scope of work to be performed.”
Six bids were received, ranging from $95,034.00 to $244,106.00. The city aims to start work by the end of July 2024, and the goal is to finish the project by mid-September 2024.
The Record inquired about whether the project would affect traffic patterns in any areas within the city, and City Manager Greg Wilson shared that the project involves small patches throughout the city, mostly requiring flaggers for traffic control rather than full road closures. He added that there are approximately 150 areas needing to be repaired between the city and Castanea. “Probably the largest area to be affected, just because it has a lot of lateral lines that go across it, is the very end of East Church Street in the very last block,” he said. Upon roll call vote, the council unanimously voted to accept the bid from WYDE Excavation and Hauling for $95,034.00.
Notice of a grant award to the city in the amount of $20,000.00 from the state WalkWorks program was discussed during the meeting. The Shapiro Administration awarded $255,000.00 in grants to nine municipalities in Pennsylvania to improve networks for walking, biking, and other modes of transportation beyond motorized vehicles.
The WalkWorks program helps communities develop plans to connect local destinations with better pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks to encourage residents to incorporate routes in their daily routines that promote physical activity. The goal of the program is to improve public health by reducing the prevalence of health conditions such as obesity and other chronic diseases. City Planner and Development Coordinator Abbey Roberts was present at the meeting and shared additional information about the grant funds, which will help with initiatives such as the Bald Eagle Valley Trail project and a potential active arts corridor.
The WalkWorks program requires a quick turnaround, and the city has one year to complete projects that will use the funds.
Next on the agenda was an update on the Hoberman playground building project, also provided by Abbey Roberts. The city is working with the Pennsylvania Municipal League, Kaboom!, and DCNR to build a new playground at Hoberman Park, however, help from community members willing to lend a hand is needed. The current playground has been removed, and the city is seeking volunteers for three separate build days.
Roberts provided The Record with detailed information about what the city is seeking in terms of volunteer help to build the new playground. A total of 245 volunteers are needed over the course of two or three build days:
– Thursday, August 1, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., 30 volunteers are needed
– Friday, August 2 (if needed), beginning at 9:00 a.m., 15 volunteers are needed
– Saturday, August 3, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., 200 volunteers are needed
The city is also seeking community members to fill specific roles throughout the build days. Team Leads are needed for assistance with the playground components and different areas of the park, warm-up activity leaders are needed to get everyone ready to start the day, and a group to host activities for kids during the building process is needed. The city wants to involve kids in the build days, however, kids under 18 are not permitted to be on the construction site, so a group willing to host activities for them at a separate location in the park is needed. Volunteers will also help with painting a mural, creating a community garden, building picnic tables, and planting trees.
Last, the city is seeking food and beverage donations to keep volunteers fueled while they bring the playground back to life, and the goal is to provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. To make donations, contact Dena Tripas by calling 717-512-8919 or by emailing dtripas@pml.org.
Volunteers must register in advance and complete a waiver. Registration is free and includes a free event t-shirt for their help with the project.
For more information about the build days, contact Abbey Roberts via email at aroberts@lockhavenpa.gov.
New Business to be discussed during the meeting included a notice of the 2023 Act 13 allocation in the amount of $12,899.77. The city receives an annual allocation from Act 13, also known as the unconventional gas well fee or the drilling impact fee. City Manager Greg Wilson mentioned that the 2023 allocation is approximately $4,500.00 less than the $17,000.00 that was estimated in the city’s budget.
The city typically uses these funds to help cover the cost of maintaining city parks and streets, and it aims to do the same with the funds in the 2024 budget.
The next Lock Haven City Council meeting will be held on Monday, July 15, 2024, at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at City Hall in Council Chambers, and they are also available via live stream on YouTube and Facebook.
To watch the meeting on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/@cityoflockhavenpa1348
On Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/groups/cityoflockhaven/
