LH City Council Approves Community Requests and Adopts Key Resolutions: Eastside Fire Rescue Ownership Transfer, Lock Haven City Authority Water System Management, Broadband Expansion, and More
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN— The Lock Haven City Council convened on Monday, September 9, 2024, to tackle a variety of agenda items. A few topics of discussion included a request to temporarily close a section of East Water Street in November for the rededication of Veterans Park and the adoption of a resolution to transfer the ownership of the fire station at 124 East Church Street from the city to Eastside Fire Rescue. Additionally, the council voted on a resolution to monitor and regulate the activities of the Lock Haven City Authority concerning its water system.
The meeting opened with comments from residents and city taxpayers. JoAnn Bowes, a resident of West Water Street, addressed the council regarding large potholes and uneven pavement on Erie Alley.
Erie Alley stretches 100 feet between W. Water Street and Jordan’s Alley. Bowes noted that this short span contains approximately five large potholes, each ranging from three to four and a half inches deep. One particularly significant pothole measures three feet wide by four feet long. She stressed that the combination of these large potholes and uneven pavement makes Erie Alley hazardous for both pedestrians and drivers, particularly at night, due to the lack of lighting.
Erie Alley is commonly used as a shortcut between Water Street and the Ross Library, and it’s also commonly traveled to avoid congestion on W. Water Street when parents pick up or drop off students at the Lock Haven Catholic School.
Bowes has resided at 220 W. Water Street since 1996 and reported that there’s been no maintenance on the alley except for repair work on a broken water pipe. Over time, the alley’s surface has deteriorated to the point of causing damage to vehicles driving through it. “You cannot drive at any normal speed on Erie Alley, even going at idle speed,” she emphasized. Based on Bowes’ observations, sedans are prone to scraping their front or rear bumpers when entering or exiting the alley, causing the asphalt to continue to break apart.
“I’m here because I know that you’re going to be establishing a budget for 2025, and I have brought attention to the alley conditions before and have been told that there are other more important street repairs that need to be done, but I think it’s time to consider this alley,” Bowes asserted. “I use the alleys a lot on my bike or walking, especially Jordan Alley, and Erie is far worse than any of the others, and I would request that it be included in your next budget.”
With no other comments from the public, the council discussed two requests to use city-owned property for special events.
Devin Hilty and Mind Over Mycology requested the city’s permission to hold a plant and mushroom walk through Zindel Park on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 3 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The event will feature a guided hike through Zindel Park on designated trails to observe the native plants and mushrooms. On a motion made by Council Member Brinker, seconded by Council Member Masorti, and carried unanimously, the request was approved.
Harger Utilities Charity made a request to close the section of E. Water Street in front of Veteran’s Park from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Monday, November 11, 2024, to hold a dedication ceremony at the recently restored park. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. The request was approved unanimously following a motion by Council Member Masorti, which Council Member Brannan seconded.
Council members discussed Resolution No. 2024-25: “Exercising the City’s legal right under the Municipal Authorities Act to control actions of the Lock Haven City Authority (LHCA) regarding water system assets that the Authority owns”.
“This is the resolution whereby council is taking action that decisions made by the Lock Haven City Authority regarding the water assets would also need to be approved by the city council,” City Manager Greg Wilson said.
The Lock Haven City Authority (LHCA) is a city council-established entity that manages water supply and distribution system projects. Resolution No. 2024-25 ensures the health, safety, and overall welfare of residents served by the water system.
The city aims to closely monitor and control the activities of the LHCA. The main points of the Resolution are as follows:
– Approval Needed for Projects: The city council must provide written approval to LHCA for any new or ongoing water-related projects, including new constructions or significant changes.
– Capital Additions: Major investments and improvements to the water system also require city council’s approval, with the exception of emergencies or when legally mandated.
– Extraordinary Repairs: Significant repair jobs that exceed regular operating expenses need council approval, with some exceptions for emergencies and legal requirements.
– Contracts: The LHCA cannot approve or renew major contracts or agreements related to the water system without prior consent from the council.
On a motion made by Council Member Conklin, seconded by Council Member Masorti, and carried unanimously, Resolution No. 2024-25 was adopted and is effective immediately.
Next, council members discussed a resolution to transfer the city’s ownership of the former Hope Hose Company property at 120 E. Church Street to Eastside Fire Rescue at the fire department’s request.
Robert Neff, who serves on the Fire Department Advisory Board and is the secretary of Eastside Fire Rescue, attended the meeting to address any questions. Council Member Steve Stevenson inquired about Eastside’s reasons for requesting the transfer of ownership of the department.
“Our intention is that we feel we’re already responsible for the building,” Neff said. “The agreement that we signed was a renewal of the agreement that was signed by the Hope Hose Company in 1970 when they took over a brand new building. We resigned that when we merged in January [and we’re] now taking responsibility for a 54-year-old building, so we’re completely responsible for the entire maintenance, care, and responsibility for the building,” he explained.
Neff conveyed that the members of Eastside believe that, since they are now fully responsible for the building, they might as well own it. “We [also] felt that it could be a better advantage for the small volunteer fire company to get grants and improve the fire station compared to the City of Lock Haven requesting grants to do work on their building,” he added.
Volunteers at Eastside have already made several improvements to the building. So far, they’ve replaced all interior lighting with LED bulbs to lower the cost of electricity, sealed the parking lot, painted the outside of the building, and replaced the Hope Hose Company sign with an Eastside Fire Rescue sign.
“We have no intentions of allowing this building to fall into disrepair because it’s our home, and we have every intention of it being in our home for the next 100-plus years, just like the other two fire stations were our homes, and we took care of them for the last 100 years, so we just felt that it would be advantageous for us and advantageous for you as well,” Neff said.
Neff said that at the recommendation of the department’s attorney, the transfer of ownership would include a provision stipulating that if Eastside Fire Rescue were to cease operations in the future, the building and land would revert back to the city’s ownership.
On a motion made by Council Member Conklin, seconded by Council Member Masorti and carried unanimously, the resolution to transfer ownership from the City of Lock Haven to Eastside Fire Rescue passed.
City Planner and Development Coordinator Abigail Roberts presented the last resolution to be discussed. The “Broadband Ready Community” resolution supports Clinton County’s initiative to provide internet access to all residents. This move is part of a larger county-wide effort in which all municipalities are being asked to pass similar resolutions to boost the county’s chances of securing funding for developing a robust broadband network.
Earlier this year, Roberts and City Planner Carter Simcox worked to identify areas in the city that might not have broadband access. “There isn’t a lot of spaces in the city, but there is a lot of spaces in Clinton County,” Roberts said.
Being designated a “Broadband Ready Community” by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) can attract more investments in broadband infrastructure by streamlining and expediting the necessary processes and policies for deploying internet services. This designation will also make Lock Haven more appealing to internet service providers and broadband companies.
By adopting the resolution, the city shows its commitment to enhancing internet access for all residents and strengthens its applications for funding for county-wide broadband expansion.
The resolution was approved unanimously following a motion by Council Member Brannan, which Council Member Brinker seconded.
