PRR Meeting Draws Municipal Leaders and County Commissioner
By Barbara Mastriania
RENOVO – A code enforcement officer may be a key ingredient in the preservation and revitalization of Western Clinton County, officials said Tuesday night during a meeting held at Yesterday’s in Renovo.
The meeting was hosted by the Preserve, Renew and Revitalize Western Clinton County group (PRR). About 30 people attended including the three Clinton County commissioners, citizens and representatives of WCC municipalities.
Roy Darrin showed a slide presentation of photos of area properties in need of repairs or cleaning, many of them in Renovo Borough. He said PRR’s goal is to encourage property owners to take cake of buildings before they reach the point they need demolished.
He noted the impact of abandoned and dilapidated buildings goes beyond the economic impact. The unsightly properties diminish the value and interest of an area. People don’t want to go into poorly kept neighborhoods and both pride and value diminish. When a property deteriorates beyond repair it must be demolished at much cost to the municipality. Commissioner Joel Long noted that a property lost is also tax revenue lost.
Unfortunately numerous buildings in Renovo have deteriorated and been demolished in recent years. There are alternatives available and means to save buildings. Some include financial aid for repairs, especially among the elderly. Another is for a third party to petition the Court of Common Pleas to take control of property until it is brought up to code.
Locally, officials said, WCC municipalities could pool their resources to get a much needed code enforcement officer. None of the communities can afford to do it alone, but a joint effort for a shared code officer could work.
County commissioner Joel Long reminded municipal leaders there must be building codes on the books to enforce. Commissioner Smeltz said the county planners and commissioner’s are available to help prepare building code plans for municipalities if needed. He also said code enforcement officers can charge the owners of properties in violation of codes for any associated fees. The county can help enforce codes but the codes must exist, he said.
Tom Tarantella, a spokesman for the PRR group, said some of the properties in need of repair belong to elderly residents who don’t have the financial means for expensive repairs such as new roofs. It was noted that there may be financial help available through the STEP program or other programs.
Chapman Township resident Greg Werts said some of the deteriorating buildings are the result of tax claim sales by purchaser s who bought properties without seeing them and then abandoning them when they realized the cost of extensive repairs.
The commissioners praised the PRR group and all those officials and residents who have been working together to improve the area. “We’ve been waiting for awhile for this to happen,” Jeff Snyder said. “When you need us we will be here.”
