Vanderbilt hears variety of complaints
VANDERBILT – Rats, snakes, high grass, speeding vehicles and dilapidated houses highlighted Tuesday’s regular council meeting. Dawson Road residents Eva Ducheck and Barbara Conn told council that vehicles and PennDOT vehicles are traveling to fast on their road and that rats and snakes are coming into their yards because of an ill-kept vacant house on their street.
Council agreed to have code enforcement officer Rich Keffer check out the situation, however Keffer said he already has.
“The house is owned by National City Bank and they have been told to cut the grass,” said Keffer. “But that doesn’t mean that they will do it.”
Council agreed to have the borough worker cut the grass and to have solicitor Michael Macko put a lien against the property for services rendered.
Council also told Ducheck and Conn to call PennDOT and report the drivers. Councilman Joe Ambrose told the women to call the state police and report the speeding vehicles and also to call PennDOT and report the trucks.
“If you don’t get any satisfaction from PennDOT officials, then I would suggest that you call the governor’s hot line and report them,” said Ambrose. “One way or the other that will put a stop to the problem.”
Council also authorized the placement of rat poison on the property to get rid of the rodents.
In other unrelated matters, council agreed to hold a community 100th Centennial celebration meeting July 21 at 7 p.m. at the borough building. Fire chief and former councilman Jack Washabaugh said the borough would celebrate its 100th birthday in March 2005.
“We want to make this a really nice celebration,” said Washabaugh. “We are asking churches and organizations to send a representative to the meeting so we can get started on plans for the celebration.”
Washabaugh said anyone with a good idea is welcome to attend the meeting. He also said that a committee will be formed to begin fund-raising and plans for a huge parade will be formulated.
“If every organization and church would only send one representative from the Tri-Town area, I think we could get the plans for the celebration off the ground,” said Washabaugh.
In other business, council:
– Agreed to erect three “No Parking” signs across the street from the Scottdale Bank and Trust building on the coroner or Main and Liberty streets.
– Said it would not do anything to abandon houses in the borough until it get a grant to raze the houses.
– Agreed to have the borough worker place a cable at the playground in order to keep quad drivers off the property. Keffer said he’s afraid the kids will cut the cable with bolt cutters in order to ride on the property.
– Assigned Councilwoman Betty Keffer the task of getting prices for a gazebo to be placed in Miller Park for the centennial celebration. Keffer is expected to have the cost estimate at next month’s meeting.
– Agreed to allow the DL & V Fire Company to purchase additional insurance on their fire equipment. Washabaugh said the insurance the fire company has now would only pay part of the replacement value. The new policy that costs less than $400 will pay the entire replacement cost if a fire equipment vehicle is lost.
Mayor John Addis Jr. swore in Glenn W. Lint, John McCovish, Jerry McCovish, Jean Ann McCovish, Ronda Cole, Matt Stoots and Ryan Washabaugh as fire police. Washabaugh said all seven people are members of the fire company.
He also said four additional members will be sworn in at a later date.