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Centerville residents air concerns about crossing

By Amy Karpinsky 4 min read

CENTERVILLE – Concerned that the railroad company can shut down the railroad crossing in Denbo if it isn’t made into a public crossing, Ernest Stitchick of Denbo brought his concerns Tuesday to Centerville Borough Council. Stitchick asked council members if they were notified that Norfolk Southern was going to be working on the crossing. Borough secretary Cheryl Matesich said she was only notified that work would occur on the trestle. Stitchick said there are illegal barricades that are supposed to be filled with water and are not.

Council member Mariann Bailey said the road can’t be closed and shut off the town because it is a state road.

Stitchick said it is his understanding that if an access road isn’t obtained before July 1, the road will be closed. He said if that happens, “there’s going to be major war down there.” Stitchick said that the borough needs to determine who owns the property at the access road.

Stitchick said it recently took a train 42 minutes to cross the crossing because of a broken wheel on a car, which is unacceptable because the town is shut off. “The whole town can burn down,” he said. “It’s more important (for the railroad) to get coal than our lives. He said this is an ongoing problem with the railroad company, which will not separate the train when there is a broken wheel.

“The railroad thinks it’s the 1830s and they can run ram shot over you,” said council president Patsy Riciutti.

Stitchick also complained about the condition of property owned by Donald D’Amico. He said the grass is four feet high at the marina. “It looks like a bomb went off,” he said. Ricciuti said he would send a police officer to the site and the owner would either cut the grass or be cited. He also asked for a meeting with Norfolk Southern to discuss the crossing situation.

In other discussion, a request by Mayor Frank Stanko for a part-time police officer was rejected by Ricciuti, who said even with a 6-mill tax increase next year, the borough will barely break even. “I want a part-time police officer as much as anybody, but we don’t have the finances to put anybody on,” he said.

Stanko said he would rather have a part-time officer than a new roof for the borough building. Riccuiti said the new roof should not cost the borough anything because grants should be obtained to pay for it. He said if a $25,000 grant can be obtained, the roof will not cost the borough anything to repair.

Council voted to reject all roof bids after they came in higher than expected.

Solicitor Brian Teslovich said he would draft an ordinance requiring landlords in the borough to notify the borough when tenants move in and out. Council voted to approve the ordinance, which includes fees of $10 when tenants move in and $10 when tenants move out.

A request from the Steam Show to rent Centerville police officers was rejected. Teslo-vich said it would be better for the organization to contract with a private firm. He said if Centerville police officers were on duty at the show and an incident occurred, they would have to respond.

Also on Teslovich’s suggestion, council voted to advertise for members to serve on the Uniformed Construction Code appeals board. The members must be a surveyor/engineer, a construction specialist and an inspector or plan reviewer.

Council also voted to apply to the county for community service workers to cut grass.

Council decided to change the date of the July meeting to July 26 at 6 p.m. because neither the solicitor nor secretary is available for the regular monthly meeting date.

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