Brownsville cracking down on garbage problems
BROWNSVILLE – Borough officials are cracking down on garbage scofflaws in Brownsville. Councilman John Hosler said one property owner on Water Street was fined $1,500 for allowing garbage to accumulate on his property. The Borough crew cleaned up that site and another dump site on Greenside Street, putting a lien on the property.
“They were a danger to public health. There were large rats and animals were getting into the trash,” said Mayor Lewis Hosler.
Council president Jack Lawver said nine more garbage cases are scheduled for hearings in the near future based on citations from the borough’s code enforcement officer.
“We’re taking this seriously and the district justice is taking this seriously. People don’t have to live next to these garbage piles,” Lawver said.
Resident Nena Kaminsky asked when more would be done to improve the appearance of downtown Brownsville.
“I don’t understand why we can’t tear those buildings down. I’d rather see a vacant lot. Isn’t there any way we can do that? Take them under eminent domain, or make (the property owner) tear them down, like the Plaza Theater?” Kaminsky asked
Lawver said several buildings are scheduled for demolition by the end of August and there is a court hearing in September for another downtown building whose owner has been heavily fined because of the dilapidated and dangerous conditions there.
Winfield Thomas, representing the Dunlap Lodge 214 of the Elks, also addressed council, seeking a letter of support for the 90-yearold club as it goes through the license renewal process with the state Liquor Control Board. Thomas first read a letter from Jane Loveland of Crosskeys Human Services stating that Crosskeys does not want to see the club closed and never did want that action taken, though she had written a letter about noise problems at the club last year.
“Although the last couple of years have been somewhat of a problem, we think we have taken actions to get things back under control,” Thomas said.
“I have a folder in regards to the club. Most of the episodes were outside the bar, not inside the bar – patrons who came outside and turned loud music on and created a disturbance,” Lewis Hosler said.
Councilman Robert Pritts expressed concerns about giving an unconditional endorsement to the club.
“I think it should be on a probationary basis. We had shootings; we had fights; we had people beaten with ball bats. I got calls from our officers at two and three in the morning looking for back up,” Pritts said.
The motion to send a letter of support to the LCB passed without formal opposition.
It was reported that the borough’s public works committee would work with the crews installing new sewer lines throughout town to help alleviate traffic problems. John Hosler said cars and light trucks will be detoured onto Prospect and Angle streets while work is done on High Street between Second and Angle over the next few weeks. Heavy trucks will still be permitted to use the main road during the construction.
Lewis Hosler said alternative parking will need to be found when work is done on Water Street in the near future, since the parking lane will be dug up for installation of the sewer lines. The mayor said that work would be done one block at a time to reduce parking and traffic problems.