Oct 25, 2006 By Rebekah Sungala 3 min read

MASONTOWN – Borough council said Tuesday they realize several streets are in a serious state of disrepair and acknowledged that something needs be done to temporarily solve the problem. Council promised to repair some of the worst roads before winter after resident Stephen Corcran complained about the condition of Monongahela Road.

“You’ve got to do something,” Corcran told council, noting that he and other residents pay taxes so that the borough has money to take care of the streets.

Councilman Joe Volansky agreed that something has to be done.

“We haven’t paved any streets in three years,” he said.

Council gave no official reason why they failed to repave any of the streets the last several years, only saying there were problems with the bids this year.

Council President Harry Lee said repaving the streets will be a top priority next year.

As for other matters, council voted to give Mayor Thomas Loukota a key to the borough building so that he can use the Internet on the office computer for borough-related work.

Loukota asked council to supply him with a key, saying can no longer use the computer in the police department because of recently installed software that only allows authorized user on the computer.

Loukota said he needs to have Internet access to do borough work.

Council voted twice on the issue, unable to pass the motion the first time.

Lee and council members Frank McLaughlin and Carole Daniels voted against giving Loukota a key the first time, with Volansky and council members Bob Brown and Charles Popovich voting yes.

Councilman Thomas J. Salonick was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

Lee changed his vote to yes after Volansky made a second motion to give Loukota a key, passing the motion four to two.

McLaughlin and Daniels said they felt the police department should buy Loukota a computer he could use for borough work, if he was unable to use the one he has been using.

“Maybe someone will donate you a computer,” Daniels told Loukota, before the second vote was taken.

Volansky said neither the borough nor the police department has the money to be buying new computers and that allowing Loukota to use the computer in the borough building will save money.

“We need to cut costs,” he said.

In other business, council named professional engineer Edward L. Myers as the borough’s certified code enforcement officer.

The next borough meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in the borough building.