Point Marion promotes neighborhood watch
By Rebekah Sungala Herald-Standard
POINT MARION – Borough council encouraged residents to attend an upcoming neighborhood watch meeting.
During Wednesday’s borough meeting, council members discussed the neighborhood watch program and said community involvement is needed if the program is to be a success.
Mayor Bob Wolfe said attendance at the monthly meetings has waned in the last year.
“We only have a handful of people coming to the meetings, but the people who do come our steadfast. We’re still trying to get this rolling,” he said.
Wolfe said the next neighborhood watch meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the borough building.
All borough residents are invited to attend, he said.
Several borough residents formed a neighborhood watch group following a spree of vandalism and other criminal activity last year.
In addition the neighborhood watch group, council members have discussed purchasing surveillance cameras to place in high-crime areas within the borough.
Wolfe said the cameras would hopefully deter criminal activity, adding that the surveillance footage could also be used to possibly help solve crimes that do occur.
However, Wolfe said the cameras and associated equipment are expensive.
According to information Wolfe presented to council members at Wednesday’s meeting, a recording device and several cameras would cost about $10,000 to purchase or about $400 a month to lease for three years.
The lease agreement would end up costing the borough about $14,000.
Councilman Joe Murphy said grant money may be available to purchase the equipment and said he would look into the matter.
As for other business, borough manger Art Strimel said the waterline replacement project is progressing as expected.
If all goes as planned, the $2 million project could be put out for bid in late fall with construction beginning in the summer of 2009, he said.
The borough received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help pay for the project and will borrow the rest of the money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Utility Services.
“The money is there and everything is in place,” Strimel said, noting that it takes time to get all the paperwork done and processed.
In unrelated matters, Councilman Alfred DuBois announced recycling normally collected May 26 will be collected May 27 because of Memorial Day.
The next council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. May 21 in the borough building.