Waterline replacement project to go ahead
MASONTOWN – Borough council said Tuesday that a waterline replacement project scheduled for this summer will go ahead as planned even though prices came in higher than expected. Council voted 5-0 to go ahead with the project, with council members Bob Brown, Edward Gulino, Kay Rendina, Joseph Stillwagon and Harry Lee voting yes.
Council members Carol Daniels and Frank McLaughlin were absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
At the last borough meeting, council tabled the project after bids came in several thousand dollars over budget.
The borough received $25,000 in grant money to install new waterlines on Second Street, Commercial Avenue and Cottage Avenue.
However, the lowest bid for the project came in around $59,000.
Although the borough only has $25,000 in grant money available, council said the borough has enough money available to cover the difference.
“We’re going to go ahead with the entire project,” Lee said, noting that he spoke to the borough manager who assured him the borough will be able to afford the additional $34,000 to pay for the project.
In unrelated business, council discussed problems with the borough’s emergency service responder.
Brown said he has received several complaints that ambulance response time is slow and said that in one instance it allegedly took emergency crews 23 minutes to arrive on scene.
Fayette EMS is the borough’s primary responder.
Police Chief Rich Barron, who attended Tuesday’s meeting, said ambulance response time is a problem when Fayette EMS is fielding several calls.
Council said the borough’s contract with Fayette EMS states that Fayette EMS is supposed to turn over calls to a back-up provider if they are busy and can’t respond within a timely matter.
Barron said calls are turned over to other emergency service providers but that the ambulances are often far away and take time to arrive.
Barron told council he would call Fayette EMS and try to find a solution to the problem, noting that response time may be quicker is EMS Southwest was used as the secondary responder.
As for other matters, council heard from Chris Kelly regarding the upcoming Fourth of July celebration as German-Masontown Park.
Kelly asked council to consider providing a police officer at the park during the day.
Council promised to look into the matter and asked Barron to provide a cost estimate of how much it would cost to have extra officers working the holiday.
In other business, council announced water will be shut off June 3 to any residences that have outstanding and delinquent water bills.
The next council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 10 in the borough building.
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