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Entrepreneurs invited to River Town Program meeting

By Erin Hayes for The 3 min read

POINT MARION — Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to attend a free “meet the lenders” seminar organized by the River Town Program later this month to learn about financing opportunities that might be available to them.

Councilwoman Victoria Evans at a council meeting Wednesday encouraged community members to attend and said that representatives from various organizations will be on hand to help entrepreneurs develop business start-up plans.

Rural Financing and Funding Hospitality and Tourism are among the presentations to be presented at the seminar, slated for 9-11 a.m. Thursday, July 31, at the fire hall. Registration and seating begins at 8:30 a.m.

Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, contact Cathy McCollom at csm@mccollomds.com or 814-395-9139.

Also at the meeting, Evans said that she had received many inquiries about whether or not the borough would be hosting its weekly Movies in the Park program again this year. The borough will be testing other equipment provided by newly-appointed Councilwoman Kathy Griffith at the park this Saturday.

“We want to test the equipment before investing in renting a movie,” Evans said.

Councilman Patrick Kelley reported that he is working on following up on a suggestion that was presented at a Coffee and Conversation session in March. The sessions are held on the third Wednesday of each month and community members are invited to discuss their ideas and concerns with council members in an informal setting.

He said that representatives with the Boy Scouts of America Westmoreland-Fayette Council will be attending an upcoming park committee meeting to discuss possible co-ed activities for youth aged 14-21.

“That takes care of a big chunk of the youth,” Kelley said. “It may be a year off still, but it’s a first step.”

Kelley added that he continuing to work on developing activities for younger children.

Borough Manager Art Strimel reported that officers with the Southwest Regional Police Department, which was contracted in April to patrol the borough, were “really mixing it up” regarding the hours they are providing law enforcement services.

Mayor Carl Ables had said at prior meetings that there would be no set schedule for the officers, but that they would patrol random hours that would not be made public in advance.

The officers have cited many drivers passing through the borough for speeding, and one was processing a driver for a driving while intoxicated after the last council meeting, Evans said.

“The only ones who are going to complain are the ones who are doing something wrong. The rest of us are happy to see them,” Griffith said.

Strimel said also that the new code enforcement officer had been “ruffling a few feathers” when informing residents that they need to cut their grass.

The new officer is making contact with residents in person rather than “going through the rigmarole” of mailing certified letters, Strimel said.

Also at the meeting, Strimel reported that the borough would need to pay back $6,545 in non-uniform retirement contributions and suggested doing so as soon as possible to avoid the accumulation of interest.

Council agreed the overpayment, stemming from a 2011 hire, was not the fault of any one person or organization, but rather the result of a lack of coordination between various groups.

Council voted unanimously to pay back the funds, with half of it being paid from the general fund and the other half from the water fund.

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