CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Borough Council passed an ordinance, accepted bids and also appointed a new council member among other business Thursday night.
Solicitor F. Cortez “Chip” Bell informed council that the ordinance to close a portion of Williams Street has been advertised as required and was ready to be adopted.
The borough blocked off the street about a year ago due to the condition of the retaining wall and the underlying sub-structure. The cost to repair is prohibitive.
Engineer Todd Banks of Stiffler McGraw had told council that the lowest guess he could give would be around $350,000; however, it would most likely be considerably higher, even close to $1 million.
Bell and Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott received a few phone calls from residents protesting the closure; however, no one attended the advertised public meeting opposing the ordinance, which would both close the short portion of street and also vacate it.
Eventually council may choose to have the portion of vacated street appraised and sell it, offering first to the neighboring property owners, but Bell said they are not at that stage yet.
Council approved the ordinance.
Bids for trash collection and heating fuel were also opened during the meeting. Only one bid was received for each item.
The heating fuel bid was awarded to JJ Powell at a fixed rate of $2.419. The bid for trash removal was awarded to Advanced Disposal for $618.08.
Stott said there has been a problem with some of the trash receptacles in the borough not being emptied. She said it appears that the interior linings go missing and Advanced doesn’t notify the borough, and then trash piles up until someone else calls the borough.
She said she would like to have that addressed, but otherwise the borough has been happy with the service.
In other business, members of the fire department presented a donation of $1,000 to the police department towards the cost of tasers for the officers.
The money was raised during the sale of chicken dinners during National Night Out at the beginning of the month.
Council also approved the appointment of Susan Read to the first ward seat recently vacated by Brian Lytle. Read has served on council in the past.
Stott noted another letter of interest was received, but the individual has not lived in the borough for an entire year, but they will be eligible come January and could run for one of the seats during the next election.
