Spring is finally in the air and New Milford Borough received a helping hand from the Blue Ridge National Honor Society on April 14th, when students cleaned up trash from New Milford all the way to the New York state line.  Mayor Scott Smith presented to the Officers of the National Honor Society, on his behalf and the New Milford Borough Council a Certificate of Appreciation at Council's monthly meeting on May 3rd.

Pictured (l-r) are: Garrett Mansfield, Charles Randall, Mayor Scott Smith, Emma Mangel, Gwen MacConnell

Mayor Smith told the students it is nice to recognize younger folks who will be taking over in the future.  He would like to extend a little recognition to them for helping the communities that we live in.  It means a lot to Council, Mayor and the residents of the community keeping the area clean and taking pride in it.

Council President Rick Ainey informed the students they have a Junior Council Program and they would love it if someone who is a resident of the New Milford Borough would like to join.  He said they would sit in at the meetings and learn the duties of Borough Council.   President Ainey said they take pride in having the best park in the area, with an in-ground pool, walking tracks, tennis courts and so much more and he would love to have young people help develop plans for the park's future.

Vice President Teri Gulick stated the Midtown Park Festival is slated for Saturday, June 3rd and all money raised from the event goes into the park fund.  She said there is always a need for volunteers and invited the National Honor Club attendees to come down and help out.

Code Enforcement Officer Greg Sheer was on hand to present his report and speak about a request from Blue Ridge Outfitters, who would like to add black powder to their inventory.  Officer Sheer stated he contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to obtain more information regarding the product.  He shared with Council the restrictions on the amount Blue Ridge Outfitters would be able to safely keep on hand; the Fire Department must be notified this product is stored in the building and the exact location. Officer Sheer said there were many rules and guidelines Blue Ridge Outfitters would need to abide by, but there is no conflict with any Borough Ordinance that would restrict them from carrying this product.  He said the ATF would be responsible to work with the business owner and conduct inspections.  Council unanimously approved sending a letter to the ATF stating there is no conflict with any current ordinance.

A problem seems to be creeping up in the borough with temporary signage placed all around the borough, and some temporary signs somehow become permanent.  Officer Sheer stated all signs need a permit, regardless if temporary or permanent.  Residents need to go to the Borough office to pick up the application.

A resident stated he has been having problems with trucks going up the side street which he lives and damaging property.  He said when the last two trucks drove by he was home and was able to get the truck's information to pay for the repairs of the damage. If he wasn't home, what would happen then?  Council discussed this problem for a few moments and realized the problem was only going to get worse when PennDOT starts the roadwork project on Main Street.  Trucks will be looking to get out of traffic and the other problem is the placement of the highway signs has drivers confused and they turn at the wrong road.  Council unanimously approved to put up signs on all the side streets indicating "No Trucks, Local Deliveries Only".

Councilwoman Karin Welch reviewed the new processes for the baseball league using the field for the 2018 season.  She relayed her hope for the new processes to eliminate the issues they have had in the past.

Great Bend Borough's Main Street is U.S. Route 11, and, as you might imagine, many of the little town's streets join it.  Now, U.S. Route 11 is owned, and occasionally maintained, by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), while the town is responsible for the rest of the streets.  Where they join … is a problem.  At their May meeting on the 3rd, Borough Council members agonized over how to fix those potholed intersections.  "How're we gonna fix this?" they asked.

At least 3 times the Borough has solicited bids from contractors to deal with the problem.  It's small potatoes for a large contractor, and no one wants to have to deal with PennDOT on such a small job, with PennDOT's regulations and pay scales.  State legislators representing the area haven't shown much interest either.  With the summer road maintenance season fast approaching, Council is desperate for a solution.  Call the Borough office with your ideas.

In other business, Borough Secretary Sheila Guinan reported two bids on interest rates for a loan of $75,000 to pave some of the town's other streets.  The winner was First National of Montrose, at 2.69% on a 5-year note.  Ms. Guinan also suggested that, while Peoples Security Bank & Trust is more convenient for her purposes, as a further incentive, the Borough might consider putting some of its funds on deposit at First National.  Unfortunately, the contractors interested in doing the paving are not interested in handling the intersections with Main Street.

The Borough is looking to upgrade lighting in the Borough Building on Elizabeth Street, as well as at Greenwood Park.  A local contractor has quoted a price of $2,200 for Greenwood, but as much as $5,000 for the Borough Building.  There is some question about how many LED lights would be necessary for the building, and no final decision was reached.

Council continued its debate over the newer metal storage building next to the town's garage cum police station.  Mayor Jim Riecke expressed some exasperation over the condition of the property, and especially that the Borough paid for the extra building but hasn't used it much, although maintenance overseer Mike VanGorden said that at least 2 pieces of equipment are in there now.  The Borough would like to install a concrete floor in the building, and possibly some electrical service.  The latter would require design plans and permits from the Council of Governments.

The Borough is considering bids to supply mulch for its properties.  Quotes offered so far range from $25 to $35 per cubic yard, depending on the type of mulch.  The playground in Memorial Park will need certified playground mulch.  Members weren't inclined to pay the extra cost for red mulch, preferring the black or brown variety.

Council is still wrangling over what to do about the brush pile area at Greenwood Park.  Originally intended as a place for town residents to be rid of yard waste, it has since been taken advantage of by tree contractors, not to mention others wanting to be rid of various types of household waste.  The area is not a designated dump.  Council is considering installing a fence, signage, or even closing the park, to alleviate the problem.

Mr. VanGorden recommended that Council consider a high-end multi-purpose device to replace the aging weed trimmer.  For over $800, the device would come with attachments like brushes and a blower.  Council wasn't inclined to put out that kind of money for such a fancy gadget.

Borough Police Chief Jon Record appeared fully uniformed to report on his officers' activities over the prior month.  They took in 17 pounds of drugs in its "Take Back" program on April 28, assisted by County Coroner Anthony Conarton.  Mr. Record wants to replace his department's "expiring" Kevlar vests for about $400 each; the U.S. Department of Justice will subsidize up to 50% of the cost.  And the department now has 2 part-time openings, with the recently announced resignation of Tom Sheehan.

And, two representatives of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) outlined the "Blessing of the Bikes" event scheduled for May 12.  The day will begin with breakfast from 9-11am, and will feature a variety of activities for families of all ages.

The Great Bend Borough Council will meet next in public session on Thursday, June 7, 2018, beginning at 7:00pm at the Borough Building on Elizabeth Street.

Thompson Township Supervisor Alex Komar provided updates regarding the road crew during the Supervisor's monthly meeting held on May 2nd.  Most of April was spent on plowing and cindering the roads; fortunately the weather has changed and the cinder equipment has been removed from the trucks.  Supervisor Komar said the plans are to work on the ditches as soon as they dry up a little.  He said they would also finish the work removing trees on Lake Road.

AT&T obtained a twenty-five year contract by First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to build and manage the first broadband network dedicated to America's police, firefighters and emergency medical services reported Supervisor Susan Jenkins. 

A dedicated, interoperable network will give first responders the technology they need to communicate better.

The road crew was contracted to plow Thompson Borough during the 2017/18 snow season and the contract will end on November 1st.  A member of the audience asked the Supervisors if they would sign on again for the 2018/19 season.  Supervisor Rick Wademan stated they wouldn't have a problem doing the work for another season, but the trees on Willow Avenue would need to be trimmed back from the road.

The next scheduled meeting of the Supervisors will be June 6th at 7:00 p.m.

Fortified by a creamy chicken vegetable soup full of goodness from the kitchens of Food Service Manager Linda Cole-Koloski at its workshop on April 30th, the Blue Ridge School Board took on its new budget once more, and came to some decisions on several major (and one minor) projects for the coming fiscal year.  Board approval on these items – including the budget – was expected at the business meeting the following Monday.

The evening began with a meeting of the Board's Facilities & Grounds Committee, and a report from Maintenance Supervisor, Ron Cranage.  He reported that Farnham & Associates of Abington had offered a proposal to connect the second water well to the buildings.  The only figures immediately available are an earlier estimate of $15,000, but from the scope of the project, the cost is surely to be much higher.

Mr. Cranage is seeking estimates on the various parts of the project to install a digital sign at the entrance to the campus.  The sign itself will cost about $42,600; the district will be responsible for excavation, electrical and networking connections, and a bit of paving.

Along with the usual summer work, the maintenance department will be undertaking several additional, somewhat larger projects, including more HVAC upgrades like they did last year as part of a multi-year plan.

The Board wants to patch the High School parking lot, but Mr. Cranage said that the only quote he got was far too high to be considered, especially since the lot will eventually be completely repaved anyway.

Two other items were of most interest to the committee, as well as to the Board at the workshop that followed.

Edward Arnold has assumed responsibility for safety and security at the schools, and some minor work recommended by a State Police assessment last year has already been done.  He is now recommending the installation of a device called NightLock on all classroom and bathroom doors.  Each of the gizmos will cost $50 and take at least 2 manhours to install.  Since there are about 150 doors, Mr. Arnold figures the maintenance staff can install them all this summer.

During the workshop, Mr. Arnold showed a video illustrating the strength of the device (in combination with the door's own latch).  It's a simple piece of metal that, in an emergency, can be slotted into a plate at the bottom of the door to prevent entry by force.  While Mr. Arnold admitted that "nothing is going to be infallible," the device can help to minimize risk during an attack.

The other, much larger project was described in some detail by 4 representatives of KBH Engineering, contacted by the District through Mr. Cranage to come up with a plan to improve the supply of emergency power in the event of an outage from the outside.

The project would replace 2 older and smaller generators with somewhat larger models that would cover all known needs in District buildings, which are also a designated disaster shelter by the Red Cross.  According to the engineers, the first priority is "life safety;" that is, the generators must provide power for functions that preserve life and safety, followed by emergency lighting.  The larger of the two installations would supply power to the 4 pumps that serve the heating system.  A second generator, outside the Elementary School, would also serve the cafeteria and kitchen.  The new generators would be powered by diesel engines (the older generators use propane).  The engineers figured that the tanks provided in their plan would offer as much as 2 days of power; they recommended a contract with a diesel supplier to refill the tanks as needed. 

Some questioned the noise produced by the engines in operation.  The generators must be tested once a month, but that would be done by the maintenance staff outside normal hours.  Each generator would be housed in a soundproofing enclosure, but there would be some noise emitted when the engines are running.  The plan also provides for exhausting the engines high above the buildings.

The generator project could take several months to complete, since the machines alone will take 10-12 weeks to build and ship.  Once the Board approves the plan, KBH will be responsible for construction drawings, overseeing the bidding process, and collaboration with a chosen contractor.  The overall cost of the project is expected to be in a range of over $300,000.

Once the Board resumed deliberation on the budget (detailed figures will not be available to the public until the Board issues a final preliminary spending plan, probably following the next business meeting), Business Manager Brian Dolan and Superintendent Matthew Button did, however, outline allocations to the projected deficit, as well as to the various major components of the District's reserves: debt service, capital improvements, pension contributions, and the District's self-funded health plan. 

The District now has about $8.6 million in its "fund balance" allocated to those requirements.  The budget expects a shortfall from revenue of about $291,000, but some of that is also expected to be covered by grants already in the works; the fund balance will cover the rest.

Given the money available, Board President Chris Lewis asked his colleagues if they would agree to fund all four of the major initiatives now on the table:

• The new generators
  
  
• Connecting the second water well
  
  
• The Quad3 project that will pave the Elementary School parking lot and reroute traffic around the campus (well over $1.5 million in total)
  
  
• The next phase of the project to renovate the heating and air conditioning systems.

He didn't hear any objections, so the budget will reflect those allocations from reserves for next year.

Administrators have also developed a 5-year capital plan that includes replacing the roof systems, completing the HVAC renovations to include the large units on the roofs, and replacing the 30-year-old boilers that heat the buildings.  Board members also seemed to agree to allocate $584,000 of the current year's expected additional fund balance to capital improvements.

So, in my next update, expect to hear the Board approve a preliminary budget for public perusal, approve amendments to the District's 5-year capital plan, and consider the handbooks that students will see next year.