First Posted: 2/12/2015
AVOCA — Council made another step forward towards getting a new borough building.
At the monthly council meeting on Thursday it was revealed in a letter from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the borough that, subject to few minor changes in terms of financing the project, everything is moving in the right direction.
The USDA has accepted the engineering plans for a new building as well.
“It’s another step in the process,” said council vice president John Boone. “They (the USDA) accepted the engineering agreement and the architectural agreements and things like that.”
Council has been looking to build on the property where the Ss. Peter and Paul Church building was housed, located on the corner of Main and Vine Street, for a new borough building since the church was torn down early last year. The church building was closed by the Diocese of Scranton in the fall of 2011 after the congregation merged with another church in Avoca and was sold to the borough for $144,000.
Boone said more work still needs to be done before anything significant can happen in terms of making a bid to the USDA to acquire a grant to move along with the process, and he’s not sure how much they will bid the project for or when the bid will happen.
“When the USDA says we can (we will place a bid),” said Boone of the situation. “This is just another step. It’s moving along (nicely); we’re very hopeful that everything will move into place.”
Boone said council is hopeful it can make a bid to the USDA come spring time.
Other matters discussed and approved by council at the meeting included:
• Repairing a leaking ceiling in the Community Center at the proposed price of $800 that includes the set up of pipe scaffolding, removal of damaged area of ceiling, replacement of sheet rock, tape and Spackle, labor, materials and removal of garbage. The repairs will be done by Yuschovitz Building and Remodeling.
• Grass to be mowed twice a month by Johnny Jadus Grass Cutting as needed in the spring and summer seasons at a price of $550 per mow. Grass will be mowed from behind Dr. James Kosik’s practice on McAlpine Street that extends to the end of the flood control area down pass York Avenue that borders with Duryea. It’s property the borough is required to maintain.
• Hiring of part-time police officers at a starting rate of $10.50 per hour during a three-month probation period, after which the pay will increase to $11.75 per hour. Those hired are Kevin Pembridge, Ethan Golden and Mark Stillwagon.
• The borough also put in an application form to be part of the second annual Pittston City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade to be held at noon on Saturday, March 7, in which members of the borough street department will ride in the parade.
• Approval of annual contracts from TruGreen for Flood Control Project at the Avoca Community Park, which includes six rounds of vegetation control, grub control, fertilization weed control and crabgrass control to be done in the spring, summer and fall months. West Avoca Park will receive one round of grub control and three rounds of lawn care including fertilization and weed control during those months as well.
The next council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 at the borough building.
