Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The City Code Enforcement Office shut down an East Main Street business after a faulty wood stove caught on fire this morning. City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells WESB In and Out Tire was burning “trash and debris” in the wood stove. He added that some of it was construction debris including particle board, paneling and furniture. He says the business will be closed until code enforcement deems it safe to reopen. The fire was reported at 11:20 a.m. Rettger says firefighters were on the scene for about an hour “making sure the building wasn’t on fire.” The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Housing rehabilitation in the Congress Street area, more revitalization efforts on Pine Street and continued work on Downtown Bradford Gateway improvements are among the projects Bradford would like to take on with $300,000 in grant money. Office of Community and Economic Development Executive Director Sara Andrews on Tuesday held the second of two public hearings on proposed activities for 2013 Community Development Block Grant money. $40,000 would be used with HOME funds to rehabilitate single family homes in the Congress Street area. Andrews said about 20 property owners are on the waiting list. $100,000 would go toward street renovation, curbs, sidewalks and street lighting on Pine Street. Andrews said she is pleased with the project so far. "It's a great-looking improvement," she said. $40,000 would go toward the gateway improvements on Forman, Elm and Main streets. This includes engineering costs. She said directional signs that include 10 businesses shoul...

Purchase of New Firetruck Approved By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Tempers flared during Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting. Foster Township supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr., who is also a landlord in the city, asked how the city plans on paying off its 2012 bond. Mayor Tom Riel said the city has set aside money for this year’s payment, and then started to explain why the city needed to borrow money, giving the “deplorable” condition of the streets as one reason. Connelly interrupted, saying he agrees the streets are in deplorable condition, but he didn’t need an explanation on why the city borrowed the money. He wanted to know if the city is going to have to raise taxes to pay it off. Riel asked if Connelly was finished; Connelly said he asked Riel a question; then they talked over each other for a few seconds. “Mr. Connelly,” Riel said, “here is how it works here: A citizen stands and addresses council and we respond. We don’t banter and go back and forth ...

George Corignani is the new code enforcement officer for Foster Township. The annouoncement was made during Monday's township supervisors meeting. He takes over for Jim Robinson, who was let go for personal reasons. Corignani had been the code enforcement officer in Bradford for many years, until his retirement from the Bradford City Fire Department. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township’s sewer line project could cost about a million dollars less than originally planned. “We’ve taken what was thought to be a 5, 6 million dollar project and … I think it’s about 4.4 million,” said new township engineer Harold Bloomgren of Northwest Engineering. “That’s a little easier to handle.” Bloomgren attended Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting and gave a report on the updated Act 537 Plan. Northwest has taken over engineering duties from E&M Engineers after a mistake by E&M cost the township a low interest PENNVEST loan. E&M’s insurance company is currently considering an “errors and omissions” claim so the township can get its money back. The new plan developed by Northwest calls for using low pressure sewer lines with grinder pumps instead of gravity lines. The actual cost to township residents will depend on if funding comes from PENNVEST or Rural Utility Service, and the terms of the loans and/or gr...

Two more blighted properties in the city are coming down. Bradford City Council on Tuesday approved a payment of $7,380 to 6V Excavation for the demolition of 28 High Street, and a payment of $5,377 to 6V for demolition of 277 Congress Street. Also Tuesday, Main Street resident Paul Pingie addressed the issue of traffic flow on Kennedy Street. He said the direction of travel – toward Main Street – interferes with traffic flow in other areas downtown. He said he thinks traffic would flow better if it went away from Main Street – or if the street was two-way again. “It’s one of those situations where we can’t win,” said Mayor Tom Riel, explaining that during the streetscape project the street became narrower and now can’t accommodate both two-way traffic and parking. Riel said the Kennedy Street merchants would rather have parking than two-way traffic. Police Chief Chris Lucco added that the reason traffic is flowing toward Main Street is that tractor-trailer drivers who make deliveries ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Delta Development Group is recommending something many people in Bradford have been suggesting for years: Taking code enforcement out of the fire department. That was one of the many recommendations the consultants made during a presentation Wednesday night concerning their work with the city in the Early Intervention Program for financially troubled cities in the state. “(Code enforcement) does not belong in the fire department,” said Deborah Grass of Delta. “We don’t think it makes a whole lot of sense for trained firefighters to be looking for high grass and weeds and garbage and junk cars and those kinds of things.” Grass made it clear that Delta was not doing performance reviews of personnel or departments; they were concentrating on the financial aspects of all city departments. Before the presentation Mayor Tom Riel stressed that while some recommendations in Delta’s report have already been implemented, not every one will be. “Just becau...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Sometimes it’s hard to see the impact grant money has on the City of Bradford, but Sara Andrews is trying to open people’s eyes to that impact. During a hearing prior to Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting the executive director of the Office of Economic and Community Development said the city has received more than $5.3 million in federal HOME Program grants since 1992. The projects the money helped fund has realized $5.6 million in new assessed property values for the city. Specifically, $633,000 in HOME investment leveraged the construction of 30 new homes in Colonial Heights, which added more than $2.1 million in new assessed property. On Onofrio Street, $500,000 leveraged the construction of 13 new homes. Add that to the complete renovation of 15 homes and that’s $3.5 million in new property values. “What an impact that had in that area,” she said. Over the last 19 years the city has rehabilitated 134 homes. “If we hadn’t rehabilitated ...

Although a couple members of the Board of Health would prefer that the city health license of Marsh’s Bar be suspended immediately, the board voted to give the owner 14 days to remedy the 32 violations found in inspections done last week. “This property is a disgrace,” said board member Jim Evans. “It’s one of Bradford’s worst.” Referring to pictures that were taken by inspectors Mike Cleveland and Mark Grassi, Evans said, “What’s going on inside mirrors what’s on the outside.” He asked why the license couldn’t be revoked immediately because the owner has had every opportunity to bring it up to code in the past. Letters were sent to Ken Marsh in April and also in August of last year in reference to code violations. The city’s special counsel Greg Henry said he “would much rather take action immediately than have any sort of delay. There’s no question about that. On the other hand we need to do this in a way that will survive any legal attack upon us.” “This deals with this individual’s...

The York City Council Tuesday, by a vote of 5-0, approved a new ordinance prohibiting furniture specifically designed for indoor use from being placed outside. The ordinance is intended to combat rodent infestation and is identical to one adopted by Lancaster City, said York City Fire Chief and acting code enforcement officer Steven Buffington. Read the full story at York Dispatch.com .

Senator David Argall (R-29) holds a news conference on efforts to educate the public and local elected officials about the state's new anti-blight law. He is joined by Elizabeth Hersh of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Minersville Borough Infrastructure Manager Joe Bass, Gary Bender of the Schuylkill County Demolition Program and Jeff Feeser of Schuylkill Community Action. Senate Bill 900, known as the Neighborhood Blight Revitalization and Reclamation Act, clarifies the identity of property owners and holds them responsible for the municipal costs to secure, remediate or demolish blighted structures. Municipalities may institute an action to prevent, restrain, correct or abate property code violations. For more information go here: http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/blight-bill-becomes-law.html Photo provided by Senate Republican Communications

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Snow plowing, snow shoveling, potholes and the cost of salt were addressed during Tuesday's Bradford City Council meeting. "There are many sidewalks in the city which have not been passable since the first snowfall in December," said councilman Fred Proper, who oversees the public works department. He noted that the city does have an ordinance regarding snow shoveling that says anytime there's a snowfall of 2 or more inches, sidewalks need to be cleaned within 24 hours. Proper said if someone has packed snow and ice on his property, but has attempted to clean it, he doesn't have a problem with that. "The problem is the sidewalks that truly have had no care. There are many properties in the city that no one has taken responsibility for. That's a major problem,” he said. “Those sidewalks are probably not going to get shoveled or cleaned up unless the neighbors choose to do it.” Proper stressed that cleaning the sidew...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Some people think Foster Township residents are paying too much for their sewer tap-in fees, and that should change. Others agree the fee is too high, but think it should stay where it is. The $2,000 tap-in fee was one of the topics of Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting. Bradford Township residents pay $1,000. City residents pay $500. The issue arose, in part, because residents are concerned about what would happen if the three municipalities consolidate sewer services. Supervisor Jim Connelly, who believes the tap-in fee is too high, is hoping to find ways to cut costs – including being more diligent in collecting from delinquent customers – to lower the fee. “I think that’s ($2,000) a lot of money to ask somebody to pay,” Connelly said. He added that there are $30,000 in delinquent bills. “It’s not fair that some of us have to pay our sewer bills and some of us don’t,” Connelly said. East Main Street resident Don Pistner wanted to kn...

http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/blight-bill-passes-senate.html http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lawmakers-hear-testimony-on-blight.html http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/renaissance-city-plan-for-pa.html http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/committee-approves-blight-bill.html

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Code enforcement has a new plan. During Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting, code enforcement officer George Corignani said he and Merle Silvis want to use the two firemen who are in training at the code enforcement office to find problem properties throughout the city. The plan is to have them go ward to ward throughout the city, take pictures and notes, and report back to Corginani and Silvis, who would act on the problems. Once the First Ward is done, they’ll move to the Second Ward, and so on. Corginani and Silvis would continue to do inspections and answer health-related complaints. “We’ve been jumping around from ward to ward … trying to answer this and answer that. … If we started at one ward and did that ward with the two extra guys, that would give us some relief for us to do the stuff we have to do,” Corignani said. The plan is to pay them with money code enforcement collects from fines and fees. Mayor Tom Riel and Councilman Rick ...

Reading Mayor Tom McMahon on Monday announced a new online "Wall of Shame" featuring blighted properties in the community. McMahon says the property owners' names will be posted along with pictures and addresses. He says he's serving notice to property owners who fail to take action on properties considered eyesores. For more on this story, go to the Reading Eagle

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Different municipality. Same question. Why is code enforcement complaint driven? South Kendall Avenue resident Barb Price again on Monday asked Foster Township supervisors what’s being done about the “deplorable” conditions on her road and other areas in the township. Supervisors said letters have been sent out to several property owners about the problems. But Price still had a question. “Why is it that the citizens have to be the ones to complain about these conditions in the township when we have the township workers that are up and down the roads? The police can see them,” she said. “I don’t think that I have to be a watchdog for the township.” Supervisor Jim Connelly, who took a drive with Price to see some of the problem properties, asked Police Chief Jeff Wolbert and Road Supervisor Joe Sweet to report abandoned cars, junk and other problems. He said if they report the problems, the supervisors will make sure code enforcement officer John...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Code enforcement officer George Corignani says if people have a problem with his department, all they have to do is call. “We don’t have to come here every week and sit and trash code enforcement,” Corignani said during Tuesdays sometimes heated Bradford City Council meeting. “I mean, it’s just not getting anywhere.” “If you have a problem, call us at our office. We’ll take care of it. And if you’re not satisfied then, there’s a problem. But we’re not getting any phone calls about any of this stuff,” he said, adding that he doesn’t know about some of the problems until after he reads about the council meetings every other Wednesday. “I’m just trying to do my job and do it right. We can all do this together and work it out together because – Guess what? – I’m not going anywhere,” Corignani said. “We’re not saying it’s you guys,” said Mayor Tom Riel. “We’re saying there’s a problem with the program.” Councilman Jim Evans added that much of what’s ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director One city official says if the code enforcement department is complaint driven, perhaps more people should make formal complaints. “If it has to be complaint driven then I guess a bunch of us have to walk up and down Main Street and write a complaint out,” said OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews. “I think it has to go beyond being complaint driven and at this point in time – if we see something we need to address it,” she said. Andrews made her comments during Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting in a discussion on who is responsible for enforcing codes in commercial buildings. Businessman John Kohler brought up the issue, and gave the IAS building on Marilyn Horne Way as an example, saying wires are hanging off of it, electric boxes are hanging loose, there’s broken glass and piles of pigeon droppings. “Who’s responsible to make sure that kind of stuff is cleaned up and taken care of?” Kohler asked. “Somebody could walk by there and get hur...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Most of the oil and gas drilling companies working in the county have been cooperative in fixing the roads they damage, according to McKean County Commissioners. Commissioners Joe DeMott, Al Pingie and Judy Church attended Monday’s Foster Township Supervisors meeting as part of their effort to attend meetings in every municipality in the county. So far, in three months, they’ve visited 20 of 22 municipalities. Seaward Avenue resident Tom Perry asked who’s responsible for making sure the companies adhere to weight limits, and take care of damaged roads. Pingie said it’s up to the municipalities to make sure the companies are following the rules and regulations. “So far … they’ve been very good about taking care of the roads,” Church said. “They replaced a road in Norwich Township.” She said supervisors met with the drilling company, got an estimate for road repairs and company paid it. DeMott added that the companies have been cooperative. “Most ...