Roaring Spring Permits Two-Way Traffic on Main Street

Roaring Spring borough has re-opened the section of Main Street from State Route 36 past the Appvion paper mill to two-way traffic.

Borough officials said at the regular council meeting on Monday, July 13, that the road is striped for two-way traffic and opened to traffic July 1. The borough will continue monitoring the walls in the area to avoid future problems. The Main Street travel lanes were shifted and no pedestrian traffic will be permitted.

The wall on the east side of the road became structurally unsound, leading the borough to restrict traffic on the street to one way, entering town. The problem with that retaining wall has been long-running and a portion of the wall collapsed on Dec. 15, 2018, sending stones into the street. This prompted council to close one lane of a segment of the street in early 2019. Council closed the outbound lane, the one nearest to the wall and also closed the sidewalk.

The concern is now for the retaining wall on the other side of the street, toward the paper mill, between the street and the railroad tracks. Borough crews will monitor that wall for signs of problems.

The July 13 meeting was held in the cleared-out Police Department garage. All those attending the meeting wore masks, including councilmembers. Chairs were spaced six feet apart to comply with the state’s social distancing requirements.

Borough Council President Rodney Green commented during approval of the financial reports that the borough’s tax revenues are “OK for now” but that borough officials are watching wage tax income, which could be affected by the increased unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fireworks problems

Police Chief Gregory Wyandt reported to council that in the first year after the borough passed a noise ordinance, there were some problems with fireworks on and around July 4 but that most of the complaints came from fireworks set off in Taylor Township.

Chief Wyandt said that a citation was issued to a man who set off fireworks near the cemetery on July 5 but that overall, residents of the borough appeared to comply with the new ordinance.

Councilmember Jeffrey Steward commented that those who set off fireworks should be mindful of those with post-traumatic stress disorder and those with pets.

Conditional Use Hearing

Councilmembers scheduled a conditional use hearing at 3 p.m. Aug. 3 to consider a request from Kelli Steele to operate a business providing private-appointment tattoos at 525 Poplar St. The hearing will be held at the borough building, 616 Spang Street.

Steele now operates Bombshell Tattoo in the McKee area.

Borough building renovations

Councilmembers approved continuing an ongoing study of possible renovations to the borough building. Members expressed concerns about the current’s building’s use of space and whether the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is sufficient.

Matthew Flan of P&M Design LLC, Duncansville, has been retained to advise council on the renovations. The most recent approval by council was for $8,400 in services.

In addition to the HVAC system, council is considering creating a single-person office for the borough manager, removing the evidence room from council chambers and using the current Police Department garage for office space while using other space for Police Department vehicles.

President Green noted that the HVAC system could end up being the most expensive part of the renovations, should they occur.

Borough parking

Councilmembers discussed a continuing project to revise the borough’s parking regulations and make sure that all parking signs are consistent with the rules.

Councilmembers agreed to discuss parking rules again in August with an eye toward having any changes completed before winter.

Police officer secondary employment

A council initiative to create a policy regarding police officers having secondary employment was brought up as unfinished business. Council had started discussing the matter prior to COVID-19 becoming a pandemic and had created a committee to review the issue and report back to the full council. However, the committee was unable to meet due to COVID-19 restrictions and the project has not been moved forward. Council agreed to take up the matter again and bring it to a resolution.

YMCA donation

Councilmembers discussed the borough’s annual contribution to the Garver Memorial YMCA in light of the YMCA’s decision to cancel most summer recreation programs.

Councilmember Steward said that “its a tough issue” but if the YMCA is not holding sessions, then council should reconsider the amount of its donation.

President Green said that “more information” is needed before council can make an informed decision. Green said, “I wish they would contact us so that we don’t have to go to them.”

A closed-door executive session was held prior to the regular meeting. Under discussion was a “personnel matter with possible implications on employee compensation,” according to President Green.