Martinsburg Borough Raises Price of Recycling Key Cards at Monthly Meeting

Recycling key card price raised

At the monthly Martinsburg Borough Council meeting, Borough Manager Richard Brantner Jr. brought to the council's attention a revenue disparity in relation to the recycling center key.

According to Brantner's calculations, the dumpster expense is $869 monthly (a leap from the $720 it was at the beginning of 2022) and $10,432 annually. The customer cost is $25 annually, with an annual income of $9,925.

This leaves the borough with a negative balance of $507.

Brantner suggested an increase in the key card price to $35 annually per customer.

This increase was approved by the council and will take effect on March 1, 2023. Letters will be sent to residents about the change in January.

W. Gene Henry Memorial unveiled next week

The W. Gene Henry Memorial outside of the Martinsburg borough building should be finished this week.

According to Councilmember Chuck Kensinger, Garman Brothers would begin concrete work on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

The committee will host a ceremony to recognize the monument next Saturday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. The community is welcome to attend.

Guests speak

Rob Craig and Jay Reilly of the Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service (HALAS) attended to inform the council on recent advancements, which are laid out in the Sept. 29, 2022, edition of the Herald.

Council members and other guests thanked HALAS, as many see the ambulance around Martinsburg.

Danette Feathers of the Martinsburg Community Library came to thank the council for support. The library's year runs from July to June, so Feathers informed the council of some stats from last year:

• Roughly 8,541 people came into the library

• The library has 2,200 registered users (which has gone up since recorded in July)

• 23,000 books, audio books, and digital books were taken out

• The library held 135 programs, 98 percent of which were run by Feathers

• They welcomed 76 new patrons

• Of the registered users, 28 percent reside in Martinsburg

• 27 percent of physical checkouts come from Martinsburg residents

"I'm thankful the community still values libraries," Feathers said.

She informed the council of the library's upcoming fundraiser, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 8.

When asked how the library is doing with space, Feathers said space is always an issue.

"We're getting creative," Feathers said. "We're wonderfully located at the park, but we will run out of space eventually."

New radios possible for police

Martinsburg Chief of Police Kerry Hoover said he was contacted late one Wednesday afternoon by Blair County to attend a meeting via Zoom on Thursday morning. This meeting was to inform local police departments that the county was applying for a PCCD grant to purchase radios. The paperwork for this grant was due by Friday of that week. The full application is due Oct. 18.

The county would provide five radios for the officers, three mobile units, and one base station in the office. Hoover informed the council that one portable radio costs around $8,000.

The county also discussed getting tablets for all cruisers, but more research is necessary before making this decision, as the tablets would have to replace laptops currently in cruisers.

Due to the urgency of time constraints, the council voted to amend the agenda in order to approve anything Hoover would have to sign or agree to in order to get the grant.

The council approved to sell the 2013 Ford police vehicle to Spring Cove School District for $9,000. The school board has not voted on this purchase yet, as it was waiting for the council to approve.

LERTA questioned

Brantner looked at wasterwater plants in the area to look at ideas for rag and disinfectant wipe removal systems, as this is an ongoing issue at the sewer plants.

Brantner also said that the stop signs on South First Alley had been put up. The Stop Sign Ordinance No. 2022-639 regarding these stop signs, as advertised in the Sept. 22, 2022, Herald, was adopted.

Councilmember Janet Blattenberger asked if the council has ever discussed LERTA, as she has heard about others applying for the tax breaks for new construction and improvements to existing structures within the respective municipalities. Blattenberger suggested that looking into this could attract businesses to come into Martinsburg.

Members of the council agreed that they did not have enough information to discuss.

Old business

Mom's Pets, a rescue organization that helped Martinsburg in the removal of cats along Locust Street, as discussed at the August council meeting, will receive a $300 donation from the borough next year.

The borough's old tractor is out for bids. The deadline for bids is Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. Bids must be a minimum of $3,000.

The council will have a 2023 Budget Workshop on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, at 7 p.m.