EMPORIUM — Members of Emporium Borough Council accepted the resignation of a member during a meeting on Monday.
Robert Hostler, who was elected to a council position in 2015, tendered his letter of resignation from the board. He also resigned as the borough’s representative on the Cameron County Ambulance Service board.
No reason was given for Hostler’s resignation. Council will advertise for a new resident to fill the position for two years, when the seat will appear on the municipal general election ballot. The borough has 30 days to fill the spot. An individual will also be sought to fill the open borough representative seat for the ambulance board.
Interested Emporium residents should contact Borough Manager Don Reed at the borough offices. A new council person is expected to be appointed at the April 3 meeting.
In other news, Emporium Borough Police are now employing body cameras during some police actions. Police Chief Dave Merritt said officers are using the body cameras during traffic stops and outdoor operations, but are currently unable to use them in some situations because of currently-unclear laws regarding body camera usage in Pennsylvania. Merritt said state legislators are working on privacy and right-to-know laws for the new technology.
Only about a dozen area departments are using them because of these legislative issues, Merritt said.
The two body cameras and a third vehicle camera were purchased with funds forfeited through drug seizure activities.
Meanwhile, several upcoming construction projects were discussed.
As part of the National Pilot Levee Program, the borough will work with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers members from Vicksburg, Miss., to bring the levee system back into compliance with federal and state regulations. Borough staff has sent all necessary documentation and gathered necessary information ahead of a site visit scheduled for mid-May.
Engineers are working to finalize plans to deal with runoff in the Seventh Street turn-around area. A catch basin must be constructed to hold water during storms and slow down the amount of water entering into storm sewers.
Also, six new 15-yard Dumpsters will be delivered to the borough and county recycling center, purchased mostly through grant funding. Local entities will pay only 10 percent of the costs, plus inflation due to changes in pricing since the grant was approved. The borough will pay approximately $2,060, and the county will provide about $1,030 for the purchase, with the total cost coming in at $22,400.
In other news, the borough’s maintenance department has begun work on a number of spring projects due to the recent warmer weather.
Crews have patched several potholes, cleaned out two catch basins and performed some street sweeping. Streets crew foreman Ted Walters said the borough has cleaned up from 22 winter storms this year, which is about 10 storms fewer than typically seen up to this point. Approximately 30 percent less salt has been used than in an average year.
Council approved moving a meeting previously scheduled for July 3 to July 10 to accommodate the Independence Day holiday. The borough offices will be open on July 3 and business will remain as usual other than the rescheduled meeting.
The next borough council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 3 at the borough building on North Broad Street.
