Schuylkill Haven councilman shares residents’ concerns

Schuylkill Haven Borough Councilman John Williams spoke at the Oct. 19 council meeting to bring attention to several concerns raised by residents.

In the first, Williams said a resident complained that he was never made aware of water work being done on his street. When he turned on his water, air in the pipes cracked some lines in his basement. Williams said the resident suggested that people be notified when such work is done in their area.

Borough administrator Jessica Seiders said residents are usually notified when there is an advisory or an emergency but would look into the suggestion.

Resident Ted Moyer suggested telling that resident and any others with such concerns to install a pressure-reducing valve, which would prevent pipes from cracking in such a situation.

Williams said a resident is worrked that with the way lanes are temporarily changed due to the Route 443 bridge project, traffic is stopping on a storm drain. The resident is concerned about weight on the drain. Seiders said she would look into the concern.

In the third concern Williams shared, a resident who has a handicapped spot in front of his residence gets tickets for parking there on street sweeping days. Councilwoman Diane Roeder and Mayor Michael Devlin said the concern was definitely a unique one and one  borough leaders never really thought about. Devlin said he would talk to the police chief.

In other business, Devlin expressed the borough’s extreme gratitude to the owner of Bill’s Produce for donating mums and pumpkins to the recent very successful pumpkin fest event in the borough. “It’s a good fundraiser that goes to the Island,” Devlin said.

Council approved a request from the high school cheerleading coach to allow a bonfire, which is a tradition for the Blue Mountain vs. Schuylkill Haven Haven football game, at a different location than normal. Rather than having it in the middle of the Island parking lot, it will be closer to the boat launch so that there would be no nails left behind from the pallets that are burned.

Williams expressed concern with a lack of lighting at the proposed location but an assurance of lighting being added and the many other benefits of the suggested different location resulted in council approving the request.

Source: Berkshire mont