Charleroi council takes meetings to streets

CHARLEROI – The aroma of barbecue wafted through Market House Pavilion, where members of Charleroi Borough Council convened their meeting Thursday.
In an effort to be more visible and accessible to residents, council will hold its next three meetings outdoors, weather permitting, said council President Paul Pivovarnik. The next meeting will be held at Crest Avenue playground at 7 p.m. July 13.
In action at the meeting, council selected Mackin Engineering of Charleroi as the engineering firm for the Transportation Assistant Program for the sewage realignment project on McKean and Fallowfield avenues between Sixth and 12th streets. The project will be done in two phases, said Jamie Protin of Mackin. The first phase will include camera visualization of the system and repair. The second phase will consist of construction and replacement and will not begin for about a year. The $1.2 million project will be funded with a $1 million TAP grant and $200,000 Local Share Account grant.
Also Thursday, fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr. reported there is a problem with abandoned cars.
“We had an incident a while back where we physically had to push three cars out of the way so that we could access the structure,” Whiten said.
Police Chief Eric Porter said he has a full-time officer who writes citations for abandoned cars.
“We try to keep up. If there are any abandoned cars that anyone sees, please call our department, and we will take care of it,” he said.
Porter said according to borough ordinance, once a vehicle is tagged, the owner has five business days to bring it into compliance before it is towed to a salvage yard.
“We have people that move and leave their vehicles. It is a problem,” Porter said.
He said residents who see a vehicle without current inspection and registration to contact the police department.
Also Thursday, Councilman Ed Bryner was nominated to the regional police board.
The meeting also served as a celebration for longtime borough employee Joe Stimak, who retired from the street and fire departments.