Municipal News
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 21:24
Truck Traffic Issues Dominate January Meeting
By Earl Bugaile
Property owners in Speers Borough will have a 2-mil increase in their taxes in 2013 under the new budget adopted by council at their regular meeting held January 2.
Total budget for 2013 is $640,661. One mil of taxes generates approximately $10,000.
By Earl Bugaile
Property owners in Speers Borough will have a 2-mil increase in their taxes in 2013 under the new budget adopted by council at their regular meeting held January 2.
Total budget for 2013 is $640,661. One mil of taxes generates approximately $10,000.
Council approved the budget following an executive session held at the conclusion of their regular monthly meeting.
During the meeting, members discussed truck traffic in and out of the site along the river owned by Guttman Oil Company. In addition to vehicles entering the Guttman site, truck traffic has increased over recent months with tanker trucks carrying water to gas drilling sites in the region. Council has also heard complaints from residents nearby who complained of noise created when some truckers use their “jake brakes” when slowing down along River Ave.
Borough solicitor Jack France and Councilman William Klamorick recently visited the area to count the number of heavy trucks using River Ave. and State St. Council wants to have the two streets built to residential standards, but wants to have the two companies pay for the additional costs to bring them to commercial standards.
In a related topic, resident and business owner Ron Heisel has urged council to petition for a traffic signal on Route 88, where trucks and other traffic headed to the local businesses turn onto State Street.
“Guttman has asked for a red light to be put into the intersection, and there should be some consideration given to that,” he said. “With all the truck traffic that is going 24 hours a day you need a light at that intersection. I strongly advise council to write a letter to PennDOT (which controls traffic on Rt 88) to put a light in there.”
Council instructed France to send a letter to PennDOT asking them to do a traffic study of the intersection.
In his report to Council, Mayor Bill Lee suggested that the borough consider creating a web page for the borough, where information about community news and activities can be posted. At the present time, Speers does not have a web page, and council members seemed to be in agreement that such a page should be created.
In order to save costs, Lee plans to meet with IT teachers and staff at Charleroi Area High School to inquire if a Borough webpage could be completed as a student project.
