Two Oil City businesses – one celebrating longevity and the other planning a major expansion – figured in the agenda at Oil City Council’s meeting Thursday. Both are located on Spring Street.
Glenview Apothecary, a second-generation drug store and gift shop on the city’s North Side, was recognized for being in business for 50 years.
In designating June 14 as Glenview Apothecary Day in the city, Mayor Bill Moon called attention to the store’s “loyal, hardworking staff who pride themselves with providing courteous, hometown service” and encouraged residents to congratulate owner James Himes and his staff on a half-century of doing business locally.
The second business focused on was Country Fair, a gasoline and convenience store, that has contracted to purchase a restaurant liquor license from a Victory Township owner. Country Fair notified the city that the inter-municipal license transfer requires a public vote by city council.
City manager Mark Schroyer said the company is planning a “sizable expansion…at an estimated quarter of a million bucks” that will house a 30-seat restaurant. Beer and wine will be sold at the Country Fair franchise.
Council members agreed to consider the request at their June 28 meeting.
Grant is accepted
Kelly Amos, director of the city’s community development department, informed council the city has received a $25,000 grant from the Phillips Charitable Trust to help pay for paving the West End Gap Trail, an unfinished section between Darr and Osborne streets in the city’s West End.
“Except for $500, this project is fully funded,” said Amos.
The total project, pegged at a cost of $124,000, has two phases – paving the trail and later enhancing the West End Marina with five primitive camp sites, security lighting, signage, an informational kiosk and other amenities.
The paving will be done in the fall, and the remaining work is slated for next spring.
Tax plan may be renewed
A tax exemption program designed to improve deteriorated commercial properties, first enacted in Oil City in 2008, may be extended for another five years.
Council briefly debated whether to renew the LERTA (the state’s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program) that focuses on rehabilitating and/or converting blighted commercial properties within the city limits. Property tax exemptions are spread over several years for businesses that are eyeing extensive rehabilitation projects. The city’s LERTA program expires at the end of this month.
“We need to hang on to the tools we have,” said Moon.
His comment was echoed by Kathy Bailey, director of the city’s Main Street Program, who noted, “We’d like to have this available.”
Council voted to consider extending the tax exemption provision at its next meeting.
– Terri Felmlee, the city utilities manager, was congratulated by Schroyer for filing a performance report as to the city’s recycling program that resulted in a $12,000 reimbursement from the state.
– A successful bid for the installation of the city’s ice boom on the Allegheny River came in lower than expected, said Schroyer. The city had expected to add an additional $40,000 to a previously awarded grant for the work but the low bid allowed the city to fully pay for the job.
“We have the clamps and cables,” said Schroyer. “So, we will not need any additional funding.”
– Council awarded a $346,384 contract to Pollard Land Services of Girard to replace a water line on Oak Grove Street and Glenview Avenue. While the bid was higher than an earlier estimate, the city has the funding in its water budget, said the city manager.
– Council approved an easement agreement with Penelec to allow the relocation of a utility pole at 2 Zemke Lane on the city’s North Side. In addition, rights-of-way agreements with GOC Property Holdings (Electralloy) and National Fuel Gas for water line work were approved.
– A request to use city streets for the third annual Oil Heritage Festival Bike and Brew event on July 21 was approved. The group sponsoring the event, billed as a guided, self-assisted bike ride through the city, is the Future Leaders and Entrepreneurs Exchange (FLEX) group of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce.
