Some answers to questions surrounding the Sugarcreek Borough Police Department were given at Wednesday’s borough council meeting.
Council members, after an executive session, unanimously passed a motion allowing borough manager Joe Sporer to advertise that the borough will seek applications for the police chief position.
Lt. Ryan Ashbaugh is serving as interim chief following the retirement of Matt Carlson.
The position will offer $9 an hour and increase to $10 an hour after a 30-day probation period.
In other business Wednesday, Reno fire chief Mike Garbacz asked council to consider allotting more funds in the budget for the fire department. Garbacz also questioned a comment at last month’s meeting that there were “insufficient funds in the budget” to pay another police officer.
“I can’t believe we can’t find money to pay for another officer,” Garbacz said.
Council then turned its attention to the denial of a grant from the PA Small Water and Sewer Program that would have helped with costs related to the Route 417 water tank that has needed almost constant repair since its installation in 2006.
“It’s (close to winter) to actually work on the tank,” Sporer said. “So it’s back to the drawing board on how to deal with it.”
Council and maintenance staff also heard from engineering firm Arcadis on preliminary findings in a water feasibility study being conducted on behalf of Sugar Creek Station and Sugar Valley Lodge. The two facilities want to move off their existing wells and rely on the borough to provide them water.
“So far we’ve done a lot of collecting information,” Arcadis engineer Chris Sporer said.
The map that was shown revealed Arcadis is looking into three options for the construction of the water lines. One would connect to tanks at Barrett Flats, another would connect at Atlantic Avenue, and a third option would connect at what are known as the “cemetery tanks” on Oak Hill.
“If you’re disturbing the pavement you’ll have to mill and re-pave one whole lane of that road if it has a seam up the middle,” Chris Sporer said. “If there is no seam you have to re-do the entire width of the road.”
Another meeting will be held in three weeks in which Arcadis will present its findings and the borough’s opinion to county and UPMC officials.
“Basically they’ve identified the area (they can conduct the project in) and they’ve come up with three options. They just want our feedback,” Joe Sporer said. “We will not own this unless it’s of benefit to the borough.”
In one other matter, it was reported that the vacant lot at 211 Lamberton St. will be sold to Lois Davis for $1,500.
