ASHLEY — Problems continue to plague borough officials when it comes to moving into their new headquarters.
This week alone, the sewer backed up in the building, the central air broke and the two exhaust fans were found without wiring attached, council president John Gibbons confirmed of the 49 W. Cemetery St. building.
The borough bought the building in 2013 with two tenants — Ehrlich Pest Control and Ameritec — still having leases. Ameritec has since moved out, but Erlich is having trouble finding a place to go, borough solicitor William Vinsko said. Its move out date has changed at each meeting, according to Vinsko. Currently, it stands at Feb. 1, 2017.
“I’m about to give up on the Ehrlich building,” a frustrated Gibbons said during the monthly council meeting.
He is frustrated because every time he tries to get ahead, something else happens which puts the project back. “It’s not looking good,” Gibbons said, referring to the amount of money the borough is spending on the building.
Minor construction work is still needed in the building, and the council president wants that to be completed by sometime in November. Even though setbacks have troubled the building, a bright spot, Gibbons said, is some borough workers have begun moving into it.
The current municipal building, a three-story structure on North Main Street, is not handicap-accessible. Borough offices and the police department are jammed into three rooms on the first floor.
“He wants to be out by the end of the year,” Vinsko noted.
The borough’s sewer fund ordinance language was also called into question.
Resident Don Kane asked that the borough add language to the ordinance that designates money in the fund for sewer use only.
At July’s meeting, Kane was concerned about the borough’s use of the funds for other projects, including paving for roads in previous years. The ordinance, from 1994, only has one amendment: lowering the rate per household from $100 to $50.
Kane’s pleas have gone unaddressed since the first time he brought the issue to council’s attention, earlier this year.
Gibbons said he and other borough officials would have to look into the wording of the ordinance before any amendments can be made.
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By Melanie Mizenko
mmizenko@timesleader.com
The next Ashley council meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Ashley Fireman’s Park, Ashley Street.
Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.