East Side

Continued from page 1 the letter prior to the scheduled February meeting, but that did not take place due to lack of a quorum.

Stockinger’s letter cited health reasons for her resignation. She asked council to appoint Liz Berger in her place, because of her previous experience on council and her concern for the community.

The resignation was accepted unanimously. Council president Louis Esa asked if council wanted to make an appointment at this meeting, or wait until May. Council member Rudy Schoch suggsted the appointment be made immediately, and nominated Berger. Also voting in her favor were council members Sharon Mrozinski and John Cepiel. Council members Michael Best and Joseph Lachette voted no, saying they would prefer to wait until the next meeting, and Esa also voted no. This left it up to may Eric Siglin, who voted for Berger and then administered the oath of office.

There were other tensions at the meeting, which opened with a moment of silence for former council member Helen Jones. The White Haven Volunteer Fire Company requested support for the funding of a new rescue unit. Originally the unit was to be fully funded with an ARPA grant through Luzerne County. The county later capped all grants at $500,000, leaving a deficit of $350,000. Dave Raudenbush told council the fire company has $100,000 already set aside toward the replacement for the 20 year old vehicle, and they plan to finance $150,000, but they are seeking help for the remaining $50,000. They plan to sell the old vehicle, but can’t do that until the new vehicle arrives, with delivery expected in about 2 years.

At this stage, they are asking for any help possible from the communities they serve, including the possibility of a commitment letter for $18,334 (one third of the remaining balance). Esa said council would discuss the matter, but warned them that the borough does not have enough of a tax base for large commitments.

Community Building

Council voted to approve having Alfred Benesch and Co. prepare documents to apply for grants for a community building. Several suggestions were made about items to include for equipment, emergency shelter, and room for growth. A preliminary meeting was held with several members of council and Benesch; the mayor indicated it should have been advertised and open to the public. All members voted in favor of having Benesch proceed with the plans.

The mayor also ruffled feathers when he opened his monthly report saying he had received complaints about council members exceeding their authority. This developed into a dicussion about a recent situation with Lehigh Gorge Campground. Esa said he asked to visit the campground to see what was going on after he saw pipes stacked up, and was told by John Marotta to come up, but was told when he did that he could not go beyond the gate or be charged with trespassing.

Marotta, who was present at the meeting, disagreed with his interpretation, but said since he no longer owned the campground he could not give permission.

Berger, who is an owner, noted that she had not been aware of the situation at the time, but that when she was made aware of it, invited the mayor to come and see the work in proress, the replacement of 50-year-old sewer pipes.

Following this discussion, Esa said he felt council should vote not to continue having Marotta as an advisor to council. Marotta responded that he had told Esa what they were doing when he came to the campground, and that Labor & Industry inspects all work at the campground. At that point, he resigned as an advisor.

Council voted to resubmit its application for improvements to the Centre Street playground for the 2023 Community Development Block Grant program.

Council meets next on Thursday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m.