Folks,
It looks like we need an "Open Comments" posting so you can post comments that don't relate to anything we've discussed before. If it turns out that we get a lot of comments regarding a new topic then we'll add a new Posting but for now just place comments that don't relate to any other topics under this Post. Thanks.
Mayor L.
40 comments:
Is there an ordinance about feeding squirrels? My neighborhood is polluted with them. They are cute but such dirty little creatures. They dig holes in my landscaping to the point where there is nothing but holes. My neighbor throws out piles and piles of peanuts and of course they bury them on my property not his. I find peanuts everywhre. What to do, What to do!!?
Sorry it is not illegal to feed squirrels and it is illegal to kill (shoot or poison) them in the Borough. My suggestion? Do what I do with chipmunks (which try to overun our garden every year). Get a Have a Heart trap at Lowes and start trapping them. Take them way out into the country and release them.
Mayor L.
Mr. Mayor,
Any chance of the boro paying to have the Conococheague Creek cleaned up under the bridge/rail-trail downtown? There are currently several pieces of upholstered furniture under the bridge.
Would be nice to have it looking good for Spring-time visitors.
LC
Any new news about Public transit finding it's way back to Chambersburg?
Bruce,
I've been working with the 21st Centurt partnership and it's members Paul Cullinane, Barry Brexler, Commissioner Thomas and others to look into this issue. I'd like to say we will have Public Transit in Chambersburg tomorrow. Or next Year. Or in five years. But I can't. We've met with a number of bus companies and simply stated, there is not enough of a customer base to support a Chambersburg-only transit system. However, several companies have recommended we explore aestablishing a region-wide system, one that could link up with existing systems especially those carrying commuters to Harrisburg. We are in the very early stages of looking into this but as you can imagine, putting something like that together will take a lot of support from county, township, and state officials. But rest assured, public transit is still on my agenda and on the agenda of the 21st Centurt Partnership.
Mayor L
Anonymous,
Maintenance of Chambers Fort Park is the repsonsibility of Downtown Chambersburg Inc. (DCI). The Borough provides funding to DCI to help pay for this maintenance but DCI sets the maintenance schedule and priorities. I spoke to DCI head, Paul Cullinane, and he ssures me that creek cleanup is one of their top priorities and will be accoplished later this spring.
Mayor L.
This Saturday 28 MARCH at 8.30 PM Vote EARTH by switching off lights for one hour -- EARTH HOUR.
Is Chambersburg signed up for this?
The Borough of Chambersburg has taken no official action associated with Earth Hour.
I'm not sure if this intersection is in the borough or not -- but the intersection of walker road and mower road is a T.
There are 2 stop signs - one on Mower and one on Walker going East. There are times I turn onto Mower from Walker (heading west) and there are cars stopped that believe there are 3 stop signs and start to pull out. I'm surprised they aren't more accidents there. Are there any plans to add a stop sign or at least notify other cars that opposing traffic does not stop?
Paul,
Sorry but Mower Road is not in the Borough. It's in Greene Township. I suggest you contact the Township Supervisors. I know the stop signs you're talking about and agree that they are confusing. Walker Road is especially bad at night and the Mower Road intersection is treacherous.
Mayor L
Mr. Mayor,
During the last number of months commuters and local businesses have had to endure the construction in the downtown area. I believe that most of us realize how important it is to update the sewer lines, and I hope that we learn from the way things have been done. My main concern is for any future projects that may arise. As a local business person, the construction has definitely put a hurt on my business and I'm sure on others as well. Could the Borough Council possibly look into a different way that the contracts for these projects are set up for bid. With the growing number of residents and businesses I believe that a bid contract should have definite time lines guaranteed with penalties if not done and maybe bonuses if done early. There has got to be more of an incentive for contractors to get their job done on time. Hearing all the usual comments about how inconvienient it is to come downtown to shop or eat, I know the sewer project has not helped. This is just a suggestion and my own point of view but one that I have talked over with a number of residents and other business owners. Thanks.
Andy G.
Not to pass the buck, but I think the best way to deal with this issue would be to bring it to Borough Council and have it fully discussed. I'd recommend you contact DCI and other downtown business owners and have them write to Council President McLaughlin and request that the question of downtown street repair and its impact on downtown business owners be put on the agenda of a future Council meeting. Include in the letter the thoughts you expressed in your blog to me and any suggestions as to how this could be handled better. Like I said, I'm not trying to pass the buck but I think you and your colleagues can present your case better than I.
Mayor L.
To lighten the conversation a little, and with the onset of the beautiful weather recently I have found myself looking forward to spending time downtown (even with the construction).
When are the first springtime downtown festivals?
The best and easiest way to find out what's happening in town is to go to the Chamber of Commerce website: www.chambersburg.org
The events calendar lists all the events occuring during the year. I'd definitely plan to attend the Taste of the Arts on Friday May 1st and John Brown House rededication on May 2nd. Also, check with Roy Pitz Brewery. They're having a Beerfest sometime this summer.
Are there any ordinances regarding feral cats? What can one do regarding these feral cats running rampant within the borough?
Regarding the stopping of bulky pickup in the borough... why not propose to have the dump open a certain week for a few months. This way we still have to bring our items on a certain week but to mitigate the complaints about only having it two weeks and we have to drop the items we could have more chances to bring items to be dropped off.
Anonymous wants to know what to do about feral cats in the Borough. It depends. If it is just one or two cats the Borough suggests you call the Humane Society. They will lend you Have a Heart traps. You can trap them and turn them over to the Humane Society. However, if you believe they are a major neighborhood problem contact Bill Lockbaum at 261-3262. He will check it out and if he agrees that the cats present a health and/or safety problem the Borough will contract with a local company to trap the cats and turn them over to the Humane Society.
Anonymous also wanted to know about extending bulky item drop off at the dump throughout the year. Unfortunately that would prove very expensive since the manpower and equipment needed to be on hand at the dump during bulky item drop off is significant. But it is something that Ananymous may want to raise with his/her Borough Councilperson.
Has there been a traffic study done for the proposed new hotel on Walker Rd.? Trying to cross the street to goto Ruby Tuesdays from their additional parking area is already hard enough...its like playing Frogger. With a hotel, it will increase traffic and raises questions of safety for pedestrians going to Ruby Tuesdays.
Regarding the new motel on Walker Road. There probably was a traffic study done when the light at Walker and Gateway was put in but I'm sure there hasn't been one done for the new motel. I understand that the land development plan was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its recent meeting. However, I also understand that there are still a lot of concerns about the impact of the motel on the nearby neighborhood. I'd recommend that you raise your concerns with Councilpersons Newcomer and Lukic and be prepared to speak at upcoming Council meetings.
In reference to the Film Club: check out http://www.amblertheater.org
They have rehabilitaed an old theater and show great movies that are packed daily. Of course it is not downtown c-burg. But when it first opened about 10 years ago, downtown Ambler was similar to present day c-burg. It is now a thriving, happening downtown.
Anonymous,
Thanks for the "heads-up". I'll call the Ambler Theatre next week. It's always been my understanding that distributors take too much of th gate to make showing first run movies profitable. That's why theater chains charge so much for popcorn etc. But maybe the distributors of these lower budget movies offer some help to local, small town theaters. I'll get back to you. In fact, feel free to contact them yourself, find out what they say and get back to me. Appreciate it.
Mayor P.
Dear Mayor L.,
I have been authorized by the Chambersburg Road Runners Club, Mike Hayduk, President to provide you with the following press release for publication in the 2010Chambersburg Calendar of Events. Would you please include the following event in the Chambersburg Calendar of events?
Many thanks,
Alan Peltzman, Public Relations
Chambersburg Road Runners Club
e-mail: peltzmanman@hotmail.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
*********************************
For inclusion in the 2010 Chambersburg Calendar of Events:
Event: Chambersburg 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles)
Date: Saturday, 13 March 2010 (2nd Saturday in March, there will be no alternate snow date)
Location: Chambersburg Middle School, Chambersburg, PA 17201
Start time: 9:30 a.m.
Organization: Chambersburg Road Runners Club
Official Web site for the Chambersburg 1/2 Marathon:
http://chambersburghalf.org/Default.aspx
Alan,
The "Calendar of Eevnts" on the Borough webpage refers only to offical Borough events, e.g. Council meetings, Committee meetings etc. I think you want to post the CRRC 1/2 Marathon on the Chamber of Commerce calendar: http://www.chambersburg.org/
Mayor P
I would like to know how I go about changing the definition of an ordinance in the Borough.
Thank you
There are lots of ways to request a change to an ordinance (or a new ordinance for that matter). I'd recommend going to your Council representatives and talking to them about it. If they are supportive they can introduce it at a Council meeting and work with our solicitor and Borough Manager to get it adopted. However, you are always free to attend a Council meeting and introduce the amended ordinance. It might be helpful if you send a letter to your Council representatives beforehand so they are prepared to discuss the amendment when you introduce it.
Mayor L
Speed on Norland Avenue
I came home last night to find a speed sign on Norland Avenue. Thanks!! I noticed a decrease in speed of most vehicles and enjoyed a nice quiet evening.
Dear Mayor,
The Greene Twp. yard waste/mulch facility is marvelous. I think the borough should try to develop a similar facility out at our yard waste site. Whenever I am out there I always think about the potential. in stead of a stinky eyesore that will eventually reach a capacity we could produce mulch. We could even reach out to the community and have yard waste pickups, maybe special colored garbage bags like we do with leaves. Anyway, lots of potential here.
A few weeks ago I got a note from my garbage man saying that no construction waste is picked up. Inside my trash can I had two small chunks of concrete that I removed from the street in front of my house, probably fell off of a passing truck. Honestly, collectively these were less than 10 lbs and smaller than a basketball and easily fit in my trash can. The pieces were left behind. I think this ordinance should be revisited. I pay for pickup and it seems to me that whatever fits in my trash can (obviously nothing hazardous or dangerous) should be picked up. So next time should I leave the trash in the street since it is a hassle for me? Should I call the Borough office to have the pieces picked up? Waste of time and resources for such a tiny amount. What happened in my case? I disguised the concrete and the trash man picked it up the next week. This is silly, let's revisit the regulations.
I see in the Borough ordinance that recycling is mandatory. Funny, I've never put out my blue bins in over 14 years and no one has said boo to me. I take my recycling to New Hope in Newburg because they take plastic and everything else that we don't. I know that several of my neighbors don't recycle at all why don't the trash men tell them to recycle? Along those same lines, why do the recycling and trash men have to come so early in the morning? Once a month i am awaken at 4am by the sound of shattering glass as the recycle guy comes through. It is really noisy, imagine taking a bin full of bottles and dumping it into a pile of other bottles. The noise lasts for 10-15 minutes as he works his way down the street. Man that is early!
Why not work out a schedule for the street cleaner? The poor guy goes down my street and has to go around a bunch of cars in just a block. Not very effective.I think if it was scheduled in some way most people would comply and the cleaners job would be easier, and more effective. Big cities pull it off we should be able to also.
To reply to Anonymous many recent cpmments. Again, not to pass the buck, but I think the best way to address many of these recycling and waste issues is to contact your Council representative(s) and get them to promote some of your ideas. I know the Borough just completed a recycling study explaining why we recycle what we do - and why we don't recycle other things. You can probably get a copy of it from the Borough Secretary. I don't understand what people do with their glass and cans and newspapers if they don't recycle. I know our garbage men won't accept these items. BTW, I drop my plastic off at Rutters on Orchard Drive and Rt 11. I hear, literally, your complaint about early glass pickup. I have a feeling it may be due to desire to avoid traffic later in the day but I'll check with Sanitation dept. also, if you have building material you want to get rid of, either your own or stuff you find on the street, I'm sure you can contact the sanitation dept and they will pick it up. For a small fee you can also rent a dumpster. You know, I think you should also consider volunteering for various Borough committees or running for Council. You obviously keep your eyes and ears open and are very concerned about the Borough. We need concerned citizens like you.
I have served the Borough in several different capacities over the years.
To revisit a few of your comments: why do the recycle guys come so early when the refuse guys come at a more reasonable hour 9-10am in our neighborhood? I agree safety can be a concern but unreasonably early collection should be too.
Re. passing the buck: I thought the idea of blogging the Mayor was to allow citizens to voice opinions, share ideas, etc. with you. I have a time demanding more than full-time job. I've rarely voiced my opinions before because of time constrictions. This is easy and quick. When my rep gets a blog I'll blog him.
Re. Rutters: I was there yesterday and the recycle bin had a sign that said, in part, "we are not a recycle station". Recycling is not only about making a buck but civic duty. We need to recycle plastic, at very least #1. Re. other items: People throw recyclables away in their trash, the collectors do not open bags to check but I would suggest that when they notice there are not any recycle bins being used they could check the trash a little more closely and leave a note telling people they need to recycle if they are not complying. They seem to have enough time to leave notes telling me that a tiny amount of concrete is "construction waste", they should have time to check recycling. They could also educate people about cardboard, etc. I've seen bundled cardboard thrown away by the refuse guys. Perhaps it should be left with a note to the homeowner telling them where to recycle it.
Sorry you misunderstood my comment about not passing the buck. You have to understand that in our "weak Mayor" system I don't get a vote on Council (except to break a tie). Therefore, any suggestions coming from me don't carry the weight as ones coming from another Council member. So I always urge folks who want something dome to contact their local Council members. That said, I talked to our Sanitation dept about early recycling pickups. They pretty much agreed with what I said. The earlier they start the quicker - and safer - they can finish. I support that policy. While I sometimes am awakened on recycling pickup day I figure it's only one morning a month so I've learned to accept it. Better that then a sanitation worker gets hurt or sanitation pickup stretches for an extra hour or two (with attendent costs). Regarding people who don't put out recycling. I'm sure the sanitation workers would notice bottles and cans in the trash and the homeowner would be notified. I once put a newspaper (the Shopper) in my trash and got a note that it wouldn't be accepted. I can talk again to Arnie Barbour, the Sanitation Director, but I think it would be easier if you contacted him directly at 261-3213 with your trash issues. Our Borough employees are very responsive and I'm sure he can give you the information you want.
It appears to me that at certain times of the day the traffic lights on Norland out by Giant are well synchronized and you can "catch" all of them green. At other times the lights seem totally out of sync and you catch every light red. At those times it seems as if the side streets and parking lot traffic may be given priority, perhaps some type of sensor. It seems to me that Norland is a main and busy road and should have priority throughout the day. It wastes gas to stop and go through 4 traffic lights to reach the Walker. I think it encourages people to speed too, in an attempt to catch the lights green. There are also a fair share of large trucks that travel that road.
BTW, stop leaving chipmunks in my yard!
Anonymous,
I made a copy of your post and will give it Allan Cauffman of the Parking and Traffic Committee. They will look into it.
I release all my Chipmunks in the Memorial Park, up by the pavillion. I resent the charge that I am a "chipmunk dumper"!
Mr. Mayor
Having read Rob Luff's article in the Opinion, please do your community a favor and check into the resume of the new Fire Chief.
First, the claim that he is an active volunteer with the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department is suspect, especially since this volunteer firehouse located 20 miles away from Mr. Fitzgerald’s residence? As of October 25, 2009, Mr. Fitzgerald’s name does not appear on the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department’s roster of members. http://www.burtonsvillevfd.com/member/members.cfm
To demonstrate that this isn’t some vindictive assault on Mr. Fitzgerald’s ability as a firefighter, one would say that he one of the most respected firefighters of the District’s Fire Department in recent history. But that is it; educated leader - no. Why is he portraying himself as an active firefighter at a volunteer firehouse where some of the membership benefited from actions that Mr. Fitzgerald wielded as Asst. Chief in the District of Columbia Fire Department.
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad website http://www.bccrs.org/donations/bccrs_falldrive_book_2006.pdf states that his is a 30 year member. This goes to creditability. What is the truth?
Connect the dots.
Who are the DC Fire Department members that reside and respond with Chambersburg volunteers that are pushing for Mr. Fitzgerald? Who are the DC Fire Department members who are also big players at the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Mr. Fitzgerald retired in disgrace over a case of incompetence at the highest levels of the administration. He begged to take a demotion to maintain his position of power in the DC Fire Department. The wrath of the Rosenbaum family will fall upon your community once they find out that Mr. Fitzgerald has been given a chance to lead another emergency service.
It sounds like Mr. Oyer feels that an associate degree over three decades old and a public manager certification (that is not a tested curriculum) is all that is needed to lead the Borough of Chambersburg in the challenges that are sure to present themselves in the future.
Connect the dots.
Q. What has Mr. Fitzgerald achieved to professionally develop his abilities to lead a public agency? Networking is the answer that I surmise.
Q. What community risk reduction program has Mr. Fitzgerald engaged in the time he spent with the DC Fire Dept.? Buying bicycles for kids in the community doesn’t count, but it will get you noticed and promoted.
Having known this, where will you be when the house of cards fall?
While not around when Mr. Fitzgerald was initially considered for this job I am sure his background was thoroughly vetted. I've spoken to several Council members who were around when the Fire Chief's position was filled and they all were impressed with Mr. Fitzgerald's credentials. I look forward to meeting Chief Fitzgerald and hope your concerns are unfounded.
Mayor Lagiovane
To Anonymous re: Traffic Signals on Norland. They are not synchronized. They are operated individually by sensors on Norland and at every entrance on both sides of Norland. If you ever catch them all green, it's just good luck that no cars were trying to leave any of the dozen points to get onto Norland.
That whole section of Norland scares me that that is our future. Where developers trump planners. It alreadly looks an awful lot like Mechanicsburg, Gaithersburg, Fairfax, Hagerstown etc.
We don't need all of this, and our downtown businesses certainly don't need any of this.
LC, boro
Unfortunately I wasn't involved in Borough government when the Gabler tract was sold and developed. That said, I was on the Planning and Zoning Commission when the Land Use Plans were submitted and approved. You have to remember that under the Municpal Planning Code we, local governments, have very limited control over how private property is used. We do have zoning in the Borough and we can put restrictions on the size of buildings. I'm proud of the fact that P&Z worked hard to minimize ingress and egress onto Norland so as to prevent it from turning into Lincoln Way East. Also we've added buffering requirements to protect the residences behind commercial properties from noise and lighting. But once Exit 17 was approved, commercial development along Norland was inevitable.
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