Tyrone Borough Council held its monthly meeting last evening with a full agenda. Among many issues, council members voted 4-3 to continue discussions on possibly selling 75 acres of property to Snyder Township. Council member Donald Boytim was absent for the vote.
Borough Manager Sharon Dannaway reminded council that on the August 13 meeting, two Snyder Township Supervisors requested that the borough sell them a piece of property. The property is located in Snyder Township and its Water Department property. The borough owns the 75 acres due to a joint property purchase made back in the 1920s.
Although discussions will continue of a possible sale, council member James Grazier is not interested in selling the property. Council members Jennifer Bryan and Virgie Werner also voted against it.
\”The borough\’s been continuously land locked with no available land, so why get rid of our assets when the continuation and finishing of I-99 could increase the land\’s value?\” questioned Grazier.
He added, \”I realize there has to be cooperation between the township and borough, but at this present time, I don\’t think we should do it. We raised taxes and now we\’re selling ground. It could be worth more money in the future and we can use it for other things in the borough.\”
Mayor Jim Kilmartin also realizes there is a possibility of the 75 acres of land being worth more in the future, but he also likes that there is interest \”now\” in the land. And if the land is used for recreation and for the betterment of the whole community, he feels it is a great avenue to pursue and look at.
\”I think it\’s important to pursue it and see how we can work together as two municipalities, and if there\’s anything we can do to promote the betterment of the whole Tyrone community, including the borough and township, that\’s really important to do,\” added Mayor Kilmartin.
Borough Council also voted unanimously to continue work on making the \”Emergency Siren Project\” a reality. In August, Tyrone Emergency Management Coordinator J.R. Watson provided council with information regarding the cost associated with the hookup of two additional sirens and a spreadsheet showing three scenarios for the hookups.
Mayor Kilmartin is eager to see the project through because of its benefits to inform the Tyrone community of a possible emergency. It will provide sirens throughout the whole Tyrone Borough and beyond, whether the emergency is a chemical spill to perhaps a terrorist attack. The sirens would go off with a distinct sound and people would be able to turn on the television and attain the information that would explain what the sound and siren means.
He said, \”It would provide that for the whole community, so I think it\’s a great protection. Hopefully we\’ll never have to use it, but it would be there.\”
\”The community members have been working on this for over 10 years and it hasn\’t come to completion yet,\” added Mayor Kilmartin.
Another issue council decided to research further was the gypsy moth problem in a 4,000 acre piece of land on the watershed property up Route 453 on Janesville Pike. Paul Noll of Noll\’s Forestry explained to council that the cost to spray the area could be estimated as high as $135,000.
Council members agreed that the gypsy moth problem in that area can eventually affect the whole community if the problem continues and because of it being on the watershed property and the cost, they have agreed to do more research before a final decision is made.
Tyrone Police Chief Joe Beachem presented an update on the borough\’s new parking meter installation and informed council that all the meters have been installed and that a grace period will be given to people using the meters beginning now and lasting for a month, before fines will be issued for not putting the necessary monies into the meters.
In other discussion, council accepted the resignation of Michael Metzgar as Part-time Police Officer, and a designated Trick-or-Treat Night for the Tyrone community was set for Thursday, October 25, from 6-8 p.m.
