The Tyrone Borough Council passed plans for a new video store to come to Tyrone at the former Martin’s General Store location at 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The project was approved by the Blair County Planning Commission, at their meeting December 19, 2002.
The store is a project between local contractor Scott Cowfer and Lenny Martin who operates video stores in Philipsburg, Houtzdale and Clearfield.
The building will be 50 X 75 and will be in the lot beside the former Martin’s store.
“Once we get our permit from the borough, we will submit plans to Labor and Industry,” said Cowfer. “Once we get their approval, we plan to get started right away.”
The measure passed by a vote of 6-0 with Jim Beckwith abstaining due to his employment with Martin Oil.
“We believe that Tyrone has a need for a store like we are going to put in,” said Martin. “We specialize in a deep copy depth of new release videos and games. Our selections are huge and the pricing is comparable.”
The property is in the process of being purchased.
“We hope to be open by the end of April,” said Martin. “We believe that the people of Tyrone and the surrounding areas will like our selection. We run a family oriented operation with the look of the chain stores.”
Martin operates Videos Unlimited in Houtzdale, Silver Screen Video in Clearfield and Adventure Video in Philipsburg.
“I feel this is a good partnership with Scott (Cowfer),” said Martin. “We look forward to giving the Tyrone area something that it needs.”
Borough Council approved the engineering services agreement to get Phase II of Streetscape underway. The cost of Phase II of Streetscape will be approximately $310,000. The redesign and engineering services that were approved last night cost $9,740.
The council also passed the Home Housing Rehabilitation grant application. The information about this program appeared in Saturday’s Daily Herald and will have a 2003 budget of approximately $450,000.
Currently there are 75 names on a waiting list for housing rehabilitation funding. The program will provide housing rehabilitation for approximately 15 residents.
Council also approved the Open Records policy. The Pennsylvania Open Records Law was ammended by Act 100 in that became effective December 26, 2002. Under the act, the Borough is required to establish written policies and regulations. The policy was passed by a 7-0 vote.
In the public comment portion of the meeting, Tyrone resident Bill Fink addressed the council.
“I noticed in the last meeting there was some mention of cut backs in division heads salaries or at least there were some freezes put on. An assistant was also changed to another position and even the Borough Manager’s salary was frozen. I just wonder if this is a beginning of something that is going to be forthcoming for the other division heads in order to defray the budget problems that we are going to run into or is this kind of just a selected thing?”
Mayor Pat Stoner deferred to Solicitor Larry Clapper who said. “I think this is a matter that Borough Council has not discussed to my knowledge,” said Clapper. “They would have to meet in executive session to discuss any certain individuals of whether or not they are going to cap salaries or take any other further action. That is basically all that we can say at this point.”
What Fink referred to was an assistant superintendent at the Tyrone Regional Sewage Treatment Facility who had been moved into a different position which was approved at last month’s meeting of Council.
The Council also approved to join with the Tyrone Area School District to apply for a Growing Greener grant application for improvements to Schell Run. More details will appear in tomorrow’s Daily Herald.
Borough resident Jim Ray asked the council the status of the fire agreement between Tyrone and Snyder Township.
“I reassured Snyder Township Supervisor Jim daughenbaugh that the fire service would continue,” said Borough Manager Al Drayovich.
Tyrone Borough Council will meet Monday at 7 p.m. at the Tyrone Municipal Building.
