Tarentum Borough Council cares for the river

The Tarentum Borough Council accomplished all of the business of its monthly meeting in one hour and fifteen minutes tonight. A major part of the time was devoted to matters stemming from the community's relationship to the Allegheny River.

At the beginning of the meeting Martha Mackey, our local Waterway Conservation Officer, gave a presentation from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to Tarentum's Police Department, officers, Dispatch, and staff.

She read a statement that included a list of many ways in which these local public servants have given assistance to her in her work over the last ten years. The presentation thanked the borough's employees "for support of conservation law enforcement."

She called forward representatives of the various Tarentum departments to receive the presentation.

During citizen comments the first comment came from a Frazer resident who rents a boat dock from Tarentum. He had a number of concerns about changes made for the new lease.

During the time of the President's Remarks, Council President Carl Magnetta "gave credit where credit is due" to Representative Frank Dermody for encouraging PennDOT to replace traffic signals. This summer the traffic signals at the bridge and E 10th Ave will be replaced. He also credited Senator Sean Logan with getting funding for AED devices (i.e., automated external defibrilators) for the Borough's police cars.

In other business, Council passed Resolution 07-03 to grant a cost of living adjustment to the widows of two tarentum police officers, passed Ordinance 07-04 concerning hazardous trees, and passed Ordinance 07-05 allowing attorney fees to be collected on Sheriff sales. Tarentum Moose Lodge 71 will have the Easter egg hunt on April 7. Summit Hose will hold the annual carnival in West Tarentum on June 25-June 30. Summit Hose will use Dreshar Stadium on July 1 - July 4 for the Community Fireworks event.

With all of these positive things happening I was disappointed to see the renewed eruption of bickering among the council members about issues of communication within the council and personal responsibility to prepare for meetings. Blame for this unpleasantness could be assigned to a number of people, council members and observors alike. I credit borough manager William Rossey for making the most calm and mature intervention to stop the quarrelling.

File under : Tarentum, government