MAHANOY PLANE — The Gilberton Borough Council appointed one of its members to attend a two-day training session about the maintenance of dirt, gravel and low-volume roads in the borough.
Councilman Mark S. Keirsey was chosen to obtain his maintenance certification at Thursday’s meeting to attend the program on May 11 and 12 at the Bible Conference Center in Montrose. By Keirsey obtaining his certification, it will make Gilberton eligible for state grant funding for maintenance of two roads.
Penn State University’s Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies conducts the Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance course, which is an intense two-day classroom session focused on providing the knowledge and tools necessary for road owners to maintain roads in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive manner. The center holds approximately 10 ESM courses at locations around Pennsylvania every year. The course is free to municipal, county and state agencies involved with the state’s Dirt and Gravel Road Program. This course provides 1.3 Continuing Education Units from the PSU College of Engineering.
The U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the PSU Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads have established a simple protocol to help road managers and maintenance practitioners to carefully assess road conditions, identify problems, determine cause and select the appropriate environmentally sensitive practices that fit the site conditions.
“In order to be considered for the next paving schedule, you must submit your application by July 1,” Keirsey said. “There is a rating system. If we waited to submit beyond July 1, we won’t get it until two years down the road. In addition to dirt and gravel roads, it also encompasses low volume roads. Girardville qualified and they actually have two roads done.”
Keirsey said that one requirement for the grant application is for a borough representative to have some background with the topic.
“When you get the training in the two-day course, you are certified for five years,” Keirsey said
In other business, Councilman William Hannon reported a survey he did of borough streets for parking and snow maintenance, with particular attention to problems of fire hydrants being damaged due to snow removal and parking too close to corners.
The council agreed to better enforcement of a streets ordinance and amending it so that tickets can be issued for parking too close to corners that makes it difficult for vehicles to turn.
“They made a motion to advertise (the amendment) for proposed parking rules on streets that are not in the ordinance so tickets can be issued,” borough secretary Tina Antalosky said.
Hannon is also looking into what needs to be done for park maintenance and purchase of a new swings.
The borough council renewed its contract with Direct Energy to provide electricity to borough buildings and operations.
A bleenie sale will be held Saturday at the Continental Hose Company in Gilberton, and the borough council approved its request to block Growler Street behind the firehouse during the sale.
The borough council approved Penn Power Systems, Fleetwood, for repairs to the two pump station generators with the total cost being $2,763.