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THE NEW 7TH ST. LOOKING SOUTH FROM SAM BALLIET STADIUM |
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| LOOKING SOUTH FROM 7TH & CHESTNUT ST. |
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| LOOKING SOUTH FROM COPLAY ST. |
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| LOOKING SOUTH FROM CENTER ST. NOTE: NEW STORM DRAINS INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT. |
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| LOOKING NORTH FROM HOKENDAUQUA ST. |
JULY 9, 2011. THE PICTURES ABOVE WERE TAKEN ON THURSDAY JULY 7, 2011, APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AFTER REPAVING WAS COMPLETED ON 7TH ST. IN COPLAY, FROM SAM BALLIET STADIUM TO HOKENDAUQUA ST. AT A REPORTED COST OF $120,000. THIS PROJECT WAS TO HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ONE YEAR AGO, BUT DRAINAGE PROBLEMS AT 7TH & CENTER STS. HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED BEFORE RESURFACING COULD BEGIN. A NEW DRAIN APPEARS ON THE PICTURE AT THE INTERSECTION OF 7TH & CENTER STS. FELLOW RESIDENTS OF COPLAY, THIS IS ANOTHER SIGN OF THE PROGRESS THE BOROUGH HAS SEEN IN THE LAST 2 OR 2 1/2 YEARS UNDER THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGEABLE, COOPERATIVE COUNCIL AND ITS' LEADERSHIP. A QUICK GLANCE AT WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS TIME PERIOD IS AS FOLLOWS, AS WE SEE IT. ROSE ALLEY WAS COMPLETELY RESURFACED FROM 9TH ST. TO RUCH ST. THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST THOROUGHFARES IN TOWN AND BEGGED FOR ATTENTION FOR MANY YEARS. I AM SURE OTHER STREETS IN TOWN WILL BE UPDATED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ANOTHER ISSUE WAS THE SHADE TREE COMMISSION WHICH WAS UNDERFUNDED FOR MANY YEARS AND BECAME DYSFUNCTIONAL. YEARS AGO, COPLAY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE PLANTING OF TREES WITH A WELL MEANT BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT. CARE HAD BEEN GIVEN IN THE SELECTION OF TREES THAT WERE NOT TO UPROOT SIDEWALKS AND CREATE OTHER UNSAFE FACTORS. BEST LAID PLANS WENT AMISS AND EVEN WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE TREES, THE SAME PROBLEMS EXISTED. BOROUGH PROPERTY OWNERS WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE TREES REMOVED AND REPLACE THE DAMAGED SIDEWALKS. COUNCIL AT THAT TIME AGREED TO PAY 50% OF THE COSTS, BUT THEN IN THE LATE 90'S OR SOMETIME IN THE FIRST DECADE OF THE NEW CENTURY, BOROUGH COUNCIL CANCELLED THAT AGREEMENT AND MADE THE PROPERTY OWNERS 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF TREE REMOVAL AND SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT. THE CURRENT COUNCIL LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZED A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND QUIETLY FORMED A SHADE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. THE TREE AND SIDEWALK ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED BY IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AREAS, PREPARING A WORK LIST AND METHODICALLY REMOVING THE TREES AND REPLACING THE SIDEWALKS - AT NO COST TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROJECT OF COUNCIL AND ANOTHER POSITIVE STEP FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY. COUNCIL ALSO RESOLVED AN ISSUE CREATED BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. THE BREAKUP OF WHAT WAS ONCE KNOWN AS COPLAY FIRE CO. NO.1. IN DECEMBER OF 2005, THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME PASSED AN ORDINANCE WHICH CREATED A FIRE DEPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM COPLAY FIRE CO. NO.1 AND IT BECAME A VERY DIVISIVE ISSUE IN COPLAY. THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL IN THAT PERIOD CONTESTED THE OWNERSHIP OF THE COPLAY FIRE CO. NO.1 BUILDING AND IT ENDED UP IN COURT. THE JUDGE RULED THAT THE BUILDING WAS FACTUALLY OWNED BY COPLAY FIRE NO. 1. THIS FIASCO ALLEGEDLY COST THE BOROUGH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $30,000 T0 $40,000 DOLLARS. ONE MIL OF PROPERTY TAX GENERATES APPROXIMATELY $50,000 DOLLARS. THE CURRENT COUNCIL TOOK THE ISSUE TO TASK AND IT RESULTED WITH THE BOROUGH AMICABLY RECEIVING OWNERSHIP OF THE BUILDING, INCLUDING THE INDEBTEDNESS ALLEGEDLY IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,000, FROM COPLAY FIRE CO. NO.1 AND SIGNING A RENTAL LEASE OF THE PREMISES WITH THE FORMER COPLAY FIRE CO. NO.1, WHICH HAD TO ACCEPT A NEW IDENTITY, "CFC", COMMITMENT TO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE BOROUGH HAS BROUGHT THE PREMISES UP TO CODE. NO TAX REVENUE HAS BEEN LOST WITH THE BOROUGH ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY.
YES, THE BOROUGH DID FLOAT A LOAN FOR APPROXIMATELY $1.7 MILLION DOLLARS. BUT, THE BOROUGH PAYS INTEREST ONLY ON WHATEVER PORTION IT ACTUALLY USES. THE BALANCE OF THE LOAN IS THERE IF NEEDED. I HAVE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF WHAT HAS BEEN USED THUS FAR AND I BELIEVE IT IS AN AMOUNT A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/2 OF THE LOAN. WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION? IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT A DEDICATION WILL BE HELD DURING COMMUNITY DAYS FOR THE NEW FIRE TRUCK (PAID), THE NEW POLICE CRUISER (PAID), GRANTS INVOLVED IN BOTH AND A NEW LARGER CAPACITY SANITATION DEPARTMENT VEHICLE (PAID). ALL OF THE ABOVE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAX AND IN THE CASE OF THE SANITATION VEHICLE PURCHASE, NO INCREASE IN THE GARBAGE TAX.
TWO OTHER ITEMS WORTHY OF MENTIONING. I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN FINALIZED AS OF THIS POSTING, BUT COPLAY COUNCIL INITIATED THE PROCESS TO PURCHASE THE STREET LIGHT SYSTEM FROM PPL. IT IS BEING MANAGED BY AN OUTSIDE FIRM. THE SYSTEM WILL EVENTUALLY BE PAID FOR BY USING THE FUNDS NOW IN THE BUDGET FOR PURCHASING ELECTRICITY FROM PPL. THE OTHER ITEM IS THAT COPLAY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CREATING A 5 OR 10 YEAR "COMPREHENSIVE PLAN". IT WAS ADOPTED AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE WHEN A COMMUNITY SUBMITS APPLICATIONS FOR AVAILABLE GRANTS, ETC. THIS IS AN ISSUE I SUBMITTED SEVERAL TIMES FOR CONSIDERATION DURING MY 15 1/2 MONTHS ON COUNCIL, PRIOR TO MY RESIGNATION. A WORD OF THANKS AND WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS TO THE CURRENT COUNCILMEN AS THEY MOVE FORWARD FOR COPLAY.
IN ALL OF MY POSTS, I STRIVE TO BE VERY FACTUAL, IN MY VIEW, AND IF I CAN BE PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION THAT I HAVE ERRED ON ANYTHING, I WILL GLADLY PRINT A FULL RETRACTION AND CORRECTION. GOD BLESS,
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| ROSE ALLEY REPAVED LOOKING WEST FROM NINTH ST. BEHIND THE U.S. POST OFFICE |
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| LOOKING WEST ON ROSE ALLEY FROM CEMETERY ALLEY BEHIND HIGHLANDER LAUNDROMAT |
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| LOOKING WEST ON ROSE ALLEY FROM ELEVENTH ST. |
| LOOKING EAST ON ROSE ALLEY FROM RUCH ST. BEHIND PAULIE'S RESTAURANT |
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