Donora council concerned about road conditions
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DONORA – There was much discussion during Thursday’s council meeting about the condition of some of the borough’s roads.
Columbia Gas contractor NPL dug up multiple roads in recent months as part of a project to upgrade outdated gas lines.
“We’ve had roads done in the past and I can’t remember the roads being this bad,” said Council President Michael McDowell. “I went up First Street the other day and it’s terrible. I’ve never seen a road like that. It’s like you’re on a roller coaster.”
As part of the contract the roads need to be milled and repaved, which hasn’t happened yet, and street foreman Dean Fronzaglio said should that have started by now. There is a concern that the work will not be done before asphalt plants shut down for the season.
“Then we’re stuck with what’s out there,” Fronzaglio said.
Councilman Gilbert Szakal Jr. asked Fronzaglio if an inspector from PennDOT has been on scene since some of the roads in the project are state roads. Fronzaglio said he has not talked to one or heard from one.
“Can (state Sen.) Camera Bartolotta or somebody help us out with that?” Szakal asked.
Fronzaglio said he will stay on top of the matter.
Some of the borough officials said they have been involved with NPL in the past and the company has done what needed to be done as far as milling and paving the roads on other projects.
“I think they’re trying to do too much,” Fronzaglio said. “They did 9,000 feet of pipe. In the last phase they did only 4,000 or 5,000. They’re dealing with more services. It’s just too much.”
Also, Councilman Thomas Thompson wondered if there is more that can be done in the lengthy search for a borough administrator and code enforcement officer. The borough has advertised for the positions in a local newspaper and continues to do so on the Ignite website.
“I don’t know how much longer we can go,” Thompson said.
Both positions have been vacant since June.
“We haven’t gotten a lot of applicants,” McDowell said. “A lot of the ones we did get aren’t even qualified. All you’re getting is a body. You’re not getting anybody who has any background in anything.”