Donora council members and Street Foreman Dean Fronzaglio spoke at Thursday’s meeting about continuing issues with the quality of roads.

They also discussed delayed repaving by Columbia Gas contractor NPL following borough gas line replacements.

“I can’t remember the roads ever being this bad,” council President Mike Mc-Dowell said. “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.”

NPL dug up pavement on multiple roads over the past few months to replace outdated gas lines in the borough.

The company has patched holes over gas lines following pipe replacement. But NPL has not yet milled and repaved the roads — something council members say the company needs to do.

Fronzaglio and Councilman Fred Berestecky said company officials have been responsive when council has approached them about road issues while they’ve worked in the borough. But with looming cold weather and streets in sub-prime condition, the window for repaving is closing quickly.

“Once the asphalt plants shut down for the season, we’re stuck,” Fronzaglio said. “We’ll be stuck with what’s out there.”

“If they do not have the roads repaired that they damaged this year, and they come in next year and try to dig up the roads, we’re going to stop them,” Berestecky said.

Because some of the borough roads NPL worked on are state roads, Councilman Gib Szakal asked the street foreman if a PennDOT inspector had been out to see them.

“I have yet to see one or talk to one,” Fronzaglio said. “And they’re supposed to. It’s a state road – they should.”

“Maybe we can get (state Sen. Camera) Bartolotta or someone involved to help out, because it is a state road. Maybe we can get (state representatives) involved,” Szakal said.

Council members mentioned that residents on Second Street haven’t had a sidewalk since NPL began digging in March and pointed out problems regarding the company’s treatment of front lawns.

“On the north side of Sec-DONORA • A7 ond Street, they replanted grass in people’s yards. On the southside of Second Street, they did nothing. There’s still mud in my neighbors’ yards,” Councilman Joe Greco said.

“Our residents have been more than patient,” Berestecky said.

Also Thursday, council members praised the new bus stop at the Spartan Health Surgicenter in Monongahela. Berestecky represents the borough on the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority Board. “It’s well needed by the community,” Berestecky said. “This doesn’t only benefit Donora. This benefits the whole Mon Valley.”

MMVTA began the new service Oct. 1. The bus authority also added a stop at Gabe’s Plaza in Belle Vernon. Berestecky has pursued putting a bus stop at the outpatient care facility for nearly two years. He said he realized the need after hearing a story about a mother and child getting to the center by walking along busy roads.

“I was approached by a nurse at the facility two years ago,” he said. “She told me how a mother and her child were dropped off at the Mon Valley YMCA and walked all the way to the center. It’s one of the only pediatric centers in the Valley, so we needed to create a transportation option for people.”

Spartan Health Surgicenter provides health services for people who may not have easy access to hospital care. According to its website, the center “brings many medical procedures, once only available at a hospital, to a convenient and stress-free center which specializes in outpatient procedures.”

Before the new stop was added, many Spartan patients had to walk from the YMCA bus stop to access the facility. The journey is nearly a mile and includes a busy section of Route 88.

Riders can only access the medical center stop by request. While on the bus, individuals can ask the driver to make the stop. To leave the center, riders must call the transit authority, which will send a bus to pick them up. “I’m not thrilled about it being a request-only stop,” Berestecky said. “But it’s a step in the right direction. I’m hoping enough people will use it so it becomes a full-time stop.”

At next week’s public meeting, Washington County Redevelopment Authority Specialist Nathan Voytek will speak about the $362,600 state grant the borough received last year.

The grant was earmarked for a new dek hockey rink in Palmer Park by the previous council, but Councilman Tom Thompson said he hopes to talk with Voytek about ways to potentially install new park pavilions too. “From him, it sounds like this dek hockey thing is gonna be a go,” Thompson said. “We briefly kicked around the idea of trying to get another pavilion up in Palmer Park. He’ll also touch base on McKean Park.”

McDowell added that Palmer Park continues to highlight the borough, with the grounds being a popular wedding site.

“People have liked outdoor weddings since the pandemic hit,” McDowell said. “We’ve had quite a few weddings up there. I was at one and it was beautiful. I’ve never seen the park look so good. They had bathrooms that were handicap accessible with music playing in them — it was first class. Let’s keep building on this.”