Austin council considering ordinance to control pollution

Austin Borough Council members Monday evening reviewed a rough draft of an ordinance that, if passed, will limit open burning in the borough.

The legislation, which was first discussed in late winter, could be passed as early as next month.

Named the Outdoor and Refuse Burning ordinance, the goal of the legislation is to reinforce state law that prohibits the burning of plastics, demolition materials, shingles and other materials that pollute the air when burned.

Specifically, the local law will prohibit the burning of everything except clean wood, vegetative waste and plastic-free papers. Those items may be burned, but they must be burned at the property on which they were accumulated and in an approved burn barrel.

"A lot of people don't realize, for whatever reason, that most of what they burn is illegal under DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) regulations to begin with," council president Bob Hooftallen said. "I believe we (council members) are as much to blame as the homeowner if we don't make it our business to regulate what is being burned with a local ordinance."

"Simply put, as a community, we are polluting the air at an unacceptable level," he continued. "And it's not only a pollution issue, it's a quality of life issue. If there's one thing people should expect living in this rural setting, it's clean air and this legislation is going to ensure that."

In addition to the kinds of material that can be burned and what they can be burned in, council members plan to limit the days homeowners will be allowed to burn their waste paper and clean wood products. It is expected that burning will only be allowed three days a week, perhaps Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The ordinance also calls for supervision of permitted fires- someone 18 years of age or older must attend the fire until it is extinguished and no longer emitting smoke.

Borough Police Chief Kyle Day will enforce the new ordinance. Council is also discussing appointing a Fire Inspector to assist Chief Day.

Violators will be fined.

Outdoor campfires and small bonfires for pleasure and for cooking will still be permitted in the borough.

Council reminded residents that by taking advantage of the borough's recycling program, they can limit their garbage disposal costs and help the environment while they are at it. Council members each took home a copy of the ordinance. It will be on the agenda for discussion and potentially for approval during the Aug. 6 meeting.

Four Wheelers on Streets?

About 20 members of a local four wheeler club attended the meeting to voice their concern over the borough's planned crackdown on four wheeler traffic on its roads.

The group presented a list of 11 streets that they would like to see open for egress and regress for all terrain vehicles. The group has approached council in the past. It insists that allowing four wheelers to use the streets to access the borough is good for some downtown businesses and also demonstrates that the borough welcomes tourists.

Council members, some of them ATV owners themselves, have been unwilling to open streets in the past, but it appears that the two groups are nearing a compromise.

"We certainly want the borough to be open to that growing population of tourists," Hooftallen said. "But a lot of what we see now is four wheeler traffic, not egress and regress."

Club members pointed out that there are a handful of riders who are giving the sport a bad name and pledged their support in helping the borough weed them out when and if the access roads are open.

Council members took the list of roads and will review them on a borough map before the next meeting to see if all 11 roads are necessary for access to the borough.

"We're certainly open to the idea of opening the roads that are necessary," council vice president Jesse Valenti said after the meeting. "But we (the council) are the ones responsible for deciding that and the ones who will be ultimately responsible for any problems it may cause."

Hooftallen agreed.

"I favor an access plan that is well thought out," he said. "But we need to give the people who live on those streets a chance to voice their opinions about how ATV traffic may affect their lives."

The streets are: Thorn, Foster, Garman Lane, Barnett Lane, Railroad Street, Summit Street, Ruth Street (north and south), Scoville Street, Church Street, Elliott Street and Blanch Street.

Flood Damage

Council members heard from one resident about flooding that occurred during last week's downpour. Maintenance employees reported on several other places that were damaged as well.

Each area discussed was a result of neglected storm drains. Maintenance employees are accessing each area and formulating plans to correct the problems.

Council members noted that a drainage improvement project is underway on Summit St. and that the other areas would be addressed before next meeting.

In other matters, council members heard from Police Chief Kyle Day, who reported that a complaint about Rugaber Street traffic has been addressed with the complainant and has also been targeted with specific enforcement efforts.

Resident Bernard "Mike" Fowler voiced his concern over traffic speeds in front of his house on Rugaber Street- that area of Route 872 just before the borough limits toward Coudersport.

Officer Day also noted that there were 46 incidents in which he was involved in June, which resulted in 15 traffic citations and six non-traffic citations.

Day noted that the letters for the new police cruiser are nearly ready, but the deer guard for the front is on back order. He also praised council member Bill Munsell, who was able to get the borough a good bargain on mud flaps, rain vents and a bug shield from Kightlinger Motors of Coudersport.

In a final order of business, council members approved a $1,500 change order on the borough's water treatment facility. New "dead front" control panels will be put on panels outside of the building that house sensitive equipment.