CLARKS SUMMIT — During the Clarks Summit Council meeting via Zoom last Wednesday, Clarks Summit Police Chief Chris Yarns mentioned that he read the email of Clarks Summit resident Jim Coleman. He said that he agreed with Coleman that Sunset Street shouldn’t allow tractor trailers to go through it. He said that he reached out to MetLife to inform their contractors and vendors to not go through this road.

“Truck traffic shouldn’t be allowed on that street,” Yarns said.

Councilman David Jenkins said that he replied to Coleman’s email saying that PennDot should be involved with signage of “local truck traffic only for delivery purposes.” He said there should be signs forbidding tractor trailers on local roads with the exception of moving vans. He said there were also problems on Clarks Avenue and Highland Avenue He mentioned that they both currently have signage.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea because it’s going to save the police department, the fire department, pretty much the neighborhoods a lot of aggravation if we put it up there so vehicles over a certain tonnage are allowed on our streets,” he said.

Jenkins mentioned that council has to go through PennDot for Grove Street since it’s a state highway. Yarns said that Coleman indicated to him that drivers may be using the pedestrian mode on their GPS instead of driver mode. He suggested that posting a sign at the intersection of Grove Street and Sunset Street.

Council president Gerrie Carey asked Yarns if he can designate an appropriate location of the sign. Solicitor Kevin Hayes mentioned they will need an ordinance in order to install a sign. He recommended that this issue to be assigned to a committee, to identify the streets where the restrictions to be in place. He said that the committee can then make an ordinance and bring it to council for review.

“So that we only do it in one shot,” he said.

Jenkins agreed with Hayes’ idea. Yarns said that the signage would help in Edella Road so that drivers can see it before having to turn on West Grove Street. Jenkins suggested to put a sign on Jefferson Street so that truck traffic doesn’t happen on the other end. Councilwoman Roni Lopez asked what the ramifications would be if tractor trailer drivers would still drive on the road after the sign has been installed. Yarns said it would depend on the ordinance.

“Most of the time we would cite them for obedience of traffic control devices which is basically a signage or roadway,” he said. “Or if it’s a certain tonnage, we can site them for being overweight or the way the ordinance is crafted itself, we can cite them under our borough ordinance.”

Borough manager Virginia Kehoe asked if council will leave this issue to the public safety committee. Carey agreed to it. Kehoe said that she will be in touch.

Also, Yarns expressed concerns about two police vehicles. He said that one has over 90,000 miles on it and is rotting underneath. He said that the other has over 100,000 miles on it. He mentioned that the last time the police department bought a new car was in 2016. Yarns asked council if he can speak with the finance committee about purchasing new cars.

In her bids and quotations report, Kehoe announced that she put the 2009 freightliner on Municibid. She said that the new truck came during the late fall or early winter. She said that the bids on the old truck closed on Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. She mentioned that the highest bid was $38,660 from Bobby Gearhart, of Lebanon.

“That’s very exciting because the DPW had searched around and really expected to get ($25,000) for it,” she said.

Jenkins made a motion to accept Gearhart’s bid and place the proceeds into the capital reserves fund so that money will be available to support the purchase of a police vehicle. Kehoe said that there were over 150 bids in the past month.

Council voted to approve the motion.

Kehoe mentioned that council replaced two trucks last year. She said that the second one came in later and is now clean and ready for Municibid for next month’s meeting.

In other business, Kehoe mentioned that the treasurer whom council hired in September has been having health issues and needed to resign. She asked to consider Sarah Ludwick, who has been helping around the office. Jenkins made a motion to appoint Ludwick for the position of treasurer, effective immediately. Carey added that Ludwick has been working with the auditors. Council voted to approve the motion.

In new business, Carey mentioned Resolution 2021-01, which approves meter supervision for the Clarks Summit Festival of Ice. Kehoe added that the festival will be on President’s Day Weekend (Feb. 12 to 14). She said that it will be limited and not have the normal events, such as the horse and buggy rides, this year. She also mentioned there will only be half the number of ice sculptures. Council voted to approve the resolution.

Council voted to approve Resolution 2021-02, which approves Commonwealth Health as the primary ALS provider.

In other business, Hayes said that he reviewed the general provisions of the noise ordinance. He said that he and Yarns agreed with basing an ordinance of what is available and not using a decibel meter. He said that a meter is expensive and it requires certification of officers.

“Instead, just have a plainly audible standard of which we would use in those extreme circumstances where someone is being disruptive,” he said.

Hayes said that he will have the ordinance ready to discuss during the next work session.