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HUGHESTOWN — During the borough’s monthly council meeting on Monday, a group of Stauffer Heights residents exchanged heated words regarding the status of a construction project at 14 Skyline Drive.
Carmen Ambrosino presented council with a petition signed by 47 individuals who live near the property, asking that the borough’s 1987 nuisance ordinance be enforced. On April 23, Saul Farruggia, the property’s owner, was fined over $800 and given 30 days to fix the open trench that is the result of excavation work to address an ongoing water seepage problem.
“That house has a water problem, and when we solve it, we will backfill it,” said Farruggia’s brother, Steve, who also attended the meeting. He also noted that the north foundation wall was replaced in September. He said more time would help to ensure that the seepage problem is solved before his brother invests in backfilling.
Ambrosino cited the trench’s safety risk to children and the fact that Stauffer Heights residents have been waiting since September 2005 for council members to resolve the issue satisfactorily as the impetus for the petition. He noted that the nuisance ordinance states that guilty parties may be charged $300 each day that the problem is not rectified.
Council members moved to set up a meeting with borough solicitor Mark Singer, Farruggia, and the concerned Stauffer Heights residents.
In other news:
Council member Samuel Sanguedolce announced that portions of Fairlawn Drive and Rock Street will be repaved soon. He asked that residents call the borough building at 654-2061 to report other locations of roadways with potholes they believe need filling. Sanguedolce noted that potholes that are less than one inch deep are difficult to repair.
• The borough has elected to continue using Berkheimer as its collector of earned income and emergency and municipal services taxes. Pittston Area School District had requested that the borough instead use Wilkinson.
• Damaged swings at Robert Yaple Memorial Park have been replaced and benches have been repaired. The girls’ league field has suffered damage because of people golfing there.