March 8 – The Waynesboro Borough Council will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at 55 East Main Street.
The group will address a number of resolutions that will be sent on to the State Association of Boroughs.
One of the resolutions will be to ask the state to support an initiative for local municipalities to have radar for police officers.
Jason Stains, Borough Manager, said, “We have no idea why this keeps getting shot down. We have numerous complaints that come into our borough, to our police department, residents that come into our street committees concerned about speeding in neighborhoods with children playing. Our police department is limited based on sight distance, based on grade of street to where striping can be put down so they can time vehicles.”
Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that does not allow local municipalities to have radar.
Stains said, “That would just be another tool to aid in cracking down on unsafe speeds.”
Pat Ryan of NewsTalk 103.7FM predicted, “I think you’re going to be in pretty good shape on this one this year.”
Michele Jansen of NewsTalk 103.7FM pointed out, “With the Republican controlled House, it was a chairman of the particular committee, Hennessey, who’s no longer in office and they’re not in control anyway. Democrats always did seem to favor this, so with that switch, I don’t think the House will be a hold up and it seems like the Senate is backing this. So I think after all these years without a great explanation for why not, I think it’s finally going to happen.”
Stains said, “It is sensible legislation and the argument of municipalities making bank is absolutely absurd. The last time that we ran the numbers I believe on every citation that was issued, the borough received $12.50. Can you imagine the kind of traffic enforcement we would need to take to make bank? That argument is absurd.”
The other ask for the state concerns the advertising requirement in the borough code for advertising in a newspaper of general circulation.
Stains pointed out, “All of these local papers have been bought up. We’re now dealing with people in Wisconsin and people that have been farmed out to other countries. Every time we have an issue with advertising, it’s costing us a lot of money. Our budget every year we’re spending between $11,000 and $13,000 to meet the advertising requirements. I don’t believe people are subscribing to the newspapers like they used to be.”
Could the state provide a website for every municipality to advertise? Or even social media?
Stains said, “It’s nothing against the newspapers, but with the buy-ups of all the local papers and dealing with larger corporations.”
Jansen added, “And from the public’s good aspect because they’re not seeing the stuff that’s advertised so it’s actually not accomplishing what it set out to accomplish.” For tonight’s agenda, click here: https://waynesboropa.org/borough-council/
