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Council examines deed, ownership and repair estimates for downtown clock and power box
Summary
Councilors reviewed deeds, easements and multiple contractor estimates for removing or repairing the borough’s downtown clock tower and its power box; staff will examine title documents to clarify ownership and liability.
Clarks Summit Borough Council discussed who holds legal responsibility for a downtown clock tower and an adjacent power box, and reviewed contractor cost estimates for repair, removal or relocation.
Council members said the clock and related memorial were installed decades ago by a civic organization and that deed and easement language is unclear. A council member told colleagues that if the deed conveying the parcel to an outside group has not been altered, the new owner would assume the same liabilities as the prior owner unless the deed specifies otherwise. The borough asked the Rotary Club contact and other parties to confirm deed language and liability.
The council reported three informal engineering/electrical price points obtained for work on the clock and power box: one contractor (Walsh Electric) provided a $5,100 estimate for a limited scope; another (Liber and Bonham) estimated $12,000–$15,000 for a broader scope; and a third company declined to bid, citing complexity. Council members also said the power box supplies Christmas lighting and the clock, and that losing access to the box would prevent using those electrical connections.
Members discussed options including disconnecting service rather than physically dismantling the tower, moving the power feed to borough-owned facilities, or relocating a replacement clock to a different park site. Council members asked staff to review the deed and any easements, confirm who holds title and liability, and report back with clear ownership and payment responsibilities for the power box, the clock tower and the memorial.
No formal action was taken at the meeting.
