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Lock Haven council to ask PennDOT about wooden banner, approves events, grants and ordinances
Summary
Council directed staff to ask PennDOT whether a donated wooden American flag banner may be installed and approved several items including temporary street closures for a rally, a Relay for Life banner request, rejection of landscaping bids, passage of an ordinance clarifying utility collection procedures, authorization for street patching and engaging Firehouse Grants to apply for a FEMA apparatus grant.
Lock Haven City Council used its June meeting to advance several administrative and event items and to seek regulatory guidance from PennDOT on a citizen’s proposal to hang a donated wooden American flag over downtown.
During the public-comment period resident Terry Banfield offered to donate a wooden American flag he said measures 10 by 20 inches, about 1½ inches thick and weighs roughly 15 pounds. Banfield asked that the city place the flag on the cable run near Mill Street; city staff recommended and council approved directing staff to contact PennDOT and the PennDOT banner bureau to confirm whether a wooden flag and an additional banner location would be permissible under state rules and the U.S. Flag Code.
Council approved two event requests: temporary closure of portions of East Bald Eagle Street, Ray Street, East Church Street and Hannah Street for a Rally for Recovery 5K on Aug. 28 and a Relay for Life banner requested for July 12 through Aug. 1 (staff will coordinate PennDOT permitting and banner timing). Council also accepted a notification that the city received a $500,000 HOME program award intended to fund home-improvement investments for low- to moderate-income households (staff said the grant averages about $45,000 per household and will be administered by CDECOG with city participation).
On business matters council voted to reject all bids for 2021 landscaping after the prior contractor went out of business and staff reported only one bid that was more than double previous costs; staff will perform mowing in-house for the remainder of the year. Council unanimously passed an ordinance clarifying collection procedures for city-owned utilities so the process is explicit in local code and confirmed authorization for the city’s utility street patching project.
Council also approved engaging Firehouse Grants to prepare a FEMA grant application for fire apparatus replacement. Staff said the municipality budgeted roughly $370,000 for unit replacements in its 2023 capital plan and that, if successful, the FEMA award would significantly reduce the city’s out-of-pocket cost. Staff reported the grant writer charges $799 per host company (three host companies are participating) and the community share would be a 5% local match; staff described the firm’s quoted success rate as 75 percent. Council voted to proceed with the grant application and pay the stated fees.
The meeting closed after a general discussion about ongoing PennDOT coordination and local responses to a published PASI integration plan; council members expressed differing views and agreed to follow upcoming hearings.
Next steps: staff will contact PennDOT for banner guidance, coordinate permitting and banner timing, administer HOME program funds with CDECOG, and schedule follow-ups for the FEMA grant application process.
