Hawthorne council advances road bond and faces residents’ complaints over sidewalk assessments and notice

Hawthorne Borough Council on first and final readings advanced bond measures this meeting to finance road reconstruction and neighborhood sidewalk work, and heard sustained public comment from residents worried about timing, parking logistics, and notification for required sidewalk and driveway-apron replacements.

The council introduced Bond Ordinance 2389-26 to fund road reconstruction, milling, paving and curbing (appropriation stated in the ordinance text). Council later introduced related sidewalk measures that would fund reconstruction and direct a special assessment for some costs. Residents at the microphone said they had received letters with limited follow-up, were unclear on start dates and feared losing driveway access and parking while crews work. "I'm 82 years old. I don't want to have to deal with that," said resident Carolyn Miller, pressing the borough to confirm timing and whether school parking could be used during construction.

Borough staff and the engineer said the borough is targeting late summer, ideally before the school year begins, and that typical working hours would be about 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the engineer offered to meet individually with affected homeowners to explain whether a particular slab or an apron needs replacement. Staff confirmed homeowners are generally responsible for sidewalk costs, while the borough assumes curb costs and will cover certain tree-caused slab replacements for newly planted trees in some cases.

Property owners raised several related questions: how many slabs the estimate covered, whether privately hired contractors must meet borough standards and be inspected, how the borough's financing plan works and when the first bill would arrive. Staff said financing is typically billed after bond issuance (about three years for the first bill in the described plan) and residents may be offered payment plans over several years. For cases where residents prefer to hire a private contractor, borough inspectors will require permits and perform final inspections.

Several speakers described poor prior workmanship and staging that left lawns and corners damaged; Thomas Lawrence said last year's work “destroyed my lawn” and asked who performs punch-list inspections. Council members acknowledged communication gaps — including an emailed contact address that caused bounced messages — and directed staff to ensure contact information on mailed notices is correct and to have engineering staff meet homeowners on site.

Council votes on bond measures and first readings were recorded by roll call during the meeting; the council also introduced and carried Bond Ordinance 2391-26 addressing larger road and drainage work. Council members said bulk purchasing through a borough contract tends to lower costs compared with individual homeowner work, but homeowners may still procure compliant private work if they prefer.

Next steps: engineering staff will follow up with homeowners who provided contact information during the meeting, schedule on-site reviews to mark slabs and confirm whether apron or full-slab replacement is required, and coordinate timing to prioritize roads near schools before students return.