CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Free parking will be back in Clarion Borough from Black Friday through New Year’s Day — but with a caveat.
Parking on Main Street from 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue and parking on 4th Avenue, 5th Avenue, 6th Avenue, and 7th Avenue between Wood Street and Liberty Street will be free parking for up to two hours.
The two-hour areas were proposed by Destination Clarion Downtown.
“We wanted to figure out how to manage free parking in those areas,” said Jim Crooks, owner of Crooks Clothing and a representative of Destination Clarion Downtown.
“On Main Street, there were a lot of abusers. We wanted to figure out a way to do it.”
Crooks said Destination Clarion Downtown, at no cost to the Borough, will put courtesy cards on the meters telling parkers they can get up to two free hours of parking.
Both Crooks and members of the Council acknowledged that people would be on the honor system, as the Borough’s meter enforcement officer won’t be working the month of December.
“The honor system works surprisingly well,” councilman Ben Aaron said.
CROOKS ASKS BOROUGH TO PARTICIPATE IN LIGHTED SNOWFLAKES
Crooks — saying it was his understanding that Christmas wreaths can’t be hung from light poles in the borough this year because the condition of some of the poles can’t handle the weight — asked the borough to participate in hanging lighted snowflakes along the street.
Crooks said his business and some other businesses along Main Street will be hanging the snowflakes and asked if the borough would be willing to buy snowflakes to be hung at the corners of 5th, 6th, and 7th Avenues.
According to Crooks, the size of the snowflakes would be 36 inches and would weigh less than five pounds and cost $126.00 each.
He suggested the borough councilmembers buy the snowflakes and donate them. Two councilmembers — Carol Lapinto and Rose Logue — as well as mayor Bill Miller, said they would buy snowflakes.
Overall, the Council liked the idea, although they did say that Doug Preston of the borough had some concerns about the 6th Avenue corridor because it is “tight” in there.
Council didn’t take any formal action but was going to further investigate the idea as to where to put the snowflakes and how they would be placed.
It was also mentioned that there would be no Christmas Parade this year.
TRICK-OR-TREAT TO BE HELD OCTOBER 31; ANNUAL PARADE TO BE HELD, AS WELL
The Council agreed to hold Trick-or-Treat from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 31.
They asked any resident planning to give out candy or other treats to leave their porch lights on.
The annual Halloween Parade will also be Thursday, October 31, with lineup for the parade at 5:30 p.m. in front of McDonald’s on Main Street.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business the council:
- Approved the annual Clarion Borough Minority and Women Business Enterprise Statement of Goals
- Ratified an authorization for Clarion County to process payment on the trash receptacles for the Main Street improvements. The first two payments total $26,739.47.
- Approved the fiscal year (FFY) 2019 Community Development Block Grant Application and the three-year Community Development Plan for submission and approved to set the project portion of the FYY CDBG allocation of $103,112.00 at 100 percent and the administrative amount at zero percent.
- Changed the status of Jessica Schwabenbauer, the Administrative/Stormwater Assistant, from probationary full-time to full-time effective October 20.
- Approved HRG’s invoice in the amount of $16,070.51 for GIS Development Services
- Thanked the Veterans of Foreign War Club (VFW) for its $625.00 donation for “Go Bags” for the police department.
- Appointed Keaton MacBeth and Dan Gatesman as alternate Zoning Hearing Board members for 3-year terms to expire October 1, 2022.
- Authorized the sixth payment to Bison Construction for the Center Place Stormwater Replacement Project in the amount of $23,465.00
- Agreed to PennDOT’s specifications for an audible pedestrian signal at 6th Avenue and Main Street.
