Oil City Council Concerned About Route 8 Becoming Two Lanes

| June 23, 2017

PA Route 8
OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – The Oil City Council is concerned enough about the potential that Pennsylvania Route 8 from Franklin to Barkeyville could become a two-lane highway that they are inviting a PennDOT representative to address council about the potential change.

(Photo: A section of Route 8 between Franklin and Barkeyville)

“It came up at a Continuity of Government (COG) meeting,” Oil City Mayor William Moon said. “Right now, they say it would take $40 million to repair (Route 8) and some of the bridges along it so they are thinking about making it two lanes.”

The highway right now is a limited access highway for most of the stretch from Franklin to Barkeyville with the exception of approximately the final three miles to Barkeyville and Interstate 80. There is no known plan or timeline in place for PennDOT to change the road from four lanes to two lanes or even if PennDOT would go through with making any changes.

Councilmember Dale Massie said not having a four-lane highway between Interstate 80 and the Franklin/Oil City area could have negative impacts on economic development.

“I know businesses look for access,” Massie said. “If (we don’t have a four-lane road) they look someplace else to locate. It (a two-lane road) would probably double the time from Interstate 80 (to Franklin).”

Ron Gustafson, another council member, said that for years there was hope that the final three miles of Route 8 would be made four lanes.

“Now they are talking about removing another section of it and making it two lanes,” Gustafson said. “It seems like a big step backward.

“It’s sad that they have let the highway deteriorate to the point where they are talking about shutting it down.”

Massie said Pennsylvania has the highest gas tax in the country (58.20 cents in 2017) so he doesn’t understand what the issue (with repairing) the road would be.

“I don’t mind paying the gas tax if it’s going back into the roads,” Gustafson echoed. “But it’s being diverted to the state police.”

City Manager Mark Schroyer quipped that highways drive economic development, and Massie agreed.

“If you are talking to someone about economic development and the first impression is a two-lane road, they will go down to the next exit,” Massie said.

The council decided to invite Bill Petit, the PennDOT District 1 Executive (District 1 includes Venango County) to an upcoming council meeting so he could further explain PennDOT’s thought process regarding Route 8.

COUNCIL EXPRESS SUPPORT AGAIN FOR FEE ON TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS FOR STATE POLICE SERVICES

The Council again expressed its support for a proposed $25 fee on township residents for state police services for municipalities that don’t currently provide those services.

The proposed fee would be per resident in municipalities that currently are having local police coverage done by the Pennsylvania State Police. There are 1,281 municipalities in Pennsylvania that don’t have a local police force and rely on the state police for their protection and services including a number in Venango County

Oil City Council had originally agreed early in the year to send a letter to local state leaders supporting the fee before deciding to send letters as individual council members as opposed to one from the council as a whole.

“The (state) budget isn’t passed yet,” Massie said. “We are going to face the same old problem with a flat-line budget. People in the townships aren’t paying their fair share. This might not go anywhere, but we should be on record (supporting it). We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and expecting a windfall in revenue.”

Gustafson believes the $25 fee would be a good way to “break the ice” and get people in the townships used to supporting police and fire services.

“At some point, there has to be a realization from the people in the township that there is a need (to pay for these services),” Gustafson said. “It applies equally to fire and police.”

Moon suggested that the council also contact the Venango County Commissioners about it as well.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business:

  • It was announced that paving bids are out and that a planning meeting will be held June 28 at 10 a.m.
  • Moon told the council that there has been some interest from people in buying a pair of properties the city acquired from the Venango County Land Bank including the one at 1107 East Second Street and the one at 403 West Third Street. Moon suggested that something be put into the deed so that the houses can’t be rented, but city solicitor Robert Varsek doesn’t think that can be done. Varsek said he would check into the matter further.
  • Schroyer announced the Wastewater Study is about 20 percent done, and the entire study should be ready to be presented to the council sometime in August.
  • Moon is hoping to hold a public hearing on the issue of landlords billing for water services following the July 27 meeting. Any public hearing would have to be advertised.
  • Council agreed to purchase a front-end loader for the Public Works Department at a cost of $72,000, which was $15,000 less than the original price given. The money will come out of the reserve funds equally split between the Water Department, the Wastewater Department and the General Fund.
  • There will be testing and physicals for the part-time police and fireman candidates June 28. The fireman candidates, which there are currently three of, will do physicals in the morning and testing in the afternoon, while the police candidates, which there are eight of, will do testing in the morning and physicals in the afternoon. An independent tester will be used at no cost to the city – the candidates pay the tester directly.
  • Flavius Galiber was reappointed to the Parking Authority.
  • Brian Stoltenburg has resigned from the Zoning and Hearing Board.
  • Resolution #2017-08 Authorizing Plan Revisions for New Land Development with the Pennsylvania DEP was passed. The resolution was needed for a sewer planning module at the new transportation hub. City approval was required for the module.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13 on the second floor of the city building.

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