Tree trimming, City Hall surveillance upgrade proposed by Brown

Kevin Carroll, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 8—WILKES-BARRE — City Mayor George Brown presented resolutions before council to hire a service for a tree trimming project on Solomon Creek and to upgrade City Hall's surveillance equipment at Tuesday night's worksession.

The brief session also featured two items on council's agenda ahead of Thursday night's regular meeting: A resolution to approve a liquor license for a new restaurant opening inside Odyssey Fitness Center, and a second reading of the amended ordinance voted on last week to make the city's switch to garbage stickers a permanent one.

The mayor spoke before council first to introduce a resolution for the city to hire Titan Tree Services for the Solomon Creek Tree Trimming Project.

Brown said that the trees and overgrowth around the creek had been "let go for several years," and despite the best efforts of the city's DPW workers to clean up what they can, a professional service was needed to do the job.

Clearing out the overgrowth will make it easier to clean up the creek, and the mayor said that the city's intention was to clean all of the city's creeks out.

The project will cost $103,590 and will be covered by American Rescue Plan funds.

The mayor also asked council to approve a resolution that will allow for upgrades to be made to City Hall's surveillance system in and around the building.

If passed, the new equipment would be purchased through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Cooperative Purchasing Program (COSTARS), a program run by the state Department of General Services that allows members to find cost-effective suppliers to do business with.

The purchase price would be $22,438.44, which Brown said would come out of the city's general fund.

Also presented on Tuesday night ahead of Thursday's regular meeting: a resolution to approve a liquor license for El Tikal Mexican Restaurant, set to open this month at the Odyssey Fitness Center on J. Campbell Collins Drive, just off Coal Street.

Additionally, a second reading of the city's amended Litter and Disposal ordinance will come before council on Thursday.

Council voted two weeks ago to amend the ordinance and make the city's switch from blue garbage bags to garbage stickers a permanent one.