Sidewalk replacement

[roundthebend]

Home owners from the West End area of Lewistown are receiving notice that they have 6 months to replace their sidewalks 'up to code' so the borough can move forward with a street paving project. Families are given a 6 month notice to get this done, out of their own pockets, during the time of year when they're struggling to make it through holidays, and the cost of heating their homes. I'm all for having our streets paved, but when are they going to pave Water Street?? Why not finish up the lovely downtown area by fixing that disgraceful street? The code person, Rex Fink, who is coming around to meet with families told somebody that they can use their tax return to pay for this. I just hope this BOZO comes to my front sidewalk and makes that statement to me. Who the hell does he think he IS? How dare he tell me what to do with a tax return that I may or may NOT be receiving. The people of this town need to stand up to these guys who farted their way into these jobs and now want to walk around town with some kind of weight and insult the citizens.

[JunkE]

6 months? I can see why you would be angry there. Christ water street, valley street, brown street and a few others have had huge holes in them down to the original brick work since last winter. When you turn off of valley street onto third street there is a hole so damn big in the one lane that it amazes me nobody has had a flat tire or an accident yet from hitting it. If they can't fix the roads in a year, how do they expect people to fix their sidewalks in 6 months?

As far as the tax returns, not everybody gets tax returns. Many of us pay in.

[Milroy]

Typical Lewistown cheapness. The guy is just doing his job.

People complain about how bad Lewistown is, but don't want to spend a dime of their own money to fix it. They want someone else to pay.

[Lewistown Resident]

Milroy wrote:

Typical Lewistown cheapness. The guy is just doing his job.
People complain about how bad Lewistown is, but don't want to spend a dime of their own money to fix it. They want someone else to pay.

I think you had a different opinion when the people in Maitland is getting their sewer line for almost free. Seems like your code word is LEWISTOWN, anything with Lewistown attached to it is a different opinion.

[Lewistown Resident]

roundthebend wrote:

Home owners from the West End area of Lewistown are receiving notice that they have 6 months to replace their sidewalks 'up to code' so the borough can move forward with a street paving project. Families are given a 6 month notice to get this done, out of their own pockets, during the time of year when they're struggling to make it through holidays, and the cost of heating their homes. I'm all for having our streets paved, but when are they going to pave Water Street?? Why not finish up the lovely downtown area by fixing that disgraceful street? The code person, Rex Fink, who is coming around to meet with families told somebody that they can use their tax return to pay for this. I just hope this BOZO comes to my front sidewalk and makes that statement to me. Who the hell does he think he IS? How dare he tell me what to do with a tax return that I may or may NOT be receiving. The people of this town need to stand up to these guys who farted their way into these jobs and now want to walk around town with some kind of weight and insult the citizens.

People in the area of the twin kiss got new sidewalks, part of the million dollar project to change the intersection. Maybe you will get a lesson on what fairness means now.

[Lewistown Resident]

Lewistown Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
People in the area of the twin kiss got new sidewalks, part of the million dollar project to change the intersection. Maybe you will get a lesson on what fairness means now.

If you lived in the right section of town right now, you could get a matching grant up to $5000 to fix up your frontal property even if you are a lawyer making lots of money.

[JunkE]

Milroy wrote:

Typical Lewistown cheapness. The guy is just doing his job.
People complain about how bad Lewistown is, but don't want to spend a dime of their own money to fix it. They want someone else to pay.

Don't misunderstand me, I have no problem with them making people fix their sidewalks. Taking my child trick or treating in the borough last weekend I saw some sidewalks in pretty horrible shape, even saw a kid trip where one sidewalk panel was raised like 8-10 inches above the next one and he didn't see it in the dark.

My problem is the small time frame they give these people when they can't even fix the roads in over a year themselves.

[roundthebend]

Milroy wrote:

Typical Lewistown cheapness. The guy is just doing his job.
People complain about how bad Lewistown is, but don't want to spend a dime of their own money to fix it. They want someone else to pay.

I didn't say I didn't want to spend a dime of my own money you idiot. I said I wanted more than a 6 month demand when they refuse to fix Water Street, or any other other heavily used streets in this town. Did I ask anybody to pay?? NO I did not!

[roundthebend]

JunkE wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't misunderstand me, I have no problem with them making people fix their sidewalks. Taking my child trick or treating in the borough last weekend I saw some sidewalks in pretty horrible shape, even saw a kid trip where one sidewalk panel was raised like 8-10 inches above the next one and he didn't see it in the dark.
My problem is the small time frame they give these people when they can't even fix the roads in over a year themselves.

Yes, that's exactly right. The sidewalks ARE terrible. We actually had ours on our "To Do" list for this summer and didn't get to it yet. I am defending the people who have been blind-sided by this and were told "use your tax return". Not all of us give our money to the government to hold it for us over the year. A lot of us just pay in what needs paid in and don't sit back and wait for a big ol' return. If they want us to do that, give us a year to 'build' a tax return. Mr. Fink better use some dignity and tact before showing up at my door!! I am just waiting for him to get to my door.

[Milroy]

roundthebend wrote:

<quoted text>
I didn't say I didn't want to spend a dime of my own money you idiot. I said I wanted more than a 6 month demand when they refuse to fix Water Street, or any other other heavily used streets in this town. Did I ask anybody to pay?? NO I did not!

Don't be a name caller. What does Water Street have to do with your sidewalks? You sound like the guy who gets caught doing 75 MPH and complains to the cop that there is another driver going 90.

6 months is plenty of time to get it done. If they gave you a year, you would complain that it's not long enough . If you truly can't get it done in 6 months, they'll grant you a hardship variance.

[roundthebend]

I'll tell you what Water Street has to do with my sidewalks. I live in this town and I have to travel that street very often and it rattles the nuts out of my vehicle. The borough doesn't care about my safety on that street. People have to walk on my sidewalk daily and I have to be responsible for it and responsible for their safety. If I have to be responsible, the Borough has to be responsible.

You live in Milroy, this is none of your damn business.

[Milroy]

roundthebend wrote:

You live in Milroy, this is none of your damn business.

You sound angry. And parochial. Trust me, it is my business.

The Borough prioritizes its needs. They just paved South Pine Street, Central Avenue, Oak St., and a few other places. They'll get around to doing Water St., probably in their next round of paving.

Why don't you go to a Borough Council meeting, and voice your concers there.

In the meantime I would suggest that you avoid Water Street as much as you can.

[roundthebend]

Oh my goodness what was I thinking???? I am certain that Central Avenue is much more highly traveled than Water Street. Gosh, silly me. I'm glad I sound angry, I am. It's NOT your business if you live in Milroy and you're telling me what to do with my sidewalks and when. You are WRONG. As much as I can? You really are clueless.

[JunkE]

Milroy wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't be a name caller. What does Water Street have to do with your sidewalks? You sound like the guy who gets caught doing 75 MPH and complains to the cop that there is another driver going 90.
6 months is plenty of time to get it done. If they gave you a year, you would complain that it's not long enough . If you truly can't get it done in 6 months, they'll grant you a hardship variance.

I appreciate your analogy, but its not quite accurate. If you wanted it to be a fair comparison you would say "that's like the guy who gets caught doing 75mph and complains to the cop that all the cops are driving around at 90."

Point is, the people in charge are telling them to fix their property in X number of months, while their own property (public) has not been repaired in over twice that amount of time.

[roundthebend]

JunkE I have griped at and about you many times but I'm telling you I truly appreciate your support in this. I do have a bad sidewalk, not horrible, but worse than I care for it to be, and do have the money set aside to do it (had to save a long time for it), but I just didn't get to it this summer. If they wanted to give a 6 month notice, why didn't they do it during a decent time of year? Snow, cold, wet, slush...yeah that works well pouring concrete. I'm defending the folks around the neighborhood that have children, need new furnaces, have oil bills to pay over the winter, have lost their jobs, etc. These folks deserve a year's notice without having to be humiliated into filing a grievance. I have not had anything make me this angry in all my years living in Lewistown. Thank you for your support and pointing out facts that I overlook from the red in my eyes.

[West Ender]

I took a walk up 5th St earlier today to see what the fuss was all about. Majority of the time, I had to really look closely and even had to ask people out on the street to show me what was wrong. Vast majority had perhaps a 1/2 inch "trip hazard" where sidewalk had settled. Nothing that would warrant making people rip up and replace. maybe this is how the borough is planning on paying for their new police force. People have to get building permits, generating funds for the boro. Like the police officer down in Beaver Springs, Rex is a tax collector. Nothing more.

[roundthebend]

No matter what he is, if he is going to be in the public he needs a training in "Handling People with Tact and Skill". If they can file greivances, he needs to start his conversations with what people can do, pointing out anything positive, not what they must or are being told to do, and being a smartass about it. I don't care who he is, he is the one being sent to the front lines and he needs to communicate in an empathetic manner...or deal with getting ripped apart by public opinion...or find another job.

[roundthebend]

...and for the record, the police officer in Beaver Springs is a piranha LOL. I'm not sure Rex is quite as low as his level but this is getting him close.

[Milroy]

roundthebend wrote:

No matter what he is, if he is going to be in the public he needs a training in "Handling People with Tact and Skill". If they can file greivances, he needs to start his conversations with what people can do, pointing out anything positive, not what they must or are being told to do, and being a smartass about it. I don't care who he is, he is the one being sent to the front lines and he needs to communicate in an empathetic manner...or deal with getting ripped apart by public opinion...or find another job.

Perhaps you should follow your own advice.

You started this thread with a chip on your shoulder. You are looking for a confrontation with the Codes Inspector or anyone else. You stated "....I just hope this BOZO comes to my front sidewalk and makes that statement to me......" Hardly a good starting point to accomplish "Handling People with Tact and Skill"

You just want to give somebody hell because someone is telling you something you no likey. I understand your situation. I've been there. Admit that you are angry because you are being required to spend money you didn't expect to spend.

Don't get angry at old Milroy for telling it like it is. Don't get angry at Rex Fink. Don't get mad at Water Street or Central Avenue. Central Avenue was badly in need of paving. There are a lot of houses in a small area. There are few (if any) houses on Water Street where people live. There is a parking lot that pukes hang out it, an old graveyard, a torn down Ax Factory, a Church, the stinkin' Lewistown Hotel (which nobody drives to), a couple of businesses and a bank. There is a railroad down the middle of the street that complicates paving, permits, etc.

It makes a lot more sense to pave Central Avenue, where a lot of people live.

Go to the next Council Meeting and voice your concerns. Do it with Tact and Skill. You'll get satisfaction.

Why did they decide to pave Central Avenue

[roundthebend]

I am not angry that they are telling me to spend money that I didn't expect to spend. You didn't even read my thread if that's what you are saying! I have the money to do mine, and mine aren't even being required to be done. I don't have the time, nor the desire to do it over the winter!! I have not even been told to replace mine! You're just so worried about defending the borough you're not even paying attention. I am not the public person approaching people about this. I AM trained to use tact & skill in the field. I do work in the public and I give people bad news every day that affects their financial well-being. But when I have to tell them something I point out all their options first, and NEVER tell them what to do with a tax return. You're just afraid to admit that these hard working families deserve a year's notice. Oh yes I did say I hoped he showed up all puffed up and cocky like he did up the street from me. If he shows up and speaks to me with respect it will be a different ball game, but either way...the families of the borough deserve a year's notice. You know that. Six months - and they start the count in November...what a bunch of IDIOTS. Why didn't they start this six months in April where people who can afford it at least have decent weather? OH...let's get new curb put in so the snow plow can destroy it for us! I am done with you, you don't even live here.