Kittanning Gazebos to Get Spring Makeover

by Jonathan Weaver

Before summer movies and concerts return to Kittanning, the Kittanning Riverfront Park gazebos will receive some much-needed repairs.

Kittanning Borough Council members Monday night unanimously decided to utilize two Riverfront Park funding accounts to clean and stain the wood, paint the steel and stain the exterior of the two park restrooms.

The total project through an outside painter would cost about $7,600.

Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Betsy Wilt received a bid for the project.

“They’re just deteriorating – we’re going to have to have them cleaned and stained this year or we’re going to lose on the wood on them. We might have already lost some of it,” Wilt said.

By not staining the interior of the gazebo, painters would have reduced the nearly $7,600 cost by $2,000 to about $5,600, but Councilmen David Croyle, Gerald Shuster and Wilbur Stitt all agreed to completely refurbish the restrooms.

Councilman David Croyle said he would have voted against the action would Wilt have recommended the funding come from the borough’s General Fund, but was all for utilizing Riverfront Park accounts if it was available.

“Let’s do it all and be done with it – then that’s another thing off the list and we move on,” Croyle said.

Street Supervisor Jim Mechling told Council members that repairing inlets in the park and on Vine Street would cost about $14,500, but no decision was made on that item.

A total of more than $27,000 was available after pulling from funds from the Riverfront Park fund – of $16,003 – and a special fund made up of money collected via rentals - $11,006.

“We have enough events in the park this Summer –I think we need to get it done,” Shuster said.

“Let’s do it right,” Stitt added.

Council President Kim Fox wanted to make sure officials could pay for all of these repairs while paying the monthly electric bill and other utilities.

“And we have to have a little reserve,” Fox said.

But, after going through the financial figures, council members all agreed it was the best way to use the money.

No timetable was given as to when the gazebo projects would be completed.

Before the public meeting started, council members held a 20-minute executive session to discuss collective bargaining matters with Solicitor Ty Heller.

Although a police secretary was formally hired following Police Chief Bruce Mathews’ recommendation, no other personnel actions were taken last night.