BY PAT FARNELLI

Wyoming County Press Examiner

A new fund for capital projects is officially in operation, it was announced at Factoryville borough council meeting Jan. 9.

The fund was established by councilman Tom Davis, who is donating a percentage of his natural gas royalties from a property he owns in Brooklyn Township, Susquehanna County, to the borough, where he resides, in Wyoming County.

Davis described his vision for the fund at a meeting in November. He said that the money will be used for projects and improvements to the borough’s properties and parks that council would otherwise not be able to afford at this time. A special fund ordinance, drawn up by Solicitor Paul Litwin, was approved.

The council has finally arrived at an agreement with the Aqua Pennsylvania water company for the proposed excavation and stormwater project on Lindley Ave.

Robert Doble of Reilly Associates has been waiting upon Aqua Penn to give permission for excavation and pipe. That project is estimated at $8,075.

Stormwater work is also under way on Mathewson Terrace.

Bob Padula, who had provided an estimate for removing large rock and other debris buried at the Factoryville/Clinton Township Joint Park, said that he has put more thought into where to put the material, which he previously planned to bulldoze out of the way. He has a jackhammer attachment for his excavator, and thinks it would be best to break up the material first.

Steve Swift said that the partly buried material consists of stone, concrete and rebar. He said that one solution might be to dig another hole elsewhere, stockpile the topsoil removed for a future project, and then re-bury the material.

In her manager’s report, Mary Ellen Buckbee said that the borough had budgeted $95,000 for income tax revenue to be received in 2012, and that the borough actually took in $101,000. Several other budget categories came out ahead, as well.

Davis, finance committee chair, said that the income for last year was “great.”

Sadie Rozenburg, the borough’s grantwriter, said that a task force meeting was planned for Monday, Jan. 14, to kick off the borough playground project. An organization called KaBoom! helps communities plan and construct playgrounds. She said that she has been applying for grants through Play City USA, which suggested doing “play initiatives,” like planned events called “Play Days,” to raise local interest in active play outdoors.

Davis said that a large tree on a property near his own building has fallen part way down, and is endangering the “big wall” across from the Masonic Hall. He said that it is close to Keystone College, and is located before the bridge, and could affect waterways.

Cory Brower, junior borough council member, was asked by councilman Genevieve Evans to gather information and speak before Lackawanna Trail fourth grade government students on the subject of local government. He agreed to do so.

An executive session was held at the end of the regular meeting.

After reconvening, it was announced that Buckbee was appointed to set up a meeting with two potential consultants to help with funding decisions regarding the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, a state grant program. She was also authorized to hire a consultant.

Chris Bergey, in his Emergency Management report, discussed Lackawanna Trail’s security enhancement measures being taken in response to the Newtown, Conn., school shooting tragedy.

He said that the school is doing frequent lockdown drills, and that the Overfield Police Department kept a vigil there for the week before Christmas.

“They are still maintaining a presence at the school,” Bergey said. The school has camera monitors, and all entrances are kept locked.

An article about the Jan. 7 Trail school board meeting in Wednesday’s Examiner was passed among council members at the meeting.