Latrobe eyes engineering, paving updates with pandemic restoration funding

Latrobe Council on Monday voted to amend the city’s $6.5 million 2021 funds to consist of far more than $409,000 the town expects to get in an installment of federal pandemic recovery funding.

Town Supervisor Michael Grey also proposed a series of tasks and other expenditures wherever the money could be used. He wasn’t able to estimate dollar figures for specific projects, noting they’ll be addressed further more at council’s September meeting.

Gray indicated Latrobe ought to acquire a comparable total as the 2nd portion of the recovery funding it has been allotted.

Topping the checklist of proposed expenditures that would fulfill the funding rules are individuals addressing general public health and fitness and revenue reduction.

Gray said restocking the city with personal protecting equipment is a precedence though the covid-19 pandemic carries on.

“We want to to make absolutely sure the employees are harmless and everyone else who comes in (to metropolis corridor),” he stated.

Gray also instructed upgrading and expanding different technology made use of by the town, its council and law enforcement.

He stated Latrobe need to update its cyber-security program and also technology it made use of to permit council customers and the general public to take part nearly in council meetings in the course of the pandemic.

Conferences have been reopened to in-individual attendance by all. Grey famous users of the community even now may perhaps choose to attend almost, but council customers may possibly not vote on agenda things if they participate remotely.

He proposed getting tablet devices for use by council to slash down on thick paper documents each gets to refer to for conferences.

In addition, Grey would like to see technology updated for surveillance cameras the town has posted surrounding city corridor and on nearby downtown streets, to make “a network controlled by the law enforcement division.” He said the cameras have typically been a assist in police investigations.

Whilst some downtown Latrobe organizations have their own protection cameras, Gray explained, “It’s rough to test to get that into our community.”

Grey also expressed hope that Latrobe can use some of the restoration funding to resurface further streets that it was not capable to contain in this summer’s paving task. He explained 1 space that can use fresh new asphalt is a portion of Ligonier Road main up to Chestnut Road, joining other parts of Ligonier that had been just repaved as element of PennDOT’s improvement of a number of downtown intersections and site visitors indicators.

“The paving would take some time to get with each other,” he stated of bidding of that opportunity undertaking. “It probably would be moved to the spring, but I can see us shifting forward with some of the other items.”

Gray also proposed many stormwater improvement projects, together with abatement of flooding at Jefferson and Gertrude streets and substitution of the deteriorating paved area of the Courtyard Plaza, following to the city parking garage, with a permeable content that would permit for better drinking water drainage.

Council currently is seeking at updating a similarly growing old ramp that leads down to the plaza from street degree.

“We’re attempting to transform this into one particular huge venture,” he stated of the plaza enhancements.

In a different effort and hard work, the metropolis is on the lookout to swap a brick sidewalk adjoining a metropolis parking whole lot at the rear of Adams Memorial Library.

Grey claimed the bricks have been subject to displacement by the freeze-and-thaw cycle. “It’s a tripping hazard,” he mentioned. “It’s in will need of an up grade.”