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South Williamsport moves forward with home improvement grant

South Williamsport voted to continue with a SEDA-Council of Governments home rehabilitation grant program.

The council approved a resolution Monday to continue with the group’s the Home Grant application.

The borough has been using the program, now in its sixth phase, for years. And with much success, Sue Goddard, of SEDA-COG, said.

The program is available to complete work on low-income homes.

A public hearing was held in December and Goddard said she wasn’t aware of any negative feedback.

Although the deadline for submissions in the program was postponed from Feb. 5 to Feb. 28, awards will be announced in the middle of April.

The council also approved an easement request for a contractor who built a recent home on Eighth Avenue.

The new house is wedged between two others and needs to connect to a sewer line. The closest option is on Thompson Street.

The contractor requested they be able to connect to the line through the borough’s right-of-way rather than dig up the street, street superintendent Keith Anderson said. But the right of way is through an adjacent property.

The previous owners of the property gave an OK to use the small front portion of their yard, but they recently moved and the new residents were not asked by the contractor.

Councilmen Daniel Cupp and Joseph LaRue Jr. proposed a motion on the grounds that the property owner be asked first. But if the owner declines, the contractor has to dig in the street — a street that has been historically difficult for digging projects and is slated to be repaved this year, Michael D. Miller, borough manager, said.

Voting to approve the easement were Joseph LaRue Jr., John Decker, Carl Nolan, J. Bernard Schelb and David Geise. Voting no were Corey Lehman, Cupp and March. Robert Cronin was absent because of a military deployment.

Police Chief Robert Hetner accepted a $2,000 donation from the Polish Club, in Newberry, for the department’s K-9 unit.

“Although the club is in the city, our K-9 unit doesn’t just work in the borough,” Hetner said.

The unit sees work all over the county. The only other K-9 unit is in Hughesville.

“We very much appreciate it,” Hetner said.

The borough will meet next at 7 p.m. Feb. 12.

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