LOCK HAVEN - In other business at the meeting April 2, City Council:
- Scheduled spring cleanup dates as Mondays and Tuesdays, April 16 and 17 and April 23 and 24. The city will pick up leaves and garden refuse at the curb on those dates.
- Heard Richard Morris, a real estate professional who often attends government meetings, urge council to start looking now at a potential change in the real estate tax system, before budget work sessions start this fall.
The city levies a split real estate tax, with one millage for land and another for buildings. The split tax was designed to encourage development of vacant lots and seems to have worked. Morris contends, however, that it is now outmoded and is no longer fulfilling that function.
Mayor Richard P. Vilello Jr., who also favors a one-rate system, offered to meet with Morris on the subject. He directed City Manager Richard W. Marcinkevage to bring council some dollar figures to review.
- Heard Council Vice President Stephen L. Stevenson report on a meeting with county representatives about changing tax-break programs for businesses so they run along a similar timeline. The county, city and Keystone Central School District all can offer LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) tax breaks for commercial development, but right now, they spread those tax breaks over different periods of time.
The city could come down from a 10-year program and Keystone Central could come up from a three-year program to "meet in the middle," Stevenson said, and both offer a five-year program.
- Voted to change parking on Corning Street to accommodate traffic at Mark Helbley's soon-to-open new building, Corning Station. The bus stop will move there, council heard.
- Voted for no-parking zones that would create a 100-foot area centered on the entrance to Susquehanna Square. This move does not take into account the new road, Crimson Drive, that runs through the new Susquehanna Square townhouses from Spring Street to West Fourth Street, council heard.
- Heard the city received liquid fuels funds of $182,558, a bit more than budgeted, the city manager said.
- Held an executive session, closed to the public, on a property matter.
