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LOCK HAVEN -- City council took time to thank Lock Haven University President Robert Pignatello for his service to the university and city during their meeting this week.
Pignatello was named Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Integration Strategy for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and will be leaving his role at LHU on Feb. 5.
"This Friday, President Pignatello leaves LHU to go and do whatever it is the Chancellor of PASSHE wants him to do. I think it would be a shame if that departure took place without us acknowledging the contribution that he made in his time here," Councilman Richard Morris said.
"Not only was it, I think, a remarkable contribution but also a lot of unfulfilled potential. One, because we ran into the headwind of COVID and then because he's being called to do other things. I think we should recognize the contributions he made while he was here," Morris concluded.
Mayor Joel Long echoed Morris's statements, emphasizing the unfulfilled potential Pignatello brought to the university.
"Honestly in the 25 years I've served it's the best town, gown relationship we've had and it's a shame to see it change," he said. "I hope they find a way to continue but it's hard to replace that person when they're the one that really moved it forward."
City Manager Gregory Wilson said Pignatello brought something different to the relationship between the city and university that hadn't been seen before.
"It's just such a different feeling when the president himself becomes an integrated part of the community," he said.
Pignatello served as university president for nearly three years after being appointed in March 2018.
In other business council:
-- Discussed the city's involvement in Downtown Lock Haven Inc.'s potential continuation of the Pedestrian Mall this summer. Morris suggested council take part in the discussion with the DLH board if they were to request the closure of Main Street again for outdoor dining and music. Wilson said DLH were to meet Tuesday to discuss the possibility, and would bring any decision to staff for further discussion before requesting the closure from council.
-- Approved two Community Development Block Grant resolutions for the Fair Housing agreement and ADA Compliance.
-- Extended the Lock Haven Police Officers Association bargaining agreement for one year.
-- Directed Long to sign an agreement with PennDOT for the relocation of a fire hydrant. PennDOT will pay 75 percent of the cost while the city will pay the remaining 25 percent.
Council's next meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. via livestream on its Facebook and YouTube pages.