Renovo to hire officer; Council hears about new community initative
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KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS
This property at 224 St. Claire Ave. in Renovo will be seeing some changes. Council agreed to board up the property. Renovo Mayor Gene Bruno has been talking with the owner about clean-up and even a potential sale.
RENOVO -- Renovo Borough is hiring a new full-time police officer.
Borough council made the announcement following an executive session during the May meeting. The officer, James Knarr, is tapped to become the department's first full-time officer in months and will begin on a probationary period.
According to council, an active search for another officer has been underway for a year.
The Renovo Police Department currently sits with just one part time officer, Greg Drollinger, who will be in charge of getting the new officer underway in the borough.
The meeting also acted as a public introduction to Renovo Area Outreach, a group of volunteers that want to make a change regarding drug use going on in western Clinton County.
President Dave Young gave a compassionate speech of what the group wants to accomplish, tearing up at one point saying that he gets emotional at times because he knows what it's like as a recovering addict.
"The last time I was in front of a judge, I asked for rehab instead of prison and after two months there I started to turn my life around," Young said. "I came home and started running with Station #29, with the ambulance and I feel blessed to be in the position that I am in life."
Young said there is nothing aggressive about the groups planned approach, but rather the offer of a helping hand.
The group ideally would like to offer education on drug abuse to the youth of western Clinton County, but to also offer a step towards recovery to addicts.
The group wants to hold events like a carnival as part of their prevention.
Young said he'd like to offer brotherly advice to those in need, along with rides to rehabilitation or other services.
Vice-President Pattie Rauch, who ran Wednesday's meeting, told Young if the organizations members were planning to work with children, background clearances of its members would be necessary prior to a partnership with the borough.
Mayor Gene Bruno encouraged the group's plans for a town trash cleanup as member Rhonda Balchun thanked Young for being so candid.
Mayor Gene Bruno reported that he has acted as a liaison between the owner of 224 St. Claire Avenue and a potential buyer.
Council also discussed an ongoing issue regarding a building in the borough.
The building next to Clinton County Recreational Authority at the west end of town has long been an issue for council. It was a lengthy challenge getting the outside of the property cleaned up and despite now being clean still stands with missing windows and a chaotic front, council said.
Bruno said that he is going to show the building, which contains four apartments, to a potential buyer and, if interested, will continue to work between the interested party and the owner.
Should the sale not happen, or if it's slow moving, Bruno said that Joe Costulas donated 25 sheets of plywood for the borough to board up the structure.
Renovo Fire Department member and borough ordinance officer Dave Walker said he was certain if a community day was held to board up the property several members of the station would assist and sign waivers making the borough not responsible for liability issues.
Bruno explained that the owner is a younger adult that works out of town, but he gave permission for the building to be boarded.