RENOVO — Though five new faces on Renovo Borough Council face a tight budget and a low-staffed police department, good news was shared at the start of its February meeting.

Mayor Justin Lynn delivered the very welcomed news that the final 14th Street property owner has agreed to sign the agreement with SEDA-COG. In signing the agreement, the final hold out of the dilapidated row-homes will receive payout through FEMA funding and allow the row homes to finally be razed, years after being deemed uninhabitable and unsafe.

January’s council meeting featured numerous guests and officials introducing themselves to council, including SEDA-COG’s Betsy Kramer.

Kramer told council FEMA funding would be pulled in September if the row homes were not down by then. She also reported that Peters Construction was on standby and demolition of the condemned 16-unit row houses would proceed within weeks if the last remaining hold out signed off the property.

Lynn said he’s already begun to spearhead an effort to set up RV style hook-up and camp sites that would allow people to rent spaces for overnight accommodation on the property. The mayor said that with utility hook ups already on site, he sees it as a great opportunity to draw recreational and ATV enthusiasts for the area, piggybacking off the Memorial Park ATV campground planned for the near future in East Renovo.

Upon returning to the area several years ago, well before winning the election, Lynn was an outspoken critic of the proposed and failed gas power plant on the property where the railroad shops still stand. At last week’s meeting, Lynn told council members that he still feels strongly about opposing any similar type of construction and suggested a maneuver that would give Renovo an extra guard on such a proposal.

Lynn said that he has become aware that a gas plant is still being investigated and said that council has the ability to add “residential” to the zoning of the area. He explained that it would force any type of planned operations into more outreach and legal processes, giving the citizens more time to express their thoughts and concerns as they “put a hurdle” in place.

Lynn also noted that he has spoken to numerous people from out of town who would more seriously consider investing in some of Renovo’s rundown properties if not for the shadow of a future gas plant in the area.

Throughout the evening much of the council remained silent, but council members Dave Walker and Tracy Bruno did push back on this topic, saying that the town would have major benefits with such a plant opening.

Council would have to take up a vote to petition for any type of re-zoning and with most members silent on the topic at the meeting.

Also during the meeting, Lynn — who directly oversees the Renovo Police Department along with council’s police committee — said he’s in talks with Pennsylvania State Police’s Lamar Barracks on potentially shifting away from local police coverage to PSP.

The mayor reported that the state police could provide around eight hours a day of coverage to western Clinton County.

Lynn said after just one month into his term he is constantly hearing about drugs and people driving too fast through Renovo streets.

This topic did garner some overall discussion as everyone that spoke acknowledged the coverage currently provided by the Renovo Police Department is not sufficient.

Police Chief Gregory Drollinger attended the meeting and concurred the current coverage is inefficient. He explained a high percentage of his hours are spent on investigations and patrolling has taken a back seat due to this.

However, he pushed back on whether state police would be able to be in the area eight hours a day and suggested that the council invite District Attorney Dave Strouse to a meeting. He said Strouse is a strong advocate for towns having local police departments.

Council overall liked the idea and agreed to plan to invite Strouse to a future meeting.