The Littlestown Borough Council approved five expenditures for the park renovation project at Tuesday’s meeting to facilitate a mid-July start date. The Littlestown Park will feature updated playground equipment for two age-specific play areas, a new octagonal pavilion, pickleball, basketball, and tennis courts, a 1.5-mile trail with exercise stations, and updated restroom facilities.
Borough Manager Charles Kellar explained, “This is a pre-approval to go ahead and order the equipment through the government cooperative purchasing program, Costars, so we can have the materials there when they come in.”
With no discussion or opposition, the council approved the following expenditures:
- $148,500 for a new pavilion
- $160, 217 for poured-in-place rubber surfacing for the park
- $49,990 for adult exercise stations along the 1.5-mile walking path
- $50,000 for the purchase of benches, trash and pet waste receptacles, and bike racks
Kellar said that while the cost for the new pavilion is fixed, the other costs will be determined by which of the Costars companies are lower, George Ely Associates of Carlisle or Recreation Resources, USA. The figures approved are the maximum amount the projects could cost, but Kellar expects the other costs to be less than approved.
The Borough also approved an undisclosed amount to Met-Ed to move power lines. C.S. Davison, Inc., park engineers estimated the cost at $30,000. Kellar said that electrical wires need to be moved to accommodate the new park facilities, but no estimate has been provided to date. “You have to pay what they charge because they’re the only show in town,” Kellar said.
At the June 11 meeting, a $1,030,253 park renovation contract was awarded to Conewago Enterprises, Inc. The Borough also approved a $189,946 contract with Monocacy Valley Electric to provide electrical work for the park.
At the December 12, 2023, meeting agenda minutes note an approval to purchase $214,810 to purchase and install new playground equipment for the park. The prior April, Borough minutes report approval of a $129,100 contract with C.S. Davidson, Inc. for engineering services.
The Master plan for the park was approved in August of 2023 and in October of that year, Council President Craig Rosendale estimated the total cost of the park would be $1.5 million.
In September of 2022, the Borough voted to allocate $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward the project, but the 2024 budget indicates that amount is now $300,000. In addition, the Borough received a DCNR grant of $497,000 and Rosendale said a private donor would offer services matching the value of the grant.
Rosendale said a report is being created to detail the full cost of the park and funding sources, but it was not available at press time.
In other Borough business, Kellar said the Council needed to allocate the remaining ARPA funds by the end of the year. The Borough received $473,551 in funds and allocated $300,000 to the park renovation. Council approved a motion to allocate the remaining $173,000 to cover the costs of renovating the new Borough building purchased this month.
Updated Nuisance Code
Borough Solicitor Todd King is reviewing a proposed update to Littlestown’s nuisance code. He asked council members to review the ordinance carefully and select what was essential, stating that some of the older concerns might be outdated. The ordinance update was first proposed last October and then reviewed two weeks later by the Borough Council. Members said they had no changes to the code but were concerned about enforcement issues. It was then sent to the planning commission for review.
The code has not been updated since 2015 and prohibits general nuisances, disorderly conduct, 15 specific acts, conditions detrimental to health, refuse accumulations as a nuisance, dangerous structures, three weed nuisance provisions, abatement, violations, and penalties. It can be reviewed at http://www.littlestownborough.org/departments/ecode360.
James Eline remembered
Following the meeting, Kellar announced funeral services for Mayor James Eline, who died suddenly on June 20. “Jim was very dedicated to this community. I can’t speak highly enough about him,” Kellar said of the former mayor with whom he had worked for the past 15 years. “I will miss him as a friend.”
Borough Council President Rosendale will serve as acting mayor until a new mayor is selected to fill the rest of Eline’s term, ending Jan. 1. Interested candidates must submit a letter of interest and resume to the Borough Secretary, Sandy Conrad as the Mayor with a term ending January 1, 2026 must submit a letter of interest along with a resume to the Borough Secretary, Sandy Conrad via email secretary@littlestownboro.org or mail to 41 South Columbus Avenue, Littlestown, PA 17340 by 3 p.m., July 15, 2024.
Judith Cameron Seniura is a freelance reporter. She began her journalism career in the early ‘70s and has written for newspapers, magazines, and other media in Ontario, Canada, Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, San Antonio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.