SHAMOKIN - A partnership between the city and Shamokin Area School District could lead to the creation of a mock city council.
Council members will vote Monday on whether to move forward on a plan to set aside up to $10,000 in its recreation funding to be managed by a mock city council
consisting of five high school students - four students as council members and one student as mayor.
Steve Bartos, city clerk, said Wednesday during city council's monthly workshop that Chris Venna, principal of the middle-high school, is on board with the idea, as is David Kopitsky Jr., an economics teacher who would oversee the program for the school district.
Bartos said students must submit resumes to be considered for the mock council. Once it's established, they'll be required to hold monthly workshops and voting sessions. They must also attend at least one city council meeting and are allowed just one absence while serving on the mock governing body.
The mock council will be tasked to research a project and present its findings to city council for approval, define a project time line, execute the project and follow through to its completion.
Bartos said as an example that the students could be tasked with is pursuing the repair of a monument in a public park. He said they also could decide to do fundraising toward matching the city's allotment for a larger project.
The idea seemed well-received by city council members, with Milbrand saying it could encourage students to become civically active.
Demo update
The city now has a fifth property owner on board for a proposed demolition project along South Rock Street.
Bartos said Thursday afternoon that the property owner of a home that had been condemned in the wake of September's flooding visited city hall after reading about the Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program.
A woman believed to be the owner of the sixth and final property is now deceased, Bartos said, adding that he will now determine if the home is in a relative's name or belongs to the county.
The city is administering the voluntary grant program through Federal Emergency Management Agency in an effort to demolish 10-16 S. Rock St. and 44 and 48 S. Rock St., all of which are condemned.
Apart from the grant applications, Bartos said previously that the area must also be surveyed before the Dec. 30 deadline. Deed restrictions forbidding future construction on the lots must also be put in place.
If the deadline is missed, he said the project would be a wash.
Treasurer's office
Treasurer Brenda Scandle was told during Wednesday's workshop that she could be moved out of city hall and into a neighboring building as early as Jan. 1 if not sooner.
A motion was approved by council in September to relocate the treasurer's office, allowing code enforcement its own space in city hall but also incurring additional utility costs for operating another building.
Additional costs so far included minor renovations and touch-ups and replacement of a toilet.
According to the city's 2012 budget, estimated utility expenses for the new treasurer's office are $600 for heating, $1,200 for electric service and $120 for water.