By Diane Petryk
LEWISBURG — It was the “worst opening” of Bucknell ever seen — in terms of police calls, Town and Gown Committee spokeswoman Kathryn Morris told her colleagues on the Borough Council Tuesday.
“We had the same incident amount in the first two weeks as typically seen in a whole year,” she said.
Bucknell University Department of Public Safety Chief Jason Friedberg said, “It has been busy” since school opened Aug. 26, but said he doesn’t always get reports of incidents involving college students in Lewisburg’s jurisdiction. There were four fire alarms pulled and some fights, he said, but “nothing egregious.”
“The crime that occurs here at Bucknell does not rise to the level I’ve seen at other campuses,” said Friedberg, who worked at four other colleges before coming to Bucknell.
At the council meeting, Borough Manager Chad Smith said there’s a public safety “Catch 22” here. Lewisburg Police Chief Paul Yost has more officers on the street, he said, five or six, up from two in previous years, and more eyes can spot more things.
Mayor Judith Wagner commended Yost and his officers for their patience with students and for not escalating matters, but rather turning them into learning experiences for the young people involved.
It was clear, however, that Wagner would not like to extend student “learning” as far as having a student on the Borough Council. Before the meeting began, Wagner urged her colleagues to work together to defeat student Tim Hoffman, a write-in candidate for the third ward seat now held by Peter Bergonia.
“We need to help Peter,” Wagner said. “It’s going to be a tough election, so we have to work hard.”
Morris responded that “the perception of the student who’s running” is that he is unknown to most people.
In official business, the board voted unanimously to pay HRG, Inc., an engineering firm, $3,985 for preliminary design and budget estimate for renovation of the municipal parking lot at North Fifth Street and Cherry Alley. Wagner said she thought bookstore employees would be asked to park there, referring to the future employees of the Barnes & Noble/Bucknell bookstore being constructed at 400 Market St. at North Fourth Street.
The borough will also pay HRG Inc. $8,900 for professional surveying and preliminary design of North Eighth Street and North Seventh Street railroad crossings — a project related to the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority’s Rail-to-Trail project, and $26,350 for design and bid preparation for St. Paul Street reconstruction from North 12th Street to North 15th Street.
Council also agreed unanimously to waive the side yard setback requirement to allow an historic barn to be relocated at 211 S. Second St., a move the council approved in June 2008, if the adjoining property owners have no objections.
Council approved raising subdivision and land development application and review fees from $75 to $150 and $300 respectively.
Members also approved a 60-day extension for Benderson Development Co.’s land development review of its planned Bechtel Restaurant/Rite Aid project. A work session was set for Oct. 13 to begin budget discussions.
On a festive note, Wagner announced that hours for trick or treating in the borough will be 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
