Vandergrift website remains dark, officials mum on details
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Vandergrift residents still don’t have a functioning borough website, and some residents are seeking answers from council.
The website went offline more than a week ago. The outage was brought up by Councilwoman Karen McClarnon during Monday’s virtual council meeting.
Visitors to the disabled website encounter an oversized message stating the site is no longer being updated or maintained and suggests viewers contact the borough office with questions or suggestions.
Council President Kathleen Chvala didn’t provide any updates about the website’s future during the meeting, citing an ongoing lawsuit.
“It’s in the lawsuit, we can’t discuss it,” Chvala said when reached for comment Tuesday. “I’m not permitted to say anything at this time. Residents should go to the borough Vandergrift Borough Facebook page.”
Chvala’s daughter, Jackie Chvala Vigna, previously maintained the site, but recently resigned.
Council hasn’t made any formal decision concerning the website.
“There will eventually be another website,” said Councilman John Uskuraitis, adding he couldn’t comment further due to ongoing litigation.
Likewise, Borough Secretary Steve DelleDonne said Tuesday that he isn’t allowed to talk about the issue.
McClarnon said having a website is a must-have for residents.
“Every single person in this borough deserves to have a website for information. There’s no excuses for not having one at all,” McClarnon said. “This is 2021.”
Vandergrift Heights resident David Hill attended the virtual council meeting and said he’d like to see the website back up and running.
“I think it was taken down because no one wants to take responsibility for it,” Hill said. “The borough secretary should run it. They’re relying on Facebook to get the word out, but there are a lot of elderly in the borough and they aren’t on Facebook, and they should have rights to a website.”
Vandergrift resident and real estate professional Marilee Kessler said she frequently used the borough website for professional reasons and is already missing it.
“A professionally done, informative and attractive borough website would be a definite asset,” said Kessler, who chairs the organization committee of the Vandergrift Improvement Program. “I miss the ability to look at archived council meeting minutes. I think now we have the perfect opportunity to hire someone who is proficient and designs and maintains websites professionally, at a reasonable cost.”
In other business:
• Uskuraitis, council’s parks and recreation chairman, said video surveillance will be expanded at Kennedy Park by late spring.
“Our main issue is the amphitheater. Kids keep climbing up on the roof and moving the landscape brick,” Uskuraitis said.
The cameras there now aren’t operating, but Uskuraitis said the goal is to get them back on and providing surveillance of the basketball courts, amphitheater and gazebo.
“The entire complex will be under video surveillance,” Uskuraitis said.
Uskuraitis said the project was previously budgeted and not a new expense.
Council is advising area residents to report any wrongful activity in the park to 911.
• Christine Wilson, council’s street sanitation chairwoman, reminded residents that certain items should not be disposed into the borough’s sewer lines.
“We have seen baby wipes, rags and diapers in there,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t belong in the sewer. They stay in there and form clogs.”
Wilson also said residents are leaving trash and plastics in recycle bins.
“Only bottles and cans are to go in the recycle bins,” Wilson said.
• Council approved hiring Christopher Primozic as a full-time street crew employee and David Walters as a part-time general labor employee.
Primozic is required to complete a 90-day probationary period before working at a rate of $15 to $16 an hour. Walters will work no more than 180 days annually and earn $10.50 per hour.