City Council seeks input on skill games, discusses roundabout
Meadville City Council will hold a public hearing this evening for input on how the city should skill games businesses. In the regular meeting that follows the hearing, council will discuss a proposed roundabout near Allegheny College, changes to parking enforcement, and installation of a solar panel array atop the largest office building in the downtown business district.
City Manager Maryann Menanno will also announce the appointment of a fire chief to succeed retiring Chief Pat Wiley and update council on the residential rental unit inspections slated to begin in July.
The public hearing on games of skill begins at 5 p.m., an hour before council’s regular meeting.
“It seems to be a pretty hot topic and that gives ample time for folks to get there and decide if they want to speak or not,” Menanno said.
The roundabout proposal up for discussion would be located at the intersection of North Main Street, Allegheny Street and Limber Road. In 2017, City Council recommended including the proposal among projects to be considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). It has not been discussed in council meetings since, but Menanno said time-sensitive PennDOT funding led to the project appearing on the agenda for tonight’s meeting.
“That project got bumped to be a priority project,” she said.
A roundabout was recommended by a 2016 traffic study conducted in the wake of three pedestrian crashes in the area around the intersection over a five-year span. One of the crashes resulted in the death of an Allegheny student, who was not in a crosswalk when she was struck by a sport utility vehicle just south of the proposed roundabout location.
Menanno said she hopes to have a solar panel project contract for council to approve. If the contract is not ready by the time of the meeting, the vote to approve the project will likely be tabled.
