Natrona commissioners meet with small group of residents

Residents frustrated with ongoing problems in Natrona converged on the municipal building Wednesday night to meet with township officials but most were forced to wait outside while commissioners talked to a selected few.

Commissioners George Conroy and Mike Stanoski wouldn't let the entire crowd of about 40 inside for what they called a brainstorming session not intended to become a public meeting. They instead encouraged residents to write out their concerns so officials could read them later and to attend the monthly commissioners' meetings that are public.

Only a handful of residents, along with Police Chief Mike Klein and Zoning Officer Ron Misejka, joined commissioners to outline their concerns for the community and generate suggestions for improvement.

Major complaints included increasing drug activity, rundown properties, excessive garbage accumulation, absentee landlords and vandalism.

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After the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, the participants briefed the remaining two dozen residents in the lobby on the meeting's outcome.

They said possible solutions they discussed included:

Toughening township ordinances to reduce the amount of garbage that can be left outside and to add requirements to building inspections before tenants move into rental properties;

Distributing postcards so residents can anonymously report drug activity and new tenants who move into rental properties without telling the township;

Scheduling monthly meetings both with the community and with the committee.

Conroy said Wednesday's meeting was closed to the public because he thought more would get accomplished by a small group calmly discussing the problems rather than having dozens of agitated residents yelling.

"It wasn't that I was trying to keep anyone out," he said afterward. "I wasn't afraid to face people."

"I'm glad to see everybody here today," Stanoski said. "This is great for Harrison Township."

Committee member and Natrona resident Vanessa Pawlak said she was satisfied with the meeting's outcome and had changed her mind about the benefits of meeting behind closed doors. Before the meeting she told the group gathered outside that she thought everyone should be allowed to talk and encouraged them to confront commissioners inside.

"It would have turned into a shouting match because we were very angry," Pawlak said afterward.

"I think it went very well," she added. "I'm as positive about this as I was about the meeting last night."

Pawlak was referring to an informal meeting Tuesday night of residents forming the nonprofit grassroots organization Natrona Comes Together, whose goal is to revitalize the neighborhood.

Bill Godfrey, a local artist who owns a studio on Walnut Street, was present at both meetings and said he was glad the issue of improving Natrona seems to be gathering momentum.

"I think we're really opening up lines of communication," he said.

However, demonstrators left waiting outside weren't as happy with the situation.

"They think Natrona is the armpit of Harrison and they don't care about us," said Chestnut Street resident Dave Miller.

Miller stood along the sidewalk with several other residents carrying signs that read "Where's Our Tax Money Going," "Save the Children Before It's Too Late" and "Clean Up Our Town."

A frequent complaint voiced was that Natrona isn't adequately represented on the board of commissioners. Stanoski is the only commissioner of the five whose district includes Natrona.

Many others said they were disappointed with the amount of police patrols and response time.

Officials said there are drug enforcement efforts occurring in Natrona and urged residents to call police whenever they see crimes or suspicious activity occurring.

Miller and Douglas Karadeema, a Garfield Street resident whose house was spray-painted earlier this month with profanity and antihomosexual slurs, said he never sees police except for when they show up for court hearings at District Judge Carolyn Bengel's office across the street from Karadeema's house.

"I'm afraid to leave my downstairs windows open anymore," Karadeema said.

"People used to complain about Sheldon Park," he said. "Now look at it -- it looks wonderful. That's what we need to do in Natrona."

Carl Acquaviva and Tony Csizmadia, both property owners in Natrona, said dilapidated buildings around their properties make it difficult to find tenants and buyers.

"In 1990 when I advertised a rental unit I'd get 26 calls the first night," said Acquaviva, a township resident who owns 10 rental units in Natrona. "Now, I'm lucky if I get four calls in a week.

"It's a shame the way it's going down," he said. "It used to be such a beautiful little town."