HONESDALE, PA — Despite the absence of three members (Bill Canfield, Tim Lauffenburger and Travis Rivera), Honesdale Borough Council acted at its April 8 meeting on more than one controversial issue, among them naming the borough’s official ambulance service providers and painting Main Street crosswalks.

After borough emergency management coordinator Stan Pratt summarized results of meetings held with several local commercial and volunteer ambulance service providers, the council voted unanimously to name Cottage Ambulance of Carbondale its primary commercial provider, with White Mills Volunteer Ambulance as its choice for secondary provider. Commonwealth, the commercial provider that has served the borough for the past several years, and the many volunteer services of surrounding NY and PA municipalities will continue to service the borough as need and availability dictate.

Pratt said the borough is committed to finding a base station for Cottage within the borough that will ensure a quick response time to all calls.

In other business, during the citizen-input segment, both Lisa Glover and Derek Williams advocated painting crosswalks on Main Street, saying safety concerns should take precedence over borough liability issues. Public works director Rich Doney said in a previous meeting that the borough’s insurance carrier recommended against painting the crosswalks, stating that, in the event of a pedestrian accident, painted crosswalks could increase the borough’s liability. Without crosswalks, there is an unwritten presumption that pedestrians cross at their own risk and therefore assume liability for their own actions.

The council voted unanimously to authorize painting of Main Street crosswalks, and Doney said $4,300 already appropriated for crosswalk painting and other road signage would be used.

Mark Graziadio of Habitat for Humanity presented that organization’s formal agreement to purchase the Hoff property, site of a former factory, for $40,000. The lot was appraised at a lower figure, and was put out to bid more than once, with no bidders meeting the appraised value.

Because the property has long been vacant and on the delinquent tax roll, the council proposed making it into a public park. That idea found supporters among young families in the property’s vicinity. But when Habitat proposed using the lot for construction of a three-unit dwelling, some older residents supported Habitat’s proposal, claiming there is not enough affordable housing for seniors in Honesdale.

Although the council has not yet acted on Habitat’s proposal, borough solicitor Rich Henry expects the agreement to go forward.

Council voted unanimously to approve a Victims’ Intervention Program request for placement of teal ribbons and laminated information cards containing hotline numbers on parking meters during April. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Computer services company Icon Technologies, scheduled to present a proposal for provision of free internet service to the borough, was a no-show, but President Mike Augello is hopeful it will present at next month’s meeting.