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Leaders of some communities can't foresee a quick solution to the problem of blight, so they avoid talking about it.
For many years, Gallitzin Borough was one of those communities, but now it seems poised to become an active combatant against the problem.
One key to keeping the fight active is to make it a topic of discussion at every monthly borough council meeting.
During meetings each month, it's common for municipal government leaders to receive reports from various committees, and some receive a police report detailing the number of calls and crimes during the preceding month.
Because blight is such an important issue at this time for Gallitzin, it likewise should have a regular place on the council's agenda, so residents of the municipality will know what is or is not being accomplished on that front.
Requiring a report to the people each month will keep pressure on leaders to report having made some headway rather than "No progress."
During the council's August meeting, a list of 10 dilapidated homes under scrutiny was revealed, including one on North Main Street for which a demolition order already had been issued.
Reaching the point where such an order can be issued isn't usually a speedy process but, from residents' vantage point, especially people living near problem structures, it's helpful to know that the process has not stalled, if in fact it hasn't.
If it remains committed to its anti-blight mission, Gallitzin Borough Council can remain a good example for other smaller communities to emulate -- including those that have been avoiding discussion about the problem.
Larger communities such as Altoona and Johnstown have more manpower and resources with which to do battle against blight, but they too must follow guidelines aimed at ensuring that property owners have ample opportunity to repair what's wrong.
In Ebensburg on Sept. 19, a seminar was held to provide information to municipal officials about an opportunity that's available for eliminating problem properties; that opportunity is contained in Act 152 of 2016, the Demolition Funds Act, which allows counties to implement a $15 fee on deed transfers.
Gallitzin should strive to be proactive in seeking funds under that law, even though the borough won't be eligible for Act 152 funds during every funding round.
That's because the Cambria County Redevelopment Authority, which manages the funds distribution, is trying to be fair in its allocation of money -- working to enable all parts of the county to benefit.
But Gallitzin, like other municipalities, should utilize thinking similar to what would be employed in seeking certain grants, especially those requiring a shovel-ready project, or one nearly shovel-ready.
Being prepared to show that the borough is a good, aggressive candidate for funds -- because it's ready to make progress quickly -- might enhance the borough's funding prospects.
Gallitzin residents aren't naive; most realize that the blight fight is a long-term endeavor.
Even if blight is like raw sewage, in the sense that most people prefer not to talk about it, they nevertheless know that those two issues require long-term patience and persistence.
Council members' discussion at the August meeting was indicative that they're cognizant of that, but don't intend to become sidetracked.