EBENSBURG — People can now park for up to two hours for free in all of Ebensburg Borough’s downtown metered parking areas after borough council members unanimously passed a resolution Monday following discussion of two broken parking terminals.

According to borough officials, two of the borough’s main parking terminals — the Penn-Eben and Cambria County Courthouse lots — have been intermittently nonfunctional for three to four months.

The estimated cost to replace the terminals was approximately $30,000, according to the council’s meeting agenda, which states that it is not “financially practical” for the borough to replace the terminals “given the amount of money that is generated.”

Borough Manager Kelly Cook said the change to allow up to two hours of free parking will have “minimal” effects on the parking revenue the borough receives from the two terminals.

Cook said she’ll eventually know for certain how much of an impact it will have, but it’s a loss of $5,000, “if that,” she said.

Council members also considered several options for street and lot parking, including a Meter Feeder mobile application that would allow community members to scan a QR code posted at a sign, replacing the physical meters, to pay their parking fees.

Several members of the council, including President Doug Tusing, voiced concerns about the mobile application, with Tusing noting the option is “a little too ahead of its time in Ebensburg.”

Councilwoman Theresa Jacoby asked how the borough would enforce parking violations for elderly members who don’t have access to mobile applications. She also asked the council’s junior members, Roy Lian and Abe Remillard, how they felt about the option, noting children driving their parent’s vehicles might not have a debit or credit card to pay for parking.

“We’re thinking of our elderly, but our younger people are affected by this, too,” Jacoby said.

Council vice president Cecilia Houser said she’s not necessarily against the QR code idea but doesn’t feel now is the right time to move forward with it. Houser then moved to adopt a resolution allowing the change for up to two hours of free parking within the borough, which was given a second by councilman Mike Murphy.

In other business, the council instructed Cook to draft an ordinance to prevent people from feeding feral and/or stray cats in the borough after several residents complained about the issue.

Other municipalities, like the city of Altoona, have ordinances stating, “No person shall feed any stray or feral cats, where such feeding causes a nuisance to neighbors or creates a condition contrary to the health, safety and welfare of the community.”

Ebensburg’s ordinance, which will be voted on at next month’s meeting, would require any person who feeds stray or feral cats to be responsible for the care of the animals, including having them vaccinated for rabies and spayed or neutered.

Councilman Mike Murphy also gave an update on the borough’s waterline replacement and stormwater projects.

The waterline replacement project is proceeding well and on schedule, Murphy said, adding Guyer Brothers has installed approximately 98% of the mainline and 95% of the service installations.

The contractor continues to test lines and prepare for installation of the vault on Ann Street and the main line on Cindy Street. However, due to the weather, work has been halted since mid-January, Murphy said.

Murphy said construction for the stormwater project began in August by A. Liberoni Construction, who has completed approximately 65% of the installation.

Substantial completion for the project was scheduled for the end of the month, but that deadline will not be met, according to Murphy.

Cook said A. Liberoni will have the project substantially complete by March 4.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520