HARMONY — The borough has been combating a problem that has affected the area for decades.

Semi-trucks entering the area are disruptive and, at times, damaging, officials say.

“It’s been a problem for as long as there has been a factory at the end of Mercer Street,” said Mayor Cathy Rape.

The borough recently filed a complaint against a truck driver from North Carolina for damage done to Wood Street Park last year. Another complaint will be filed soon to another trucking company for damage recently done to a bollard pole in the town square.

Another truck in 2015 damaged two Wood Street homes after illegally entering the borough. However, the driver of the truck was not caught.

“I’ve been here for 20 years and it’s the same thing,” said Zelienople Police Chief Jim Miller. “It’s so sporadic. There’s no set pattern.”

Harmony’s town square is too small for large trucks to travel through. A stop sign along with a truck detour sign are at Main Street’s intersection with Germain Street.

While trucks are not allowed to enter town square, some accidentally enter the area and cause damage to the square’s monument.

“We had the brand new directional sign redone last fall. That was hit three different times,” Rape said. “It’s been hit two more times since then.”

Rape headed volunteer efforts to help beautify the town square with new poles and flowers.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said of damage to the square caused by wayward trucks.

Miller said this is because some truck drivers use different GPS systems that tell them to go through Harmony to reach larger highways.

“I was told by one driver that they don’t want to pay the extra money for the more expensive GPS,” Miller said.

Most trucks that enter the borough are from out-of-state and are not familiar with the area.

“When you get speeding tickets for certain streets, a lot of times it’s the same people and the word gets out to slow down,” Miller said. “Here, the drivers are all different. If they get tickets, the word doesn’t get out among them because they’re from everywhere.”

Borough police are sometimes called to guide trucks that enter the town square out of the area. The roads are too small for trucks to turn around without causing damage. Miller said this takes between 10 and 15 minutes to successfully accomplish.

Truck drivers afterward are given a fine that usually amounts to $150 for failure to obey a posted sign. They are also billed if they cause damage to buildings and amenities in the area.

“I don’t understand the reasoning when they get to an intersection that has four different signs that say ‘No Trucks’ or ‘Truck Route,’” Rape said. “They still follow their GPS.”

Miller said between 10 and 15 tickets were given to truck drivers in the past year.

“We don’t catch that many, but when we do, it’s aggravating to the residents,” he said.

The idea of putting a lowered bar across Main Street near town square was suggested in the past. However, Rape said a lowered bar would not be aesthetically pleasing.

Frank Grannon, director of operations for the borough water authority, suggested at Tuesday’s meeting new “No Trucks” signs be placed at the end of Edmund Street. However, the borough will have to send a letter to neighboring Jackson Township for permission to erect the sign because the end of Edmund Street is on township property.

Miller said while stop signs and detour signs have helped in recent years, residents need to report when trucks enter the area and cause damage.

“I don’t think you’ll ever stop them all from coming through,” he said. “We’re near a major highway and trucks look to get to them.”