Committee Meeting Minutes

BOROUGH OF AVALON SAFETY & BOROUGH DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS Tuesday, July 14, 2026 The Meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. with Council Member Nelson presiding. Present: Council Members Bryan Davidson, Luke Meyer, Tia Morris, Lee Nelson, William Pascale, and Maxwell Swartwout. Also present: Mayor Heather Weleski, AVFC Chief Dave Meyer, Manager Lorraine Makatura, and Assistant Manager Leanne McLaughlin. Absent: Council Member Jason Mosley, APD Chief Tom Kokoski. Safety Committee – Council Member Nelson • Council Member Nelson thanked everyone who helped make North Boroughs Community Day 2026 a success. • Avalon Police Department o Mayor Weleski reviewed the monthly reports. In June, the Avalon Police Department responded to 425 calls for service in Avalon, leading to 15 arrests. APD also issued 406 citations and 390 Borough tickets. Officers responded to 63 calls for service and issued 5 citations. ▪ Mayor Weleski also highlighted the training and programs in which the officers participated in June. o Council Member Davidson noted that there is still a vacancy on the Civil Service Commission. ▪ Council Member Davidson inquired as to whether a person can simultaneously serve on the Civil Service Commission and the Joint Planning Commission. Manager McLaughlin believes that Brigitte Jackson served on both boards simultaneously. Council Member Pascale commented that there is no obvious conflict between the two bodies. ▪ The vacancy is currently not posted on the website. The Borough advertised the open position in late May/early June but did not receive any applications. Assistant Manager McLaughlin is awaiting guidance from Council on how to proceed. ▪ Mayor Weleski will research whether a job description exists for this position. o Less Lethal Munitions Policy – Many police departments are transitioning from conducted energy devices (TASERS) to drag-stabilized bean bags deployed by a less lethal 12-guage shotgun. The current APD policy 1  specifically authorizes the use of pepper spray; however, the policy allows Council to add guidelines and special orders for other authorized less- lethal weapons. To comply with these new guidelines, the vehicle shotguns must be outfitted with an orange butt to clearly demonstrate they are loaded with less lethal munitions. All officers would also need to complete training; APD does have a certified less-lethal munitions instructor. This would cost approximately $1,000.00. ▪ Mayor Weleski will share sample guidelines that she created. These are modeled after a Lexipol policy. ▪ Council Member Pascale asked that, when developing the guidelines, other forms of less lethal munitions also be considered to ensure that this is a comprehensive update to existing policies. o Handicap Parking Space – 807 Orchard Avenue ▪ This item appeared on the June Safety meeting agenda, but Council neither approved nor denied the application. ▪ The applicant has provided appropriate documentation and proof of handicap placard/license plate. ▪ Applicant lives near Orchard Avenue and S. Chestnut Street and has a driveway. However, the driveway is narrow, and the applicant has difficulty entering and exiting their vehicle. ▪ There are limited parking options on the street. In this block of Orchard Avenue, parking is limited to the north side of the street, and there are several driveways on that side. There is a fire hydrant directly to the right of the applicant’s driveway. ▪ Several Council members suggested that a vehicle could temporarily block applicant’s driveway to allow easier access before parking the vehicle in the driveway itself. ▪ Council plans to discuss this at the Finance Committee meeting after Council members have an opportunity to visit the area. o Event Applications ▪ The organizers of Corey’s Story have cancelled their event. • The organizers still plan to hold the motorcycle raffle. ▪ Library Touch-a-Truck Event – Saturday, September 19, 2026 • The Avalon Public Library is requesting closure of California Avenue from Josephine Street to N. Chestnut Street from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. • The Department of Public Works, the Avalon Police Department, and the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department typically participate in the event. • APL also requested permission to use Council Chambers for a book sale. • Council members indicated that they would approve the event. o PennDOT SR 65 Project – Council Member Meyer 2  ▪ Ben Avon recently proposed a resolution requesting the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to undertake or incorporate into current or future project development a Route 65 Corridor Safety and Functional Review. The goal is to make the highway safer for residents. ▪ Ben Avon Council President Rick Wagner has spearheaded this effort and has been in communication with officials from PennDOT. ▪ President Wagner contacted elected officials from Avalon, Bellevue, and Emsworth, in the hopes that all four communities can work together and present a unified front. ▪ The QVCOG has been engaged in Route 65 project for many years. In 2022, members of Traffic 21 (Carnegie Mellon University) and Michael Baker International presented the final report for their Route 65 study to the member communities. All the QVCOG communities have entered an inter-municipal cooperation agreement, with one of the primary goals being to increase safety along the corridor. ▪ All Council Members agreed that safety and accessibility along Route 65 is a primary concern. A motion to adopt the proposed resolution will appear on the Council meeting agenda. • Avalon Volunteer Fire Company – Chief Meyer o In June, the AVFC responded to 59 calls and took part in two drills and one work detail. Chief Meyer provided additional details concerning the location and nature of the calls; he also provided a written report for Council to review. ▪ The Department has responded to 326 calls so far this year. o Chief Meyer thanked Council for their help acquiring the mini pumper. The truck was delivered on Friday, July 10, 2026, and made its debut at Community Day. However, it is not yet in service. The truck needs to be returned to the dealership 1st Out to have additional equipment mounted on it and so that several issues can be addressed. AFVC was able to put 500 ft of hose on the truck, which was 100 ft more than anticipated. ▪ AVFC plans to contact State Representative Emily Kinkead to arrange an opportunity for her to see the new truck. Representative Kinkead was pivotal to securing funding necessary for the purchase. ▪ Chief Meyer did not have an update on efforts to sell the old rescue truck (Squad 4). • The license plate from Squad 4 was transferred to the new truck. o Assistant Manager McLaughlin requested copies of reports related to all calls responded to by AVFC at Red, White, and Blue (935 Ohio River 3  Boulevard). Harshman CE Group will then follow up with the property owners regarding potential code violations. • Emergency Management Coordinator – EMC Pascale o A written report is in SharePoint for Council to review. o LSSE has put together four large-scale, high-detail maps: Avalon overall, Avalon Topographic Contour, Avalon/Bellevue (Northgate School District), and Avalon/Ben Avon/Ben Avon Heights (based on service agreements with those neighboring communities). EMC Pascale and the Administrative Office have received digital copies, and he hopes to have printed copies by the Council meeting. o The GMRS (General Mobile Radio Services) and the LoRa (Long Range Radio) have been installed at the Borough building with equipment on the rear flat roof and EMC Office. Both systems are designed to provide alternate communication capabilities between the Borough Administrative Staff, Mayor, Borough Council, and other key employees in the event of an emergency incident. These systems are not part of the existing Police, Fire, and Emergency County/911 Systems. The gear is in testing right now, but initial tests have been very successful. ▪ Borough officials do not have to be licensed to use the system in the event of an emergency. ▪ EMC Pascale is researching grant possibilities. Once he has explored the funding possibilities and the test phase is complete, he will move forward with ordering the radio equipment for Borough officials. o The EMC staff is hoping to participate in the local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) group. This is a group of civilian and government officials within emergency management that uses amateur radio to assist local government in terms of any potential response to an incident. EMC Pascale is awaiting the County response. o The EMA is also working on securing emergency supplies needed to water and feed a working group of 12-15 people for 72 hours in the event of an extended incident. o A top priority is updating the emergency management plan. This is required for the department to qualify for grant funding. • Other Items o Request to Rename Orchard Avenue ▪ Avalon and Bellevue each have roadways named Orchard Avenue. There are 9 duplicate addresses in the communities. Throughout the years, the Borough has received several complaints from residents about the confusion caused by these identical addresses. 4  Administrative staff typically recommend that residents use the extended zip code (zip + 4) to help accurately identify their location. Borough and County officials have limited other options, as there are no available house numbers that fit the current scheme to reassign these properties in either community. ▪ Ed Parham, 720 Orchard Avenue, recently reached out to Allegheny County to express his frustration with this situation. • Mr. Parham initially expressed concern that the ambiguity could lead to delays in receiving services in emergency situations. o Manager Makatura noted that 9-1-1 dispatchers always confirm a caller’s exact location before taking any additional information. Council Member Pascale added that several Council members receive text information from the county emergency system, which always clearly indicates the location/municipality of any call. He is unaware of any case in which emergency responders were dispatched to the incorrect municipality. • Additionally, Mr. Parham explained that mail, packages, and other deliveries often get delivered to the wrong location. ▪ County Address Management has suggested that Avalon rename the street. This is not as simple as changing “Avenue” to “Street” or “Road” – the Borough would need to assign an entirely new name. The County has requested that Avalon make this change, as fewer residents would be affected than if Bellevue made the change. Notably, any change would help the 9 households with duplicate addresses but would also affect 135 other households. • The County has a document that can help residents navigate street name changes. However, this would be a major undertaking for those residents – with changes required for driver’s licenses, state IDs, passports, utility bills, etc. ▪ Council Member/EMC Pascale plans to reach out to the county for more information about the process of changing the street name. He will report back at a future meeting. Borough Development – Council Member Meyer • Monthly Reports o The monthly Harshman Inspection Report is available in SharePoint for Council to review. ▪ Assistant Manager McLaughlin gave an update on 815 Orchard Avenue. The owner is deceased. Council is concerned about a 5  potential public health issue, related to the condition of the interior of the home. A title search revealed no known natural heirs who could claim ownership of the property. However, currently, the Borough does not have any legal authority to enter the home. Thus, it is impossible to evaluate the condition of the property. ▪ Harshman CE Group has issued a notice of violation, which has been properly posted. Council agreed to authorize BCO Jarrod D’Amico to work with Solicitor Daniel Conlon to obtain an administrative search warrant. This will allow Borough officials to access the house and determine any costs involved with clean-up efforts. ▪ Solicitor Conlon will secure a lien on the property for any costs associated with clean-up efforts if such efforts are deemed to be a public health necessity. o The Quaker Valley Council of Governments ▪ Council Member Swartwout provided an update on discussions about the multi-municipal waste bid specifications. Executive Director Michelle Harkins will be reaching out to each community to gather input and discuss potential options. • Manager Makatura spoke with Jason Dailey, the consultant hired by the QVCOG to manage this project. They discussed logistics, such as the number of Avalon households covered by the contract and any changes in circumstances or preferences since the QVCOG last went through the RFP process. ▪ Route 65 Welcome/Wayfinding Signage – Council Member Swartwout will share the Welcome Sign Concepts and Design Intent slide decks from the recent QVCOG Board of Directors meeting. The intent is to create a cohesive network of wayfinding signs along the Route 65 corridor. However, the initial cost estimates are high, and many of the photographs included in the presentation are AI-generated and misleading. This project is not currently a top priority for the Board of Directors. o Tri-Boroughs Planning Commission ▪ Comprehensive Plan Update – Representatives from Michael Baker Internation met with members of the JPC and a representative from Ben Avon Heights for a tour of the communities on June 30, 2026. The group visited each community and discussed current conditions and circumstances – such as how parks and other resources are used and availability/access to public transportation. The consultants will also conduct a similar tour with members of the Steering Committee. 6  ▪ LGA Training – In April, Avalon Borough Council passed a resolution to participate in LGA Technical Assistance and Community Health Assessment Programs, so all Joint Planning Commission Members (as well as other elected and appointed officials) should be able to take advantage of the trainings. An initial training was held in early June, attended by Borough staff and the JPC Board members. A training session for all JPC members was held immediately prior to the June 22, 2026, meeting. Consultant Denny Puko provided general information about joint planning commissions and joint zoning ordinances; he also answered questions. Several more training sessions are planned in the upcoming weeks. ▪ Update on Proposed 7 Brew Development • The Zoning Hearing Board issued its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Final Adjudication on July 1, 2026. A copy of the decision is in the 7 Brew Folder in SharePoint. • LSSE completed Subdivision Review #3 and Land Development Review #3 on July 14, 2026. • Manager Makatura and Assistant McLaughlin will meet with Engineer Heyl and Solicitor Conlon tomorrow to discuss the project status. Motions to approve, deny, or table the subdivision and the land development applications will appear on the July 21, 2026, Council meeting agenda. ▪ JPC Member Valerie Cupps submitted a letter of resignation to Borough Council, citing personal reasons for stepping down from the role. Meyer moved: To accept the resignation of Valerie Cupps from the Joint Planning Commission. Nelson 2nd Council Member Meyer noted that Ms. Cupps’ term is scheduled to end December 13, 2026. He recommended appointing a replacement with a term to expire on December 31, 2029. CARRIED • 2026 Park and Pool Update – o Pool operations have gone smoothly. The pool has been busy, particularly on very hot days. 7  o The Borough has sold more pool passes in 2026 than in 2025, but sales have not rebounded to 2023 levels (before the pool was closed for repairs). o Patrons can now purchase daily admission tickets with a credit or debit card, using the Access Granted system. The Borough is trying to encourage patrons to become familiar with this system, as the administrative staff would like to go cashless at the pool in 2027. After the 2026 pool season ends, staff will meet with the account representative from Access Granted to evaluate the features that work well and improvements that can be made for next year. • Vacant Property Recovery Program Application – 228 Elizabeth Avenue o The speed sign on Elizabeth Avenue is currently located in a vacant long on Elizabeth Avenue (previously known as 228 Elizabeth Avenue). The Borough does not own the lot; it is still technically private property, although the owners are likely deceased and owe a significant amount in delinquent taxes to the Borough, Northgate School District, and Allegheny County. o The Borough can acquire the property either through eminent domain or through the Vacant Property Recovery Program. ▪ The VPRP process will take a year. ▪ Ray Englert, VPRP program manager, has limited appraisal data from Avalon to create an estimate for the value of the property. However, he estimates that the acquisition is estimated to cost $6,000-$11,000. ▪ The Borough will likely incur similar acquisition costs if the property is acquired via eminent domain – however, the process would be handled by Solicitor Conlon. ▪ Council prefers the most streamlined, cost-effective option. o The speed sign is now operational. Line painting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 2026; the project will then be finished. • Avalon Public Library o Roof Specifications – Under the current PA Department of Labor & Industry bidding thresholds, purchases/projects that cost more than $24,500 require formal bidding. Initial estimates are over the threshold. Engineer Heyl will have to put together bid specs unless the Borough uses a COSTARS vendor for the project. o Chair Lift – Garaventa Lift provided an estimate of $4,883.79 to replace the motor inverter on the chair lift. The estimate notes that additional parts and labor will be at an additional cost. The repairman noted that this is the original chairlift from when the APL was built, as it is about 25 years old. A full replacement will cost $18,000 - $20,000. ▪ Council Member Davidson would like to discuss this at the Finance Committee meeting. 8  • 605 California Avenue – Parking Lot Lease o The PNC Parking Lot was recently sold by Jaxon Properties to JDM21 Holdings LLC. Under the terms of the current agreement, the new owners assume the duties and liabilities of the lease for the remainder of the term. The current lease agreement runs through 2030. o The original lease agreement was signed in 2016 with James and Timothy Frew. The Frews sold the property to Jaxon Properties in 2021, and the lease was amended to reflect that. Additionally, the lease has been amended to extend the agreement. Manager Makatura has prepared the Fourth Amendment to reflect that the lease is held by the new owners, JDM21 Holdings. All other terms remain the same. o Jaxon Properties and JDM21 Holdings finalized the sale on June 26, 2026. Lease payments are typically due on the first day of each month. However, the Borough did not receive any information about to whom or where to send payment until last week. Payment will be late, but the new owner has agreed to waive the late fees. Meyer moved: To approve the Fourth Amendment to the PNC Parking Lot Lease Agreement with the new owners of 605 California Avenue, JDM21 Holdings LLC, term 7/1/2026- 12/31/2030. Nelson 2nd CARRIED • Additional Items o North Boroughs Community Day – The event was very successful! The weather cooperated and there was a good turn-out. Feedback from the event has been positive. Committee Chair Nelson appreciated the work done by all committee members and their families and thanked all Borough departments for their support. • Emsworth Mayor Chaz Bolte joined Mayor Weleski on stage to announce the raffle basket winner. Mayor Weleski would like to get the mayors from Bellevue, Ben Avon, and Ben Avon Heights involved next year. Committee Chair Nelson is looking for opportunities to increase involvement from the Avonworth communities. • Committee Chair Nelson will have the annual financial report finalized soon. 9 o Traffic Speed Signal – N. Birmingham Ave/Semple Ave – Council must decide whether to renew the subscription to the data service. This allows Borough officials to track the number and speeds of vehicles that pass through the intersection. • Council Member Pascale has reviewed some of the data but has not generated an actual report. He will continue to work on this and have the information for the Finance Committee meeting. • Manager Makatura will find out whether, if Council decided not to renew the subscription this year, there is an option to re-subscribe later. However, the Borough will likely lose all currently existing data. o Perkins Tree is available within the next two weeks to remove the tree located on Borough property along Spruce Run Road. Residents in the area will be notified; several residents will be required to move their cars before the work begins so they are not blocked in. The crews will be bringing a bucket truck and a chipper, and the portion of the road surrounding the tree will be completely closed. Superintendent Regrut will contact the residents who own the home immediately adjacent to the Borough’s lot if they will allow crews to use their driveway to access the tree. o DCED Training/DCED Scholars Program – Council Member Meyer reminded Council members of the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services training series. This is a virtual program designed to help municipal officials strengthen their knowledge, improve day-to-day operations, and better serve their communities. Participants can earn recognition through the DCED Scholar Program by completing all Core training sessions, registering after each session, and answering five related questions. The first session will be held on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. o Phil Seth and Ryan Schrmack are local professional artists who would like to create public art around the Borough. Mr. Seth previously worked on a very successful project for AHN in conjunction with Avalon students. Mr. Seth and Mr. Schrmack have connections with local businesses and Avalon elementary school; they would be willing to find funding sources and involve students from the elementary school. • Council members discussed potential locations for murals with Mr. Seth and Mr. Schrmack. • Council Member Morris recalled that there were already some funds in the Borough accounts that could be used for public art projects. The wall at the S. Birmingham Tot Lot could use repairs and fresh paint. The Borough has about $700 remaining from the 10  grant used to refresh the park several years ago that could be used to update the wall. The bathhouse at the pool could also use a refresh. A local resident, Jay Shane, donated money raised from a battle-of-the-bands fundraiser to be used for pool updates; she is currently a lifeguard at the Avalon Community Pool. • Council Member Davidson asked Mr. Seth and Mr. Schrmack to prepare a proposal for Council to consider at the Finance Committee meeting, with project design ideas and estimated costs. He noted that Council would be in favor of involving the Avalon Elementary School students. • Mr. Schrmack and Mr. Seth would also like to paint the Route 65 underpass and the retaining walls owned by PennDOT. • Council Member Meyer will reach out to his contact from PennDOT District 11 to inquire about permits or permission to paint a mural. • Manager Makatura expressed concern that other residents would see a mural as permission to paint graffiti in the area. Mr. Seth noted that professional art typically discourages graffiti artists; they typically respect the work of their fellow artists. o Roberta Edwards, 830 Taylor Avenue – Ms. Edwards inquired about the Zoning Hearing Board decision on the 7 Brews application. The findings of fact, conclusions of law and final adjudication are posted on the homepage of the Borough’s website. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm. Respectfully submitted Lorraine Makatura Lorraine Makatura Borough Secretary 11