Borough Council

BANGOR BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT 197 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, BANGOR, PA MINUTES APRIL 10, 2023 - 6:30 PM CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE TO FLAG ROLL CALL Members Present: James W. Kresge Marissa Donnelly Joanna Paulson James Augustine Rosemarie Capone Barry G. Schweitzer Robert Goffredo, Sr. Others Present: Stephen M. Reider, Borough Manager Mary Ellen DeFranco, Mayor David J. Ceraul, Esq., Solicitor PUBLIC COMMENT: 1. James Parry was present from 211 North Eighth Street to discuss his neighbors putting garbage cans on their 2nd floor back decks. Manager Reider will follow up with Code Enforcement and review the Ordinance. Mr. Parry also mentioned a potential business on North Seventh Street. Manager Reider will research this and follow up. ACTION ITEMS: 1. A MOTION to approve the minutes dated March 13, 2023, and March 27, 2023, was made by Capone, seconded by Donnelly. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 2. Manager Reider stated that the borough currently has an agreement with Slater Youth Baseball for the little league field at Bangor Memorial Park. Slater Youth Baseball would like to make a change to the agreement and have the borough mow the field and surrounding areas. Mr. Comunale was present from Slater Youth Baseball to address Council regarding their request. A MOTION was made by Capone, seconded by Goffredo to approve this request on a trial basis for one year. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 3. Manager Reider contacted the state regarding the borough’s original LSA grant application and the potential change to allow for additional improvements at the police station. The state requires a special request and upon review the CFA will ask why the work is not being completed as it was approved. Manager Reider and Council discussed if they wanted to submit a special request to the CFA for the scope of the work to be changed. A MOTION was made by Donnelly, seconded by Capone to stay with the original application. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 4. Manager Reider stated that one bid (Grace Industries) was received for the stormwater project on South First Street at a base bid cost of $104,730.46. A MOTION was made by Schweitzer, seconded by Capone to approve the base bid received from Grace Industries. Vote 6-1, Paulson- Nay. MOTION carried.  5. Manager Reider stated that the CDBG funds that were received for the stormwater project were also approved for I&I work to be completed on the sanitary sewer system. The funds can be used for other projects, but Northampton County must be notified. Council and Manager Reider discussed their options for the use of the funds. A MOTION was made by Schweitzer, seconded by Capone to use 70% of the CDBG funds towards I&I/sanitary sewer projects and 30% towards paving projects next year. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 6. Manager Reider provided updated proposals to Council for security cameras at Bangor Memorial Park and Pennico Park. Manager Reider and Council discussed the proposals. A MOTION was made by Schweitzer, seconded by Augustine to approve the proposal from Altronics Security Systems for $16,302.81. All were in favor. MOTION carried. Melissa Marouchoc was present from 583 Fairview Avenue for an update regarding her neighbor’s cameras that was discussed at a February Council meeting. This will be discussed after the action items. 7. A MOTION to waive the yard sale permit fee for the Memorial Day weekend community wide yard sale held on May 26th to May 28th was made by Goffredo, seconded by Donnelly. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 8. A MOTION was made by Goffredo, seconded by Augustine to approve Manager Reider and Council Member Schweitzer as representatives for the borough on the COG. All were in favor. MOTION carried. 9. A MOTION was made by Augustine, seconded by Capone to approve with regrets the resignation of Forrest Meyers from the Park Board. Vote 6-1, Paulson-Nay. MOTION carried. OLD BUSINESS: 1. Manager Reider updated Melissa & Jesse Marouchoc regarding their neighbor’s cameras. Solicitor Ceraul commented that the borough does not have jurisdiction to regulate the use of personal cameras. COUNCIL COMMENTS: 1. Officer in Charge Jones updated Council on the current Police Department activities. 2. Council Member Paulson commented that she disagrees with Council President Kresge’s comment that, you cannot serve the community and make a profit. Paulson feels it is possible to serve the youth and community and make a small profit. Paulson had sewer capacity concerns. She has been hearing about that quite a bit. She is wondering if we have a capacity issue now how do we add more hook ups, how does that work? Schweitzer responded, the fact of the matter is Roseto has a high-end limit of 300,000 gallons a day and they are currently exceeding 600,000 gallons a day. Roseto should be using 20-27 percent of the WWTP capacity, and they are currently consuming 40-42 percent. We are doing all we can to get them to reduce their I & I and they will need to do this so future customers will have access. Paulson questioned, what if they do not, we have a capacity issue now so how do we add more people if you already have an issue? Schweitzer responded, the fact is that you cannot. 3. Manager Reider updated Council on the current borough events and grants that he is working on. Reider mentioned that plans have been received for a Dollar General Market located at 90 North Main Street. 4. Council President Kresge stated that a letter was received from Theresa Calantoni critical of the organization and decorum at the Public Hearing held on July 25, 2022 and the Planning Commission meeting held on March 14, 2023. Council President Kresge wanted to clarify his comment mentioned by Council Member Paulson. Kresge feels that a government that governs least governs best and that government by nature cannot make a profit. EXECUTIVE SESSION: A MOTION to go into Executive Session at 7:42 P.M. to discuss personnel matters with potential action to follow was made by Donnelly, seconded by Goffredo. All were in favor. MOTION carried. Open session was re-entered at 8:29 P.M. Council President Kresge stated that personnel matters involving the police department were discussed. A MOTION was made by Capone, seconded by Schweitzer to hire Officer Pompei part-time pending successful completion of background checks and any other department requirements. All were in favor. MOTION carried. A MOTION was made by Donnelly, seconded by Schweitzer to offer Officer Jones the Chief of Police position pending execution of an MOU. All were in favor. MOTION carried. ADJOURNMENT: A MOTION to adjourn was made by Goffredo, seconded by Donnelly. All were in favor. MOTION carried. The Bangor Borough Council Meeting adjourned at 8:31 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Tracy Palmer, Secretary