City Council

6:30 PM, Executive Session – Personnel Matters Council Business Meeting AGENDA 7:30 PM Monday, December 16th, 2024 In-Person, Council Chambers/Large Meeting Room, 301 N. Spring St, 1st Floor VIEW RECORDING OF WORK SESSIONS and BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS Recordings can be viewed on CNET, Comcast’s Government Education Channel 7, or at www.cnet1.org ATTEND IN PERSON. The meeting room is open with normal occupancy limits. I. CALL TO ORDER – Council President Bernier II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE III. ROLL CALL Mr. Bernier, President, North Ward Ms. Purnell, North Ward Mr. Brachbill, South Ward Ms. Sedgwick, West Ward Ms. Cleeton, South Ward Ms. Tosti-Vasey, West Ward Ms. Dann, Vice-President, South Ward Mr. Larson, Jr. Council Member Mr. Johnson, Pro Tempore, North Ward Mayor Johnson, At Large Ms. McKean, West Ward IV. ADDITIONS TO THE COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA Under Act 65 of 2021, If a matter is not on the Agenda, Council may not take official action on it with the following exceptions. Council can act on matters relating to potential or real emergencies. Council may add a matter of agency business to its agenda through a majority vote. The council must state why the action item is being added to the Agenda. Council may vote to add an action item(s) to the agenda. V. PUBLIC COMMENT/PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2025 BUDGET This Public Comment period is for oral comments regarding action items on this meeting agenda. You must be a Bellefonte resident, non-profit representative, business owner, or an official representative of another governmental agency. Speakers shall identify themselves by name and street, municipality, if outside of the Borough of Bellefonte. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. 21  VI. COMMUNICATIONS (written) Penn DoT responses to questions, Mill Race, West High Street Bridge Project. FYI, no council action is requested. Zoning Changes to 1st Floor, Central Business District. FYI, no council action is requested. VI. CONSENT AGENDA All items listed on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and will be acted upon by a single motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the Council request specific items to be removed for separate action. Finance Budget V. Actual November 2024 Finance Budget V. Actual Summary November 2024 General DRAFT Council Meeting Minutes December 2, 2024 Finance Treasurers Report November 2024 Finance Voucher Summary November 2024 General Solicitor Stover Invoice Call for a Motion/ 2nd to approve the Consent Agenda. VII. REPORTS Elected Official and Staff Reports Please limit all reports/rebuttals/deliberations to three minutes maximum. DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL/ REPORT STAFF Mayor Mayor Johnson Verbal Police Chief Witmer Submitted  November 2024 Report Parking Ms. McCullough Submitted  November 2024 Report Office of Community Affairs (OCA): See memo for report and updates Ms. Thompson Submitted  Review and consider approval of the final draft of the Bellefonte Borough Historic District Design Guidelines (see under: New Business) Code Enforcement Mr. Barr Borough Manager – November 2024 Report Mr. Stewart Submitted Liaison Reports Reports will be submitted in writing for inclusion in the council meeting materials. Reports may include draft meeting minutes, notes, memos, etc. No verbal report is to be given unless there is a question regarding the report. If council action is requested, please clearly indicate it, including the wording, so that it can be stated on the council meeting agenda ADMINISTRATIVE LIAISON REPORT Bandshell/Performance Center Project Committee Bellefonte Area Industrial Development Authority (BAIDA) Bellefonte Emergency Medical Services Mr. Rhoat Bellefonte Intervalley Chamber of Commerce Ms. Brooks Submitted Bellefonte Police Pension Board Mr. Stewart Centre County Boroughs Association Ms. Dann Centre County Government Mr. Stewart CNET Board of Directors Governor’s Park Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority 3 Penn State University Sustainability Projects Shade Tree Commission Ms. Brooks Union Cemetery Association Zoning Hearing Board Ms. Thompson AUTHORITIES / COUNCIL APPOINTED LIAISON REPORT Bellefonte Borough Authority Mr. D. Johnson Submitted Centre County Airport Authority Mr. D. Johnson Submitted COMMISSIONS / COUNCIL APPOINTED LIAISON REPORT Civil Service Commission Mr. Brachbill Submitted Nittany Valley Joint Planning Commission Mr. D. Johnson Spring Creek Watershed Commission Mr. Brachbill SPECIAL COMMITTEES / COUNCIL APPOINTED LIAISON REPORT Bellefonte Fire Department Executive Committee Mr. Brachbill Centre County Library Board Ms. Cleeton Submitted Centre Region Council of Governments (COG) Public Safety Committee Mr. Brachbill Talleyrand Park Committee Ms. Dann Workplace Safety Committee Mr. Brachbill Submitted SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS / APPOINTED LIAISON REPORT Nittany Valley Joint Planning Commission (NVJPC) Ms. Thompson Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) Mr. D. Johnson IX. CURRENT and OLD BUSINESS 2025 Council Meeting Schedule – proposed. Council is only considering the dates of their meetings. Authorities, Boards and Commissions will be doing the same. Motion/2nd to approve the 2025 Council Meeting schedule with any modifications. Tax Ordinance No. 12162024-01. Motion/2nd to approve Tax Ordinance 12162024-01 with any modifications. 2025 Borough Budget. Motion/2nd to approve the 2025 Budget for Bellefonte Borough with any modifications. 2025 Bellefonte Borough Fee Schedule. Motion/2nd to approve the 2025 Bellefonte Borough Fee Schedule with any modifications. Service Line Inventory Memo/Update. FYI, no council action is requested. Authorities, Boards and Commissions Vacancies. Appointments/ Reappointments will be made at the January 6, 2025 Council Meeting. FYI, no council action is requested. Borough Building Open House on December 5th. Bellefonte Borough extends a thank you to Weis Markets and Giant Foods for donations to the Open House. FYI, no council action is requested. X. NEW BUSINESS Ratification/Approval of Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement between Bellefonte Borough and AFSCME Council 83. The agreement is for the period of January 1, 2025 – December 31st, 2027. Motion/2nd to approve this Agreement. The final draft of the Bellefonte Borough Historic District Design Guidelines is submitted for review and approval by HARB. Motion/2nd to approve the updated Bellefonte Borough Historic District Design Guidelines. Chief Witmer’s request to establish a new Eligibility List for the Bellefonte Borough Police Department for 2025. Council action requested. Motion/2nd to approve Chief Witmer’s request for a new Eligibility List for the Bellefonte Borough Police Department for 2025. 2025 Proposed Street Paving List. The street paving list will go out for bid in January. The final selection of streets to be paved will depend on priority and cost. Council action is requested. Motion/2nd to approve the proposed street paving list as presented. Borough Offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th for observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There will be no Refuse collection on Tuesday or Wednesday. Refuse will be collected on Thursday, December 26th, 2024 for Tuesday’s Route and Friday, December 27th, 2024 for Wednesday's Route. This information will be added to the Borough Website at www.bellefonte.net and automated calls will be made. FYI, no council action is requested. 4  Borough Offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 for New Year's Day. Refuse will not be collected on Wednesday. Refuse will be collected on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025. This information will be added to the Borough Website at www.bellefonte.net and automated calls will be made. FYI, no council action is requested. Borough Newsletter Deadline. Due to the need to obtain information about the tax bill/vendor changes at the county, we will have a firm deadline of January 31st for all newsletter information. FYI, no council action is requested. a. PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING ISSUES NOT ON THE AGENDA This Public Comment period is for oral comments regarding items not listed on this meeting agenda. Speakers shall identify themselves by name and street, municipality, if outside of the Borough of Bellefonte. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes maximum. b. ADJOURNMENT The council meeting will be adjourned at or as close as possible to 9:00 PM The Council Code of Conduct and the 2024 List of Goals/action items will be included with each Agenda. 5 6