Borough Council Meeting

July 15, 2024 7:00 p.m. The regular meeting of Doylestown Borough Council was held on the above date and time in Council Chambers, with the following members present: Council President Jack O’Brien, Vice President Amy Popkin, and Council Members Larry Browne, Robert Kinney, Joe Frederick, and Dennis Livrone. Also present were Mayor Noni West, Borough Solicitor Ernest Closser, Borough Engineer Jim Dougherty, Central Bucks Regional Police Department Police Chief Karl Knott, Borough Manager John Davis, Finance Director Caroline Brinker, Building and Zoning Director Karyn Hyland, and Planning/Public Works Director/Deputy Borough Manager Phil Ehlinger. Council Members Ben Bell, Jennifer Jarret, Elizabeth Wyckoff were absent. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 1. The Borough’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) Chair Fred Stanczak presented the HRC’s first Leadership Award, for a person’s contribution in an outstanding way in promoting equity and inclusion, to Immigrant Rights Action’s Executive Director Heidi Roux. 2. As Riley Smith was out of town taking a college course, her parents were present to accept the following: a certificate of recognition from Senator Steve Santarsiero’s office and a statehouse citation from Representative Tim’s Brennan office, both presented by Shannon Sticker from the Senator’s office, for Riley’s leadership and commitment to the community; and, the Borough’s Community and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Youth Leadership Award, presented by Mayor West, for Riley’s positive impact on Doylestown through her leadership and service. 3. President Ken Lehr of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society presented their “Good Job Award” to Dave Burger, Parks and Facilities/Foreman, for his outstanding dedication and positive impact on the local community. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. O’Brien called for a motion to approve the June 17, 2024 Council Meeting Minutes. (Kinney-Frederick) The vote was called and the minutes were unanimously approved. MAYOR’S REPORT Mayor West reported that on June 26, Senator Casey’s office came to meet with her, Messrs. Davis, Ehlinger, and O’Brien, and the Borough’s Recreation and Special Events Coordinator Caitlin Hernandez. She said the Regional Representative and Infrastructure Specialist wanted to discuss issues important to the Borough while they were on a tour of southeastern Pennsylvania. She said they mainly discussed PFAs and water infrastructure, and also touched on issues like solar power, electric vehicles, and affordable housing. 141  Mayor West said that following the meeting, she, Senator Casey’s team, Mr. O’Brien, and Ms. Hernandez joined Commissioner Marseglia and Representative Tim Brennan for a walk through our town’s central business district. She said they spoke with residents and business owners about the economy, tourism, and development. Ms. West then reminded everyone that the Doylestown at Dusk Car Show is July 20, from 5 pm to 10 pm, with a rain date of July 21. PUBLIC SAFETY - Mr. Frederick 1. Consideration of Ordinance No. 2024-4, Creating a Handicap Parking Space at 443 Maple Avenue. Mr. Frederick said that this ordinance creates a handicap parking space at 443 Maple Avenue. He said that Council authorized the drafting and advertisement of the ordinance at their June 17, 2024 meeting, and the ordinance was then properly advertised. Following the recommendation of the Public Safety Committee, a motion was made to adopt Ordinance No. 2024-4 (Frederick-Browne). With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 2. Mr. Frederick said that the Doylestown Fire Company monthly report was provided in Council’s packet and is available to the public by following the packet link noted on this meeting’s Agenda. PUBLIC WORKS AND ADMINISTRATION - Mr. Browne 1. 2024-2025 Fuel Bid. Mr. Browne said that bids were publicly opened and read on June 14, 2024 by the Bucks County Consortium for the purchase of fuel for the period of August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025. He said that the low bidder for approximately 25,000 gallons of delivered unleaded gasoline at a floating price as of the delivery dated based on the OPIS Philadelphia mean price, $2.39 as of June 13, 2024, plus a modifier of $0.179, and for approximately 8,000 gallons of delivered ultra-low sulfur diesel at a floating price as of the delivery date based on the OPIS Philadelphia mean price, $2.36 as of June 13, 2024, plus a modifier of $.319 per gallon, was Riggins, Inc. Following the recommendation of the Public Works Committee, a motion was made to award to Riggins, Inc., conditioned upon receipt of a properly executed performance bond and compliance with bid specifications (Browne-Popkin). Mr. Kinney questioned the time period covered for the diesel fuel. Mr. Ehlinger confirmed the memo contained a typo and it was in fact for August 1, 2024 (not 2023) to July 31, 2024. With no further comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 2. Fonthill MS4 Sediment Reduction Project Easements. Mr. Browne said that these easements in favor of the Borough and granted by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS) are a pre-requisite detail required for the Font Hill sediment reduction project. He said the easement document was drafted in collaboration between the Borough solicitor and the BCHS lawyer. 142 Following the recommendation of the Public Works Committee, a motion was made to authorize execution of the easement document (Browne-Popkin). With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 3. The Public Works Department’s Work Orders and Fleet Services Reports were provided in the packets. Mr. Browne next echoed the comments made regarding Mr. Burger’s award and said it was well-deserved. He then asked Mr. Ehlinger for comments. Mr. Ehlinger noted that road paving begins on July 22 and indicated which streets were going to be paved. He said the department has been busy with water repairs and water main breaks, tree removals, park work, and supporting events including the car show. Mr. Davis added that West Court Street between Main and five points was restored this week by contractors on behalf of PECO. He said that next week, at long last, PennDOT will be here first thing Monday morning to pave at least two blocks of West State Street to five points. He said a lot of hard work went in to getting this done and he thanked Senator Santarsiero and particularly Representative Brennan who really helped getting PennDot moving on this. Mr. Davis said there are other lengthy sections of State Street, both east and west, that need attention and they’ll keep working until all of State Street is done. Mr. Ehlinger added that PennDOT will shut down State Street for the three days of paving and the Borough did significant outreach to the businesses there to give them advance notice. COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS - Mr. Bell Mr. Bell was not present and there was no report. ZONING AND PLANNING - Ms. Jarret In Ms. Jarret’s absence, Mr. Livrone reported the following: 1. Consideration of Ordinance 2024-5 Amending Zoning Regulations Regarding Conversions and Non-Conforming Uses. Mr. Livrone said that this ordinance eliminates the current Use 5, Conversions, and modifies the language to require a variance for changing a nonconforming use to a different nonconforming use. He said that both the Bucks County Planning Commission and the Borough Planning Commission have reviewed the proposed ordinance and recommend adoption. Following the Zoning and Planning Committee’s recommendation, a motion was made to adopt Ordinance 2024-5 (Livrone-Kinney). With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 2. Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) Report. Mr. Livrone said that the Committee discussed five applications and no problems were seen with any of them. 3. Historical & Architectural Review Board (HARB) Recommendations - Certificates of Appropriateness. Mr. Livrone said that at its regular monthly meeting, the HARB recommended the following applications be approved for a Certificate of Appropriateness as submitted and 143 presented: Sign Applications: 2 East Court Street and 29 South Main Street; and, Building Applications: 100 South Main Street, for windows, 291 West Court Street, for a roof, 299 Maple Avenue, for windows, approval with conditions as indicated by the HARB, 192 East State Street, for a dormer, approval with conditions as indicated by the HARB, and 6-12 West State Street, for a window, approving the amendment to the previously approved application for a Certificate of Appropriateness as submitted and presented. As recommended by the Zoning & Planning Committee, a motion was made to approve the applications in accordance with the HARB’s recommendation (Livrone-Popkin). With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 4. Code Enforcement Monthly Activity Report and 5. Building Inspection Monthly Report. Mr. Livrone stated that these reports were provided in Council’s packet and they are available to the public by following the packet link noted on this meeting’s Agenda. ENVIRONMENT AND RECREATION - Ms. Wyckoff In Ms. Wyckoff’s absence, Mr. Davis said that the Committee did not meet and there was no report. WATER UTILITY - Mr. Livrone Mr. Livrone reported that the Committee did meet. He said they went over Chief Water Operator Jeremy Matozzo’s monthly report and where everything looked relatively normal. He said we made it through the drought period with some rainfall, residents’ voluntary conservation measures, and with the water received through the interconnection with Doylestown Township Municipal Authority. Mr. Livrone said they also received Mr. Matozzo’s report on the Maplewood Standpipe Project which indicated that even with difficulties due to the weather, they were still looking at a completion date of the end of July. FINANCE/PENSION - Ms. Popkin Ms. Popkin said the Committee did not meet. She then asked Ms. Brinker for the Finance Report. Ms. Brinker reported that the total of all funds expended was $1,261,479.20. A motion was made to approve the report. (Popkin-Browne) With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. PERSONNEL - Mr. O’Brien: No report. PROFESSIONALS’ REPORTS Engineer’s Report - Mr. Dougherty: No report. Solicitor's Report - Mr. Closser: No report. 144  Central Bucks Regional Police Department (CBRPD) Activities Report. Chief Knott had no report. The monthly activity report that was provided showed that there were 810 incidents in the Borough in June and year-to-date, the Department had spent $3,010,151.09 and were at 40.84% of their yearly budget. PRESIDENT’S REPORT Mr. O’Brien gave the following statement: As elected representatives of our town, it’s crucial for us to remember that our public comments and actions carry significant weight and reflect on the entire elected body. Each action we take, whether in public or private, and each statement we make, whether in meetings, interviews, or social media, shapes public perception and affects our collective credibility. With this in mind, I kindly urge everyone to be mindful of the impact of our actions and words. Let’s strive to maintain professionalism, respect different viewpoints, and uphold the integrity of our roles as public servants. By demonstrating thoughtful communication, we not only strengthen our community’s trust, but also enforce a positive environment for constructive dialogue and decision making. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Together we can continue to serve our town with diligence and honor. And I think that comment is especially appropriate today in light of the recent activities that happened. Thank you. OLD BUSINESS: Mr. Browne commented that the next Preparedness Seminar will be held on July 31, 6:30 p.m., here at Borough Hall. NEW BUSINESS Mr. Frederick stated that he believed he owed folks sitting there an apology for a statement he made while angry. He said he shouldn’t have let it get the best of him, but it did and it reflected poorly on everyone sitting there. Mr. Frederick apologized and hoped everyone could accept that apology. OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT Lisa Miller of Hillcrest Drive commented on traffic concerns due to the new Target, as well as pedestrian accessibility. EXECUTIVE SESSION: None. 145 ADJOURNMENT President O’Brien said that a year ago this month, seven people were killed in the floods in Upper Makefield. At 7:40 p.m., he called for a motion to adjourn in those people’s memory (Browne-Livrone). The vote was called and the motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, John H. Davis Borough Manager :sa 146