Rescheduled: Borough Council (Rescheduled From 1/20/25)

January 27, 2025 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 Ben Bell, Larry Browne, Joe Frederick, Robert Kinney, Jennifer Jarret, Dennis Livrone, and Elizabeth Wyckoff. Also present were Mayor Noni West, Junior Council Member Elisa Kremser, Borough Solicitor Ernest “Bucky” Closser, Borough Engineer Jim Dougherty, Central Bucks Regional Police Department Police Chief Karl Knott, Borough Manager John Davis,, and Planning & Zoning Director Karyn Hyland. Assistant Manager/Finance Director Caroline Brinker was absent due to her attendance at the Fanny Chapman Pool Board of Managers meeting. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 1. Certificate of Appreciation to David Sechler. Mayor West presented the certificate to Mr. Sechler which thanked him for his quick response to help control and extinguish a kitchen fire at the Fonthill Apartments on December 29, 2024 at 3 a.m. The Borough’s Fire Marshal Scott Fleischer was also present and gave comments as to how Mr. Sechler “went above and beyond” and was a tremendous help to his neighbors. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. O’Brien called for a motion to approve the December 16, 2024 Council Meeting Minutes (Browne-Bell). Hearing no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the minutes were unanimously approved. MAYOR’S REPORT 2025 is off to a busy start. No quiet January for this Borough. It started on New Year’s Day with a wedding in Borough Hall, where 20 people attended in person and 15 people from Iran attended by zoom. Days later, PennDOT gave a special four-hour training on pedestrian safety for Council, Staff, and Emergency Personnel. Our Comprehensive Plan is in final draft and on tap for public presentation. We swore in our third canine police officer, Granite. The Bucks County NAACP held their Board appointments for the first time in Borough Hall. Council Chambers was at capacity and alive with gospel music. Public Works and our Water Department have been addressing record freezing temperatures and snow. 180  The Borough, Discover Doylestown, the Memorial Day Committee and Rotary are organizing the events we look forward to: Spring Scenic Strolls start on March 19th and Sun Dog Yoga is returning in May, Broad Commons Easter Egg Hunt is April 12, the Easter Bunny arrives on April 19, Book Fest is May 2-4, the 5K is May 24, Memorial Day Parade is May 26, Pride Fest is June 14-28, Doylestown at Dusk is July 29, Arts Festival is September 6-7 – Discover Doylestown already has sponsors and applications indicate this could be a record-breaking year, Spooktacular is in the works, the 111th tree lighting is November 28, and then of course there are our cultural institutions/local events, which will be listed on our website and there is more to come at Broad Commons. On a personal note, Tom Brunt, our tech guru for Council meetings, is not here this evening because he is at the Sundance Film Festival. Tom has been secretive about his reason for being there, but recent posts indicate it has to do with his involvement in the Film Project “Bucks County, USA.” In the beginning of this year, we recognized two Borough Staff Members for their 10 years of service: Chris Morrone from Public Works and Rodney Keeys from Parking. They are not here tonight, but thank you. And last but not least, at the end of 2024 our Borough Manager, John Davis, achieved 35 years of service to the Borough. John is our rock. I can say from experience that when I talk with other communities, I am thankful for John and his Staff. As Mayor and former Councilperson, we are so much more involved in our community because of the way the Borough functions. 2025 looks to be another action-packed year. And that is the end of my report. PUBLIC SAFETY - Mr. Frederick 1. Mr. Frederick passed the Authorization to Advertise Ordinance Establishing an Emergency Preparedness and Communications Board to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown said that this ordinance establishes a five member volunteer board to advise Council on matters of emergency preparedness and communications. Following the recommendation of the Public Safety Committee, a motion was made to advertise the ordinance establishing an Emergency Preparedness and Communications Board (Frederick-Kinney). Hearing no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the minutes were unanimously approved. 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 181  Mr. Browne reported that the Committee did not meet in January. The Public Works Department’s Work Orders and Fleet Services Reports were provided in the packets. Mr. Browne commented that the Public Works Department continues to do their excellence in snow fighting and their usual things. Mr. Davis added that there have been several water main breaks which is inevitable in this weather. COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS - Mr. Bell Mr. Bell reported that the Committee did not meet and there were no items for Council to consider. Mr. Bell commented that this Thursday at CB West at 7 p.m., there is a very important town hall meeting that the Central Bucks School Board is hosting. He said that normally the School District and the Borough stay out of each other’s business, but the Borough does get involved when there are matters before the School Board that we feel directly impacts the welfare of the residents and this is exactly the sort of issue - the School Board is looking at eight elementary schools for renovation or potential closing, two of which are in the Borough and are subject to potential closure. He said Council and Staff studied the issue and discussed it, and the determination was made that closure of the two schools would be a really bad thing for the quality of life in the Borough. Mr. Bell encouraged everyone to attend the meeting and also go to the CBSD.org website and submit questions in advance. ZONING AND PLANNING - Ms. Jarret 1. Application for Minor Subdivision, Meehan Warner Lot Line Change, Hohlbain’sAlley, 102 Decatur Street. Ms. Jarret said that Lisa Meehan and Grey Warner, owners of the subject parcels, are proposing to adjust the location of the property line between the two parcels. She said that the proposal would decrease the size of 102 Decatur and reallocate that portion of land to 80 Hohlbain Alley. Ms. Jarret said that the Zoning & Planning Committee reviewed the application on January 13, 2025 and recommended approval of the application with several conditions. Following the recommendation of the Zoning & Planning Committee, a motion was made to approve the minor subdivision with the conditions as indicated by the Committee (Jarret- Popkin). Hearing no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the minutes were unanimously approved. The applicants were in the audience and Mr. Davis asked if they agreed to the conditions to which the applicants replied, “Yes, we are.” 2. Application for Land Development Waiver, Arcadia At Doylestown 3, 280 North Broad Street. Ms. Jarrett said that Arcadia At Doylestown 3 is proposing the construction of a 60 unit multi-family residential building as well as 18 townhomes on TMP 09-009-046, a landlocked parcel in Doylestown Township. She said that as part of the proposal, a driveway is to be constructed on TMP 08-005-001, the parcel within Doylestown Borough connecting the residential development 182 to North Broad Street. Arcadia has agreed to convey this parcel to the Borough and to install the parking, walkways, landscaping, and fencing for a public dog park. The Borough entered into an agreement with Arcadia deferring Land Development review to Doylestown Township and agreeing to a Waiver of Land Development for improvements on TMP 08-005-001. Ms. Jarret said that the Zoning & Planning Committee reviewed the application on November 11, 2024 and January 13, 2025, and recommended approval of the application with nine conditions. Following the recommendation of the Zoning & Planning Committee, a motion was made to approve the minor subdivision with the conditions as indicated by the Committee (Jarret- Kinney). Mr. Davis reminded the public that the Borough had no say or jurisdiction over the Doylestown Township piece of this project and had no vote on whether or not there would be a development in the Township. He said our jurisdiction was very limited to the small parcel that provided access to Broad Street. Mr. Davis commended Borough Staff for making the best of a bad situation and turning that into a nice amenity for the public and getting the best ingress and egress we could get to the development. Hearing no further comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the minutes were unanimously approved. 3. Zoning Hearing Board Report. Ms. Jarret asked Ms. Hyland for the report. Ms. Hyland reported that at its January 16, 2025 public meeting, the Doylestown Borough Zoning Hearing Board heard an application for 480 Maple Avenue by Zachary and Lauren Loware for variances exceed the lot coverage and floor area ratios permitted for a second floor addition to the existing garage with a second story connection to the main house. Ms. Hyland said the application was approved by the Zoning Hearing Board. 4. Historic & Architectural Review Board (HARB) Recommendations. Ms. Jarret stated that at its monthly meeting, the Historical and Architectural Review Board reviewed the following applications and recommended that a Certificate of Appropriateness be approved as presented for the following Building Applications: 115 Cottage Street, for windows, approval with conditions; 18 West State Street, windows and exterior renovations, approval with conditions; 197 Washington Street, for a roof and windows; and, 155 North Main Street, for a barn roof and siding - the HARB recommended that the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness be bifurcated and that the applicant return with additional information for the barn’s siding after further research and consultation with Staff. The HARB approved the Certificate of Appropriateness for the ABC Metal “narrow” pan standing seam roof in charcoal gray. Ms. Jarret said that the HARB recommended that Council approve the applications in accordance with HARB’s recommendations, with the following added condition: for the 18 West State Street application, that the applicant consider installing a wood framed NanaWall with aluminum clad exterior, and a motion was so made (Jarret-Popkin). With no comments from 183 Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. Mr. Browne abstained from the vote since he was one of the applicants. All remaining Council Members were all in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 5. Code Enforcement Monthly Activity Report and 6. Building Inspection Monthly Report. Ms. Jarrett 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 Ms. Wyckoff reported that the Committee did not meet and there were no items for Council. WATER UTILITY - Mr. Livrone Mr. Livrone said that at Council’s December meeting, he reported that Pennvest accepted the Borough’s application for funding to help solve the PFAs contamination in our wells. He said that on January 22, Mr. Davis advised Council that our application for $6 Million had been approved. Mr. Livrone provided further details on the loans involved and how it works. Mr. Davis clarified the amounts, the interest rates, and the time period of the loans. He said it is a tremendous value. Mr. Livrone thanked Staff and our water engineers, CKS Engineering, for their work in submitting our application Mr. Livrone then gave a recap of the Water Utility meeting where Water Operations Director provided them with a summary of work performed in 2024 and work expected to be completed in 2025. FINANCE/PENSION - Ms. Popkin 1. Consideration of Resolution No. 2025-1, Adjusting the Compensation for the Tax Collector of Doylestown Borough. Ms. Popkin noted that our Tax Collector Michelle Crunkleton was present. She then said that resolution relates to the adjustment of the Doylestown Borough Tax Collector beginning with the first month of the 2026 term of office, for a proposed salary of $21,800 per year. The Finance and Pension Committee reviewed this information at their January 9, 2025 meeting and are recommending that Borough Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-1. (Popkin-Jarret) Mr. Bell said the resolution also ties future raises to the collective bargaining agreement. He asked if any other aspects of the tax collector’s position will also be tied to the collective bargaining. The response was no. With no further comments from Council, Staff, or the public, Mr. O’Brien called the vote. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 2. Finance Report. Ms. Popkin reported that Council was provided with a list of payables for the month and also the December payroll. She said the total of all funds expended was $1,312,115.90. A motion was made to approve the report (Popkin-Jarret). With no comments 184 from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. PERSONNEL - Mr. O’Brien: None. PROFESSIONALS’ REPORTS Engineer’s Report - Mr. Dougherty: No report. Solicitor's Report - Mr. Closser: No report. Central Bucks Regional Police Department (CBRPD) Activities Report. Chief Knott said he had no report. The Police Activity Report for December 2024 indicated that were 817 incidents in the Borough and year-to-date, the Department had spent $7,348,085.60 and were at 99.69% of their yearly budget. PRESIDENT’S REPORT: None. OLD BUSINESS Mr. Bell noted that with regard to the Emergency Preparedness and Communications Board, governance is a team sport, but he wanted to acknowledge his colleague Councilman Larry Browne who has really been at the heart of this issue and really helped get it over the finish line. Mr. Browne stated that the next preparedness seminar is right here on Thursday night and it is specifically for businesses for creating disaster plans. He also noted that they’ve received some incredible backing from PEMA recently that is going to help with these going forward. NEW BUSINESS 1. Authorization to Accept Council Member Resignation and Advertise Vacancy. Mr. O’Brien said that Council Member Joe Frederick submitted his resignation effective January 30, 2025. He said that if Council wished to accept the resignation, it could do so by motion (O’Brien- Kinney). Mr. Bell and other Council Members acknowledged and thanked Mr. Frederick. With no further comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Frederick said it has been an honor to serve the community for almost eight years and work along his fellow Council Members. He commented on some of the work completed while he has been a Councilperson, such as this Borough Hall, the tremendous job that Chief Knott does with the Police Department, and so many other things. Mr. Davis thanked Mr. Frederick on behalf of all Staff. He said Mr. Frederick has been supportive of everyone who works here, “he kept us on our toes, but he was always a good listener.” Mr. Davis said Mr. Frederick brought great insight and helped Staff do their jobs better. He said Staff enjoyed working with Mr. Frederick and he’ll be missed. Mr. Frederick thanked Mr. Davis for the comments and said it’s been an honor to work with him and the Staff, and he learned a lot. President O’Brien thanked Mr. Frederick for all that he did for the Borough. 185  Authorization to Authorize Vacancy. Mr. O’Brien said that if Council wished to authorize an advertisement seeking applicants to fill the resulting vacancy on Borough Council for a term ending December 31, 2025, it could do so by motion. (O’Brien-Brown) With no comments from Council, Staff, or the public, the vote was called. The motion passed unanimously. OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT: None. EXECUTIVE SESSION: None. ADJOURNMENT At 7:37 p.m., President O’Brien entertained a motion to adjourn. (Browne-Kinney) The vote was called and the motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, John H. Davis Borough Manager :sa 186