Borough Council

Meeting Minutes FOLCROFT BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 21st, 2023 Location: 1555 Elmwood Avenue, Folcroft PA 19032 Council Vice President Leigh Daly called the Council Meeting to order at 7:00 PM Mayor: Flag Salute and Invocation. Council President Papaleo was absent, Councilmember Leigh Daly was present, acting as President, Councilmember Tawana Grayson was present, Councilmember Malinda Isaac was present, Councilmember Lorna Fyffe was present, Councilmember Stephen Ropski was present, Councilmember Ike Wilson was absent, Mayor Franny DiCicco was present, Solicitor James Gallagher was present, Secretary/Manager Andrew Hayman was present. Audience Participation Mr. Chris McCarthy 601 W. Ashland Avenue in Glenolden said he is a general contractor who applied for permits at 19 independence court said that the paperwork was accepted ago but the owner decided to not go with the project. Mr. McCarthy said the owner decided to revisit the project again however he determined that the check was accepted by the Borough and he wants his check back. Ms. McCarthy handed out Mr. Hayman said that he was looking into this and distantly aware of the situation, noting that he was unsure how this mistake was made as this was done by the previous engineer – Catania Engineering – which was also the engineer and BCO for Darby Township simultaneously. Mr. Hayman said he would speak with Mr. McCarthy once he had more information. Mr. Kenneth Wise 601 Windsor Circle in Folcroft said that the Borough started work on the alleyways last summer. Mr. Wise said that he came up to get a permit for a water heater this week and said that he is concerned because his street was not paved but that he is paying the extra $60 per year for parking with alleyways but noted that his alleyway hasn’t been touched and asked what happened. Ms. Daly said that it was found that Windsor Circle was partly done in concrete which is better than asphalt and that the concrete areas were intact. Mr. Wise asked if all areas are concrete. Mr. Van-Otoo said that this is not the case and early on in the project it was decided that these would be ignored. Ms. Daly said that even though his area is concrete the area around it has gotten better and parking has gotten better. Mr. Wise said that he was not worried about parking issues. Mr. Wise said that last year he was parking on the grass but now he understands that he has to park on stone or rock and that he does not believe that he has received anything as a result of this. Mr. Wise asked if the permits would be in place forever. Ms. Daly said there was no time limit on the parking permits. Mr. Wise asked about trash trucks and said that they are damaging driveways. Ms. Daly said this is being worked on and the trash contract is currently out to bid, noting that she did as much as she could and that many residents from his neighborhood had contacted the Borough to ask that their alleyway not be repaved. Ms. Sherrian Wise 801 Windsor Circle said that she was concerned because a week and a half ago her hot water talk went and the code enforcer said that she needed a permit for this work. Ms. Wise said that years ago when they moved here a shed was put in and a permit was needed but Ms. Wise says she was told permits were needed for other items. Ms. Wise said that she was told that the website was horrible years ago and now it works and she was not sure how she should know that the website was working. Ms. Daly said that emergency permits can be issued afterwards for various matters. Ms. Wise asked where the money goes. ENTER EXPLANATION. Mr. Sherrian said that he works construction and that if a project wasn’t done correctly there could be an explosion. Ms. Petty asked if the owner had called for an inspection. Mr. Sherrian said that the company did this online and that he only paid and was not aware directly. Ms. Petty said that the permit must be placed in the window when issued and the contractor must pick up the permit – which Ms. Petty noted is commonplace. Mr. Wise asked to have his hot water heater inspected. Engineer’s Report Mr. Van-Otoo said that the municipal complex payment number seven was reviewed by his firm and is being processed. Mr. Van-Otoo said that the clean fill is currently being delivered and that he has communicated with the contractor who said that everything is going to plan and that electrical service is scheduled for early April which is earlier than expected and may help speed up the project. Mr. Van- Otoo said that currently biweekly site meetings to ensure both contractors are on the same page. Mr. Van-Otoo said the next meeting is March 28th and he sent out an invitation as well. Mr. Van-Otoo said the shared driveways program is currently completed except for a small portion of Carter road which was noted previously. Mr. Van-Otoo said that this stretch was not highlighted on the original plan. Mr. Van-otoo said the apron project should be completed by the end of the week and payment application number 5 has been submitted and reviewed. Mr. Van-Otoo said that the Ashland Ave stormwater replacement project has been completed and he is just waiting for the maintenance bond to be obtained which is good for a year as of November 29 th 2022. Mr. Van-Otoo said that the trash contract had been put out to bid on PennBid which was uploaded on March 16th with a bid opening on April the 12th with witnesses who can attest to all the bids, at which point recommendations for the lowest bidder will be considered. Mr. Van-Otoo said he had reviewed several grant agreements received earlier in the year and after review he looked at these projects and the scope of work and he recommends a meeting with the manager to go over the scope of work and to review what needs to be done. Mr. Van-Otoo said that the planning project with the DCIU with the Folcroft Technical School he has received notice of intent for the project which is currently being reviewed. Mr. Van-otoo said that once this is reviewed he will move forward. Mr. Van-Otoo said he also spoke to the developer for the 7/11 project and says that the builder is currently looking for another business partner due to financial reasons. Mr. Van-Otoo said that Popeyes has completed its site visit and a punch list with a few items needed included sidewalk repairs have been completed and tha the has seen photos and lastly said that escrows and maintenance bonds must be released. Mr. Van-Otoo said he is trying to gather all the information on these projects. Ms. Daly asked who Mr. Van-Otoo is seeking information from regarding the scope of the grant. Mr. Van-Otoo said that this was from who issued the grant and noted that part of this project could have been changed. Ms. Daly said that this project had not been changed and said that this was to do a loop where people can come and walk through it. Ms. Daly said that she has an early draft of the proposal if he would like to see it. Mr. Van-Otoo said that there is some stream bank restoration to be done as part of the project and notes that it may be more intensive than listed on the grant application as well. Ms. Daly said that the road and pump house are priorities and that the previous council put a bandaid on it as this was sliding into the creek. Ms. Daly said she believed that curb appeal and a Montgomery park sign were also intended. Mr. Van-Otoo said that a permit from DEP is also in the process of being obtained for this work. Motion to accept the resignation of Councilman Ike Wilson Fyffe – Ropski. Unanimous. Public Works - Ms. Grayson • A motion to approve payment application #2 in the amount of $7,354.09 for Ashland Ave Sewer Repair was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. New Building – Ms. Grayson • A motion to approve payment application #7 in the amount of $325,682.83 was made by Ms. Fyffe and seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. • Members reviewed and accept a proposal for furniture for the new municipal complex tabled from March 7th Ms. Fyffe made a motion to table this motion seconded by Mr. Ropski. The motion passed unanimously. Public Finance & Administration - Mr. Papaleo • A motion to approve the bill list for the month of February, 2023 was made by Ms. Isaac and seconded by Mr. Ropski. The motion passed unanimously. • A motion to approve the Treasurer’s report for the month of February, 2023 was made by Ms. Fyffe and seconded by Mr. Ropski. The motion passed unanimously. • A motion to approve the February 7th and February 21st 2023 Meeting Minutes was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. Public Safety– Mr. Ropski • A motion to approve the February 2023 Police report was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. • A motion to approve the February 2023 Fire Chief’s report was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. • A motion to approve the February 2023 Fire Marshal’s report was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Fyffe. The motion passed unanimously. • Members considered a quote for two Plate Logic cameras for a total cost of $4,000 Ms. Daly asked if Chief Bair wanted to speak about what the cameras are capable of. Mr. Bair said that the cameras would be staged wherever the Borough would like to have it and noted that Darby Township has it also. Mr. Bair said that this would be a great tool for any crimes that go on and gave examples of what this tool could be used for, specifically differentiating between vehicles that go through intersection and recording license plates. Mr. Bair said that every month 500,000 vehicles go through the plate reader. Mr. Bair said that this is mainly useful for thefts. Ms. Daly said that she believes she spoke to an officer about this previously and that it was useful. Mr. Bair said that each camera, each way is $2,000. Ms. Daly said that this is set and there are no additional fees. Mr. Bair said he did not believe there were any additional fees. Ms. Daly said she was fine with this and Mr. Ropski said the same. Mr. Bair said he wanted to do this in coordination with other police departments so that there wasn’t any double coverage. Ms. Daly said she was just making sure that this was not to see if registrations were expired. Mr. Bair said that you can also pick out stolen vehicles which come through the reader and that his officers will be aware. Mr. Bair said that the make and color of the car are also recorded. Ms. Daly noted that she was hit during a hit and run on Delmar drive and said that this tool would have helped in her situation. Mr. Bair provided other examples of how and when this would be helpful. Mr. Ropski made the motion seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. Public Health and Literacy - Ms. Fyffe • Ms. Fyffe had no new business. Public Parks and Recreation – Ms. Daly • Consider a quote for a roadside marker commemorating the Baker Incident Ms. Daly said that her committee spoke about this being the 60 th anniversary of the Baker incident in Folcroft on Heather road and getting an historical marker from the state, however this is not currently being done. Ms. Daly said that Mr. Hayman was tasked with obtaining one from a private source and provided a sample of what this would look like. Ms. Daly said that the quote for one sided was $3,500 and two sided was $5,374 and suggested that funds could be raised for this. Ms. Daly said she wanted input from councilmembers about what would be said on the sign and what type. Ms. Daly said due to the material if it is two-sided it will be an issue. Mayor DiCicco said she is helping get a sign somewhere else and does not know about why it was cancelled. Ms. Daly said that older applications are probably still allowed. Ms. DiCicco said that she believes that one sided would be satisfactory and said that she did think some donations could be received. Ms. Daly said that this is an important landmark and then explained that the Baker family was the first African American family to move into Folcroft and 1,500 white residents held a race riot in response and said that commemorating the bravery of the family is important. A motion to approve a quote for a one-sided roadside marker for $3,500 was made by Mr. Ropski and seconded by Ms. Fyffe. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Daly said the easter egg hunt is April 1 st at 11:30 and the easter bunny will be there for pictures. Ms. Daly thanked the many donations that have come into the borough for the easter basket. Ms. Daly said that 7,000 easter eggs which is 2,000 more than last year. Ms. Daly said this was moved to Montgomery Park as the old location is no longer available. Ms. Daly said the Juneteenth celebration is June 17 th and encouraged anyone to reach out to anyone who would like to attend so that a table can be provided. Ms. Daly said that storytellers and a DJ have been booked and there will also be a basketball tournament. Ms. Daly said that she is thankful that there will be a significant amount of entries for the art program and noted that there is a lot of buzz about this in the community. Municipal Ordinances and Code Enforcement – Mr. Wilson • Consider final approval of Ordinance 2022-08 increasing the maximum allowable side yard fence height to 6 feet. Ms. Daly gave this task to Ms. Isaac. Mr. Gallagher said that this will be done through public hearing and asked for a motion to open a public hearing. Ms. Fyffe made a motion to open the public hearing seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Gallagher marked the public notices for the advertisement and notice of the agenda as exhibits 1, 2 and three. Mr. Gallagher asked councilmembers if they had any questions but none were received. Mr. Gallagher asked if there was any public comment in opposition to or in support of the ordinance. Mr. Gallagher asked if there was a motion to close the hearing. Ms. Fyffe made a motion seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously. A motion to give final approval for ordinance 2022-08 was made by Ms. Isaac and seconded by Ms. Fyffe. A roll call vote was held. Mr. Ropski – No Ms. Daly – Yes Ms. Fyffe – Yes Ms. Isaac – No Mayor DiCicco voted not to approve the motion. Ordinance 2022-08 failed. Municipal Planning and Borough Beautification – Ms. Isaac • Ms. Isaac had no new business to discuss. Driveways and Parking Permits – Ms. Daly • A motion to approve payment application #5 in the amount of $275,131.96 was made by Ms. Daly and seconded by Mr. Ropski. The motion passed unanimously. Police Chief’s Report Chief Bair thanked Council for the cameras and said this would be a great tool for the future. Mr. Bair said that he always tells members what happens with the anti-crime unit and listed local citizens arrested in February for distributing methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine. Mr. Bair said that on 2119 Delmar Drive there were two search warrants and right now there was an investigation into the 100 block of Folcroft Avenue in a search for crack cocaine. Mr. Bair noted that Officer Kesser is receiving an award for his service in 2022 for an investigation with the Pennsylvania State Police and reviewed the investigation that lead to this award. Mr. Bair said that this was for apprehending a large distributor of narcotics. Solicitor’s Report No report was issued. Finance Director’s Report Ms. Stilwell said the 2022 audit is complete and gave a shoutout to to Ramona Petty, Andrew Caponi and Andrew Hayman for their help through the audit. Borough Manager’s Report Manager Hayman presented a report on updated statistics about code enforcement, the highway department, parking enforcement and other matters within the Borough. Ms. Deborah Levandoski 762 Taylor Drive said that she loves the new driveways but that her dog was hit on Thursday night due to a speeding vehice. Ms. Levandowski asked if she could install a speed bump but Ms. Daly said that she could not. Ms. Levandowski asked why. Mr. Gallagher said that he was not aware of the specifics but he believed it was prohibited as well. Another resident interjected what would protect her children and said that vehicles are flying around. Ms. Daly said she was unsure but noted that this has been a problem for years. Ms. Levanowski said that she believes vehicles are driving on the driveway instead of the street and noted that she believes her son was threatened. Mr. Bair said that he did not believe there was a speed limit and was unsure how to ticket vehicles who were offending. Mr. Bair said that if there is a problem neighbor she should ask the police to discuss it. Ms. Levandowski said that she spoke to an officer and provided details about this discussion. Ms. Levandowski said she would recognize the vehicle and she would react if she saw it. Mr. Bair asked for information about this vehicle and said that he could have an officer testify in court about it. Ms. Levandowski said she was unsure fi this was still being investigated. Mr. Bair said that this is being worked on. Ms. Levandowski said that down at the park today she was there for an hour and a car pulled up and suspicious activity followed. Ms. Levandowski asked about people going to the fishing hole and said nobody would be fishing in this weather. Mr. Bair said that the cameras were not actively watched but that the tapes can be reviewed. Mr. Bair asked Ms. Levandowski to report any matters she encounters. Mr. Hayman said that he would follow up with Ms. Levandowski and apologized for her loss. Ms. Levandowksis aid the dog survived but had a seizure. Ms. Daly reiterated that she understood the problem and noted that she may be seeing it more. There was no old business. New Business Manager Hayman mentioned that the tree quote provided was for a service already approved via vote by phone, that several offers were provided and this was the cheapest quote to have one tree removed near the community garden and another inside the garden substantially trimmed back. A motion to approve a quote from Jake’s Tree service for $2900 for tree removal was made by Ms. Isaac and seconded by Mr. Ropksi. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Ropski made a motion to adjourn at 8:06pm seconded by Ms. Isaac. The motion passed unanimously.