Home Rule Study Commission

Home Rule Study Commission Borough of Greenville Minutes of the Meeting held August 9, 2018 at 7:00PM Greenville Senior Center 1. Call to Order Paul Miller, Commission Chairman 2. Pledge of Allegiance: Flag Salute led by Hal Johnson 3. Roll Call: Paul Hamill - Absent Hal Johnson Martha Johnson Paul Miller Casey Shilling Steve Thompson Steve Williams Also present: Jasson Urey, Tracy Beil, Evan Hereford, Kelly Lema, Ben Beck, Lisa Hamill, Linda K. Snyder, Pete Longiotti, Linda Alcorn Media: Caleb Stright, Record-Argus 4. Public Comments: None 5. Minutes: Paul Miller noted the minutes from the July 26, 2018 meeting stated that there were known former mayors of Greenville still living other than Josh Stephens. Bob Gargasz and Joe Walton are both former mayors who are still living. Casey made a motion to approve the minutes with the above notation and Steve Williams offered a second. Motion passed 6-0. 6. Old Business: Paul Miller presented new details for the meeting schedule as follows: November 8 Neighborhood Input Meeting 1:00 PM & 7:00PM site TBD November 29 Neighborhood Input Meeting 1:00 PM & 7:00PM site TBD December 13 Neighborhood Input Meeting 1:00 PM & 7:00PM site TBD Hal Johnson made a motion to accept the schedule as presented and Steve Thompson offered a second. Discussion took place regarding the best days of the week for the public to attend and resulted in staying with the original proposal. Motion passed 6-0. Paul Miller noted that no business will be conducted at these meetings so we will not need a quorum. Questions to the public will be along the lines of: What do you like about our local government? What do you not like about our local government? What changes would you like to see in our local government? Jasson said he will help find venues on the west side, center, and east side of the borough to hold these meetings. 7. New Business: Pete Longiotti presented on the history of the borough and his experience during his tenure on council which included Greenville’s entry into Act 47. When asked what he would include in a Home Rule Charter, were there one to be written, Pete said he would raise the wage tax and relieve property taxes, add a service charge for non profits, and forbid borough employees from bidding on projects. He would also recommend going from a seven member council to a five member council, possibly with each of the three wards being represented as well as two members at large and he would eliminate the mayoral position. He also believes term limits should be set on elected positions. Evan Hereford presented on the responsibilities of the mayor under our current code and his experiences in the position. When asked what changes he might suggest to the current structure Evan said he feels we should move to a strong mayor form of government. 8. Public Comments: Linda Snyder commented on what she feels are negative changes seen in council over time and expressed her belief that the mayor’s position should get more appreciation. Tracy Beil asked if the commission was doing work outside the scheduled meetings. Paul Miller stated that we had been given a great amount of reading material and that committee work will begin in time. 12. Good of the Order: Martha Johnson noted that Pete Longiotti’s presentation was enlightening and that he deserves recognition for all that was seemingly dumped in his lap during his tenure on council. Steve Williams commented that he is growing in the appreciation of the intricacies of local government and thanked everyone for their service. Steve Thompson thanked the presenters for their work and participation. He also commented on changes in requirement for borough employees to live in the borough. Hal Johnson stated that the presentations were informative in respect to the administrative responsibilities of the mayor and the borough manager. Casey expressed appreciation for the oral history presented by Pete and thanked Evan for his willingness to fill the mayoral position. He would like to study the position of the mayor in local government more extensively. Paul Miller stated that he feels our community is blessed and that it is significant to have people who care. Because of this he said he believes we have a shot at making improvements to our town. 13. Adjournment Steve Williams made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Casey offered a second. Motion passed 6-0 at 8:22 PM. Respectfully submitted, Martha C. Johnson Commission Secretary /Treasurer