City Council

CITY OF MCKEESPORT REGULAR MEETING MONDAY 7:01 P.M. JANUARY 3, 2022 The regular meeting of Council was called to order on the above- stated date at the above-stated time after the Pledge of Allegiance by President Dellapenna and a Moment of Silence. Boniface Igba was present to lead everyone in prayer. Solicitor Elash said this is a Reorganization of Council but we need to do roll call first. The following Members of Council were present: RC-1 PRESENT: RICHARD DELLAPENNA, BRIAN EVANS, KEITH SOLES, TIMOTHY BROWN, LUETHEL NESBIT ABSENT: JIM BARRY, JILL LAPE Solicitor Elash announced at this time the next order of business is the election of the President of Council and asked for any nominations. Mr. Soles nominated Richard Dellapenna for President of Council and it was seconded by Mr. Evans. Solicitor Elash asked for any further nominations for President of Council. There being no further nominations Solicitor Elash asked for a roll call vote. RC-2 YEAS: EVANS, SOLES, BROWN, NESBIT (4) NAYS: NONE (0) ABSTAIN: DELLAPENNA President Dellapenna then asked for nominations for Vice President of Council. [1] Mr. Brown nominated LuEthel Nesbit for Vice President of Council and it was seconded by Mr. Soles. President Dellapenna asked for any further nominations for Vice President of Council. There being no further nominations President Dellapenna asked for a roll call vote. RC-3 YEAS: DELLAPENNA, EVANS, SOLES, BROWN (4) NAYS: NONE (0) ABSTAIN: NESBIT APPROVAL OF MINUTES: President Dellapenna asked for a Motion to Approve the Minutes of the regular meeting of December 4, 2021. MOTION: Mr. Soles moved, seconded by Mr. Brown, “to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 4, 2021.” RC-4 YEAS: DELLAPENNA, EVANS, SOLES, BROWN, NESBIT (5) NAYS: NONE (0) COMMUNICATIONS: Secretary James reported that we received the Fire Report for the month of December 2021. MAYOR’S REPORT: President Dellapenna asked for the Mayor’s Report. Mayor Cherepko said thank you Mr. President. I think last month I went into with the Budget Message and a lot of things we have planned this year. This should be an absolutely wonderful year for the City. We are very excited with all the different projects and things going on so there is no need for me to reiterate a lot of that. By February’s meeting we plan on coming out with, hoping to have it done for the meeting, a bid for a paving project, and then by March I [2] am hoping to have at least three contracts put together for demolitions, somewhere around 50 each, so maybe be around the 150 mark. Then, hopefully by April we can follow it up with another 150 and put us about 300 homes to take down through McKeesport Rising this year. Obviously, we are focusing on each and every neighborhood. I have personally been up and down every single street in the City of McKeesport. I have been personally writing them all down so we can get to as many as we can. Obviously, with the biggest impact. So, I expect, hopefully a paving project for February’s meeting, if not, that will be March. Keep in mind you approved a couple paving projects last year that they didn’t get a chance to do that they will be starting first thing in the Spring. Huey Street from 6th Street all the way up to Versailles and the rest of Versailles Avenue will be completed. We did some parts of Versailles but the rest will be completed. The only part we are not going to do is between Union and Evans just because of a duct in the work that might need done we are going to leave that go for now. Of course, the little part of Soles that we missed up there from Riverview to Jenny Lind. Those are some of the ones that were approved through last year. We also have some demolitions that are going down for grant funding that we did receive but we haven’t gotten yet. A lot of the demos going up around Centennial School our goal is to not have any blight up in the Centennial School area being that it is going to be new housing and also pave streets up in that area as well, continuing beyond our educational sector of the City, cultural and educational sector. So, we are expanding those boundaries. There are a lot of good projects going on. We are excited. Like I said there’s no need for me to go through them all again but expect those to come forward. With your support we can continue moving the City forward. Mayor Cherepko said thank you Mr. President. [3] President Dellapenna said thank you Mayor. CITIZENS IN THE AUDIENCE: President Dellapenna called for Citizens in the Audience and Secretary James advised that none had signed to speak. President Dellapenna then asked for New Business from Secretary James. NEW BUSINESS: RESOLUTION NO. 2021-037 – Bill #1 - Introduced by Brian Evans – A Resolution of the City of McKeesport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Appointing Annette James as City Clerk for a Two Year Term. MOTION: Mrs. Nesbit moved, seconded by Mr. Brown “to approve Bill #1.” President Dellapenna asked for questions or comments and there were none. RC-5 YEAS: DELLAPENNA, EVANS, SOLES, BROWN, NESBIT (5) NAYS: NONE (0) RESOLUTION NO. 2021-038 - Bill #2 –Introduced by LuEthel Nesbit – A Resolution of the City of McKeesport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Establishing Regular Meetings of City County for the Year 2022 and January 2023. MOTION: Mr. Evans moved, seconded by Mr. Soles “to approve Bill #2.” President Dellapenna asked for questions or comments to Bill #2 and there were none. Mayor Cherepko said I think for the most part the [4] meetings are pretty straight forward. We didn’t have to really move anything around, 4th of July or anything like that, so everything looks good. President Dellapenna said thank you Mayor and asked for roll call. RC-6 YEAS: DELLAPENNA, EVANS, SOLES, BROWN, NESBIT (5) NAYS: NONE (0) ADJOURNMENT: President Dellapenna said I would like to thank everybody for coming for the Council meeting. That concludes it and the meeting is adjourned. The meeting then adjourned at 7:11 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Annette James City Clerk and Clerk of Council APPROVED: Richard Dellapenna President of Council /das [5]