Council of the Municipality of Murrysville

Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Council of the Municipality of Murrysville held a Regular Voting Meeting on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building. Present at the meeting were Council members Loren Kase, Tony Spadaro, Joan Kearns, David Perry, Jamie Lee Korns, and Josh Lorenz. Councilman Jeffery Kepler was absent from the meeting. Also present were Mayor Robert Brooks, Chief Administrator James R. Morrison, Solicitor George Kotjarapoglus, Finance Director Diane Heming, Public Works and Parks Director Bob Bell, and Recreation Director Carly Greene. WELCOME CENTER PUBLIC MEETING Council opened the public meeting at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed welcome center on the Roberts property on Route 22. Chief Administrator Jim Morrison explained that the meeting had two purposes: (1) the grant for which the Municipality applied to aid in the construction of the site required that a public meeting be held to get public comment, and (2) to introduce the final recommendation from the staff and engineer on the proposed project. He presented a power point to further explain the components of the project; the location of the site and proposed crossing at Tanglewood Way/Route 22; the site plan showing parking, restroom facilities and visitor center; a depiction of the proposed unisex bathroom facility (which will be open for use all year) and visitor center (12’ x 24’ building); how the buildings will be delivered and placed on the site; support amenities for the site (bike rack, air pump, kiosk/bulletin board); cost estimate and funding sources for the project. He noted that the restroom facility will have timers on the doors so they can be locked at night. Mr. Morrison said he and the Mayor met with several community groups last year to get an idea if there would be interest in putting the visitor center on the site, and some of those groups are represented at this meeting. Mayor Brooks said the visitor center will be a great place for groups to display brochures, historical items, etc., and also set up displays in an area outside of the building when the weather is appropriate. Someone in the audience (didn’t come to the microphone) asked how the center will be furnished. Mr. Morrison said it can be furnished as desired and he envisions it having wall space for displays and racks for brochures. If groups want to hold an event in the building (open house, etc.) it will accommodate those types of activities. Lynn Gurrentz, 4010 Pin Oak, thanked staff for all the hard work and said she is very excited to see this project being done. She is an avid biker and travels hours to ride other trails and said it will be great to have this in our community; it will also be a draw for others using the trail to visit the local businesses and restaurants. Linda Marts of 3210 Brison Court said she also thinks this is a good project and would like to see some historical aspects in the visitor center. Other than brochures, she thinks people need to know what Murrysville was like in the past. She said her father built a platform depicting early Murrysville with buildings, sidewalks, trees, etc. and has been on display a few times in the community. She said the display is large, so the visitor center will need to be bigger! Betsy Aiken, 4106 Hilty Road, representing the Murrysville Trail Alliance, said that group is thrilled that the trail will be coming through Murrysville and that there will be this great facility along the trail. She said it will give great visibility to the trail and provide a place for people to park, bike ride and then patronize local businesses. They are also excited about making adjacent roadways and Old Wm. Penn Highway friendly for pedestrians and cyclists. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Jackie Stempfer, 4469 Bulltown Road, said she is happy that it was decided to have the visitor center and has heard from many people outside of Murrysville that they are excited about the trail and center coming to Murrysville. However, because of the number of organizations in Murrysville that are willing to support and man the center, she believes the building needs to be bigger and asked staff and Council to keep an open mind on this. Mr. Perry asked if the visitor center will also be heated; Mr. Morrison said that will only be open in the summer. He noted that, once a building goes beyond the 12’ x 24’ size, the cost goes up exponentially and it gets very expensive, which may be why staff chose that size. Mrs. Kearns asked if the building is available without the porch because she had concerns about people damaging the railings. Mr. Morrison said he thought the porch added a lot of character to the building and would be used as a sitting/visiting area; when the 4’ porch is taken off the building looks too boxy and more like a shed. Mrs. Kearns said that 4’ space could be better used. Mr. Morrison said the inside is quite large and this particular size is actually sold to be used as hunting cabins. Mrs. Kearns also asked if there was any possible way that the mature sycamore tree on the site could be saved, which would improve the site instead of planting several small trees and hoping that they grow. Mr. Morrison said the site is very tight but staff would do their best to try to save what they could. He said the issue with the sycamore is the access to the trail. The plan was changed from a switchback to try to save on some costs and accessibility and the tree is right in the middle of the proposed walkway. Mr. Kase said the access across Route 22 to Tanglewood Way is great forethought and a great idea; however there is nowhere to park on the Tanglewood side of the highway and asked if there was any thought to using a portion of the property for potential parking. Mr. Morrison said there has been discussion about making Old William Penn Highway more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists; however, there is a 20-car stone parking area already in place behind Leone’s. Mr. Perry said to keep in mind that there is parking at Duff Park and proposed parking area across from Meier’s Hardware, so there will be multiple areas available for parking and accessibility. Mr. Morrison showed the connection from the Heritage Trail to the Funk Bikeway said he visited the site with the “park protector” and a course can be charted for the lateral without disturbing any plants or trees through that area. Mr. Kase said that the Parks Commission has frequently talked about the best way to promote the parks, trails and facilities and he said the visitor center will provide a great opportunity to do that. Mr. Morrison said it’s an opportunity to sell Murrysville. Mr. Lorenz asked if there was enough room in the building for any ancillary facilities – i.e., if it could be leased for a hot dog stand or something similar. Mr. Morrison said the windows open out, so if there was interest in serving, it would be done; also, there are plans to have enough electricity wired into the building that it could be used for those types of events. Mrs. Kearns asked if staff wanted to be in a position of having commercial entities there. Mr. Morrison said it’s not a commercial activity, it’s a fundraising opportunity. He said it’s intended for use by the organizations in Murrysville to serve people using the bikeway. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 There were no further questions or comments from either those in attendance or Council. The public meeting was closed at 7:00 p.m. MAYOR BROOKS WELCOMES MARCH FOR PARKS Mayor Brooks welcomed Betsy Aiken, representing the Murrysville Trail Alliance, who spoke about the upcoming March for Parks scheduled for March 25 to raise money for the Turtle Creek rail trail. She encouraged residents to attend, especially families with children, and noted that the outdoor walk is optional – there will be a lot of activities taking place in the SportsZone facility, as well as displays and food. Fancy Fox is also making t- shirts available to teams at a minimal cost if they are interested. Malcolm Sias, Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Director, said the County has been doing the March for Parks since 2003 at Twin Lakes Park, but decided in 2014 to take the event to Cedar Creek and Murrysville. He mentioned the great support the March gets from local businesses and residents and said the event has netted over $100,000 a year, which is used to match grant requests. The ground breaking for the 6-mile trail segment from Murrysville to Trafford is scheduled for March 9 and may be the fastest trail ever built. The property was purchased in 2015, and by the end of 2018, there will be 9.2 miles of trail on the ground and usable. Jeff Richards, the planning coordinator for the trail, thanked Murrysville for being a partner on the trail project, which involves Trafford, Penn Township, Monroeville, Murrysville and Export. He said that, with the trail being built this year, next year’s participants in the March for Parks will get to walk on the new trail. Mayor Brooks asked what people can expect when they intend to use the trail. Mr. Richards said it can be referred to as a multi-use trail – built to be ADA accessible with a surface composed of limestone dust; it is 10’ wide with 2’ shoulders on each side, which makes it wide enough so that walkers don’t have to move aside if someone is coming in the opposite direction; maintenance vehicles as well as ambulances can access the trail; and bridges along the trail are being rebuilt to accommodate ambulance weight. In response to Mayor Brooks’ question as to what made her get involved in this particular project, Lynn Gurrentz said she remembers when the train went through and repurposing the railway into a trail is exciting. REGULAR VOTING MEETING AGENDA UNISTED AMENDMENTS: Under Council Action Items – Administration – ADD Item No. 13C – Consider Approval of Resolution No. 670-17 – Roberts Trail Head Project Grant. Mr. Kase moved to approve the agenda as amended. Mr. Lorenz seconded. All present voted aye. Motion approved. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS: A. JANUARY 25, 2017 MEETING MINUTES TO BE APPROVED car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve the consent calendar items. Mr. Spadaro seconded. All present voted aye. Motion approved. COMMUNITY INPUT: Amy Mayberry of 4041 Benden Circle, said she feels qualified to speak on fracking issues because she has a Master’s in Environmental Management degree from Duke University and specializes in environmental toxicology, chemistry and risk assessment. She said she has spoken to residents and has not found any evidence that a formal risk assessment has been conducted related to finding an appropriate setback for the fracking ordinance. She explained the components of a risk assessment, which lays out the data in a clear, concise manner, allowing policy-makers to make their decision based on the best available data. She urged Council to engage someone to conduct a risk assessment for several of the proposed setback distances, which she believes will allow Council to have a much more defensible position and will have specific data to justify their position. A copy of Ms. Mayberry’s presentation is on file with the minutes of this meeting. Giuseppe Gulli, 5398 West Pike Street, expressed concerns about dogs in the parks, specifically Murrysville Community Park, and the failure of the dog owners to control their animals, clean up after them, and being verbally abusive to Mr. Gulli. He urged Council to review the Municipality’s laws and try to do something about this issue. Mr. Morrison said there is an issue with dogs in the parks and he has a folder of complaints in all of the parks that he regularly receives. Murrysville’s law states that the dog must be under the control of the owner and it’s not working. There are issues at MCP, Townsend and Duff which need to be addressed. He said dogs are running on the ball fields when muddy and destroying the infields; owners are not cleaning up after them; dogs are running on the trails in Duff Park to the point that people refuse to go back to the park because the dogs have been aggressive; requests have been received for police assistance at Townsend because of aggressive dogs. He believes Council needs to revisit Murrysville’s leash law at some point for the benefit of all the residents that use the parks. He said there is a beautiful dog park that services both small and large dogs, which is well-used, and if residents feel their dogs need to run, that opportunity is provided at the dog park. Mrs. Kearns noted that the dogs must be under the control of the owner and asked if that meant “voice control.” Mr. Morrison said it does. Mrs. Kearns said that’s a loophole because a problem could occur if the dog is many yards ahead of the owner, and by the time the owner calls the dog back, the problem has already occurred. Mr. Morrison said staff works hard to provide various types of recreational activity for the community and it’s time to address the leash law. Mrs. Lee Korns agreed and said she has been taking her dog to day care because she doesn’t feel safe walking with him at some of the parks because there is no owner to be found when a dog approaches her and she has run into some aggressive dogs. Mr. Morrison said, in his mind, the dog must be on a leash unless it’s in the dog park, which is the only way the animal can be controlled. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Mayor Brooks reminded everyone that the dogs must be on a leash in parking lots. He suggested possibly having a public hearing to get residents’ opinions and it would be nice to see how other communities handle this issue. WORKSHOP ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 9A. UPDATE ON MURRYSVILLE’S FISCAL REVIEW REPORT. Finance Director Diane Heming explained that the report was first done in 2005 (included 1995 to 2005) by an intern and updated in 2012 (2005 to 2012) by another intern. Since that time, once the audits are completed, Ms. Heming and Sandi Scialdone have been updating the data on an annual basis and decided that a total update should be done at this time and presented to Council. The graph representing gross revenues vs. gross expenses showed a few large revenue spikes, which were the result of turnback money received from liquid fuels for projects on Cline Hollow Rd., Logan Ferry Rd., Wiestertown Rd., and the Streetscape project. That was money that came in for one-time projects which was expended over a few-year period. The same spikes in expenditures were when the projects were completed i.e., money might have been received in 2005 but the project not completed until 2007. Eliminating the one-time revenues/expenditures, those have been increasing at about the same rate (3 ½%). The graph representing the difference between real estate and earned income taxes (the Municipality’s largest source of revenue) showed that real estate taxes were the main source of revenue prior to 2005. The development of residential housing slowed from 2013 on, the assessments have flattened out, and there has not been the usual increase in real estate money each year. Earned income taxes have been increasing at almost 4% per year and, as of 2014, earned income has surpassed real estate taxes as the Municipality’s main source of revenue. Looking at general fund income and expenditures, the large drop in 2009 was due to the reallocation of millage sent from the general fund to the special purpose fund to isolate the money to the library and Medic One; two large salaried employees retired; two staff positions were eliminated and there were a lot of personnel changes. The increases in expenditures in 2014 were because of increases in utility costs, property & liability insurance, legal fees, engineering and fuel costs. Taking out the one-time projects in the capital projects fund, the trend has been pretty stable. Capital projects are done each year, with the majority being road projects (overlay, drain reconstruction, bridge culverts). Fire trucks are purchased every 15-20 years and money is put into parks. Even though the trend shows as “neutral,” it is a positive trend because money is continually being put into infrastructure and equipment. Ms. Heming then discussed the graphs related to population – traditional and non-traditional households and age range increases & decreases (Murrysville’s population is aging). In 2015, the majority of the population was car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 45+, with the largest increase was in the 65+ (retirement age). The Municipality’s revenue is based on wages and Ms. Heming noted the increase in retirement aged residents with not many younger people moving in. 9B. DISCUSSION ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN’S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. Mr. Morrison added that the fiscal report, community vision and goals/objectives are updated annually, which gives an overview of what’s going on in the community & helps staff in developing programs and recommendations to Council. He said that, from a fiscal point of view, all trends are positive. He said the age of the population is a concern; a community would like its population to be between 38-43 years old and Murrysville’s average age is 48. From a planning point of view, staff needs to question if it is providing opportunities for residents to stay in the community; if the services being provided are geared to that population; and how it can attract younger families into the community to bring the 48-year-old average down to a more sustainable 38-43 year-old range. Part of the Community Vision done three years ago was the recommendation that staff report annually to Council on the progress of the goals and objectives, which was provided to Council. He then briefly reviewed some of the projects and updates on those goals and specifically noted that staff assisted Delmont with development of its trash contract and set the expiration date so that it would coincide with Murrysville and Export’s contracts; therefore, when contracts next go out for bid, all three communities will work on that together. He commented on the e-waste recycling program introduced in Murrysville this year, which has been well received. The MVP (Murrysville Volunteer Program) has been launched; the community electronic bulletin board is being used by groups; changes are being planned for the MECDC and Murrysville’s Community Day. He said a big concern is maintenance of existing properties so that they don’t begin to deteriorate and noted that staff implemented “windshield surveys” for code enforcement officers to survey neighborhoods, which has resulted in an increase in code enforcement activities and has been successful. He suggested that the Property Maintenance Code needs to be reviewed to ensure that properties beginning to deteriorate are addressed. Regarding the population age trend, Mr. Lorenz asked if anyone has done any research on what effect Westinghouse moving from Monroeville to Cranberry has had on that issue. Mr. Morrison said he’s not aware of any studies, but that move has had an obvious impact on the community. ENGINEERING: None COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 11A. DISCUSSION ON THE SELECTION OF DATES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ORDINANCE NO. 930-15, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE REGULATING OIL AND GAS DRILLING, AND ORDINANCE NO. 955-16, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE. Mr. Morrison reminded Council that this was brought forward from the last Council meeting since there were only four Council members in attendance at that time. He presented Council with a list of possible dates, as well as required advertising dates, for their consideration. After discussion on Council members’ availability, it was decided to hold the hearings on April 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: 12A. DISCUSSION ON THE IRRIGATION OF MID AND UPPER FIELDS AT MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY PARK. Mr. Morrison explained that staff had been approached by MASA with a proposal to install irrigation at the mid and upper soccer fields at MCP. The proposal requests the Municipality to bid and pay for the project this year, with MASA reimbursing the Municipality over a five-year period. The cost for the irrigation and water usage would be deducted from MASA’s annual field permit fees. He said staff has worked with MASA for several years on the fields and there are challenges during the year in maintaining the turf because of the demand on the fields. Re-seeding and aerating the fields is done twice a year in an effort to promote growth. Mr. Morrison said staff believes irrigating the fields will reduce the other costs associated with maintaining the fields. One quote has been received, but the project will have to go out for bid. Mr. Lorenz advised that he is a past president and current vice president of MASA. He said the two best fields in the Municipality are Veterans & Beckwith; they get used a lot but bounce right back because they are mature fields due to having irrigation systems. MASA currently pays between $6,000-$7000 per year to have the fields fertilized and re-seeded; they have found that an extended drought will wipe out 1-1 ½ years of work on the fields. A representative from LaManna Landscaping suggested that irrigation will fix that problem. Mr. Perry asked if the permit fees would be increased and then the yearly payment deducted. Mr. Morrison explained that, in addition to permit fees, MASA pays for the fertilization, etc. Mr. Lorenz said that the payment from MASA is just under $13,000 per year for field fees, permit fees, and fertilization/overseeding. Mr. Morrison said the $3,000/year payment would be deducted from the field fees and MASA would be responsible for paying the water bill. Mr. Perry said if the repayment is deducted from the field fees over a five-year period, essentially the Municipality is not getting paid those fees and asked if that was fair to the other sports leagues. Mr. Lorenz stated that MASA pays the water bills each year. Mr. Perry argued that the taxpayers will be paying for the irrigation system if the repayment is being deducted from MASA’s field fees and commented that, although MASA buys the fertilizer, the Municipality puts it on. Mr. Morrison said that is incorrect; the fertilizing program is bid by the Municipality and is shared among all the sports organizations based on the square footage of their field usage. It was explained that the Municipality will be losing the field fees because that money will be going to repay the cost of the irrigation system. Mr. Perry said that instead of the field fees being allocated for maintenance of the fields, they are now being allocated for the irrigation system. Mr. Lorenz reminded everyone that the repayment is only for five years because the system will then be paid off, so the field fees go back into the general fund. Mr. Perry said he would be more comfortable packaging the proposal by stating that the money is going from the general fund to install the irrigation system instead of saying that the field fees are going to be allocated for that. Mayor Brooks agreed with Mr. Perry and said that the $31,000 would be a one- time capital investment in the parks. Mr. Kase asked about the number of children involved in MASA. Mr. Lorenz said it varies between 400-600 depending on the season. This item will be brought back to Council at the next meeting. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 COUNCIL - ACTION ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 13A. CONSIDER AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE ORDINANCE NO. 969-17, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 726-06 AND CODIFIED AT ARTICLE 1, POLICY, RULES AND REGULATIONS, SECTION 47-22 OF THE MURRYSVILLE CODE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMENDMENT IS TO INCORPORATE THE REVISED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING. Mr. Lorenz moved to authorize the advertisement. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. Mr. Morrison explained that the job description was formerly for Director of Engineering and Public Works and when the Public Works description was changed, nothing was done with the Director of Engineering description because the Municipality didn’t have one at that time. This amendment is to modify the job description. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. 13B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 669-17, A RESOLUTION INDICATING MUNICIPAL SIGNATURE AUTHORITY FOR A PENNDOT APPLICATION FOR A FLASHING WARNING DEVICE FOR THE TRAIL CROSSING AS PART OF THE RAILS TO TRAILS HERITAGE PHASE 3 PROJECT. Mr. Kase moved to approve the Resolution authorizing an application to PennDOT for the installation of a traffic signal device at the intersection of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail and Trafford Road. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. Mr. Morrison displayed a rendering of the intersection and placement of stop signs and warning signals. Mr. Kase said he travels Pleasant Valley road almost daily and asked if some type of electronic sign can be placed further up that road indicating that there could be traffic stopped ahead. Mr. Morrison responded but had his back to the microphone and his comments could not be heard. He added that as part of the traffic impact study, this intersection will be looked at next year in cooperation with PennDOT since a PennDOT road is involved for possible realignment. Mr. Morrison further explained that the light will be installed as part of the development of the trail, but the Municipality will be responsible for maintenance of the light once it is installed. There were no comments or questions from Council. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 13C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 670-17, ROBERTS TRAIL HEAD PROJECT GRANT. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve the Resolution. Mr. Kase seconded. Mr. Morrison explained that the Resolution is required for the Keystone Opportunities grant to be used at the Roberts trailhead. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 14A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF DATES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ORDINANCE NO. 930-15, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE REGULATING OIL AND GAS DRILLING, AND ORDINANCE NO. 955-16, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE. Mr. Perry moved to schedule public hearings on April 5, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Spadaro seconded. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. ENGINEERING: None. PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: 16A. CONSIDER AWARDING SURPLUS SALE OF ROADSIDE MOWER. Mr. Lorenz moved to approve the sale of two surplus vehicles – a roadside mower and high-bay lights - as identified in the staff briefing. Mr. Kase seconded. Public Works and Parks Director Bob Bell explained that there was a lot of interest in the mower with the mower being sold to South Fayette Township for $20, 100 (original purchase price was $62,000 sixteen years ago). He believes the replacement cycle benefits the Municipality by not getting rid of equipment too soon while still making money on it. The high-bay lights from the Public Works building were no longer needed since the whole building has had LED lights installed. As a side note, Mr. Morrison advised that the PUC has granted authority to tax LED lighting, so the money saved will now be paid back to the power company in taxes. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 16B. CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 668-17, A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 521-07 TO INCUDE THE FIELDS MANUAL. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to amend the Resolution to include the fields manual. Mr. Kase seconded. Recreation Director Carly Greene advised that the amendment is only to add the fields manual which was discussed and presented at the last Council meeting. All information in the existing Resolution will remain the same. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. 16C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A BENCH DONATION REQUEST FOR MRS. JUNE UGEN TO BE PLACED AT MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY PARK Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve the donation of a bench to be placed in MCP by Mrs. June Ugen. Carly Greene said Mrs. Ugen contacted the Recreation Department regarding the donation in honor of her late husband; Parks Commission approved the request and staff will work with her to find a suitable location. Upon a roll call vote: Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Lorenz - yes. Motion approved. OLD BUSINESS: Mr. Morrison commented on a recent news article about PennDOT ridding roads of political signs that risk safety and noted that there is an issue in the medians and at the Tarr Hollow intersection. He will be discussing this with the Solicitor to see if Murrysville can “marry up” with PennDOT to help with the signs. Mrs. Kearns said there are also some small business signs around town. Mr. Morrison said that, typically, the code enforcement officials make a sweep when they see signs starting to accumulate and they are removed. Signs for events are permitted, but business signs are removed. Mr. Morrison advised that a request was received from Mr. Conley to change the façade on his facility on Route 22 from brick to stone. Since the project received a conditional approval and there were certain agreements made as part of that approval, staff was unsure if they had the authority to grant the request or if it should be addressed by Council. He asked if staff should have some leeway in working with developers in these types of requests and whether Council wants to re-address this, have the developer pay a fee and go through the process again. There is a provision in the ordinance regarding simple subdivisions, which are administrative approvals. Those approvals are done administratively once review is undertaken by Council President and the Chairman of the Planning Commission. They would sign off on the request based on staff’s recommendation. He would recommend that Council consider these types of administrative approvals with the consent of Council President and Planning Commission Chairman; if they believe it is something that full Council should address, it would then come back before Council. Mr. Lorenz asked if that process would be limited only to aesthetic changes. Mr. Morrison said it would be according to whatever limits Council wants to put on it. Mrs. Kearns said she is okay with it but would prefer to limit it to aesthetic changes. Mr. Perry said if it’s in the ordinance and is just a car 3/14/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 substitute between masonry and stone, both of which are approved, he has no problem; however, if there is a request to change the size or request a variance, it has to come back to Council. Mr. Lorenz suggested that there should be something that states if Council President and Planning Commission Chairman can’t agree, there is an option for the request to come back to Council. NEW BUSINESS: None. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Council adjourned to an Executive Session at 8:50 p.m. to discuss Real Estate and Personnel issues and reconvened at 9:30 p.m. There was no action coming out of the session. ACTION ITEMS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Mrs. Lee Korns moved to adjourn. Mr. Kase seconded. All present voted aye. Motion approved. The Council Meeting concluded at 9:31 p.m. The Regular Voting Meeting was broadcast on local government Channel 19. A true copy of the Council meeting DVD is available for the public to purchase from the Municipality of Murrysville and is in the Murrysville Public Library for review. car 3/14/2017