Council of the Municipality of Murrysville

Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Council of the Municipality of Murrysville held a Regular Voting Meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building. Present at the meeting were Council members Jamie Lee Korns, Tony Spadaro, Joan Kearns, Josh Lorenz, Loren Kase, David Perry, and Jeffery Kepler. Also present were Chief Administrator James R. Morrison, Solicitor George Kotjarapoglus, Finance Director Diane Heming, Public Works and Parks Director Bob Bell, and Recreation Director Carly Greene. REGULAR VOTING MEETING AGENDA UNISTED AMENDMENTS: None. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS: A. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE B. INVESTMENTS AND TRANSFERS C. JANUARY 25, 2017 MEETING MINUTES TO BE APPROVED D. FEBRUARY 1, 2017 MEETING MINUTES TO BE APPROVED E. FEBRUARY 15, 2017 MEETING MINUTES TO BE APPROVED Mr. Kepler moved to approve the consent calendar items. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. All present voted aye. Motion approved. COMMUNITY INPUT: Eleanor Sharp of 3339 Shady Drive noted Item 18A on tonight’s agenda regarding the application by Huntley and Huntley for a permit to install a gathering line and requested that a map of the proposed route be placed in the local newspapers so that the public can be kept abreast of the process. Additionally, in reference to the April 5 public hearing, she asked for clarification as to why another hearing on the oil and gas ordinance is being held. She also asked if there was a larger venue that could be used for the April 4 hearing. Mr. Morrison said Council Chambers is the only place from which the hearing can be televised. He also explained that if material changes are made to the original ordinance as proposed and which went through a public hearing, staff is required by law to send it back to the local and County Planning Commissions and hold an additional public hearing. WORKSHOP ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 9A. PROGRESS UPDATE ON THE FACILITY USE COMMITTEE’S FINDINGS. Mr. Morrison reminded Council that staff had previously approached them to request a committee be formed to review the use of Municipal facilities, advertising at Tarr Hollow and the community bulletin board, and Community Day because over the years it has become muddled as to who gets what and at what price. There car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 are no real clear-cut guidelines because of the confusion. The committee met twice and put together a list of recommendations for Council’s review and discussion. Mrs. Lee Korns asked for clarification on the wording regarding the use of the library meeting room. She thought the library was permitted to use the room for its functions, but the suggested policy states: “User fees shall be paid up front. This includes Library groups.” Ms. Heming explained that the library can use the room at no cost as long as the use is “directly related to the primary purpose of the library.” Mr. Morrison said staff has met with library staff and they weren’t able to come up with a solution to the problem of attracting more people to the facility. Ms. Heming suggested adding the room to the library’s lease and let the library use the facility as they wish. There is not a huge demand for use of that room by other groups and it has always been the goal to try to get groups to use the Community Center for their meetings/programs. It is estimated that adding the room to the library’s lease would add approximately $1,000/year to the current rent. The proposal will be presented to the Library Board for their consideration. Mrs. Kearns asked if people who wanted to rent the room would then contact the library. Mr. Morrison said that room would probably not be rented but would be in the library’s control as an expansion of its programs. Mr. Lorenz asked if there would be a provision in the lease that states that the room could not be rented out. Mr. Morrison said that would be included. A recommendation from the committee was that the seniors make a nominal contribution of $5.00 per year towards the costs incurred to operate the center. Mr. Spadaro suggested that the seniors not be charged for this year. Mr. Morrison said nothing has been implemented at this point. He and Ms. Heming met with Mayor Brooks for his suggestions, which were provided to Council, and it’s Council’s prerogative as to how they would like to move forward. Mr. Morrison said if the library meeting room issue is worked out with the library, he anticipates a greater demand on the use of the senior center by other groups looking for a small space than the main room at the community center. Mrs. Kearns said she believes there should be some contribution from the seniors because of the amount of time they use the senior center, as well as several times they use the main room, and does not think $5.00/member/year is too much to ask. Mr. Morrison said the seniors use the main room during the week, which then takes away the opportunity for rentals. Mr. Lorenz said the same thing happened at the school where groups used to be able to use school facilities but that policy has been changed. He said when you have overhead, maintenance, and insurance, there has to be some return on that so that everyone can use and enjoy the facility. Several Council members were in agreement to give the seniors notice that the fee will be enforced beginning in January 2018. Mrs. Kearns said there is nothing in the regulations regarding rentals beyond 4 hours – fees are capped at 4 hours. Theoretically, based on what is NOT in the ordinance, someone could rent from 8:00 p.m. and go to 8:00 a.m. the next morning. She is suggesting that it be specified that the rental time ends at midnight and if there is someone that wants to rent overnight, it would be up to Mr. Morrison’s discretion as to whether to permit that. Council was agreeable to stating that the rental period ends at 11:59 p.m. Mr. Kase said he has no problem with exempting the four named organizations’ use of the digital sign, but asked if they could be limited as to the number of postings allowed. Mr. Morrison said those four organizations were contributors to the sign and the exemption does not pertain to banners. Mr. Morrison suggested one posting car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 per month as a reasonable number. There was no further discussion and Council asked Mr. Morrison and Ms. Heming to put the policy into final form. Mrs. Kearns brought up an email received regarding use of the pavilions by community groups for educational purposes or activities that directly benefit the parks. Those groups are not currently charged and she asked if that policy would continue. Mr. Morrison said it would. 9B. DISCUSSION CONCERNING A LEASH LAW FOR ALL MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY PARKS. Mr. Morrison advised Council that this issue was presented to Council in 2002, discussed further in 2003 and then went away for a while. He said it’s interesting that the recommendations made at that time are the same as those being brought forth again. He said he has been receiving more phone calls from residents using the parks that have been approached by unleashed dogs, have seen unleashed dogs running and defecating in the parks, owners not cleaning up after their dogs; staff members have experienced dogs coming up on workers that are obviously not in the control or sight of the owners. It has now come to the point that people are refraining from using the facilities because of the unleashed animals. One of the recommendations made in 2003 was to provide a dog park, which has been done, and owners should use that facility if they want their dogs to run. Staff has made recommendations, which are included in Council’s agenda briefing, and it is staff’s opinion that dogs should be leashed on no more than a 6’ leash and they be restricted from the playground areas because of health concerns. Owners are reminded that they are to clean up after their pets and there is a graduated penalty, with the first offense being a warning and subsequent offenses being fines of $100 and $300. Mr. Morrison provided Council with a copy of the state laws regarding animals and “control” is defined (in their mind) as the dog heeling or stopping in its tracks when commanded. That is not occurring in Murrysville’s parks in most instances. Mr. Spadaro said someone can sue the dog owner if bitten, and asked if the Municipality can be sued if there are no warning signs posted. Mr. Lorenz said a person can sue anyone for anything, but whether it will be successful is fact specific. His opinion is that the Municipality can’t be sued unless the Municipality knows there is an issue with a specific dog or situation and isn’t doing anything to address it. Solicitor Kotjarapoglus agreed with Mr. Lorenz and said he believes there is enough solid ground to make changes in the ordinance without being concerned about the dog bite case. Mr. Perry asked if the fact that Council is having a discussion about this issue is sufficient evidence for someone to say that Council knew there was a problem but didn’t deal with it. Mr. Lorenz said one can make an argument, but looking at it from the broad scope, from a litigation liability standpoint he doesn’t believe the situation rises to that level, especially since these are not Municipally-owned dogs running around. Mr. Kepler asked how widespread the issue is. Mr. Morrison said it comes and goes, but since the discussion at the last Council meeting, he has received approximately 11 phone calls in support of leashing animals and 1 right-to-know request in support of not leashing animals. Mr. Lorenz spoke as an avowed animal lover and said he can see both sides of the issue, but (1) the Municipality does provide places for dogs to run and (2) there are others who don’t like animals for whatever reason and, car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 frankly, there are some people that just don’t act responsibly. He said that, as past president of a youth organization that uses the parks significantly, he gets complaints every year about animals at the parks running free during games and practices. Every spring and fall his group does a field sweep and one of things they sweep up is animal feces, and a lot of it is from dogs. He continued by stating that looking at what other Municipalities are doing, what is being proposed is reasonable and not out of line with the solution everyone else has had with this problem. Mr. Perry asked if staff could look at one park open game – maybe Townsend or PV. Mr. Morrison said MCP and Duff are the higher-used facilities and that’s where most of the complaints come from. If Council wants to consider an additional area other than the MCP dog park, the lower field at Townsend could easily be converted to an area for a confined dog run; the fencing is there and only minor upgrades would be needed. Mrs. Lee Korns said she is a huge fan of the dog park, but one of the reasons she doesn’t go there anymore is that some people may not be familiar with dog parks and may not know how to handle situations in the park. She said several people approached her and said they enjoy the dog park, but sometimes they have to leave because the dogs (and owners) are bullies. She asked if there is someplace else that dogs can just run, and Townsend seems to be the favorite place. Since most complaints are coming from MCP and Duff, she asked if Townsend could be the park where dogs can run off-leash and not be confined. She added that when she first got her dog, Townsend was listed as Murrysville’s off-leash dog park (this was before the contained dog park was built). She asked about the rationale concerning the 6’ leash and said she feels a retractable leash affords as much control as a 6’ leash. Mr. Morrison said he didn’t know the rhyme or reason to the 6’ leash. He called the Magistrate to get information on the dog law and to discuss some of the cases that have come before him, and cited a case he had concerning an incident at MCP. The Judge said that, in theory, dogs should also be leashed in the dog park. Mr. Morrison said he couldn’t rationalize that, but it may be that the state law was written before dog parks became popular. However, he did say that the most complaints he has received are from Townsend. He said that residents like certain parks and always go to the same one, so to try to single out one park isn’t solving the problem. Mr. Kase said he takes his dog to the dog park and if dogs can’t handle running free in the dog park, they sure can’t handle running free in the park. He doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to have a dog on a leash to take it for a walk. Solicitor Kotjarapoglus said the state act talks about not merely being off leash, the dog still must be under reasonable control regardless of where it is, so even if one park is picked for dogs to run free, they still must be under reasonable control. Mrs. Kearns said the biggest issue is dog owners and the fact that they are ignoring common sense and signs (if there are any in the parks). The issue remains one of enforcement, especially on the week-ends. The fact that everyone pays taxes does not entitle them to foul baseball fields or other residents’ property, nor does it entitle them to ignore the law. She suggested numerous signs at MCP and Duff and try, during the course of the day, to make a pass through the parks. Mr. Morrison said he’s not too concerned about MCP because there will be an employee at the park every day once the weather breaks who can keep an eye on things there. He said he car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 would like to think that Murrysville residents are responsible and if Council put a regulation concerning the parks in place, they will respect that. Mr. Kase said without any consequence, why follow a rule. He believes what is has been proposed is very mild (general warning and small fine). He again stated that he doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to keep dogs on a leash to maintain control. Mr. Kepler said if there’s going to be a law, make a leash law and have uniform enforcement of that law. No one can guarantee if it will be effective, but staff has to try. Mr. Spadaro said he definitely things there has to be a leash law of some sort. There was continued discussion about the length of the leash. Ed Gerstenhaber of 4127 Dundee Drive takes his dogs to Townsend Park every day. He said he agrees with much of what Council has said, but a lot of what was said makes no sense. He said every park is different and Townsend is really 2 parks – the trail park and the ball fields. He totally agrees that there is a problem with people not cleaning up after their dogs on the fields, but having a dog on a leash on the trails is absurd – it will not work. He began keeping a list of people he met at Townsend with their dogs and, as of 2014, he had a list of 98 individuals/families with 130 dogs. He believes this is a legitimate problem, but to come up with a generic solution that Murrysville is going to have a leash law in the public parks is not the solution and he believes Council needs to work on it more. Mr. Morrison said to try to restrict an area to allow dogs off-leash would be difficult from an enforcement standpoint. Mr. Perry suggested leaving PV Park open because of the increased use by walkers and bikers in Duff, and the number of children using MCP. David Hood, 4676 Stewart Court, walks in Townsend and told of problems at the park when he first began going there i.e., kids throwing tables in the lake, drug use, lovers, and debris all over the ground. Through the years, with the dog people walking the park, that all got cleared up. He told of a woman whose dog was banned from the park but said there have been fewer problems at the park because of the dog walkers. He urged Council to leave Townsend Park open for off-leash use. Giuseppe Gulli, who previously addressed Council on this issue, said there are still dogs running loose in MCP and asked Council to please do something about it and pass a leash law. Mrs. Kearns asked Public Works and Parks Director Bob Bell if there are any leash signs up in the parks. He said there are signs indicating that the dogs must be “under control.” He said he has had complaints of dogs coming out of the lake at Townsend and walking on the tables and reminded Council that there are both active and passive areas in the park: pavilions that are rented, gazebo used for weddings, ball fields used by children and seniors, and walking trails. There has to be a way to find a good go-between. Mrs. Kearns suggested putting up signs at the pavilion and ball fields indicating that dogs must be on leash in those areas. Mr. Kase said that’s really a gray area, because who is to say what the “pavilion area” is? He suggested making a blanket law for all parks. Mr. Morrison said it’s a tough decision and difficult to enforce, but it should apply to all park facilities and the decision should be based on what is good for the greater good and use of the facilities. car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Mr. Spadaro said Council needs to decide if it wants a leash law and, if so, then must make a decision on the length of the leash. Mrs. Lee Korns said the dog park would be designated off-leash, and she would be comfortable designating one park as off-leash (but not near pavilions or athletic events). Mr. Lorenz said that one thing that should remain in the ordinance is that the dog must be kept under control. His concern is that if no leash is required, residents will think they can do whatever they want with the dog and some dogs just absolutely need to be on a leash. Mr. Morrison said that’s fine, but “control” must be defined. Mrs. Lee Korns said she believes more work needs to be done on this and would like to see at least one park stay open to dogs, even if Council has to work on how the language reads. If it continues to be a problem, it can be addressed again, but she would like to see a compromise. Mr. Lorenz said the intent is not to restrict people who are responsible dog owners and have dogs that are under control, but to address the segment of the people who are not using the parks responsibly. Mr. Perry suggested requiring dogs to be leashed at Townsend in open areas, parking lots, pavilion areas, and ball fields, and be permitted off leash on trails and in wooded areas. Mr. Lorenz suggested that Council think about this a bit more, submit their thoughts to Mr. Morrison, and discuss it further at another meeting. Council members were agreeable to this approach. 9C. DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE PROPOSED $5,125,000 BORROWING. Finance Director, Diane Heming, explained that the Municipality’s intent to borrow $5,125,000 to pay off several loans. Staff had discussions regarding a general obligation note and the cost involved with that and the rates available. After talking with two banks, it was determined that the best option is to go with Allegheny Valley Bank (soon to be Standard Bank). It will be a 15-year borrowing that will pay off six PEMA loans, the emergency equipment loan and the 2011 borrowing, plus leave $2,000,000 to be used for MCP Phase III development ($1,000,000) and future needs from the emergency equipment fund ($1,000,000). The interest rate for the loan is 2.75, which was approximately .25 less than the average borrowing for a general obligation note. Doing a refinancing, not doing the borrowing through a bond issue, but going through a local bank will save the Municipality around $400,000.00. She advised that there are no pre-payment penalties in the event rates are better a few years into the loan and a decision is made to refinance the loan. Ms. Heming said there is an item later in the agenda to amend the Tax Ordinance. The reason for the amendment is that an additional .2 mills is needed to go into Debt to make the proposed financing work. She further explained the funds that were moved from the Special Services Fund to the General Fund. There are no issues with needing additional tax revenue; the funds just need to be re-allocated. Mr. Morrison mentioned Mr. Synan’s involvement with this matter in working with the banks and reviewing the proposal with staff. He also noted that this is the first time Allegheny Valley Bank is working with local government on a loan of this size, but said the bank’s staff was very cooperative and willing to become an active part of the community in support of future programs. He also stressed that this item will have to come back before Council at the April 5 meeting because of deadlines that must be met, ordinances must be advertised and commitments sent to counsel. car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Mr. Perry asked about the definition of “deposit relationship” as noted on page 3, Conditions Precedent (A). Ms. Heming said the Municipality already has a relationship with Standard Bank, but not with Allegheny Valley because they weren’t in the area. Once the banks merge, she said she has no intention of moving any money or accounts and, in fact, will include it when she shops for rates on some CDs that are coming due soon. There were no further questions. This item will be on the April 5 agenda. ENGINEERING: None COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 11A. DISCUSSION ON THE REAPPROVAL OF S-9-16, THE WEIR SUBDIVISION, 3893 WINDOVER ROAD, 2 LOTS. Mr. Morrison explained that this is a re-approval due to action taken by Council dealing with the Dept. of Environmental Protection and the approval that the Weirs needed to get. The 90-day approval period expired so this needs to come back for Council’s consideration. He advised that everything is now in place for it to move forward. Mrs. Kearns said that it is basically the same thing that Council approved at a prior meeting and it will be moved ahead in the agenda action items. PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: 12A. PROGRESS UPDATE ON CONCERT IN THE PARK. Carly Greene, Director of Recreation, updated Council on the upcoming August 12 Concert in the Park: there are 5 bands booked and several food vendors for the event, which will enable the residents to see the concept drawings for Phase III of MCP and get their comments and involvement. The community service organizations will be involved and the Murrysville Volunteer Program will be recognized; each will have the opportunity to discuss their organizations and their needs, with the hope that they will be able to find new volunteers. Ms. Greene requested that Council consider allowing beer sales at the event to be handled by Rivertowne Brewing. This request has been discussed among staff and with the Murrysville police, who will have a presence at the event. Christian Fike from Rivertowne was present to explain the procedure used at events in other communities and to answer any questions from Council. Carly explained that staff had a lengthy discussion concerning the control and management of serving beer, including designating a roped-off area where the beer will be both purchased and consumed, thereby preventing people from moving through the park with alcohol. The event will be advertised as a family event, with no coolers allowed (to prevent people from bringing in their own alcohol) and the evening will conclude with fireworks. Mrs. Lee Korns said the agenda briefing notes serving beer; however both beer and alcohol were mentioned in the presentation. Mr. Fike said that pertained to other communities and that only beer will be served at this event. Mr. Lorenz asked if other soft drink beverages would be available. Mr. Fike said that was not discussed with him and he wouldn’t want to take away from any of the food vendors, but it would be available if requested. There were no additional questions from Council and Mrs. Kearns said it sounds like they like the idea. Ms. Greene asked for Council’s blessing so she can move forward with sponsor requests, advertising and car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 marketing. Mrs. Kearns asked the Solicitor if the Municipality would incur any liability by allowing the serving of beer. Mr. Kotjarapoglus it potentially could; Mr. Perry asked about Rivertowne’s insurance. Mr. Fike said Rivertowne’s past procedure is to get a rider to its policy. Mr. Morrison said staff has discussed this issue with the Municipality’s insurance agent and he has recommended naming the Municipality as an additional insured on Rivertowne’s policy. Mr. Lorenz also asked for confirmation that neither the Municipality, nor any of its representatives or employees will have any role in serving the beer or policing the serving area. Mr. Fike said if that’s what is requested, his employees will handle all of that. Mr. Lorenz reminded Council that he believes a resolution needs to be passed because alcohol is not currently permitted in MCP. Ms. Greene thanked Council and said she will move forward in planning this event. COUNCIL - ACTION ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 13A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE 2017 COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve. Mr. Spadaro seconded. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. 13B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MRM TRUST FOR THE 2017-18 PROPERTY, LIABILITY, AND AUTO INSURANCES. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve Municipal Risk Management (MRM) as the carrier for all commercial insurances from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Mr. Kase seconded. Finance Director Diane Heming explained that staff would normally ask the agent to get quotes for the insurance, but because of the Municipality’s claim history last year, the agent recommended not to get quotes. MRM is the current carrier and came in with a quote which was only $1,000 over what is now being paid. She said MRM has been very good to deal with and their rates have stayed pretty steady; staff is recommending staying with that company. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – abstain as he sits on the MRM Board, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. 13C. CONSIDER AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE ORDINANCE NO. 971-17, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 956- 16, THE 2017 TAX ORDINANCE. Mr. Kepler moved to approve advertisement of the ordinance. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. Ms. Heming explained that this will allow moving the .2 mills from the General Fund into Debt Service to accomplish the debt payment discussed earlier. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 13D. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NO. 969-17, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 726-06 AND CODIFIED AT ARTICLE I, 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. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to approve the ordinance. Mr. Lorenz seconded. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 14A. CONSIDER RE-APPROVAL OF S-9-16, THE WEIR SUBDIVISION, 3893 WINDOVER ROAD, 2 LOTS. Mr. Lorenz moved to consider re-approval of the Weir Subdivision. Mr. Perry seconded. This was discussed under Workshop and there were no further questions from Council. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. ENGINEERING: 15A. CONSIDER AWARDING SEWER LATERAL WORK AT THE ROBERTS’ PROPERTY. Mr. Kase moved to award the sanitary sewer lateral work in the amount of $18,950 to Danmar Contracting. Mr. Spadaro seconded. Mr. Morrison explained that this work is needed to service the restroom facilities proposed for the Roberts property. Staff was able to negotiate the price down from the original bid. The restroom will be delivered approximately 90 days after funding is received. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. 15B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR A PENNDOT ROAD DETOUR. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with PennDOT to utilize Harrison City Road for a short-term detour. Mr. Spadaro seconded. Mr. Morrison explained that this detour is necessary due to work PennDOT will be doing at the intersection of Rt. 130 and Pleasant Valley Road in Penn Township and Murrysville owns a portion of Pleasant Valley Road. There were no questions from Council. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 15C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AIRGAS’ SLOPE EASEMENT AGREEMENT FOR ACCESS TO THE ROBERTS’ PROPERTY. Mr. Spadaro moved to authorize advertising Ordinance #970-17 accepting a permanent easement from Airgas USA, LLC to construct an earthen slope on a portion of the Airgas, LLC property to facilitate access to the Roberts property trailhead. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. Mr. Morrison advised Council that in order to access the Roberts property via the crosswalk on Route 22, it was necessary to request that Airgas provide the Municipality with an easement for a short distance. In providing the easement, Airgas personnel have asked the Municipality to address the fence that runs along the property line by putting slats or some border to avoid problems with people throwing cigarettes over the fence near the propane tanks. Mr. Morrison said either slats or a wooden fence along the property line will be constructed and staff is getting pricing on those alternatives. Mrs. Kearns suggested that if fencing is erected, it be stabilized. Mr. Perry said the Municipality has an easement through the Airgas parking lot. Mr. Morrison said, although Public Works has used it to do work in Duff Park on the Funk trail, it isn’t an easement and may be identified as a paper street; he also noted that he didn’t think the Municipality would have any rights because it is a paper street and Airgas is utilizing it as parking for its facility. There were no further questions. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: 16A. CONSIDER AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE MATERIAL BIDS. Mr. Perry moved to authorize advertising for various bids for road materials, guide rails and line painting. Mr. Spadaro seconded. Public Works and Parks Director Bob Bell said this is the annual bid process and noted that there is more wording in the bid for the Borough of Export. The Municipality has had an agreement with Export for shared services and the bids this year will include more materials for Export. There were no questions from Council. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. 16B. CONSIDER APPROVAL TO AWARD CONTRACT FOR RESTROOM CLEANING IN THE PARKS. Mrs. Lee Korns moved to award a one-year contract for restroom cleaning with three-year pricing, renewed annually, to Cleaning Solutions, LLC. Mr. Lorenz seconded. Mr. Bell explained that public works employees had previously cleaned all the restrooms on Monday and Friday mornings, and with the addition of the MCP Field #4 complex and the Roberts property, there are now 9 bathrooms that need cleaned. He decided to try having a private contractor do that work and approximately 8 bid packets were sent out. The Municipality will provide all car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 supplies and will incur a significant savings in not having to use the public works staff for this work. There were no questions from Council. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – yes, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. 16C. CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE FOR AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR FIELDS 2 AND 3 AT MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY PARK. Mr. Kepler moved to authorize staff to develop specifications and bid for the installation of an irrigation system to be installed on Fields 2 & 3 at MCP. Mrs. Lee Korns seconded. This item was discussed at a previous meeting and, following receipt of comments from Council, a description of the work and how staff will proceed is presented for Council’s approval. Mr. Kase asked if any organizations besides MASA used the soccer fields; Mr. Morrison said there were none. Mr. Kase then asked about the life cycle of this type of irrigation system. There were some comments made (off microphone). Mr. Bell said that Beckwith & Veterans fields had sprinklers installed long before the current municipal building was built and Community Day was previously held on those fields with vehicles driving over them. Those systems are still working properly. There was no further discussion. Upon a roll call vote: Mrs. Lee Korns – yes, Mr. Spadaro – yes, Mrs. Kearns – yes, Mr. Lorenz – abstained as he is on MASA’s Board of Directors, Mr. Kase – yes, Mr. Perry – yes, Mr. Kepler - yes. Motion approved. OLD BUSINESS: Mrs. Kearns noted there is still a vacancy on the EAC; one candidate has been interviewed but she has not yet decided as to whether she is still interested. Anyone interested should contact Cherie Weber at the Municipal office. NEW BUSINESS: Mr. Morrison asked if Council had any opinion on the recent request from the Township Supervisors Association for a donation to the Food Bank. Several Council members expressed that there is a need in this community for the food bank and the general consensus was to donate $1,000 if the funds can be found in the budget. 18A. Notice of an application by Huntley and Huntley to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for a permit to install a gathering line for a natural gas well in the Hoy Farm Road area. Mr. Morrison told Council that he received notice from CEC of a permit application through DEP for a gathering line to be constructed from the Poseidon well location near the landfill in Penn Township to the Peoples transmission line in the Round Top Road area in Murrysville, which will be passing under Hoy Farm Road. Mrs. Lee Korns asked about the timing of the project. Mr. Burke (Huntley & Huntley) responded but was in the rear of the room and not at a microphone. His comments were not recorded. car 3/21/2017 Regular Voting Meeting – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Mrs. Lee Korns said she received a lot of positive comments from residents about how well the Municipality’s roads were maintained during some of the late weather problems and sent thanks from her and many others in the community. EXECUTIVE SESSION: None. ACTION ITEMS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Mrs. Lee Korns moved to adjourn. Mr. Spadaro seconded. All present voted aye. Motion approved. The Council Meeting concluded at 9:00 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 3/21/2017