Council of the Municipality of Murrysville

THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Council of the Municipality of Murrysville held a Regular Voting Meeting and Public Hearing on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building. Present at the meeting were Council members Dayne Dice, Mac McKenna, Jason Lemak, Jamie Lingg, Matthew Olszewski, Carl Stepanovich, and Mayor Synan. Also present were Chief Administrator, Michael Nestico, Director of Finance, Jacie Milchak, Director of Public Works, Bill Paiano, and Solicitor, Adam Long. Council member Eli Diacopoulos was absent. PUBLIC HEARING 2025-2029 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM A Public Hearing was held at 7:10 p.m. on the 2025–2029 Capital Improvements Program. Finance Director, Jacie Milchak, gave a slide presentation and overview of the 5-year Capital Improvements Program including what the program is, what the benefits are, the anticipated capital expenditures over 5 years and the funding to support those, as well as the 2025 Capital Plan. The CIP is a long-range planning instrument that is used to identify Capital Improvement Projects and to coordinate the finances and timing that those projects would take place. The benefits include a systematic approach of all the potential projects at one time; it helps to stabilize the debt and consolidate projects to reduce borrowing or undo taxes; it assists with preserving the municipal infrastructure; it supports community safety; and it promotes an effective government. The proposed plan includes $21,228,900 of improvements to infrastructure, municipal parks and facilities, and purchases of vehicles and equipment for engineering, police and public works departments. This, added to the General Fund contribution of $1,701,550, equals a total expenditure proposal of $22,880.450. Streets and Infrastructure - 73% $16,607: Some of the projects consist of the annual overlay program; engineering, design and construction of Logan Ferry-Heather Highlands and Cal-Ken bridges; road and surface and crack sealing treatments; traffic light processors and battery backups; and guide rail replacements along Meadowbrook Road. Building and Equipment - 22% $5,011.300: This includes the building maintenance projects, equipment and vehicle purchases. The 5-year plan proposes twelve new police vehicles and equipment; ten Public Works vehicles, four Public Works support equipment (including trailers and mowers), and four Public Works heavy duty equipment; and replacement of Channel 21 equipment to support the Windows upgrade. Parks and Other Projects - 5% $1,261,900: Expenditures are dedicated to Municipal Parks, scheduled updates, repairs, and development in the Comprehensive Plan that is done every ten years. Proposed funding will be supported by a dedicated millage of 3.95 mills, which equates to about $6,890,000 a year, real estate transfer tax which annually averages approximately $3,750,000 and the liquid fuels which is passed down through the state gasoline tax in the amount of $4,075,000. A new revenue source from the FTMSA will support storm sewer maintenance, and the TIP has grants available that will be used to support the reconstruction projects. The Library is currently applying for a grant to update their sidewalks to ADA compliance The Public Hearing was closed at 7:20 p.m. vmp -1- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 REGULAR VOTING MEETING AGENDA ROLL CALL/VOTING ORDER: Carl Stepanovich, Jamie Lingg, Dayne Dice, Jason Lemak, Mac McKenna, Eli Diacopoulos-absent, Matthew Olszewski, and Mayor Synan. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Council President, Dayne Dice led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. UNISTED AMENDMENTS: None CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS: A. Approval of August 7, 2024 Council Meeting Minutes B. Accounts Payable C. Cash Investments and Transfers Mr. Stepanovich made a motion to approve the Consent Calendar Items. Mrs. Lingg seconded. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. MAYOR’S COMMENTS: Mayor Synan presented the following announcements. Murrysville Farmers’ Market continues Thursdays from 3:00-7:00 p.m. through September 26. They have live music, weekly food trucks, local vendors and more! This is located by Medic One and Murrysville Fire Station. The satellite location to apply or renew a License to Carry will be held here at the Murrysville Municipal Building, 4100 Sardis Road, on September 12th from noon to 7:00 pm. Applicants must provide a Pennsylvania Driver’s License or Pennsylvania Photo Identification Card with a current address. New applicants must include the name, address, and phone number of two references that are not immediate family members. There is a $20 fee and payment is accepted in the form of cash, check or money order. After completion of the application, a background check will be performed through the Pennsylvania State Police. Upon arrival of the background check, the license will be issued. This is first come – first served. Glass Recycling “Pop-Up” Collection Event will be Saturday, September 21st from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Veterans Field parking lot. This is sponsored by the Municipality and Republic Services. Residents are also encouraged to support the Loaves and Fishes Emergency Food Pantry by donating non-perishable food items. School Opens tomorrow. Please drive carefully. Also, the School Road bridge opened this afternoon. Congratulations from Murrysville to Spencer Lee who got a silver medal in the Olympics. Lee became the first Westmoreland County athlete to win an Olympic medal. CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR’S COMMENTS: Mr. Nestico stated that School Road is open, as the Mayor just stated. There will be paving on Sardis Road next week from a People’s Gas project. There may be some delays. vmp -2- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 There was a landslide on Trafford Road that PennDOT will be addressing. We have a meeting next week with PennDOT to get more information and details of any closure for repairs. We will let the community know once we have more information. COMMUNITY INPUT: None LIAISON COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Mr. Lemak: The Library met last Thursday. They are applying for a grant for some ADA modifications. They have a strategic meeting planned for the 28th where they are going to look at their objectives and how they are going to meet them. They are in the process of planning a fun event for the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Mr. Stepanovich: Medic One postponed their meeting until this Thursday. Parks and Recreation Foundation will meet on Monday, September 16th. Mac McKenna: Parks and Recreation will have their last Tuesday at Townsend tonight. It went very well this year and they had good weather. All of the summer programs have gone well. They were supposed to meet last Tuesday but some members couldn’t make it so the meeting will be rescheduled for next week or the following week. Mrs. Lingg: Planning met last Tuesday, August 13th. They discussed the McCloy Avenue Plan which is on Council’s agenda for tonight with the recommendation for approval. There was discussion on the Tobin Subdivision which is a Conditional Use application for steep slopes and poor soil. The Summerhill Phase II discussion continued with still a lot of public and community concern. Their Public Hearing was closed. Nothing was forwarded to Council yet on that. Mr. Olszewski: The Environmental Action Committee met July 30th. Two topics discussed were Summerhill and a Conditional Use application for the Tobin plan. Summerhill was a review of the revised slope and map submitted that the EAC members still had issues with. There were also concerns with any water infiltration into existing pools which would cause unstable slopes and slippage. Those were the same concerns with the Tobin plan. WORKSHOP ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 9.A. Discussion and consideration to approve the acquisition of a new fire rescue truck for Sardis Volunteer Fire Department. Joe Paiano, Jr., Fire Chief with the Sardis Volunteer Fire Department, provided a presentation on the acquisition of a 2027 E-One Typhoon Walk-In Rescue truck. This unit will be replacing a 2004 Peterbilt which covers all of the technical rescue incidents for the Municipality of Murrysville. This includes high angle rope rescue, low angle rope rescue, trench rescue, confined space, peripheral entrapment and building collapse. They are the only agency locally that is equipped or trained to take on any incidents of this nature. vmp -3- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 The process of purchasing this truck was difficult in regard to the economy, the inflation costs on raw material and labor, and the motor cost increase that goes with EPA regulations. A lot of volunteer hours were spent researching, planning for the future and trying to find a vendor that would cover their specifications. They also looked at quality of construction and cost. Their proposal is for $1,389,465. A copy of the proposal and drawing of the vehicle were submitted to Council. Mr. Paiano explained and showed the specifications of the vehicle. Mr. Stepanovich asked if the wench was included. Mr. Paiano answered yes, which would be a 12,000 lb. Ramsey wench. Mrs. Lingg asked if this was going to have a tank on it. Mr. Paiano stated that it would have a self-contained cascade system onboard which would be no cost to the Municipality. It will be purchased through the fire company relief account. The skid is removable and is a stored energy system which basically means it comes with two nitrogen cartridges that power it. It has a small water reservoir which will be filled with Class A foam used for vehicle fires. This system will be able to produce about 12,000 gallons of finished foam which is more than adequate than putting a tank on this and came at a big cost savings for the Municipality. Mrs. Lingg asked if the equipment on the present truck is going to be used on the new truck. Mr. Paiano stated that they are going to reuse all of the equipment that they currently carry. Mrs. Lingg asked if he had an estimate on what the 2004 truck would be sold for. Mr. Paiano answered that the estimate would be a minimum of $200,000. Currently, there is a fire company in Somerset County interested in looking at the vehicle. Mr. Lemak wanted to thank Mr. Paiano for the presentation and his colleagues for their volunteer work. Mr. Lemak asked how many times the vehicle goes on calls. Mr. Paiano stated that it is the 2nd busiest piece out of their firehouse. Their engine would obviously be the 1st because of their location. They are right now averaging 14 members per call. Mr. Stepanovich asked what could be an incentive to get additional volunteers? Mr. Paiano stated that he has been involved with the fire department for 22 years. The level of training has increased so much, that this is almost a full-time job. It takes a strong individual that wants to dedicate a lot of their time and a lot of support from their family. Pennsylvania doesn’t have an incentive program like other states that offer length of service awards or programs. Any member with 15-20 years of service might get offered a $500 pension, a total tax break on your property, tuition reimbursement, and some things like that. Mr. McKenna stated that the volunteers do a fantastic job. Mr. McKenna asked if there was camera technology on the truck? Mr. Paiano answered yes that they are going to have a backup camera for a safety aspect. Mr. Olszewski asked if the truck went out for bid or how did they come up with this price and vendor? Mr. Paiano stated that they looked at numerous manufacturers and were flexible regarding their specifications. They looked at Seagrave Apparatus that came in with a price of $1.6, KME backed out but had a price of $1.5 and Four Guys Fire Apparatus didn’t want to submit a bid. Mr. Nestico added that the project budget for this purchase was $1.2 million, which was planned out several years ago. Cost increases have impacted us substantially since that budget was developed. There was no way to keep this vehicle under that budget amount. We met with all of the fire companies, with vmp -4- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 himself and the mayor involved. Everyone agreed that the cost overruns on this vehicle were worth it. By committing to the purchase now, the vehicle will arrive in 2027 and locks in the price. The funds are in the Special Equipment Fund and will continue to accrue interest. The dollar amount they get for the 2004 vehicle will go towards this also. ENGINEERING: None COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: None PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: None COUNCIL ACTION ITEMS ADMINISTRATION: 13.A. Approve Resolution #789-24, a Resolution revising the existing Investment Policy Statement for the municipal pension plans. Mrs. Lingg made a motion to approve Resolution #789-24, a Resolution revising the existing Investment Policy Statement for the municipal pension plans. Mr. Lemak seconded. Mr. Nestico stated that the Investment Policy Statement is the guidance document for the pension plan. There were a few items that needed to be updated in that document, including minor background information for the plan, revision to the fixed income provision listed in the investment guidelines, and a few updates to the Corrective Action criteria. The Pension Advisory Committee reviewed this along with Councilman Diacopoulos and are all in support of approving this resolution. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. 13.B. Advertise Ordinance #1091-24, an Ordinance amending Chapter 157 of the Code of the Municipality of Murrysville, establishing noise standards and requirements for all land use activities within the Municipality of Murrysville. Mrs. Lingg made a motion to advertise Ordinance #1091-24, an Ordinance amending Chapter 157 of the Code of the Municipality of Murrysville, establishing noise standards and requirements for all land use activities within the Municipality of Murrysville. Mr. Olszewski seconded. Mr. Nestico noted that Chapter 157 of the Code of the Municipality of Murrysville regulates noise within the community. As discussed, a number of times in this meeting room, our noise ordinance is outdated and difficult to interpret. The municipality hired Babich Acoustics to assist with the preparation of a revised Noise Ordinance. Babich Acoustics, over the last year or so, deployed equipment within the community to measure sound levels to try to get a baseline for ambient, transient and average noise levels. They did present a proposal that would help revise the ordinance and simplify it. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. vmp -5- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 13.C. Approve Resolution #790-24, a Resolution authorizing an application for designation as a Pennsylvania Broadband Ready Community (BBRC). Mr. Olszewski made a motion to approve Resolution #790-24, a Resolution authorizing an application for designation as a Pennsylvania Broadband Ready Community (BBRC). Mr. Stepanovich seconded. Mr. Nestico stated that County is working with consultant, Michael Baker International, to apply for and seek funding for broadband infrastructure improvement. This is our attempt to be included in the funding, if we qualify. The first step in the process is to submit an application to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA), which is happening through Michael Baker and the County. We need to adopt a resolution as part of the process. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. 13.D. Approve the purchase of a 2024/2025 E-One Typhoon Walk-In Rescue truck for Sardis Volunteer Fire Department in the amount of $1,389,465. Mr. McKenna made a motion to approve the purchase of a 2024/2025 E-One Typhoon Walk-In Rescue truck for Sardis Volunteer Fire Department in the amount of $1,389,465. Mrs. Lingg seconded. Mr. McKenna commented that he visited Sardis Fire Department and Chief Paiano gave him and his son a tour. The way the guys treat that equipment is immaculate. You can tell they take pride in their equipment, which makes making decisions like this so much easier. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 14.A. Approve SP-2-24, Artman McCloy Avenue site plan, 3096 McCloy Avenue, M-U zoning, tax parcel 49- 14-05-0-006 for construction of a parking lot. Mrs. Lingg made a motion to approve SP-2-24, Artman McCloy Avenue site plan, 3096 McCloy Avenue, M-U zoning, tax parcel 49-14-05-0-006 for construction of a parking lot. Mr. Lemak seconded. Mr. Nestico stated that this is a minor site plan in a mixed-use district. It is a residential property that they will be converting to a business for a hair salon. The only recommendation coming from the approval process is that the outlet pipe for the stormwater, shown on the drawings, is discharging into the municipal right of way. They would have to rectify that so that the outlet pipe only discharges onto the property. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. ENGINEERING: 15.A. Authorize the advertisement for DPW-2-24 – Duff Park – Parking Lot Paving Project. vmp -6- THE MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE Regular Voting Meeting – Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Mrs. Lingg made a motion to authorize the advertisement for DPW-2-24 – Duff Park – Parking Lot Paving Project. Mr. Stepanovich seconded. Public Works Director, Bill Paiano, stated that they are looking for authorization to put that contract out to bid. The project was broken down into three phases. They widened the parking lot and constructed a wall. Right now, they are waiting on utilities they can extend. They need to build the bathroom. The final stage would be to pave the lot. They want to at least advertise to pave it and hopefully fit it in. The paving of the parking lot will assist public works with maintenance of the lot during winter. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS: 16.A. Approve the purchase of a 2017 Leeboy Loader in the amount of $150,000. Mr. Olszewski made a motion to approve the purchase of a 2017 Leeboy Loader in the amount of $150,000. Mrs. Lingg seconded. Mr. Paiano stated that a used 2017 Leeboy Loader is available for purchase via Municibid. Their current loader is a used 1983 model which was bought in 2012. The municipality has struggled to obtain parts and complete repairs. The mechanic continues to modify parts and make piecemeal repairs to the machine in order to keep its functionality. The purchase of a newer 2017 Leeboy Loader should serve the municipality well for the foreseeable future. A brand new loader is in the $300,000+ range. The used loader for council consideration is $150,000. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. OLD BUSINESS: None NEW BUSINESS: None EXECUTIVE SESSION: Property and legal matters Mr. Dice noted that prior to tonight’s meeting, they did have a quick Executive Session to talk about property and potential litigation matters. ACTION ITEMS: None ADJOURNMENT: Mrs. Lingg made a motion to adjourn. Mr. McKenna seconded. All those present voted aye. Motion approved. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. The Regular Voting Meeting and Public Hearing were broadcast on local government Channel 21. 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. vmp -7-