City Council

Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 The regular monthly meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President, Jeffery L. Wright, with the pledge of allegiance. In Attendance: Absent: Jeffery L. Wright Lisa Wiedeman-Krosnar Stephen Shaver Michael Kovach Dennis Heefner MaryJo Szada Michael Albert (arrived at 6:45pm) Mayor Thomas Acri David A. Wion, Solicitor John M. DeSanto, Jr., Secretary Treasurer Kathleen D. Handley, Assistant Secretary Treasurer SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Mr. Wright stated that he was pleased to announce the swearing in ceremony of Scott Spangler as the Chief of the Steelton Police Department. Mr. Wright thanked everyone for attending. He especially thanked the Spangler family that came to take part in this momentous occasion. He then turned the ceremony over to Mayor Acri. Mayor Acri thanked everyone for coming, as well. Mayor Acri stated that Chief Spangler is the seventh chief in the last 50 years. Mayor Acri led Chief Spangler through the oath, thereby officially appointing him as Chief of the Steelton Police Department. Mr. Shaver congratulated Chief Spangler on his appointment to Chief of Police. Mr. Shaver stated that Chief Spangler served as an intern 20 years ago when Mr. Spangler was a police officer with the Highspire Police Department. Mr. Shaver said he is very proud of Chief Spangler. Mr. Wright stated that he looks forward to working with Chief Spangler in this new capacity. He offered his support in his role. Mr. Shaver excused the Spangler family due to planned festivities and celebrations. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Heefner, Council Members present unanimously voted to approve the August 3, 2009 Council Minutes. 1  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 EXECUTIVE SESSIONS HELD BETWEEN MEETINGS: (Secretary DeSanto): Mr. DeSanto said he had nothing to report at this time. APPROVAL OF SCHEDULES OF BILLINGS, REQUISTIONS AND CHANGE ORDERS AS PRESENTED: On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Heefner, Council Members present voted unanimously to approve the schedules, as presented. APPROVAL OF DEPARTMENT REPORTS: Neighborhood and Economic Development Finance Fire and Ambulance Personnel Police Public Works Code Enforcement On a motion made by Ms. Szada, seconded by Mr. Shaver, Council Members present voted unanimously to approve the July department reports as presented. Mayor’s Report: Mayor Acri stated that he received an update on the possible closing of the Steelton Post Office. He said that it was reported that approximately 650 offices have been selected to undergo a study on whether or not to be closed. He spoke to a Post Master in Philadelphia. The Post Master stated that Representative Tim Holden met with him and he stressed that this will only be a study. There is no estimated time for the study to begin. Mayor Acri also spoke with the Steelton branch manager. The Steelton Post Master retired at the end of July. Mayor Acri was told that all Post Managers are being transitioned into becoming branch managers. The Post master at the Harrisburg office promised Mayor Acri that this is just a survey and a copy will be made available for residents of the Borough. Mayor Acri stated that at that time, Council needs to go to the press to let residents know that it is imperative or them to complete the survey. Mayor Acri also suggested holding a town hall meeting, that is to be held by the Post Office for residents to voice their concerns as well as reasons the Steelton office should not be closed. Currently, there is a lot of information circulating but, they are all rumors. Mayor Acri stated that he will keep everyone abreast on the progress of this issue. He asked for questions from the audience. Jean Bar told the Mayor that she is willing to circulate a petition and go door to door. She said that there are a lot of residents that do not drive and it will be a major inconvenience to them. 2  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 Lena Jefferson asked if it is possible to minimize the hours of the office instead of closing. Mayor Acri said that is a good question. He asked Ms. Jefferson to write that on the survey and bring that up at the town hall meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT: Agenda Items Only There were no comments. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Edward Ellinger, Engineer Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. – Discuss status of PENNVEST Grant and next steps in the process. Mr. Ellinger stated that the Borough was awarded approximately $11.5 million from PENNVEST on July 21, 2009. The agreement is a 20 year loan at 1 1/8% for the full term of the loan. By consent order and agreement, the Borough is required to complete the $4.1 million project, which only includes T Street. Mr. Ellinger stated that this money is not a grant however; the Borough received a good interest rate on the loan. Mr. Elllinger held a meeting on July 31, 2009 with Mr. DeSanto, Mr. Heefner, and other members of the professional staff at the Borough to determine how this loan will affect customer rates. He said there is a need to calculate more numbers. He is working with Bill Carlin to get comprehensive numbers. Mr. Ellinger suggested having a strategy session. He will come back in 2-4 weeks with a recommendation. He projects that the loan amount and percentage rate will have $5-6 increase per quarter per customer. Mr. Ellinger needs to get Mr. DeSanto’s signature on the loan agreement. Mr. Shaver asked if the agreement is signed and activated, when the money will be released to the Borough. Mr. Ellinger stated that it is a reimbursement loan. Mr. Heefner stated that, by his calculations, the $11.5 million loan amount will increase his personal water bill by approximately 60%. He recommended figuring out how much it will cost each customer to only upgrade T Street. Mr. Heefner asked Mr. Musser to give his thoughts on when rates should be raised. Mr. Musser started by saying that the Borough will not negotiate the loan amount down. Council will either accept or reject the loan offer. He suggested that Council come up with an alternate plan. Mr. Musser then stated that rates can be increased at any time. However, the initial raise should occur on the November bill and be gradually done by 10-15% over a two year period. Mr. Musser said he will make himself available to assist Council and staff during the transition. Mr. Shaver stated that there is an undeterminable variable in what the treatment increase will be from the City of Harrisburg. He urged everyone to keep this in mind. Mr. Heefner stated that there are a lot of elderly residents who are on a fixed income. Even if the increase is gradual, it will be tough on those individuals. 3  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 Mr. Wright stated that there will be a Finance Committee meeting held on Monday at 6:00pm. The rate of the loan will go before the committee. The committee will then calculate numbers and bring them back to Council. He invited Mr. Musser and Mr. Ellinger to attend the meeting. Mr. Musser stated that he has a previous engagement. However, he will meet with Mr. Ellinger to calculate some numbers. Mr. Musser stated for the record that this project is being done by force by DEP. This is not by choice. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present unanimously voted to accept the $11.5 million funding offer at 1 1/8%. Mr. Ellinger clarified that the exact amount of the loan is for $11,492,870.00 through the PENNVEST Program. Paul Navarro, President Navarro & Wright Cheryl Stulpin, VP WINN Dev Co. – Presentation of Felton Lofts Land Development to Council & Mayor Acri. Mr. Navarro stated that his presentation involves information on the re-development of the former elementary school located at Fourth and Walnut Streets. In the middle of July, Council adopted a re-zoning ordinance which created a new town center district. He said it is a well built building with additions that were added after the original construction which were turned into the auditorium and gymnasium. The structure of the building was assessed by Winn Development. Mr. Bink is completing the architectural design. When it is completed, it will be a showcase of the town. The building will be converted into 100 apartments. The gymnasium will be converted to 56 parking spaces. Additional parking will be added around the perimeter of the building. There will be a total of 104 parking spaces. The plans have been submitted to, and comments have been received from, the Borough Engineer (HRG), the Steelton Planning Commission, the Dauphin County Planning Commission, and Borough staff. On August 5, 2009, subsequent submittal was given to Council and several waivers were requested. The plans received support from Council. Mr. Wion asked Council to consider granting a waiver of the preliminary plan procedure which was done consistently with recent plans. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present unanimously voted to grant a waiver of the preliminary plans. Mr. Navarro stated that the second waiver is for driver separation from the corner, in accordance to Section 99-19.F.1 of the subdivision land development ordinance. There is a drop off area at Fourth and Walnut Streets. Winn Development would like to pull this back to widen the turning radius for traffic and fire equipment. Mr. Shaver asked if a representative from the Steelton Fire Department has reviewed this. Mr. Navarro stated that he has met with Chief Vance and Mr. Handley. They suggested that the turning radius be displayed on the plan to prove that the fire engine can safely maneuver around 4  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 the building. Mr. Heefner stated that Winn Development will make sure the pavement is sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the axle load of the tower truck. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members unanimously voted to waive section 99-19.F.1 of the subdivision land development ordinance. Mr. Navarro stated that items C and D pertain to buffer yards and screening for section 99.40 and 99.41 of the ordinance. The new ordinance calls for buffering when the use of a particular building is different than adjoining buildings. There is no room to create buffers that are required by ordinance. Also, Felton Lofts will be residential and all buildings surrounding it are residential. The Planning Commission made a recommendation that Elm Street side be buffered. Mr. Heefner urged Council to push for screening as an aesthetic so the parking lot will not be visible by passersby. Mr. Navarro countered that the building is already buffered to some degree due to the elevation off of 3rd Street. The 3rd Street wall is considered historical and cannot be tampered with. It is difficult for anyone on 3rd Street to be affected by improvements since the Felton Lofts lot sits high off ground. Mr. Navarro stated that the Planning Commission raised a concern about the proximity of parking near the building on 4th Street. There will be some screening and a 5 foot separation in that area. Mr. Heefner expressed concern in the event of a fire on the third or fourth floor of the building. If the Steelton Fire Department were to the bring tower truck in, the fire fighters will not be able to reach those floors from 4th Street. Mr. Heefner stated that he is concerned for the safety of residents who will live there. Mr. Shaver asked if the building will have a sprinkler system installed. Ms. Stulpin said it will. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present voted to grant the request to waive Section 99-40 of the Steelton Planning Commission, and grant a waiver regarding buffer yards and Section 99-41, regarding screening. Mr. Heefner cast the dissenting vote. The motion carried. Mr. Shaver said he understands Mr. Heefner’s concerns. However, hopefully, the sprinkler system will prevent the tower truck having to be called to the building. Resolution 2009-R-26 – A resolution approving final subdivision contingent upon the developer meeting specified conditions and obtaining satisfactory financial security. Mr. Navarro stated that there was a document submitted on Friday pertaining to the improvement which asked for action on the preliminary final land development. Mr. Shaver clarified that this is regarding the $93,409.80. Mr. Navarro verified that it is. Mr. Wion stated that HRG talked about Section 99.18.b which pertains to the auto turn analysis and the lighting plan. The Steelton Planning Commission and the Dauphin County Planning Commission made comments, as required by law. There are certain 5  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 improvements that must be made. Mr. Wion also stated that the developer must provide an improvement guarantee agreement which is an agreement to complete these improvements and provide financial security. Examples of financial security are, but not limited to, a letter of credit, a subdivision bond, or escrow in cash. The financial security must be for the total amount of money that up to 110% of the proposed improvements, as determined by the developer’s engineer. This document must be reviewed by the Borough’s engineer. Mr. Navarro submitted that cost to HRG and the Borough. The bank will not issue a bond until the plan is approved. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present unanimously voted to accept Resolution 2009-R-26. Mr. Heefner stated that since the neighborhood will be stressed due to parking, an official traffic study should be done by an engineer to assess the flow of traffic in the area. There will be 100+ cars in that vicinity per day. He say that possibly Winn Development will pay for the study to be done. Mr. Shaver stated that he agrees a traffic study should be done but, this should be turned over to the Neighborhood and Economic Development Committee for review. Mr. Shaver suggested that this be tabled until a later date. Mr. Wright agreed with Mr. Shaver. Mr. Heefner asked Ms. Stulpin, since construction is scheduled to begin in November, if No Parking should be implemented prior to that date so residents can find additional parking. Ms. Stulpin stated that, that is a good idea. She also said that the property will be fenced in when construction begins. Mr. DeSanto added that the opposite side of Fourth Street will be improved to include an ADA accessible curb cut. This improvement will be done by Winn Development, even though they do not own that property. Mr. Wright asked Ms. Stulpin to get in contact with Mr. DeSanto regarding the traffic study. Resolution 2009-R-25 – Resolution authorizing the acquisition of the real property located at 227 Adams Street, Borough of Steelton, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania as a property located within the Adams Street Redevelopment area. Mr. Wion stated that this was handled in a similar fashion at the last meeting. It is a continuation of the Adams Street redevelopment project. The purchase price was $9,000 which includes the purchase of the building, real property, attorney fees, and demolition of the property. On a motion made by Mr. Albert, seconded by Mr. Heefner, Council Members present unanimously voted to accept Resolution 2009-R-25. 6  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 COMMUNICATION: Gregory W. Shea, Borough Water Filtration Operator – Received Class B State Certification to operate Water System from Commonwealth of PA DEP. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present unanimously voted to add the Class B State Certificate to Mr. Shea’s personnel file. Milt Carnes, SFD – SFD selected for US Commerce Association 2009 Best of Steelton Award. This communication was provided for Council’s information. SFD fire Chief Eugene Vance – Announcement of Chicken BBQ on Saturday, August 22nd until 1pm at lot across from Borough offices. This communication was provided for Council’s information. Friar Patrick, Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, Steelton – 100th Anniversary Celebration September 26th and 27th. Anyone interested in attending, please contact Mr. DeSanto. Harrisburg Regional Chamber CREDC – Invitation to Borough Council to participate in annual “Meet Your Elected Officials” reception Thursday, October 1st at 5:30pm in the PA Capital, 2nd Floor Rotunda. Anyone interested in attending, please contact Mr. DeSanto. Mr. Shaver asked Mr. DeSanto to notify CREDC that he will attend the event. NEW BUSINESS: John S. Trish, Property Maintenance Officer – Letter of Resignation effective August 7, 2009. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mr. Albert, Council Members present voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Mr. Trish. Ms. Christina Grassa 634 S. Second Street – Wishes to address the moratorium on issuing disabled parking spaces within the Borough. Mr. Greg Grassa spoke on behalf of his mother, Hilda K. Grassa. He stated that he was born and raised in the Borough. His mother has been a tax paying citizen in the Borough since 1968. It is her desire to have a handicap parking space. Mr. Grassa spoke with Mayor Acri and Representative Buxton regarding this, last October. He also spoke with 7  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 someone from the Borough and was told that a moratorium was put on handicap parking spaces. Mr. Grassa stated that he wanted to inquire about the progress of the study that was to be conducted. He is also concerned about winter approaching. His mother is 88 years old and uses a walker to walk. She has documentation from Dr. Kambic explaining her difficulty walking and PennDOT has issued her a handicap parking placard. Mr. Grassa stated that he would be happy to provide copies of this documentation to Council in order to get his mother a handicap parking space. Mr. DeSanto thanked Mr. Grassa for attending the meeting and stated that he understands his concerns. Mr. DeSanto said that Mrs. Wiedeman-Krosnar is still working on the study. She is in the process of traveling throughout the entire Borough and verifying that every handicap parking sign matches the plates of the car that is parked there. This process is very time consuming. Mr. DeSanto gave the example that on Locust Street, there are five handicap parking spots in one block. Three have been deemed legitimate and two were not. Mr. Grassa asked if those that are found to be invalid are immediately removed. Mr. DeSanto said that a Resolution has to be established to remove them. That can only be done at Council meetings. Lincoln Street Committee – Request to hold a “Take Back the Streets” block party on Saturday September 12, 2009 from noon to 8pm, and to block Lincoln Street between Harrisburg and Bailey Streets. On a motion made by Mr. Albert, seconded by Mr. Heefner, Council Members present unanimously voted to approve this request. Councilman Heefner – Discuss permit parking. Mr. Heefner urged Council to start investigating this matter now, as opposed to waiting until the Felton Lofts are completed and parking becomes a major issue. He asked Council to consider how far the perimeter will extend on permit parking and how many permits per residence will be granted. Mr. Wright asked Mr. Heefner to work with the Public Works Committee to begin drafting an option for this matter and present it to Council. Mr. Wion stated that he will discuss the legal ramifications with Mr. Heefner and the Public Works Committee at the appropriate time. OTHER BUSINESS: Mr. DeSanto, Borough Secretary Treasurer – Request an Executive Session to discuss personnel matters, land acquisition and potential litigation issues. There were no comments. 8  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: Pauline Douglass; Bessemer Street Ms. Douglass asked Mr. Heefner about the water pressure at the northern end of Steelton. Mr. Heefner stated at a previous Council Meeting that he would have an answer at this meeting. Ms. Douglass inquired about the progress of increasing the water pressure at the top of the Borough. Mr. Heefner stated that he thought the issue had been worked out after speaking with Mr. Brian Handley. He then redirected the question to Mr. Navarro. Mr. Navarro stated that he has been working with the Steelton Borough Water Authority. The system is being turned into a high pressure zone and a larger pumping unit is being installed in the reservoir tanks. They are trying to avoid boosting the pressure too quickly and rupturing older mains. They are gradually closing off upper regions of the systems. Ms. Douglass also asked what the future of the Senior Citizen Center is. Mr. Wright stated that the Senior Center does not fall under Borough Council. It is handled by the Steelton Economic Development Foundation. The Foundation did not meet, as scheduled, last week. The Foundation will bring their recommendation back to Council after the next meeting. Wanda Jacoby; 103 N. 2nd Street Ms. Jacoby stated that she attended the recent Chicken BBQ held by the Steelton Fire Department and it was very nice. However, the DJ played music with a lot of profanity and there were kids present. Mayor Acri stated that Bruce Elliott was the DJ for the event, as he does for all Borough events and all of his music is clean and free of profanity. He buys his music from Mr. Albert and it is always clean. Mayor Acri stated that he will follow up on this situation. Jean Bar; 349 S. 4th Street Ms. Bar wanted to address the steps that lead from 4th to 3rd Street. She said she walked down them last week and they are in very bad shape. They are treacherous in the winter. She asked if they can be fixed. Mr. Wright asked Mr. Heefner to work on this with Ms. Bar to address this matter. Jules Svidunovich; 337 Locust Street Mr. Svidunovich stated that the number quoted for handicap parking spots on Locust Street are incorrect. He stated that one of the individuals passed away. There is another parking spot that is used as a holding spot. A non-handicap car parks in the handicap spot and the car that is supposed to be parked there parks behind the handicap parking spot. Mr. Svidunovich suggested that the police department ticket offenders. 9  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 Mr. Svidunovich also asked for clarification on the proposed apartment building on Fourth Street. He asked if this will be subsidized, since that is the public perception. Mr. Wion advised Council not to respond to this question. Lastly, Mr. Svidunovich stated that he read a comment by Mr. Heefner on line. The comment was about a previous Secretary Treasurer not doing a good job in the Borough. Mr. Svidunovich asked Mr. Heefner if he was referring to Mr. Musser. Mr. Heefner said he was not. Stanley Washington; 303 Lincoln Street Mr. Washington stated that there is a lot of money being considered for improvements throughout the Borough. He asked if the Borough has ever considered updating the system to pay water bills. He would like to see a debit/credit card reader installed, as many people do not carry cash anymore. Mr. DeSanto stated that this option is being investigated with a local bank. However, there is still some research that needs to be done, as there will be a cost to the Borough to implement and maintain this type of system. Mr. Shaver stated that this has been looked into once or twice before but the cost associated with it makes the process prohibitive. COUNCIL’S CONCERNS: Mr. Heefner: commended Teresa Sviben for her hard work and helping at the Planning Commission meetings. He said Ms. Sviben has never been recognized and a note should be put in her file to show appreciation. Mr. DeSanto will write a letter of commendation to be placed in Ms. Sviben’s personnel file. Mr. DeSanto: asked that everyone keep Mr. Heefner’s mother in prayer. Mr. Wright: thanked everyone for attending the meeting. He also asked the public to bear with Council as progress is made on the Felton Building project. He asked everyone to keep the final outcome in mind. On a motion made by Mr. Albert, seconded by Mr. Shaver, the Council meeting recessed into executive session at 8:00 p.m., to discuss personnel matters, land acquisition and potential litigation. The regular meeting re-convened at 8:40 P.M. On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mrs. Wiedeman-Krosnar, Council Members present unanimously voted to promote Luz Pabon to the position of Administrative Assistant to the Steelton Police Department effective September 21, 2009 at the hourly rate of $16.50. Ms. Pabon will serve a six month probationary period. 10  Steelton Borough Council Meeting August 17, 2009 On a motion made by Mr. Shaver, seconded by Mrs. Wiedeman-Krosnar, Council Members present unanimously voted to promote Sgt. Scott Spangler to Chief of the Steelton Police Department with an annual salary of $82,250 plus longevity, health and medical benefits, a clothing allowance, and the use of the Steelton Borough Chief of Police Vehicle, effective August 4, 2009. Chief Spangler will serve a six month probationary period. ADJOURNMENT: There being no other business before Council, on a motion by Mr. Heefner, seconded by Mr. Shaver, the meeting adjourned at 8:47 pm. Respectfully submitted, _____________________________ _______________________________ John DeSanto, Jr. Dennise Hill Borough Secretary Executive Administrative Assistant 11