City Council

Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 The regular monthly meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Vice President, Stephen Shaver, with the pledge of allegiance, followed by a moment of silence. In Attendance: Absent: Stephen Shaver Jeffery Wright Michael Albert Dennis Heefner MaryJo Szada Maria Marcinko Raymond Spencer Mayor Thomas Acri David A. Wion, Solicitor Douglas E. Brown, Secretary/Treasurer Kathy I. Sosnowski, Executive Assistant Jay Wenger, Susquehanna Group Advisors Michael Musser, Consultant APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS AS PRESENTED: A motion was made by Ms. Marcinko, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously to approve the April 18, 2011 minutes and May 2, 2011 minutes with the following note: In the May 2 minutes, on page 3, paragraph 2, the sentence was changed to note: starting in 2012 each person attending the Dauphin/Lebanon meetings will be charged $10. APPROVAL OF SCHEDULES OF BILLINGS, REQUISITIONS AND CHANGE ORDERS AS PRESENTED: A motion to approve the above was made by Mr. Heefner, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. APPROVAL OF DEPARTMENT REPORTS: Neighborhood & Economic Development Personnel Police Public Works/Water Plant Code Enforcement Mayor’s Report (Fire & Ambulance Report not submitted) -1-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 PUBLIC WORKS/MR. HEEFNER – noted that lines have been repainted on Front Street at Locust Street, Walnut Street and Swatara Street. The Boy Scouts are scheduled to have a cleanup on Saturday from 8:00 to 12:00. The boat dock is still under water. Due to the weather, a manhole cover blew off on Pine Street. He also noted that during the East End Sewer Separation Project (EESSP) the contractor had to tunnel under railroad ties on the Dura-Bond property. Dura-Bond will move the railroad ties at a savings to the Borough in the amount of $47,000. We received quotations for grass cutting services for 2012 from three companies. Mr. Heefner recommended we stay with Center City Building Services. A motion was made by Dr. Szada to accept the CCBS quotation, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. A motion was made by Mr. Heefner to approve the Department Reports submitted, seconded by Dr. Szada and approved unanimously. PUBLIC COMMENT: Agenda Items Only None. COMMUNICATION: Penn Prime Insurance – notification of loss control standards that should be adopted for best rates PIRMA – renewal of liability insurance coverage and updates to policy Dauphin County Emergency Management – adoption of the update to the Dauphin County Hazard Mitigation Plan DCED – notice of project closeout requirements for HRA Grant DEVIATION FROM AGENDA/NEW BUSINESS: Toniann Difrancesco Noss – asked to be excused and rescheduled for another meeting Lisa Myers, Boyer and Ritter – presented the Borough of Steelton’s 2010 Financial Report for Council approval. A motion was made to approve the report by Mr. Albert, seconded by Dr. Szada and approved unanimously. -2-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Jay Wenger, Susquehanna Group Advisors – updated Council on the bond market and options for the 2012 budget year. Rates haven’t been low enough to act on the 2003-04 General Obligation Bond; we should continue to watch the market in case there is a drop in rates and then we could take action. Leonard Yablon, 720 S. 2nd St. – addressed Council regarding his previous request for a bus stop at Front and Dupont Streets. There is no safe, accessible bus stop going toward Highspire: there is no crosswalk to the stop on Mohn St. (below cab company), there is also no crosswalk at the stop near Chambers St. nor is there overhead lighting. Dupont Street would be the perfect spot for a bus stop – it is already concrete and at a well-seen area. Mr. Hoffer (CAT) said if the Borough and the Steel Mill would cooperate, the stop could still be implemented. In December, Mr. DeSanto contacted all three entities but did not have a petition from residents; Mr. Yablon was the only person requesting the stop. Mr. Yablon admitted he should have gotten a petition or proof of demand for a bus stop. The mill is private property; is there trespassing at the Chambers Street stop? Also, on the bus schedule the Mohn St. stop is not listed; the schedule goes from Cameron & Elliott to Front and Chambers. Mr. Shaver re-referred the entire sheltered bus stop proposal to the Neighborhood and Economic Development Committee for review. Ed Ellinger & Joshua Fox, HRG – presented reports on Adams Street land redevelopment and East End Sewer Separation Projects (EESSP) and PennVest Reimbursement for payment #11 to Council for costs related to the East End Project. The required completion date for the EESSP is August 13th. Request for payment #8 in the amount of $409,487.52 was made. A motion for payment approval was made by Mr. Heefner, seconded by Ms. Marcinko and approved unanimously. Request for PennVest reimbursement #11 in the amount of $450,599.05 was made. A motion for payment approval was made by Ms. Marcinko, seconded by Mr. Spencer and approved unanimously. The Adams Street Project is moving ahead; the utility work is done. The retaining wall should be started this week. With the recent rains, HRG is concerned that the project will run past the June 30 deadline date. Mr. Ellinger tried to contact HRA as liaison; they did not return his call as of this meeting. Mr. Heefner questioned whether we need to replace the laterals leaking into the system as they are made of clay. Mr. Shaver suggested that they be taken offline; the issue was referred to executive session due to possible litigation issues. Ms. Marcinko commented about the curbing not being squared; Mr. Fox said that they are -3-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 probably not finished. Mr. Shaver asked for a complete Adams Street update for Council by Mr. Brown once issues are resolved. NEW BUSINESS: David A. Wion, Solicitor – presented Ordinance No. 2011-3 amending the Code of the Borough of Steelton by establishing the office of Borough Manager and establishing provisions for the appointment, removal, vacancy, resignation, qualifications, bonding, compensation, general and specific powers and duties of the Borough Manager. Mr. Heefner requested that on page 1, #28-3 the two sentences referring to residency be stricken. A motion was made by Ms. Marcinko, seconded by Mr. Heefner and approved unanimously to strike the indicated sentences. A motion to approve the revised ordinance was made by Mr. Albert, seconded by Ms. Marcinko and approved unanimously. (Ms. Marcinko asked that if we ever have a Street Commissioner and if it is necessary to keep language related to it in the ordinance; Mr. Wion indicated that it’s best to include the language.) David A. Wion, Solicitor – presented Resolution 2011-R-9 appointing Douglas E. Brown as Manager of the Borough of Steelton. A motion was made to approve this resolution by Ms. Marcinko, seconded by Mr. Spencer and approved unanimously. David A. Wion, Solicitor – presented Ordinance 2011-4 amending the Code of the Borough of Steelton Chapter 90 (Sewers), Article I “Terminology”, Section 90-1 “Definitions”, Article VI, “Industrial Waste Pretreatment”, Section 90-46 “Specific Discharge Limitations”. Mr. Wion stated that the EPA, the DEP and the City of Harrisburg regulations require certain elements to be removed or pre-treated; daily maximums are listed for pollutants that can be in the water and/or discharged into the system. A motion was made to approve the ordinance by Mr. Albert, seconded by Ms. Marcinko and approved unanimously. Mr. Shaver – presented Resolution 2011-R-10 Adopting the Hazard Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Plan update the Steelton Borough as per the letter received from the Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency. A motion was made by Ms. Marcinko to approve Resolution 2011-R-10, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. Mayor Acri – presented recommendations of the Neighborhood and Economic Development Committee to approve placement of a handball court at Mohn Street Park if grant funding becomes available; and approval to place a handball court at Municipal Park if “Hope in Handball” raises the funds to do so. A motion was made after clarification from Mr. Wion that Council is approving the general concept only if monies become available, and that they are not approving any expenditure for construction yet. Ms. Marcinko made a motion to support the NEDC recommendations if and when grant money becomes available for Mohn St. and if the -4-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 group “Hope in Handball” raises the money for Municipal Park. Mr. Albert seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. Mayor Acri – presented a recommendation of the Neighborhood and Economic Development Committee (NEDC) to apply for a 2012 local match grant to provide matching funds for Front St. improvements and to make repairs at the fire house. A motion was made by Ms. Marcinko to approve the recommendation, seconded by Dr. Szada and approved unanimously. Mayor Acri – presented a recommendation of the NEDC to apply reductions in the 2011 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) allocation to the Adams Street Project. Mr. Brown indicated that there was a 17% cut in the 2011 allocation. Since this project is nearing completion, it was decided to apply the cuts to the Adams Street Project for 2011. Dr. Szada asked what the implications are for the cuts; would any work not get done? It was confirmed that anything scheduled will be done. Dr. Szada then asked if there would be no more money involved on Adams Street; Mr. Heefner said there is still money available to purchase property for further development. At that point, Dr. Szada made a motion to approve the recommendation, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. Mayor Acri – presented a recommendation of the NEDC to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, creating a working relationship and intergovernmental cooperation between the NEDC and the TCRPC. A motion was made by Ms. Marcinko to sign the MOU, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. Mr. Shaver, Vice President – Requested the appointment of Maria Marcinko to the Steelton Community Development Foundation. A motion to approve the appointment was made by Dr. Szada, seconded by Mr. Albert and approved unanimously. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: Balraj Singh, 841 N. Front St. – was referred to Council by Ms. Zell in the codes office. He wants to construct a 12x8 sign for the Family Dollar Store. Mr. Wion indicated that the C-2 Secondary Commercial District Restrictions for a non-movable, free-standing sign have a limit of 4x4. Penn DOT regulations control signs placed on Route 230, such as size, restricted view, etc. It was suggested that Mr. Singh contact Penn DOT; if they approve the sign, he is welcome to come back to the Borough for our approval. He was also advised to give Mr. Brown his information after the meeting and to keep Mr. Brown apprised of any further action on this issue. -5-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 th Jean Barr, 349 S. 4 St. – questioned the recent occurrence at the fire house; Mr. Shaver indicated that it cannot be discussed as it is a legal matter being handled by the District Attorney. It was clarified that there are no tax dollars involved in the situation. She also asked why Ms. Difrancesco Noss left the meeting; Mr. Shaver said that she left on her own and asked to be put on the agenda of another meeting. OTHER BUSINESS: Doug Brown/Mayor Acri – indicated that the portable toilet at Mohn Street Park has been tipped over several times since it was placed there, and recommended that staff remove the toilet (if the handball court ever becomes a reality, we’ll probably have to put it back). Staff was instructed to remove the toilet at this time. COUNCIL’S CONCERNS: Mr. Heefner – thanked the staff for a great job on the Veterans Appreciation Parade Ms. Marcinko – thanked the staff, as well as the sponsors for a great parade; added that the VFW did a really nice job with the refreshments following the ceremony at the park. She thanked the Mayor for helping her organize biweekly cleanups that started yesterday (5/15). BUT, she also noted that she drove on both Front Street and River Alley twice that day – during the first drive, she noticed the nice job the cleanup crew did; during the second drive several hours later both roads were littered again. She asked that if anyone sees people throwing trash, please ask them to pick it up. On another note, she added that she thinks the handball court would be a good thing for the community and that the Keystone State Games would be a plus for the area. Lastly, she wanted to let everyone know that former employee Dennise Hill has written a book of poetry and recently had a book signing; we should be proud of her for a good job! Dr. Szada – commended the staff for a job well done on the parade, but she does have some suggestions for next year. Her main concern was the closing of the streets at 9:00am when the parade didn’t start until noon – she said both Front St. and the side streets were closed so people couldn’t get to their homes. The mayor said that this is not true; there was traffic on Front St. until approximately 11:15am. Mr. Shaver – also thanked the staff for the parade, and thanked everyone for coming to the meeting tonight. Recommended that Dr. Szada either attend the parade debriefing meeting or make sure the staff has her suggestions before Thursday evening. -6-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 Mayor Acri – thanked the staff and supporters for a great parade. He also hopes for more community involvement next year, possibly even one or more people to sit on the parade committee. OTHER BUSINESS: Douglas E. Brown – requested an executive session to discuss personnel matters, land acquisition and potential litigation issues. On motion by Ms. Marcinko, seconded by Mr. Albert, the Council meeting recessed into executive session at 7:52p.m.to discuss personnel matters. The Council meeting reconvened at 8:10p.m. with a motion by Mr. Heefner, seconded by Mr. Spencer. Mr. Heefner – questioned whether the extra $47,000 discussed earlier was for repairs of the railroad; Mr. Fox said he needs to check on it. Mr. Shaver asked if trees for the buffer zone are an eligible expense for PennVest (if we didn’t rip it out, we shouldn’t have to replace it). Mr. Ellinger said that if we submit for that, PennVest could reject and we might be able to submit to H2O. Mr. Heefner was still insistent that the $31,000 was already in the plans; the Mayor still wants proof that this was approved earlier. Mr. Shaver said that we should replace everything we ripped out, roughly from T Street to the Dura-Bond entrance, including landscaping – trees, dirt that settled or washed away, etc. Mr. Heefner questioned the approval/non-approval issue. Mr. Ellinger said that $31,000 was HRG’s estimate was for everything mentioned by Mr. Shaver – trees, fill, etc. Mr. Shaver asked if anyone thought of getting another price quote from another contractor. Mr. Heefner said we should be a good corporate neighbor and finish the work promised. Ms. Marcinko questioned the use of the funds for trees instead of doing more sewer work. Mr. Ellinger explained that Bradley Equipment is off-site now. Also, Mr. Wion indicated that the PennVest approval is for certain projects; we still have to show them the monetary use was appropriate since the grant was qualified for the approved project. Mr. Wion and Mr. Musser stated that whether PennVest or H2O funds are used, it’s Borough money either way (through loan/grant). Mr. Shaver said money could come out of the General Fund; Mr. Heefner said we could take it out of the sewer extra, as Dura- Bond saved us a lot of money. Mr. Shaver also said that buffering should go up to Jeff Linta’s place. Ms. Marcinko is still concerned that we’re spending $31,000 on trees -7-  Steelton Borough Council Meeting May 16, 2011 when we haven’t hired a Public Works employee for one that left last year. Mr. Heefner closed with the fact that nobody spoke up earlier. Mr. Wion – regarding Lot #4 – ISG/Bethlehem Steel subdivided; CREDC leased – Dura- Bond improved the building, but didn’t create a new subdivision land development plan. Landscaping was provided by a new subdivision land development plan.. Mr. Heefner indicated that the Planning Commission discussed the issue eight years ago. Ms. Marcinko and Mr. Heefner continued their discussion on the issue of savings; saving approx. $300,000 due to the Dura-Bond right-of-way vs. spending $31,000 for buffering. Mr. Heefner insisted that the buffering was promised along Route 230; Matt Cicci should have the notes. Mr. Ellinger said that Ryan Norris asked that the oak trees be kept and that an office building could be built in the future. Any trees placed will benefit people driving through, not Ryan Norris. A motion was made by Mr. Heefner, seconded by Mr. Spencer to approve the buffering with an estimate of $31,000. Mr. Wion said this should be pursuant to the HRG plans; from the Dura-Bond entrance to T Street. A roll call vote was requested: Mr. Heefner – yes Ms. Marcinko – yes Mr. Shaver – yes Mr. Spencer – yes Dr. Szada – no Motion passed with a vote of 4 to 1. ADJOURNMENT: There being no other business before Council, on a motion by Dr. Szada, seconded by Ms. Marcinko, the meeting adjourned at 8:52p.m. Respectfully submitted, ______________________________ ______________________________ Douglas E. Brown Kathy I. Sosnowski Borough Secretary/Treasurer Executive Assistant -8-