City Council

Council Committee Agenda May 2, 2016 *Subject to Change Call Meeting to Order: President Jeffery Wright Pledge of Allegiance: President Jeffery Wright Moment of Silence: Mayor Thomas F. Acri Executive Sessions held between meetings: None Approval of minutes from previous meeting: April 4, 2016 Public Comment on Agenda Items Only Presentation: Justin Mendinsky, Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. Presentation of Monthly Engineer’s Report Communication: Dauphin County Department of Community and 2017 Community Development Block Grant Announcement Economic Development BNY Mellon Investment Performance Report for NY Unfinished Business: Mr. Proctor NEDC Recommendation to Remove Parking Meters on Front Street Ms. Marcinko Finance Committee Recommendation to Place Guard Rail and Repair Swatara Street Retaining Wall Mr. Brown Update on Brownfields Demolition and Environmental Clearance Project Mr. Singh Update on Zoning Hearing Board Determination RE: 101 Trewick Street Mr. Singh Update on Building Safety Awareness Day New Business: Mr. Proctor NEDC Recommendation to Install Specialty Swing at East End Park for Children with Special Needs Mr. Brown Appointment of Mr. William H. Jones to Steelton Borough Planning Commission Mr. Proctor NEDC Recommendation to Hold Fishing Tournament at Steelton Mr. Brown/Singh Authorization for Mr. Wion and Mr. Brown to Draft Lease Agreement Between Borough of Steelton and Iglesia Puerta del Cielo Church for Parking Space (162-170 Adams Street) Mr. Wion Approval of Resolution 2016-R- Establishing Special Purpose Parking for Ms. Elizabeth Langley Mr. Wion Approval of Resolution 2016-R- Establishing Purpose Parking for Ms. Carina Wright Mr. Wion Approval of Resolution 2016-R- Establishing Special Purpose Parking for Ms. Lucinda Parker Mr. Wion Approval of Agreement with Liberty Power to Provide Electric Generation to the Borough of Steelton (Hard Copy Pending) Mr. Brown Approval Resolution 2016-R- Adopting the Employee Handbook for the Borough of Steelton Mr. Brown Update from Finance Committee Meeting Council Concerns: Executive Session To discuss personnel issues. Other Business: Adjournment  Page |1 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes Steelton Borough Council Minutes May 2, 2016 Present: Jeffery L. Wright, Council President Maria Marcinko, Council Vice-President, via telephone Brian Proctor, Councilperson Michael Albert, Council Pro-Tem Keontay Hodge, Councilperson Michael Segina, Councilperson Kelly Kratzer, Councilperson Thomas F. Acri, Mayor David Wion, Solicitor Douglas E. Brown, Manager Anthony Minium, Officer-in-Charge Amrinder Singh, Codes Officer Absent: None. Call meeting to order: The May 2, 2016, Steelton Borough Council meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Council President, Mr. Jeffrey Wright. Pledge of Allegiance & Moment of Silence: Mayor Tom Acri led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Moment of Silence. Executive Sessions held between Meetings: There were no Executive Sessions held between meetings. Public comment on agenda items only: There were no comments offered. Approval of minutes from previous meeting: Mr. Albert moved and Ms. Hodge seconded the motion that the minutes from the April 18, 2016, meeting be approved. The Council unanimously approved the motion. Presentations:  Page |2 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes Presentation of Monthly Engineers Report - Justin Mendinsky of Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. In the future, Mr. Mendinsky will provide written reports to the Council. Mr. Mendinsky reported progress on the sanitary and storm sewer cleaning and inspection project. He requested authorization to increase the resident project manager on site from part- time to full-time due to the availability of remaining CDBG-DR funds. Originally he had recommended the hiring of a part-time position, but the need and finances for a full-time person are available. Mr. Mendinsky recommended using the grant funds to extend the scope of the RPR’s work from part-time to full-time. President Wright noted that the recommendation for hiring was not listed on the agenda; however, he asked that a motion be made. Mr. Albert made a motion, seconded by Ms. Hodge, to accept the change in scope to the Sanitary and Storm Sewer Inspection and Cleaning Project to increase the RPR from part-time to full-time and to appoint Mr. Kline as the full-time RPR. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Hodge asked if the Borough would be paying for the full-time Resident Project Manager, Mr. Kline, from Borough Funds. Mr. Brown reported that project is being funded by the CDBG recovery grant and that there is additional funding left over to spend on moving the part-time RPR to full-time. There is considerable underage on each grant. The Federal Office of Housing and Urban Development is putting pressure on the County to have the money in each grant fully spent or else the Federal Government will take back CDBG-DR funds. The Borough is getting the entire project paid for through CDBG-DR funds that are paid directly by Dauphin County. Mr. Mendinsky then noted that there are additional funds for the Sewage Grinder Project that will be used to make upgrades to the Trewick Street pump station in order to handle the flow of sewage and prevent head buildup due to the screening project being completed by Harrisburg City. Regarding the baseball field improvement project, Mr. Mendinsky noted that HRG is waiting for the results of field samples to ensure there is no asbestos containing materials on the field. If any are found, HRG will follow approved procedures to dispose of such materials. Improvements include a new equipment storage facility, field improvements, and structural repairs to the retaining wall at the field. Mr. Mendinsky noted that the design phase of the Mulberry Alley and Bessemer Street sanitary sewer project is completed. The manhole section of the project was completed and HRG is waiting for videos from the consultant to be completed for incorporation into the inspection report for the project. Mr. Albert moved to accept the Engineer’s Report, which was seconded by Mr. Proctor, and approved by unanimous vote of Council. Communications:  Page |3 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes President Wright acknowledged a communication received from Dauphin County Department of Community and Economic Development regarding the 2017 Community Block Grant Announcement. There was also communication from BNY Mellon reporting the investment performance of the Police Pension Fund. Unfinished Business: NEDC: Mr. Proctor reported that the NEDC recommends the removal of all 31 parking meters located on Front Street and that the meters be sold as scrap material. This item has appeared on the agenda twice and was tabled twice. Mr. Wion asked for clarification on the number of parking meters in question. There are 26 old meters and 5 new meters. President Wright asked for a motion. Mr. Albert moved and Ms. Kratzer seconded the motion to remove the parking meters from the 100 Block of North Front Street to the 300 Block of South Front Street. An ordinance implementing the change in parking meters will be drafted by Mr. Wion and presented for official adoption at a future Council meeting. Finance: Ms. Marcinko shared that the Finance Committee is requesting approval for putting an additional guard rail at the top of the Swatara Street retaining wall and repairing cracks in the retaining wall. These items were recommended in a report from HRG, Inc. outlining recommendations to fix the retaining wall. The Finance Committee believes it is in the best interest of the Borough replace and repair it in this fiscal year. Ms. Marcinko reported that it will cost $11,030 to complete the work. Ms. Hodge asked if the costs outlined to Council were included in the HRG study of the Swatara Street retaining wall and recommended items by HRG. President Wright stated that he attended the NEDC Committee meeting as a citizen where the committee discussed placing guard rail at the top of the retaining wall and repairing the cracks in the wall. Mr. Wright stated that the costs presented to Council were estimates provided in the HRG report. Mr. Mendinsky confirmed this. Mr. Proctor questioned if this was this was for the current fiscal year or the next fiscal year. Ms. Marcinko indicated the current fiscal year. Ms. Hodge was concerned that putting up the guard rail would not cause the Borough any other extra expense. Repairing the wall cracks and extending the guard rail is a safety issue. Ms. Hodge questioned if the addition of a guard rail would negatively impact the retaining wall. Mr. Mendinsky stated no. President Wright commented that it is probably the shifting of the surface creating cracks and stated that adding height to the wall may eliminate the leak from Swatara Street. Ms. Marcinko clarified that the guard rail will only be added at the highest point to prevent persons from driving into the fence. Ms. Marcinko further noted that the extended guard rail is a safety precaution. Ms. Marcinko made a motion that the recommendation of the Finance committee be adopted. The motion was seconded by Mr. Albert and unanimously passed.  Page |4 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes Mr. Brown reported on the Brownfield Demolition and Environmental Clearance Project. Mr. Brown noted that no action is needed at this time and that work has begun on the project. The cinder block structure at 120 N. Front Street has been torn down. Work at 154 N. Front St. will continue as well as the demolition of the garage located at 140 N. Front St. It is projected that the work will be completed by mid-June. A DEP Growing Greener II grant completely funds the project. The contractor, the engineer, and Mr. Brown agree that the best route is to move forward with the alternates that were approved by Council at a previous meeting. Mr. Proctor requested that Council entertain a motion to get estimates or bids to demolish 180 N. Front Street to make the block more appealing to potential developers. That would mean the demolition of the former Lawson’s Bar. Ms. Marcinko suggested they get a bid to see how much the demolition would cost and suggested Mr. Brown get the bids and report back to the Council. Mr. Wion asked if Mr. Brown has the authority to secure bid specifications for demolition from our engineer. It was suggested that authorizing Mr. Brown to secure the bidding specifications needs to be added to the motion. Also, specific specification to accurately secure a bid needs to be obtained. Mayor Acri stated that he was concerned about cost and source for financing for obtaining bid specifications and soliciting quotes for the work. The costs of demolition at the current project properties is financed by the $185,000 grant. Mr. Acri suggested that the next phase of grant writing should include the demolition of the buildings suggested by Mr. Proctor. Mr. Proctor asked if there are surplus funds from the CBDG grants that could be used to finance additional demolition. Mr. Procter stated that preparing bids will cost money but getting a quote should not. Ms. Marcinko stated that the Finance Committee would need to know the cost for securing the information needed to get a bid before the Committee could assess whether or not funds are available to do the extra work. Ms. Marcinko suggested that perhaps someone would conduct a courtesy check on whether or not we can do extra demolition and the fees that would be involved. Mr. Segina mentioned that the borough will have to complete a fiscal report this month so the financial standing will be available. Mr. Wion further suggested the Council instruct Mr. Brown to investigate the cost of getting specifications prepared for a obtaining a quote. Ms. Hodge moved that the discussion be tabled until Council gets a report from the Finance Committee and Mr. Brown which will allow the Council to move forward with the proposed project. The motion was seconded by Ms. Marcinko. The motion was unanimously approved. Mr. Singh provided an update on Zoning Hearing Board activity regarding 101 Trewick Street, the owner of which requested a variance to operate a used car dealership in the area. During the Zoning Hearing Board meeting, the board voted to approve the variance for 101 Trewick Street with certain conditions. Mr. Singh also stated that Building Safety Awareness Day is scheduled for Tuesday May 10, 2016 at 6:00pm in Council Chambers. Mr. Singh invited the public to learn more about building and property maintenance and zoning codes. Mr. Singh finally reported that he is preparing an information sheet on codes regarding outdoor maintenance requirements which will be posted on the website. Mr. Proctor stated there was a request for a specialized swing to accommodate a special needs child. The child’s caregiver, Ms. Tara Clark, takes the 12 year old child to the East End Park on  Page |5 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes a regular basis and there is not swing that will enable this child to enjoy that activity. The request was discussed with Ms. Marcinko who, with the Finance Committee determined that the $160.00 swing could be purchased. Ms. Marcinko reported that the swing is a temporary one that can be moved should it be needed in another park. Ms. Hodge asked if the Borough should provide a special swing at each park. Ms. Marcinko responded that the special swing replaces one of the other swings and was specifically requested. Placing a special swing in a park that does not need one reduces that availability of swings for other children Ms. Hodge suggested that we be prepared to make sure special swings are available for other children upon request. A motion to provide the special swing was made by Mr. Albert and seconded be Mr. Procter. The motion carried by unanimous vote. NEW BUSINESS: Mr. Brown stated that with the addition of Mr. Emmanuel Powell to Planning Commission there was still one vacancy. Mr. William H. Jones submitted a resume requesting he be considered to fill the vacant Commission seat. His resume was reviewed by Mr. Singh. Mr. Singh reported that the resume showed that Mr. Jones was active in community and will be an asset to the Commission. Mr. Jones made a public statement regarding his interest in the Commission. He thanked the Council for considering his application. He coaches baseball and flag football. He stated that he wanted to be a member of the Planning Commission just to help A motion to approve Mr. Jones’ application was made by Mr. Proctor and second Ms. Hodge. The term of Mr. Jones will end December 31, 2017. The motion carried by unanimous vote. Mr. Proctor reported that the Neighborhood & Economic Development Committee proposes to hold a Fishing Tournament at the Steelton Boat Launch. The Committee will use the Tournament as a means to generate funds without raising taxes. The Tournament would be held July 23, 2016 from 7:00am to 3:00 pm at the Steelton Borough Boat Dock. Prior to the date of the event, participants would pay $100.00 per person with three persons per boat plus a $10.00 fee, which will enter each contestant into a largest fish competition. For persons registering on the day of the event the fee will be $ 125 plus the $10 fee. Cash payouts will be 80% to the participants and 20% to the Borough. Since the Borough owns the boat dock, costs to the Borough will be negligible. Capital City Bass Masters is sponsoring the event and it is being hosted by Jamel Fleming. The motion to approve the Fishing Tournament was made by Mr. Albert and seconded by Ms. Kratzer. The motion carried by unanimous vote. Mr. Brown then brought up the request to sign a lease agreement between the Borough and the Iglesia Puerta del Cielo Church which is located at 162-170 Adams Street. Mr. Wion stated that they want to use the parking space previously owned by the Cyrene Lodge. They are in the process of negotiating terms of the lease to bring back to council for consideration. Mr. Albert moved and Mr. Segina seconded a motion to move forth with the development of the lease agreement to be drafted by Mr. Wion and Mr. Brown. The motion carried unanimously. Mr. Wion presented Resolution 2016-R-19 providing approval for a special parking space for Mrs. Carina Wright. This request calls for a different kind of resolution because the 300 block of Swatara Street is technically two streets with a wall separating them. Therefore a differentiation between South Swatara Street and the rest of street must be made. Mrs. Wright had met  Page |6 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes requirements for a special space. She will park at an angle in a space already in use on Fifth and N. Swatara Street. The space will be 147.3 feet from the beginning of Mrs. Wright’s property with direct access to angle parking space. Mr. Proctor moved and Ms. Hodge seconded the motion that Mrs. Wright‘s request for special parking space be approved. The motion carried by unanimous vote. Mr. Wion presented Resolution 2016-R-20 authorizing special purpose parking for Ms. Lucinda Parker who resides on the N.W. side of Lincoln Street at house number 213. A traditional traffic study was completed which indicated that the special space would not affect traffic. Mr. Albert moved and Ms. Hodges seconded the motion that the resolution be passed. The Council made a unanimous vote to accept the motion Mr. Wright asked how often the borough reviews the usage of the special parking spaces. Mr. Minum stated that a procedure was developed by the previous administration. The Police Department is in the process of developing and implementing a new procedure to review and eliminate all out of date or invalid parking spaces. A report will be brought back to council for review and action. Mr. Wion reported holding discussions with Mr. Brown regarding a possible change in the Borough’s electric generator provider. In comparison to other providers, Direct Energy, offered acceptable contract language and the lowest per kWh rate. They were recommended by APPI, whom the Borough Council authorized to act as the Borough’s electrical supplier broker previously. The Direct Energy contract calls for a 36 month commitment at a cost of .5980 cents per kilowatt hour. Mr. Wion also reminded the Council that they need to move quickly on the proposed contract because the rates are changing quickly. Mr. Proctor moved and Mr. Albert seconded the motion to contract with Direct Energy. The motion was unanimously passed by the Council. Mr. Brown then presented Resolution 2016-R-21 which adopts the Borough of Steelton Employee Handbook. The handbook was developed as a non-binding document to provide basic policies and procedures of the Borough and the expectation of its employees. The Handbook was written in collaboration with Labor Attorney Mr. Mike Miller, Mr. Wion, Ms. Marcinko, and has been shared with Department Heads, so the handbook has been vetted. It has been reconciled with the Teamsters contract and the AFSCME contract. Ms. Hodge asked for clarification of the floating holiday described in the document. Mr. Brown explained that it is a day off for an employee’s birthday, which can be used on the date of the birthday, or at any other time. This item is reflected in both labor contracts. Ms. Kratzer asked if the floating holiday overlaps coverage in the office for a holiday weekend with the option of taking Friday or Monday. Mr. Brown responded that it is just one day and applies to the birthday only, but can be taken any time. Ms. Hodge asked if it is appropriate to implement the employee handbook when the Borough is in contract negotiations with AFSCME. Mr. Brown recommended that Council put the handbook in place because the Borough does not have one and it can be revised if necessary. . Mr. Segina moved and Ms. Hodge seconded the motion that the Employee Handbook be adopted. Resolution 2016-R21 was passed unanimously by the Council. Mr. Brown provided an update on the Finance Committee quarterly meeting. The Committee reviewed the first quarter report and it showed there was a surplus of over $200,000. Expenses  Page |7 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes have been cut but revenues that have been generated from taxes are a lower than anticipated. The sewer fund continues to be strong and the borough operated at a smaller surplus with the sewer fund. EXECUTIVE SESSION: No Executive Session was held. COUNCIL CONCERNS: Ms. Hodge thanked persons for coming out and apologized for an emotional response to some of the items discussed at the meeting. She stated that she feels that positive things are happening and continued movement in a positive direction will occur. Ms. Hodge thanked Council, colleagues, Mayor Acri, Mr. Brown, and Chief Minion for their assistance as she develops a better working knowledge of the Council procedures and actions. Ms. Kratzer announced that due to construction at the Fire House, the Chicken Barbeque will not occur this year. The Department will conduct a Boot Drive May 27, 2016 at Front and Locust Streets to solicit contributions from the community. Mr. Segina asked that persons continue to review the materials placed on the website. There are lots of activities going on in the Borough that are posted. Every effort is being made to keep the website updated. Mr. Singh invited persons to attend the Building Safety Awareness Day next Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. There will be lots of information available and a light dinner will be served. Mr. Singh asked for help to get the word out to the community. It will be an excellent opportunity for persons to learn about codes. He also welcomed Mr. Jones to the Planning Commission and acknowledged the presence of Mr. Powell. Mr. Minim stated that he had sent out forty-seven letters to potential candidates for the vacant police officer position. They are creating, updating and certifying the civil service list. The letters were sent to persons who took the consortium test in 2015. May 30, 2016 is the deadline for the submission of applications. Mr. Minium also noted that on April 29, 2016 the grant application to Arcelor Mittal requesting $4,000 for the National Night Out was completed. At this point, we are expecting a positive response. Penn State Children’s Hospital will present a Safe Sitter course June 8, 2016 from 9am-3:45pm in the Borough Building. Mr. Brown announced that the hard copy newsletter will be distributed with the water bill this week. The newsletter will be sent out quarterly to ensure that persons who do not use computers can keep abreast of activities in the Borough. Mr. Brown stated that the Authority is ahead of schedule with the Chlorine Contact Tank Project at the water plant. The Department of Environmental Protection has approved the construction permit, which is about three months ahead of schedule. The application to PENNVEST will be completed and submitted this week in hopes that a response will be received by July 2016 so the work can be completed by the spring.  Page |8 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes Ms. Marcinko stated that the website is working well and thanked the persons who have been working hard to get the information out to the community. She that the requested that the community help others who may not have access to the internet to get information about things happening in the Borough, such as boil water advisories. She also asked that persons share information about the upcoming Veterans’ Appreciation Ceremony. President Wright stated that this is the first year since the Veteran’s Day celebration that he will not be able to attend. He has out of town commitments. He encouraged the younger members of the Council to consciously begin attending and supporting Borough events. He thanked persons for coming out and noted that he will be doing work with veterans out of state during the day of the event. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Denise Sanders 574 S. Second Street. –Ms. Sanders is asking Council to approve her request for special parking. She has applied and her request was denied. Mr. Brown explained that a traffic study was conducted and there is off street parking available in the driveway which is located in the rear of her home. Ms. Woodward explained that because of her health, she is unable to traverse the steps that lead from her driveway to the house. Special parking would make dealing with her health issues more bearable. Mr. Brown stated that he was unaware of her disability. President Wright is asking Public Works to review the issue and report back to the Council. Carmen Colon, member of the Iglesia Puerta del Cielo Church which is located at 162-170 Adams Street, Ms. Colon expressed the pleasure of the church that their request for use of the parking lot at 157 Adams St. is being considered. The church is committed to making a difference in the Steelton community. They plan to use the lot for outdoor activities. Ina Alcendor, 109 E. Conestoga St. - Ms. Alcendor is concerned about a red automobile that has been parked on the street since 2015. Chief Minim will investigate, however, if everything on the automobile is in compliance with State and local laws, and it appears that it is mobile, no action will be taken. Ms. Alcendor stated that the automobile is sitting on flat tires and was snow accumulated on the automobile during the winter. Darlene Woodward, 103 Lincoln St. – Ms. Woodward reported a problem with the house attached to her home. Because that home is in disrepair, she has had to duplicate work she completed in her home two years ago because of water running into her home from the neighboring vacant property. She was wondering if it was possible for her to tarp the roof of the adjacent house to prevent continued damage to her home. Mr. Brown stated that it is illegal for her to trespass on the other property. President Wright instructed her to work with Mr. Brown and the Codes Officer to determine what can be done to remedy the problem. Mr. Wion noted that court action may be necessary. The codes violation has already been noted and the property  Page |9 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes owner has already been notified and has thirty days to respond to the notice. If no response is received, citations will be issued to request court action. Chris Koberlein, 1330 Waterford Dr. Camp Hill owns 266 S. Second in Steelton – Mr. Koberlin’s tenants were in violation of refuse codes. He was notified, but was not allowed 30 days to resolve the problem and was instead cited. Mr. Singh stated that the 30 day notice is for structural repairs. The accumulation of garbage is a quality of life issue that must be addressed immediately. The codes office is in the process of updating codes. For quality of life issues, the process is 1) a warning is issued 2) quick ticket may be issued 3) if unresolved a citation is issued 4) if the issue continues to be unresolved, court action is taken. The Codes Office will enforce ALL code violations. The rules and regulations are being updated to adjust to the Borough having more rental properties than home owner properties. Mr. Koberlein and Mr. Singh will meet privately to work on the concerns and issues raised during the course of the conversation. Veronica Zupan 2604 S. Fourth St. –Ms. Zupan has owned rental property for two years that has been vacant for six months. The house was put up for Sheriff’s Sale. She does not know who currently owns the property. The new owners are in the process of repairing the house. Items have been removed from the house and the roof is being repaired. The roof was pulled off the house and thrown into the street. Now there are nails on the sidewalk and in the street, which makes the area dangerous to automobiles and people alike. The street sweeper came out, but nails are still in the street and on the sidewalk. Also, there is trash on her street that prevents her ability to back out of her driveway without stopping at least twice to remove trash that is in the way. The matter was referred to the Codes Office for resolution. Jim Daimler - 131 N. Third St. - Mr. Daimler brought three concerns before the Council. The first is a safety issue that starts at Second Street and Angle Avenue. There are two trees that hang precariously over the street, the branches of which could fall down and injure someone. The case is being referred to the Department of Public Works. The second concern was in regards to large truck traffic on both Harrisburg and Pine Streets. He recommended that visual signs regarding truck routes rather than lettered signs may resolve the problem. The report was passed on to the Department of Public Works. Finally, he was concerned that landlords are not reporting who lives on their properties. Mr. Singh explained that the Codes Office is working on updating the landlord tenant reporting process. The suggestion was made that the Borough collaborates with other small areas to see how they are handling the same problem. Emmanuel Powell – 321 Lebanon St. – Mr. Powell asked what happened to the grant money that the Borough received to demolish the buildings on Front Street. Mayor Acri stated that there was never a grant to demolish all of the buildings. A ten year plan was shared with the community in 2006 when the New Steelton Project was announced. The Borough continues to apply for grant funding to move the sewer line sitting in the development area and make additional improvements after the current Brownfields Project is completed. Adjournment:  P a g e | 10 Steelton Borough Council 5.2.16 Meeting Minutes President Wright requested a motion to adjourn the Steelton Borough Council Meeting at 8:12pm. The motion was moved by Mayor Acri, seconded by Ms. Hodge and passed by the unanimous vote of the Council. Respectfully Submitted: Douglas E. Brown, Secretary