City Council

STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 Present: Vanessa Bowers, President Kathy McCool, Borough Manager Natashia Woods, Vice President Randy Watts, Engineer, HRG Denae House, Councilmember Ryan Gonder, Solicitor Willie Slade, Councilmember William Shaub, Police Chief Michael Segina, Councilmember Tia Kitner, Treasurer Julianna Paioletti, Councilmember Ciera Dent, Mayor Absent: Mr. Brian Proctor Call Meeting to Order: President Bowers called the meeting to order at 6:48 PM. Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Bowers. Moment of Silence: A Moment of Silence was led by Mayor Dent. Special Presentations:  Steelton Terminal Project o Charlie Courtney is with the applicant Equity Development Partners, Tim Fink is with Plan Works, and Craig Mallot is the Traffic designer. Presenting the land development plan for the zoned industrial site. As is the plan, the proposed warehouse distribution center is permitted by right. The Borough’s planning commission has recommended approval, and they have received approval in both Swatara and Lower Swatara Twps. Will present and answer questions. Also provided some proposed conditions dated September 25. They are proposing 3 warehouses on the 137-acre property that is currently vacant with old slag. Bordered to the north by Quarry Rd and Harrisburg St, to the east by Richardson Rd and Penn Harris Gun Club, to the south/southeast by the Turnpike, to the south by the East End neighborhood, to the west by the active quarry, and an active stream to the east. Wrapped around a capped landfill and coordinating with them. Portions are broken into 3 municipalities almost equally. One warehouse will be to the far north outside our Borough, the second to the west which will mostly be in Steelton with a portion in Swatara, and the third would be in all three with the southern portion in Steelton. There will be truck courts and access roads around the outside. Two emergency access roads will be constructed, one in the west through the quarry to Front St and one to the south, and both will be gated. Almost all of the stormwater will be directed to the large basin discharged to the north away from neighbors. Building 2 will have docks on both sides but will keep the vegetation barrier to keep as much space as possible between the neighborhood. Building 3’s docks will only be on the north side away from residents. Received conditional approval from the other two municipalities. NPDS permit is still pending and they resubmitted to DEP last week. It is down to 6 Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 1 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 comments so it should be approved within a month or two. All traffic will be directed to S Harrisburg St & Quarry Rd and out to Eisenhower Blvd, unless a rare emergency. Eleven separate conditions were presented on September 25 and included:  a proposed/depicted sound wall (approximately 2,000 feet in length and a minimum height of 12 ft)  security fencing  additional landscaping  remediation of the environmental conditions testing and health risk assessment for core samples to protect construction workers, residents, and commercial workers from the elevated levels that were found through a DEP-approved plan. Found 3 areas that will need to be treated with soil removal and/or asphalt capping. The problem area found in the westernmost building was deemed to have potential long-term effects for commercial workers and no other group, and this condition would make it mandatory to remediate  shift the encroaching landfill fence back onto their property before starting  identify areas of hidden fencing to demarcate the sites  LED light fixtures pointing away from residents and fabricating panels to avoid sight  Precludes exterior loudspeakers  Jockey trucks would not be allowed to have beeping backup sounds  Any repairs would have to be done inside a building Vice President Woods asked about the height of the wall being 12 ft and the lights being 24 ft. There is a difference in grade between the property spacing, which affects the point of sight. Asked about the length of the wall and where it ends near the end of the 5th St. Said the special difference where the wall ends will continue to create a visual and sound barrier. Vice President Woods would like to see the wall extend the wall to the end of the building and is worried about the wall height. Segina mentioned headlight traffic with the wall. House asked what would be going into the warehouses. Said that the tenants will not be known until built and is based on market requests for space and timeframe, most likely consumer products. Slade asked what the main benefit would be to the Borough. Said that they are aware of the environmental concerns but their plan is allowed by right and the conditions go above and beyond what is required. Significant tax revenue will be had. Woods asked if this is normal for warehouses to be this close to homes. Courtney answered yes. Vice President Woods asked for examples, as she did not see them. Fortney mentioned Carlisle and other projects that are near residential areas. Vice President Woods said she understands both sides but represents her constituents and has to decide what is best for them. Courtney mentioned other municipalities that stood against plans like this and all the “extra” accommodations and conditions were thrown out. House asked how people could disregard a community like that and Courtney responded that it comes down to rights of land Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 2 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 and use. Vice President Woods asked how frequently these properties sit vacant. Courtney mentioned the local vacancy rate has remained stagnant around 5 percent. He said that older buildings sit vacant but new buildings typically don’t. Segina asked about a noise study when tenants are in and it was agreed upon. Public comments:  Ken Wise, 2767 S 2nd St, Steelton, PA 17113 - Said the Christmas decorations look great. He is the spokesperson for the residents of East End. Since March, there have been back and forth and attended meetings asking for rejections and postponements of decisions. Met with Charlie and appreciate the conditions, considering they are not required and will not be honored if it goes to court. Also been in direct contact with DEP at least monthly and they have a permit pending that has yet to be awarded with their own conditions and requirements. Said he will try to go to DEP with these conditions so that they stand even with a court’s approval. Says that land is not for preservation, but it is unsafe for construction and continued use. Residents are concerned about underground environmental issues, which have prevented previous use. The residents have petitioned and do not want it approved. Asking for a postponement of the vote until we know what DEP will require. He handed in the petitions.  Mary Carricato, 2655 S 4th St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Has attended numerous meetings with the Planning Committee and her backyard neighbors the prospective site. She is against the project and knows there is toxic waste in the area. Mentioned the hazards of moving the fence of the dump, the vacancy of the warehouses, and the bylaws that could be changed to not allow certain aspects of the projects. Asked about how many docks there will be, estimated traffic, and building height. Said Swatara’s published plan differs from the presented plan. Said that tax assessments will decrease on properties by approximately 15%. Asked the Council to support the residents. Woods asked about traffic. She mentioned that she lives on Front Street near the end of town and notices trucks constantly, then asked about how the traffic patterns will be enforced. The response was that they tracked all of the truck's GPS data and determined that an abnormal event would have to occur for the trucks to be rerouted through Steelton instead of Eisenhower Blvd. Segina mentioned that a virtual knockbox / lockbox would be in place.  Maria Brodnick, 2900 S 3rd St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Fourth generation East End resident. Aware of the contaminated conditions. Asked about the increased tax revenue that would come from this and how they would offset the depreciated property values. Mentioned that adjacent property owners have their rights too and mentions that the conditions were presented as if the developers are doing the residents a favor. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 3 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024  Linda Cohen, 209 Q St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Been a resident for 35 plus years. Says she will see a wall when she walks outside. Mentions that no amount of safety precautions will mitigate the hazards, along with the pollutants from other nearby sources. Health issues may arise and there will be no recourse of action. Says that this will destroy the community.  Wendy Schaeffer, 1071 3rd Ave, Oberlin, PA (Swatara Twp resident) – When this was presented to Swatara, it was approved because it was “by right”. She urged the Council to not do the same thing, as there are already hundreds of trucks and vehicles in the area daily. Said the residents deserve better  Megan Reno, 214 Q St, Steelton, PA 17113 – With LERTA, they keep changing names so they do not have to pay taxes. Urged the council not to accept tax caps.  Ben Thumma, 2154 S 3rd Ave, Steelton, PA 17113 – Attended previous meetings. The sound wall will not go past the park and is concerned about the safety of children. Mentioned studies about sound and spacing with warehouse trucks. Mentioned that the acres of wood removed is more than what will be kept, along with the disruption of wildlife. Mentioned light pollution, noise pollution, exhaust fumes, soil disruption, traffic, property values, quality of life, and other disruptions to enjoying your own property. Mentioned keeping the concessions even if it goes to court. House apologized for the absence of the Borough solicitor and legal representation from McNees and Wallace, then mentioned there could be a conflict of interest considering the firm represents both the Borough and Equity Development Partners. Mentioned the cost on the Borough for legal representation takes up a large portion of the local budget, and also that none of the individuals involved would approve of this in their own backyards.  Chuck Ryder, 2629 S 3rd St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Asked about the legal status of the project, considering it was approved by the other jurisdictions involved and the potential for the developer to sue the Borough. Said that Steelton has the only real residential concern. Segina mentioned that there would not be any suing, just an appeal to the court of common pleas.  Carol Hawkins, 102 Felton St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Family has lived there for over 100 years and says the project will impact all Steelton residents, not just those in East End. Urging a no vote to maintain quality of life, safety, health impacts, traffic, odors, wildlife loss, pollution, noise, and environmental issues. Surrounding municipalities have the money to Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 4 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 fund the fight that is now becoming a social issue where Steelton does not have the resources to fight for rights. Urging the Council to vote no.  Soup Kitchen o Officer Schaeffer would like to open a soup kitchen. Spoke to Chief Brubacher about using the fire hall. He has food, a cook, and volunteers, just needs approval. Is hoping to host at least once monthly, but consistently the same day of the month. Will not advertise but only be word-of-mouth focused on the unhoused. Wants to start ASAP. Asked about insurance and that will be checked on. Segina mentioned a waiver of liability. Paioletti recommended making it a Borough- sponsored event. Mrs. McCool stated it could be under the foundation for liability purposes and funneling donations. Council Meeting Roll Call: The roll was called by Mrs. McCool. The names listed above were present. Notice of Executive Session: An executive session was held at 6:00 p.m. on 11/4/2024 and at 6:00 p.m. on 11/18/2024 to discuss personnel, legal, and/or real estate matters. Public Comments on Agenda Items Only: No comments were made. Approval of the Minutes: Consideration and Approval for October 7 and October 21, 2024 Council meeting minutes. The motion to approve the 10/7/2024 and 10/21/2024 minutes was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. Engineers Report: October 2024 - Mr. Randy Watts, Engineer, HRG – Mentioned the Hoffer Street project generator. Vice President Woods asked about the fire department rear drainage easement. Mrs. McCool mentioned that she and Ryan are looking over the documents, but there has not been any drainage issues since public works built it up behind the fire house. We are not sure if we need to move forward until there is another issue. Segina asked about the timeline for the generator panels and conduits for the Hoffer Street project. The motion to approve the engineer’s reports was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Department & Committee Reports:  Fire Department and Ambulance (Written Report) – Nothing to add  Police Department (Written Report) – Nothing to add  Codes Department (Written Report) – Nothing to add  Public Works (Written Report) – Nothing to add  Public Safety Committee – Nothing to add  Codes Committee – Nothing to add Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 5 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024  Public Works Committee – Nothing to add  NEDC Committee – Did not meet this month due to planning commission, but will be meeting this Wednesday at 6 PM.  Events Committee (Upcoming Events) – The meeting moved up to this Wednesday at 5 PM. Tree Lighting is on December 3 at the Borough building. Santa Truck Run is December 21. Hero’s Day parade and fall fest are being planned.  Intergovernmental Committee – Nothing to add  Borough Manager’s Report – Nothing to add  Mayor's Report – Nothing to add The motion to approve the department & committee reports was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Old Business: Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of the following policy: Fiscal – Federal Grants - Determining Allowable, Allocable, and Reasonable Costs The motion to approve was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. New Business: Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of the Land Development Plan, as presented, for the Steelton Terminals Project. Vice President Woods asked if there is a final extension that can happen and was wondering how long this can be dragged out. The motion to table the item until a later meeting was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion was tabled. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of the Christian St. vacation subdivision plan waiver. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of A RESOLUTION (2024-R-29) APPROVING THE APPRAISAL OF THE PARCEL LISTED BELOW AND ANY RELATED ACTIONS TO EFFECTUATE AN EASEMENT for the Trewick Force main project. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. Paioletti. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of RESOLUTION (2024-R-30) AUTHORIZING APPOINTMENT OF DESIGNATED BOROUGH OFFICERS TO EXERCISE Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 6 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 SPECIFIC POWERS IN RELATION TO MID PENN BANK AS BOROUGH DEPOSITORY. This is so Chief Shaub can be back on the bank accounts. The motion to approve was made by Ms. House and seconded by Ms. Paioletti. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of RESOLUTION 2024-R-31 FOR FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM OF STEEL WORKS CONDOMINIUM FOR BRICKYARD PARK PROJECT. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of Resolution R-2024-32 - RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS OF THE STEELTON ZONING HEARING BOARD AND MAKING ADDITIONAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE ZONING HEARING BOARD. The motion to table the item until a later meeting was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. Paioletti. The motion was tabled. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of PENNVEST request #9 for $125,229.95 for the Hoffer St. Pump Station Project. The motion to approve was made by Ms. House and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for Consideration and approval that Samuel Stapf be an unpaid intern with the Police Department in the spring of 2025 for a class he is enrolled in at Elizabethtown College. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. Other Business: None Correspondence: None Information: None Public Comments: • Pat Gordon, 117 North Front St, Steelton, PA 17113 – At the last Council meeting, a group of residents tried to convice Council to vote no on the terminal project using sympathy, racist remarks, intimidation, and slander. Based on these tactics and not knowledge of the project, a Councilmember announced they would vote no on the Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 7 of 8  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Monday, November 18, 2024 project. If the decisions made are not based on the rules and procedures, there will be a lengthy court battle not covered by insurance. She does not agree that judges with ties to Steelton will see the court battle in the favor of Steelton. Says she deals with similar concerns of the project and so do other Steelton residents. Wants the Council to base their decisions on what’s best for the entire Borough and the proper procedures and facts, not testimony. Council Comments: None With no other business to discuss, a motion was made by Ms. Segina and seconded by Ms. House to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024 Page 8 of 8