City Council

STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Present: Vanessa Bowers, President Ryan Gonder, Solicitor Natashia Woods, Vice President Randy Watts, Engineer Denae House, Councilmember William Shaub, Police Chief Willie Slade, Councilmember Aaron Curry, Codes Director Julianna Paioletti, Councilmember Ciera Dent, Mayor Councilmember(s) Absent: Mr. Michael Segina & Mr. Brian Proctor Call Meeting to Order: President Bowers called the meeting to order at 6:32 PM. Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Bowers. President Bowers announced this is the first workshop meeting and the structure for Borough Council meetings will be different in 2025, as the last meeting of the month will focus on committees and departmental reports. Old business will not typically be on the agenda and the East End terminals project will not be voted on tonight, only the waivers, as there was an extension. Special Presentations: A Life-Saving Citation was presented to Officer Tyrai Anderson for his heroic efforts to save the life of an eight-month-old child in the line of duty. Council Meeting Roll Call: The roll was called by Mrs. McCool. The individuals listed above were present. Notice of Executive Session: An Executive Session was held before tonight’s meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss legal, personnel, and real estate matters. Public Comments on Agenda Items Only: • Ken Wise, 2767 S 2nd St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Spokesperson for the residents of East End regarding the proposed Steelton Terminals Project that encroaches on their neighborhood. Mr. Wise stated that the residents have concerns that have been voiced for the past 10 months. He stated that he assumes there is a delay due to controversy and questions. Mr. Wise stated that he has previously listed his health and safety concerns and opposes the project. Mr. Wise offered advice to Council: with the news about Steelton and Dauphin County surrounding questions, suspicions, and conflicts of interest with budgets and spending, he suggested stop consulting with those firms and companies involved, who may not have the Borough’s best interest in mind. He suggested paying more attention to voting and tax-paying residents who have voiced concerns and focusing on the forensic audit and comprehensive investigations of wrongdoing instead of a dangerous construction project who has not gotten approval or permitting from DEP yet, as they are concerned about the property. Mr. Wise asked the Council to listen to their residents. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 1 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 • Maria Marcinko, 2704 S 2nd St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Ms. Marcinko reiterated what Mr. Wise said about the Steelton Terminals Project issues in East End. She mentioned her previous concerns about toxic areas, wildlife, and potential human remains. She stated that she has done research on 2 individuals who died via disintegration at the steel mill and are buried on the property in question. She stated that she is attempting to contact the families. Ms. Marcinko mentioned the recent environmental hazards in California and impacting the natural earth. She urged the Council to vote no on the project. She also mentioned another issue regarding her older brother and a reserved handicap parking space near his home at 26 Chestnut Street. She spoke to the Chief, went to the family, and they claimed they still needed it to deliver groceries, even if he does not drive anymore. She stated that the resident who it was reserved for passed away and she went to the Chief to see what can be done. She stated that she has the resolution that states if an individual is denied, it will be kept on file and will be reallocated once it is available based on a traffic study. Ms. Marcinko asked that the Council consider this, as the removal of the spot is on the agenda. • Ben Thumma, 2154 S 3rd Ave, Steelton, PA 17113 – Mr. Thumma apologized for being late and asked about the voting status of the Steelton Terminals Project. Mr. Thumma echoed other comments about the Steelton Terminals Project and mentioned there are other residents who cannot be present to voice their concerns. • Karyl Hawkins, 102 Felton St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Ms. Hawkins reiterated concerns about the Steelton Terminals Project and mentioned it affects the entire community and surrounding municipalities. She mentioned her grandchildren and the health issues that residents around the area will deal with. Ms. House mentioned she rode with public works in East End during the recent snowstorm. Further, Ms. House said she will do everything in her power to support the residents’ peace and comfort of living. Engineers Report: Randy Watts, HRG – Mr. Watts informed Council that the contractor of the Hoffer Street Pump Station Improvement Project submitted a claim in the beginning of January, which they and the solicitor are reviewing. The South Second Street Paving Project is ready to go out for bid, looking at an advertisement of late January or early February. The motion to approve the Engineers Report was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. Department & Committee Reports: • Fire Department and Ambulance (Written Report) – Received. No questions • Police Department (Written Report) – Chief Shaub stated that he was at 85% of his budget for 2024 and that he has been under budget since he took over in March 2022. In 2024, there was $375,884.78 left in his budget. He believes he has been fiscally responsible and he put in for a new vehicle in 2025 but it was denied by the finance committee. Chief Shaub Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 2 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 stated that he does not understand why that would be denied, as the purchase of 2 new vehicles would leave $210,000 left over in the budget from 2024. He provided council with the police vehicle mileage on October 11, 2024, with the average being 102,242 miles. The police department is in desperate need of vehicles, as he has already spent over $4,000 in 2025 already for maintenance, with only a $30,000 budget. If he had already purchased a vehicle, it would be under warranty and the repairs would be of no cost to the Borough. Last 2 new vehicles were purchased in 2023 and 2019 respectively. The police department has increased its revenue each year since he took over, with an over $23K increase from 2023 to 2024. He has increased the K9 memorial fund from approximately $11K in 2022 to $36K in 2025. Soon will get to the point of not having vehicles for patrol and maintenance costs blowing up the budget, as he is on course to exceed the budgeted amount by $18K. Chief Shaub stated that they cannot police properly and focus on issues when they do not have proper equipment. He mentioned the fire department’s recent vehicle purchase and the utilization of a grant to supplement the purchase. He asked about the status of the grant and if Borough funds would be utilized since it was not budgeted. He wanted to let the Council know that officers are very frustrated with the vehicle situation. President Bowers stated she is not a part of the finance committee and does not see the figures until they are presented, and she did not have an issue with the purchase. She asked Vice President Woods or Mr. Slade for a further explanation. Vice President Woods stated that Chief Shaub needs to attend the next budget/finance meeting. She stated that with pending costs, there are no other wish list items that could be funded except for the salary of the co-responder. Those other items were not denied, just put on hold. • Codes Department (Written Report) – Nothing to add • Public Works (Written Report) – Nothing to add • Events Committee (Upcoming Events) – Meeting tomorrow at 6 pm • Intergovernmental Committee – Waiting on the school district to schedule a meeting • Borough Manager’s Report – Busy 2024. Drew down nearly $2M in grant monies. Started a number of projects, continuing them and introducing new ones. • Mayor's Report – Waiting until Public Safety committee Old Business: Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of Amended Resolution 2024-R-40 Establishing Annual Salaries, Hourly Rates, and Employee Benefits for Non-Uniform, Non-Union Employees for 2025. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval for Steelton Terminals Project Waivers. These are waivers under the Steelton Borough subdivision and land development ordinance chapter 99, section 99-13: Submission of a preliminary plan. This section requires a preliminary Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 3 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 plan to be submitted and approved prior to the submission of a final plan. Given that the plan has been designed to final land development standards and no large-scale public improvements are proposed, a waiver of the preliminary plan process is requested. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Second waiver: Section 99-16 Plan Size: This section requires that plans be 24 inches by 36 inches. Due to the large scale associated with the proposed project, larger sheet size was utilized to depict all features at an easily digestible scale for clarity. Additionally, the larger sheet size reduces the number of sheets per set. Furthermore, 30 inches by 42 inches is an industry standard for larger development projects. As such, a waiver of the required plan size is requested. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Mr. Slade. The motion passed unanimously. Third waiver: Street trees - §99-39.B - This section requires street trees to be planted along all existing and proposed public streets within the Borough. Much of the existing street frontage is along streets that have not yet been constructed (i.e. McKinley Street, Third Alley, Forth Alley, and Fifth Alley). As such, a waiver of planting the required street trees is requested. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Vice President Woods. Ms. House abstained. Vice President Woods opposed. A roll call vote was held: President Bowers – Nay; Vice President Woods – Nay; Ms. House – Abstain; Mr. Slade – Nay; Ms. Paioletti – Nay; The motion fails/denied. Fourth waiver: §99-42 - Sidewalks This section requires sidewalks to be constructed along all existing and proposed public streets within the Borough. Much of the existing street frontage is along streets that have not yet been constructed (i.e. Mckiney Street, Third Alley, Fourth Alley, and Fifth Alley). As such, a (deferral) waiver of the required sidewalk is requested. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Mr. Slade. House abstained. The motion passed. New Business: Administration: Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of PENNVEST request #11 for $39,117.62 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. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 4 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of park request for the baseball field for every Wednesday from April 23, 2025, to June 11, 2025, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. for the Steelton Highspire United Youth Soccer. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Vice President Woods. Ms. Paioletti abstained. The motion passed. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of personnel action as discussed in executive session, which was a conditional offer of employment to Lisa Tezak as a patrol officer for the Steelton Police Department with a start date to be determined. The motion to approve was made by Ms. House and seconded by Mr. Slade. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval of Amendment to Extend the MOU with Penn State Health for the Community Garden Initiative. The motion to approve was made by Ms. Paioletti and seconded by Ms. House. The motion passed unanimously. Information: Mrs. McCool presented RESOLUTION 2025-R-___ RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND RATIFYING THE RECORDING AND ANY ACTION RELATED THERETO OF THE TREWICK FORCE MAIN SEWER EASEMENT AGREEMENT FOR L532A N. FRONT STREET. Mrs. McCool presented the removal of a Handicap/Reserved parking space at 24 Chestnut Street. This was mentioned by Ms. Marcinko. Mrs. McCool presented the Neighboring Academy initiative within the Borough. They are looking to adopt a block within the Borough and/or assist seniors/disabled individuals. They are available Tuesday and Thursday between 10:00-2:30p. Economic Development: Vice President Woods & Mrs. McCool presented: • America 250 Celebration – 2026: Plans to let the County know. Ideas welcome. The Borough has to adopt a resolution if it is participating nationally and in the state, aiming for April with plans • Steelton 150 Year Celebration – 2028 • Brickyard Park update – Borough now owns the property and the next step is to sit down with the preliminary drawings and make changes. Mrs. McCool suggests not having it as extravagant as the original plans. Will need 2 feet of fill to cover the entire area. There is approximately $150K in grants, with RACP from Madsen, Gaming grant, and DCNR grant. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 5 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 • Agreement of Sale for 247 Frank S. Brown Blvd. –King David INVESCO for affordable housing. Will be on next agenda. Borough owns the property and agreed to sell for $10K. In the agreement of sale, there is a stipulation that it is for affordable housing and first-time homebuyers. Continue renovating property for affordable housing. • Repository bid for 255 Frank S. Brown Blvd. – Please review for next voting meeting Codes: Willie Slade & Aaron Curry presented: • New Ordinances being considered: o Special Events Ordinance o Business Registration Ordinance • Ordinances being considered for revision: o Grass Ordinance • eCodes to be updated in early 2025 – the last time they were updated was in 2019; send them to the company to upload. Mrs. McCool recommended codifying the whole thing. Public Works: Denae House & Jeff Baltimore presented: • East End Park update – Several proposals included: landscaping for a rain garden, basketball court refurbishing, and fencing for both the Mohn Street Park & East End. Should be covered by grant money. Mayor Dent asked if the rain garden will be taken out of the Senator Casey grant. McCool said yes, that it was included and submitted to HUD. • Tree maintenance plan – Needs to be put in place for the Borough. Joint effort from Codes and Public Works • CapCOG joint bids – for things like line painting, sealant, paving, etc. Discussion on equipment. Vice President Woods mentioned that preventative maintenance needs to be prioritized. Work trucks are needed more than the ride-around vehicles. She stated that Public Works should be looking at spring and summer equipment to ensure operations. Mayor Dent mentioned the plowing and the frustrating snow removal process. Mentioned hazardous road conditions. Wants more effective planning and clean streets. Mentioned emergency services and resident concerns. Discussion about pre-treatment and being more proactive. Shaub mentioned his officers are contacting him about road conditions. Public Safety: Mayor Ciera Dent & Chief Shaub presented: • Fire Police discussion – Received 3 applications, with only 1 having the required training. Would like to approve that individual at the next meeting. • Ski Mask Ban – Been in discussion with Solicitor about putting an ordinance together, but there are legal challenges. Many crimes are committed with individuals are wearing them. There have been many “no face, no case” incidents, which leads to cases being dropped. Spoke with law enforcement leaders and believes it will deter crime. There will be Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 6 of 7  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 21, 2025 challenges but it will be a deterrent. Chief Shaub mentioned the City of Philadelphia being hesitant to enforce due to lawsuits, but there may be a way to criminalize them while committing crimes. Discussion about Steel-High’s rules. Discussed with Hummelstown, Highspire, etc. about facial recognition and the ability to search internationally. Would like to have that feature and software in the Steelton Police Department. Clearview is the technology. Other Business: None Correspondence: None Information: None Public Comments: • Maria Marcinko, 2704 S 2nd St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Asked if the rain garden will be held off until the Steelton Terminals Project considering the environmental concerns. Could use source separation instead. Suggested having a shade tree commission as well. Mentioned the Mayor’s Awards for Valor that were awarded to Cory Allwein and Art Etnoyer for their role in a fire incident. Ramps of the fire department were always to be done first with plowing, then the state routes that have an agreement with PennDOT: Front, Pine & Mohn. Would like to volunteer to assist with the Borough celebration. • Ben Thumma, 2154 S 3rd Ave, Steelton, PA 17113 – Asked about the rain garden. Suggested waiting to install it and asked where it would be located. Asked about what is holding up the installation of the fence at East End. Mrs. McCool stated the contractors are waiting on a deposit. Mentioned the snow storms and inconsistent plowing/salting. Asked about the waivers of the terminals project and if a list will be provided. He asked for a summary of the difference between them and the concessions, and an explanation of what was voted on. Mrs. McCool explained that the waivers were for Borough ordinances that were already in place regarding construction and the voting process. Council Comments: • Willie Slade – Thanked attendees No other comments With no other business to discuss, a motion was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. House to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 8:01 PM. Steelton Borough Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Page 7 of 7