City Council

STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 Present: Vanessa Bowers, President Ciera Dent, Mayor Natashia Woods, Vice President Kathy McCool, Borough Manager Vanessa Jenkins, Councilmember Ryan Gonder, Solicitor Willie Slade, Councilmember Randy Watts, Engineer Michael Segina, Councilmember William Shaub, Police Chief Julianna Paioletti, Councilmember Aaron Curry, Codes Director Councilmember(s) Absent: Ms. Denae House Call Meeting to Order: President Bowers called the meeting to order at 6:31 PM. Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Bowers. Special Presentation(s): None 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 at 5:30 p.m. on 6/2/2025 to discuss legal and personnel matters. Mr. Segina noted that Fire Chief Steve Brubacher is absent due to a current fire call. Public Comments on Agenda Items Only: None Engineers Report: Randy Watts, HRG • The Second Street Paving project was delayed per the contractor and will begin on July 1 on a rather accelerated schedule. They should be substantially complete by July 11, removing a couple of ADA curb ramps and paving in 2 weeks. East End Park proposal: he is meeting with 3-4 contractors on-site now and will have a formal proposal for consideration very soon to complete that project as a whole. The motion to accept the engineer's report was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Mr. Slade. The motion was approved unanimously. Department & Committee Reports: • Fire Department and Ambulance (Written Report) – Chief is not here. Mr. Segina said there is a report for March, April, and May. There is also an EMS report and the average response time of 7 min, 56 sec. wants to get more detail about the calls. • Police Department (Written Report) – Nothing to add • Codes Department (Written Report) – Nothing to add Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 1 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 • Public Works (Written Report) – Discussion of the sidewalk on Second Street. Mrs. McCool said they will have to ensure the number of personnel and hours used, as it is private property. • Events Committee (Upcoming Events) – At the next meeting, they will be discussing the Steelton Fall Fest and also putting together a committee for that event. • Intergovernmental Committee – Held a meeting on May 28. Mrs. McCool met with the Highspire Borough Manager to discuss a collaboration and possible partnerships on sewer and paving projects. • Borough Manager’s Report – Attended the PSAB conference, which counts towards her certified Borough officials certification • Mayor's Report – Town Hall meeting was held on June 4 with State Rep. Dave Madsen. The USW president provided an update on the Cliffs idling, elected officials heard resident concerns, and wants to schedule another one. Addressed the issue with the canal overflowing last weekend between the 300-500 blocks. Contacted the USW President, Hess, and he contacted Cliffs to ensure they are taking care of the canal and lowering the water. Received an email today to meet with Cliffs to address concerns and safety. The motion to approve the department & committee reports as presented was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Old Business: None New Business: Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval for PENNVEST Payment Request #16 for Steelton Borough’s Hoffer Street Pump Station Improvements Project of $4,485.85 and includes interest costs and engineering fees. 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 for an updated drivers list for the Steelton Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Segina mentioned that more of these will be coming in, as the Chief is cleaning up the training schedule and getting more trainees. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Ms. Paioletti. The motion passed unanimously. Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval for Resolution 2025-R-14: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR DAUPHIN COUNTY LOCAL SHARE MUNICIPAL GRANT APPLICANTS SEEKING CO-APPLICANT STATUS FROM STEELTON BOROUGH. The motion to approve was made by Vice President Woods and seconded by Ms. Paioletti. The motion passed unanimously. Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 2 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 Mrs. McCool presented for consideration and approval to participate in the CapCOG annual auction on July 18, 2025 to auction the list of proposed auction items provided. This year is one item: 2014 Ford Interceptor police vehicle 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 the following park requests/road closures: • Boat Dock, July 19, 2025, 2:30 – 10:30 p.m., requested by James Sprenkle for a birthday party with DJ Mr. Segina asked if the boat dock closing time is different than the other parks. The Council is unsure if there is a posted sign with hours, and if one is not, it falls in line with others. Chief Shaub stated that there are night fishers, and it has not been enforced. Mr. Segina suggested amending the ordinance or making it part of the Special Events Ordinance. 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 to purchase weapons for the Steelton Police Department from Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc. for $6,296.57. Mr. Segina noted that the invoice in front of them is for the purchase, as well as trading in old ones. This will be paid out of a reimbursement check from Shaub that was discussed last meeting, so it is a wash on the budget. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Segina and seconded by Vice President Woods. The motion passed unanimously. Administration: Kathy McCool • Council Committee discussion o They will be moving back to monthly committee meetings. The updates will be posted, as there are some schedule changes that still need to be made. Codes was 6 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Public Works was 6 pm on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. • Finance Package o Employees of the accounting department, consultants, and the finance committee have been presented proposals for a finance package, and they are down to 2. Met with one group and will meet with the other for an in-person demonstration before the decision is made, and the finance committee will bring it to the Council for a vote. This will be funded primarily through the STMP Phase 2 grant. • Resolution for 247 Frank S. Brown Blvd. Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 3 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 o At the next meeting, they will bring a resolution to the council to put the property out for a sealed bid. Discussed selling it to an organization to develop it, as it is the only structure the Borough owns outside of the Borough buildings. Looking to put it back on the market for affordable housing. Economic Development: Natashia Woods/Kathy McCool • 2025 Gaming Grant Cycle opens July 1, 2025 o Vice President Woods stated that NEDC will be meeting on July 16 to hear presentations. A notice will be posted on all media, websites, and apps. There are pre-application workshops from the County. First-time applicants and returning applicants can receive help by visiting their website. Codes: Willie Slade/Aaron Curry • Special Events Ordinance o Mr. Segina was going to look over the private property information, but then there was an incident related to somebody doing a walk. Ms. Paioletti had talked to him about the fees that they had to pay and the insurance requirement. Mrs. McCool thought Mr. Segina was going to add stipulations for violations. Ms. Paioletti will look over it again in events committee, as some of the requirements are not necessary for minor events such as a walk. Vice President Woods asked if they could start an email thread of the changes they want to address that at the meeting. She is concerned about the consequences of holding an event that was denied. Mr. Segina suggested revising what constitutes the ordinance for security, insurance, etc., as far as size and scope. Mayor Dent asked about the origin of the ordinance related to the pool parties in the past, but Mr. Segina stated there were issues of private property use, so it became an ordinance for public areas such as parks, streets, sidewalks, etc. Before they can focus on penalties, they need to clearly define what types of events fall under this ordinance. Gonder stated the definition now is: “a temporary event gathering or organized activity on a borough street public property or in any borough park building or other facility when an organized event is conducted involving one or more of the following factors the closing of a public street sidewalk or alleyway or a portion thereof blocking or restricting public property or a portion thereof blocking or restricting access to private property of others use of pyrotechnics or special effects Use of open flame, explosions, or other potentially dangerous displays or actions. Use or display of animals, vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft only when such use or display could create a disturbance or affect the public safety of persons. Attending or in the immediate area of the event, installation of a staged vehicle of any kind, trailer, van, portable building, booth, stand, grandstand, or bleachers on public property or on private property, or otherwise prohibited by ordinance. Placement of portable toilets on public property or on private property where otherwise prohibited by ordinance placement of no parking signs or barricades in a public right-of-way Amplification of music voices sounds or activities in excess of that permitted by ordinance or the event will result Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 4 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 in substantial impact on borough resources facilities or public safety services in response there to.” • Grass Ordinance o It is included in the packet. Mr. Segina stated it is a current chapter of the ordinance titled Snow & Ice Removal, but they want to add Dirt and Weeds Removal. Adds in section 9423 and moves everything down, where it refers to weeds and vegetation growth on the sidewalks, agreeing on the 5-inch height limit. Changed from original 24 hours to 5 days to remain consistent with the grass ordinance. Will be tied in with a quick ticket ($70 fine). Needs a sample from Mr. Gonder with the quick ticket referencing the ordinance 9423 related to sidewalks. Since chapter 2 mentions obnoxious weeds, it can include them. President Bowers asked if a warning is always given, and Curry responded yes, and they are given 10 days to address it before a recheck. One warning is 10 days. The 5 days are in reference to the violation notice. Grass length not on the sidewalk is different. Mr. Segina asked if they could get Mr. Gonder to draft a final version for the advertisement, and they will. • Open Burn Ordinance o It currently does not allow any open burning at all unless it is for cooking food, and there are workarounds that residents use. This proposes rules and limitations for open burning such as barrel type, flame height, materials (cannot burn plastic, oils, rubber, asbestos, human or animal waste, sanitary napkins; allowed to burn wood, cardboard, clipboards & paper)minimum distance from property lines (10 ft.), buildings, and overhangs (15 ft.), time frame (up until midnight), age (must be 18 years of age or older). President Bowers asked how it will be enforced. Mr. Segina stated through codes and the police department depending on business hours and when the burn is reported/noticed. Wants to look into changing section 48-9, which states “a borough police officer, code enforcement personnel, fire marshal, or other duly authorized law enforcement officer of the borough, upon investigation, order that any fire be immediately extinguished, abated, diminished, or corrected in his or her sole discretion if the officer's sole judgment of the fire… and lists items”. Mr. Segina would like to add fire captains and fire line officers so they do not have to wait for a police officer to tell someone to put out the fire if it violates the ordinance. He wants an SOP drawn up if this is passed. Mayor Dent asked if there will be a provision addressing burn bans county-wide or state-wide, and worries that there will be compliance issues if they are given permission. Section 48.9, letter E, outlines the size, material, containment, location, emissions, and weather conditions, including but not limited to wind, drought, dry, or other conditions. Shaub asked if charcoal is allowed, and Mr. Segina stated that they are not, but outdoor grills for cooking do not include a burn pit definition. He can add that to the definitions. Vice President Woods asked if this was completed previously, and Mr. Segina stated that Curry would have had to inspect fire pits and give out permits, and that fell to the wayside. Mr. Segina would also like to have Mr. Gonder work up a final draft of this and present it to the Council for advertisement at the next order. Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 5 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 Public Works: Denae House/Aaron Curry • General update o Aaron Curry, for the time being, will be heading both Public Works and the codes office. Mrs. McCool stated he has been doing a great job. President Bowers asked about the inlets. Mr. Segina stated they have been asking for two years to get these inlets started cleaning. They received an email saying five were done this year, and there's about 400 of them. Mr. Segina assumes the Front Street ones need more attention due to downhill slopes. The one Vanessa sent was half full of junk. Mrs. McCool stated that based on stormwater authority meetings, HRG was going to try to put a proposal together with a generic schedule of stormwater cleaning. Until that is received, she suggested addressing ones on an as-needed basis. Curry said there are some by the Soul Lounge. Vice President Woods suggested starting by Gibson and going down, or from Chambers/Hoffer. Mr. Segina wants to get a quote for repair, as a big portion of that could come out of stormwater/sewer and not general funding. Suggested taking it to the normal place as long as it’s not over $11K or if it’s CoStars. Gonder stated he will assist Curry with that. Curry said the guy he spoke to won’t deal with the Borough due to a previous issue of nonpayment. Mr. Segina asked if that is who they take the street sweeper to and Mrs. McCool stated she doesn’t know off the top of her head, and they did take a truck there, but they opted not to move forward with the repairs. So whatever that vehicle is, it should not be used. It will discussed further. Vice President Woods stated she would like to know what all equipment needs fixed over there. Curry will start looking at snow equipment. Mr. Segina wants the list provided to Curry and it will be. Curry asked if they are in a position to replace any of the salt vehicles. Mrs. McCool stated that was in the quotes and they will go over that, and because we're not going to be using liquid fuels for the 2nd Street Paving Project, she is going to research to see if we can buy equipment. And a salt dog should be able to be purchased through liquid fuels. They are also filling pot holes. Asking for more detailed reports from when Jeff was here, with needs addressed too. Mr. Segina said the trees should be trimmed to at least 8 feet high to avoid ducking. Discussed the grass on the hill above the townhomes on Frank S Brown Blvd. Mrs. McCool stated they met with Penbrook, they brought the hotbox over, and they are establishing an MOU with them and with Highspire too. Penbrook is willing to come over here and run the hotbox while we pave or fill holes. And they want to borrow our equipment, specifically the milling machine and the sweeper. Mayor Dent requested they look at the paper trail between the lot and the house by her home. They are trying to figure out who owns the property, as it is looking bad. If it is a paper alley, it would be the Borough. It is impeding on the sidewalk. Shaub asked how they are determining the 5-inch grass height, and that is going to have to be certified by weights and measures with the state if they take any citations to Judge Lenker’s. Public Safety: Ciera Dent/Chief Shaub/Steve Brubacher Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 6 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 • Public Safety Walks o Held one the other night that went very well. CBS21 attended and did a story. The next two walks are upcoming in July and August, and Tyler Vaupel will post the routes will be posted on the Borough website, Crimewatch, police Facebook & Savvy citizen • National Night Out o Tyrai Anderson is in charge this year. There are already 20 vendors, and he is getting the fire department involved. Wants to have an accident demo with the police, fire, and EMS. President Bowers asked if they had been cutting the grass at the football field. • Police Vehicle o Shaub stated they have all the cars back except for the pickup truck, which is still getting the engine replaced. They should have that back hopefully this week. They are $25,000 over budget, not including the vehicle that's getting the engine replaced. He spoke to budget and finance to get the engines replaced and get a new car, with dates in June or July. Mr. Segina said it would be June or July of next year, and Vice President Woods stated it would have to do with the hiring of additional police officers. Shaub said they did not hire anyone this year for the new car. Mr. Segina stated there was a payout that was done that ate up half that salary, so they are just now getting back even in the middle of the year and won't have enough funds until they get into next year’s budget. They are going to take the money out this year and move it into the capital improvements fund by the end of the year, so we can bring it back in next year. Shaub stated that wasn’t his understanding of the situation. Mayor Dent stated that from what she remembers, it was stated that they would replace the two engines, and then, instead of getting it at that time, they were not going to do a new vehicle. They would wait until June or July, when money would be available. Mr. Segina stated that it was June or July of next year because the conversation was only a month ago, and they are not going to come up with $70,000. Mayor Dent stated she thought that it was regarding this year, because that was the purpose of not hiring an officer this year. Mr. Segina stated that half of that new hire was already spent and they have not saved anything to this point. It was personnel-issue/related payout that was done, so they won't start saving money until July of this year. That will not be enough to purchase a car in this year's budget. It is going to have to be pulled out in the capital reserves at the end of the year, and then brought into next year's budget to have enough money for a car. Mr. Segina stated that Vice President Woods and Mr. Slade attended the meetings where they discussed ending the K-9 program, using the savings from the K-9 program to buy two engines, and then saving the money for the rest of this year to get a new vehicle next year. They figured by ending the K-9 program, that would get the two vehicles they needed this year, then they can go in the next year and replace the other vehicles. Mayor Dent asked what money is being saved from the K9 program and if they have numbers on that. Mr. Segina stated that it salary, maintenance, and gas-related, and it was approximately $24K-$25K. Salary alone is $18-19K overtime, three hours of travel of day and 140 miles of gasoline per day, Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 7 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 and that it was comp time. Vice President Woods asked if they can bring this to the next finance meeting. Mr. Segina asked how they can come up with $40-50K and cut it from somebody’s budget, then they can buy the car. Mr. Segina stated it was discussed at the last meeting and brought to this body, and that the money is not there if he cannot cut staff or raise taxes, as they are over $100K in the hole. Mayor Dent does not recall it being brought up that way. Shaub asked why the payout was coming out of his budget, as the officer was terminated April 1 of last year. Mr. Segina stated it was his officer and the money has to come out of a line item, and that the officer was technically terminated two meetings ago. They decided this was not the proper meeting to discuss this. • Prisoner Transports o They are running into an issue where, if they arrest somebody on state parole, they are sending them back to any prison within the state. They are not sending them to Camp Hill. They go to SCI Smithfield, which is above State College. They get classified there, and they send them wherever. Next month, Shaub will have his second trip to SCI Somerset this year, and they’ve been to Frackville. His budget for prisoner transport is going to be over. From Somerset to Lenker’s and then back again, it was $155 on the turnpike. Looked into getting an EZ-pass, but they need to have 10 cars to get one in the business, or it has to be a Class 3 truck, which they do not have. President Bowers asked why they are responsible for this and asked why they are not virtual. The County refuses to do virtual. Mr. Segina asked Shaub to send over an estimate and what they have spent so far. Vice President Woods asked if other departments are dealing with this and if they have addressed this by coming together. They tried contacting different offices, but they have refused. It was asked if this is a county or state issue, and Shaub replied he thinks it may be both, because once someone is on state parole, the state can send them anywhere they want to. They used to be able to transfer them. If they were at SCI Smithfield, they used to transfer them down the hearings to SCI Camp Hill. The Police would run over to Camp Hill, pick them up, take them back, and after their hearing, the state would ship the prisoner back, but now the state said they're not doing that anymore. It was suggested they speak to state representatives, as this is an unfunded mandate. It is similar to the Humane Society and Axon situation. Shaub looked into trading all of their tasers to get 6 new ones, and the bill was $60K, $11,594 per year. The County is looking into a grant to get new tasers for everyone. Correspondence: DCEDC Letter Regarding Urban Community - Dauphin County is eligible to be considered an urban county. They have to notify municipalities within their jurisdiction of the right to opt out. If they opt out, the Borough will not be eligible for CDBG funding from the county. If we decide to participate and be included, we would be eligible for CDBG funds and HOME program funds, if those funds are made available to the county. The Borough will participate. Other Business: None Public Comments: Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 8 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 • Mary D Slade, 2750 S Third St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Thanked Public Works for mulching the T Street welcome sign, but said the light has been out for 6 months. She has been pulling weeds and spraying there since May. She would like permission to trim the rose bush, as there was a report it was hard to read due to its growth. President Bowers said she loves this but does not want her to do that. Mrs. McCool asked if she could supervise the public works department on where to cut. There was discussion on when and how to cut the roses. Ms. Paioletti stated there are liability concerns and public works can file a union complaint that there work is being done for them. She is concerned about another municipality who fined someone for this. They asked Curry to coordinate with her directly. • Emmanuel Powell, 321 Lebanon St, Steelton, PA 17113 – Applauded the police for stopping and having a conversation with him on his porch. He said a truck knocked down the stop sign at Aberdeen Alley and Bessemer. He said that the Chief stated he had orders to arrest anyone at the Elks. Mayor Dent stated they are not involved with the shutdown. He spoke after Renee Bowers and asked why the Council got rid of the police canines. Vice President Woods stated that it was not beneficial to keep the dogs, as they were used outside the Borough more than in. • Renee Drayton Bowers – Speaking as a resident, not an employee. Stated she has been trying to be nice to people since her son died, and does not appreciate when people speak about her behind her back. She stated that she heard Mayor Dent and Ms. Paioletti did not want her to receive the Community Heroes award, and addressed them directly about their differences. She stated that she addresses issues face-to-face and comes out of pocket for people. Said that residents in the community reach out to her, and that she is not accepting the award. Council Comments: • Willie Slade – Thanked attendees • Michael Segina – Thanked attendees. • Natashia Woods – Thanked attendees for their comments. • Vanessa Jenkins – Addressed a Facebook post that was brought up earlier. Said that all comments should be made offline and it ruins the reputation of Steelton. Thanked attendees • Julianna Paioletti – Thanked attendees • Ciera Dent – Thanked attendees and addressed the proclamantion by stating that her issue was that the recipients of the proclamation were related to Council members, and also being a Borough employee. She stated she brought it up the events committee and there was a back and forth between her and Renee Bowers about the incident. • Vanessa Bowers – Thanked attendees and stated she has private conversations with her own issues. Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 9 of 10  STEELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 16, 2025 Adjournment: With no other business to discuss, a motion was made by Mr. Slade and seconded by Mr. Segina to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM. Steelton Borough Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – Monday, June 16, 2025 Page 10 of 10