Borough Council

MINUTES Stroudsburg Borough Council Meeting Friday, May 20, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. Call Meeting to Order/Roll Call: Council Vice President Smith called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present were Council Vice President James Smith, Council members Mark Connors, Joanne Kochanski, Ken Lang and Matt Abell. Council member Patrick Maurath was absent. Council President Weiss was not present at the meeting, however participated by telephone. Also present were Solicitor Joseph McDonald and Borough Manager Cathryn Thomas. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Motion by Councilperson Lang, second by Councilperson Abell, to enter into executive session to discuss a personnel matter. Motion passed unanimously. Motion by Councilperson Lang, second by Councilperson Abell, to adjourn the executive session and resume an open session of the Council at 4:34 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. During the executive session a personnel matter was discussed and no decisions were made. A lengthy discussion was held about the Council holding a workshop session with representatives from the Rite Aid Corp., which proposes to build a new Rite Aid store on lower Main Street. This proposal is somewhat complex and requires appearances before the Borough Planning Commission, Borough Zoning Hearing Board and Borough Council. Additionally, to build this project, Rite Aid plans to purchase several existing parcels and join them together in one large parcel bounded by Main, McConnell, 3rd and 2nd Streets, although the parcel does not extend east all the way to the end of 2nd Street. Further, fronting on McConnell Street, there is a sliver of Borough-owned property which Rite Aid has included as one of the joined properties making up their overall new parcel on which they propose to build. One of the topics proposed for a workshop session would be to discuss possible conditions the Borough may place on a sale of the property it owns. Other issues proposed by Council members for discussion would be to get a bigger, overall idea of what may happen in this area of existing commercial development and how it may look short- and long-term as it is redeveloped. This could include participation by other major property owners in the area, such as the owners of the plaza where the Shoprite supermarket is located. The Council settled that they would meet in a Special Council Meeting – a workshop session – at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31st at the Borough Hall. Motion by Councilperson Kochanski, second by Councilperson Lang, to temporarily adjourn this meeting and continue it at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27th. Motion passed unanimously. Approved: ________________________________ Boyd Weiss, President of Council Attest: ______________________________________ Cathryn Thomas, Borough Manager/Secretary