Borough Council

MINUTES OF THE STROUDSBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING, NOVEMBER 7, 2019 1. A special meeting of the Stroudsburg Borough Council convened in Council Chambers at 5:00 P.M. on November 7, 2019 with the following members present: Council President James Smith, Vice-President of Council Boyd Weiss, Council President Pro-Tem Joanne Kochanski, Council member Matt Abell, Council member Mark Connors, Council member Erica McCabe, and Council member Anthony Lanfrank (arrived at 5:05 P.M.). Also present were: Mayor Tarah Probst; Borough Solicitor Joseph P. McDonald, Jr.; Borough Engineer Nate Oiler, P.E.; Interim Borough Manager Mary Pat Quinn; and Zoning/Codes Officer Ronald Kimes. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Presentation by the Borough Engineer, re: Shanti House Land Development Agreement. Mr. Oiler advised that the applicant, Shanti House, has requested an extension of time for compliance of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance to February 28, 2020. He suggested that the Borough review the parking impact of the project through the Redevelopment Committee, the Parking Committee, and the Streets Committee. The Borough applied for a Multimodal Grant for a project that involves Bank Alley; a determination on the application is expected on November 12. The grant application suggests that the Borough proposes to make Bank Alley one way. Mr. Oiler also felt that a complete Parking Study would be advisable moving forward. A motion was made by Mr. Connors, seconded by Mr. Abell to request that the Redevelopment, Parking and Street Committee meet to consider the impact of the proposed project and that each Committee report to Council at the next meeting , which is November 19, 2019. It was noted that the Street Committee has a meeting scheduled for November 19 at 6:00 P.M. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (7-yes; 0-no; 0-abstentions). 4. Consideration to approve a bid from Friedman Electric Supply in the amount of $41,915.15 for Cobra Head Lights Material Bid. Mr. Connors presented a series of questions regarding the specifications for the lights: “Upon purchase or as a reasonable retrofit in the future, will these light fixtures have the capabilities of variable dimming or motion-detection control ? What do they look like? How high is the recommended installation height (in feet and compared to existing)? How bright will they be? (need a relative measure in order to understand) What is their "beam-spread"? or area of lighting? Is there any aspect of their design that helps minimize "light-pollution", upward lighting and/or light-spill or cutoff angles for areas where light is not desirable (e.g. bedroom windows of adjacent houses)? Will any of these fixtures be intended for installation in our Historic District?” A motion was made by Mr. Connors to table a decision on the bid award until the November 19 meeting; there was no second. Ms. Quinn will ask Brian Ace to provide the answers to Mr. Connors questions. A motion was made by Mr. Lanfrank, seconded by Ms. McCabe to award the bid to Friedman Electric Supply in the amount of $41,915.15 for the Cobra Head Lights Material Bid. The motion was carried. (6-yes; 1-no by Mr. Connors; 0-abstentions). 5. Consideration to approve a bid from Super Heat, Inc. in the amount of $107,340.00 for the Borough Mechanical Upgrades Project for the Municipal Building. Mr. McDonald suggested that the Council could award the bid contingent on his review and approval of the surety affidavit. A motion was made by Mrs. Kochanski, seconded by Mr. Weiss to award the bid for the Borough Mechanical Upgrades Project for the Municipal Building to Super Heat, Inc. in the amount of $107,340.00. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (7-yes; 0-no; 0- abstentions). 6. Consideration to schedule a public hearing for An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 15, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Part 2, Traffic Regulations, Section §15-207 1. Entitled, “Gross Weight Limits Established” of the Stroudsburg Borough Code. The proposed Ordinance will establish a gross weight limit on Bryant Street, Clermont Street, Robeson Street, and Barry Street between Park Avenue and Broad Street. A motion was made by Mrs. Kochanski, seconded by Mr. Weiss to schedule a public hearing for consideration of the Ordinance at the November 19, 2019 meeting. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (7-yes; 0-no; 0- abstentions) 7. Consideration to schedule a public hearing for An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 15, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Part 2, Traffic Regulations, Section §15-202 1. Entitled, “Speed Limits Established” of the Stroudsburg Borough Code. The proposed Ordinance will reduce the speed limit from 25 mph to 15 mph on certain Stroudsburg Borough streets. There was a conversation regarding the enforcement of speed limits and the cost of producing signage. A motion was made by Mr. Weiss, seconded by Mr. Lanfrank to schedule a public hearing for consideration of the Ordinance at the November 19, 2019 meeting. The motion was carried. (5-yes; 2-no by Mr. Abell and Mr. Connors; 0-abstentions) 8. Discuss recommendations from the Redevelopment Committee regarding §27-501 of the Stroudsburg Borough Code entitled, “Area and Bulk Requirements”. Mr. Abell, on behalf of the Redevelopment Committee, proposed a revision to the Overlay Ordinance to increase the overall height limit from 64’ excluding roof structures to 85’ including all roof structures; remove the top-story setback requirement; specify floor-to-ceiling-heights for all stories which will allow the façade of a proposed building to maintain similar proportions and rhythms to historic ones; use average height instead of Main Street height for determining maximum height on corner properties; disallow residential usage on retail level and require commercial space along Main Street or other primary street; require one parking space for every residence to be provided within 500’ of a building; require $800/space annual payment in lieu of meeting parking requirements to remain in a dedicated fund for increasing vehicular and pedestrian access; and add/remove certain areas to the Overlay District. The Redevelopment Committee also suggested seeking grants to resolve the shortage of parking downtown. Mr. Kimes advised that the members of the Historical Architectural Review Board would like to meet with the Redevelopment Committee. Ms. Quinn was directed to add this matter on to the November 19 agenda as old business. Ms. McCabe left the meeting at 5:30 P.M. for another appointment. 9. Status of LERTA Ordinance. Mr. McDonald advised the Council that he spoke with Attorney David Comer, who is a colleague of Attorney Jeffrey Sultanik, the solicitor for the Stroudsburg  Area School District. During the conversation, Mr. McDonald answered the questions that Mr. Comer posed in his letter of October 8, 2019. Mr. McDonald followed up the phone conversation with a letter to Mr. Comer dated October 16, 2019. There has been no direct feedback yet. A discussion ensued regarding the matter. Mr. Abell reported that there is resistance from many of the school board members regarding the 10 year exemption term schedule. A motion was made by Mr. Connors, seconded by Mrs. Kochanski to formulate a committee to include the Redevelopment Committee and a subcommittee of the Stroudsburg Board of School Directors in order to discuss the exemption term of the proposed LERTA Ordinance. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0- abstentions; 1-absent) Mayor Probst left the meeting at 5:45 P.M. for another appointment. 10. Consideration to approve Change Order #2 for the King Street, Queen Street, Oak Street Paving and ADA Ramps Project. A motion was made by Mrs. Kochanski, seconded by Mr. Lanfrank to approve Change Order #2 for the aforementioned project. The change order is required to add 130 LF of bituminous curb on the northern side of Clermont east of alley by the Happy Hour to the intersection with Broad Street to resolve a drainage issue. The price increase will be 136 LF X $30 per lineal foot at the Contract Unit Cost Price for a total of $4,080.00. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0-abstentions; 1-absent) 11. Consider the application of Catherine Wood, as recommended for approval and issuance by the Historic Architectural Review Board, for the replacement of roofing at 535 Thomas Street. Ms. Wood was present. A motion was made by Mr. Abell, seconded by Mr. Weiss to authorize the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the aforementioned work. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0-abstentions; 1-absent) 12. Consider the application of Richard Berkowitz, as recommended for approval and issuance by the Historic Architectural Review Board, for the replacement of roofing at 524 Main Street. A motion was made by Mrs. Kochanski, seconded by Mr. Weiss to authorize the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the aforementioned work. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0-abstentions; 1-absent) 13. Approval of Bills on Warrants 191107. A motion was made by Mr. Weiss, seconded by Mrs. Kochanski to authorize the payment of the Bills on Warrants 191107. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0-abstentions; 1-absent) 14. Public Input for Non-Agenda Items. Adam Courtney of 124 (front) Lee Avenue asked about the status of the abandoned house at 124 (rear) Lee Avenue. Mr. Kimes reported that the property owner has been unresponsive to his department’s violation notices, and a citation was filed at the Magisterial District Judge’s office for a vacant and abandoned structure. The Codes Office and the Borough Council are aware of the situation. 15. The meeting was adjourned at 6:10 P.M. on a motion made by Mr. Weiss, seconded by Mrs. Kochanski. The motion was carried with all present voting affirmatively. (6-yes; 0-no; 0- abstentions; 1 absent)