Borough Council

OCTOBER 25, 2021 8217 COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF WEST MIFFLIN met in regular session in the Municipal Building Council Chambers on October 19, 2021 and October 25, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. prevailing time with President Steve Marone presiding. ROLL CALL: Moses Present Kushner Present Santoro Present Inglis Present Kostelnik Absent Stephenson Present Marone Present Six members present. Mayor Kelly present. Solicitor DiLucente stated since the meeting has been opened it will now be continued until October 25, 2021 at 6:30 pm due to a clerical error of the agenda not being posted on the website. In order to comply with Act 65 the agenda must be on the website. CITIZEN COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS: No citizen comments. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion by Inglis, seconded by Moses that the minutes of the September 21, 2021 Council Meeting be approved. Roll Call Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. AGENDA ITEMS: A. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve and adopt the installation of stop signs at the following locations (as recommended by the Public Safety Committee:) UTAH @ NEEL LINCOLN @ BRICE LINCOLN @ CENTER SPRUCE @ BRICE SPRUCE @ CENTER MARY @ HOMESTEAD HIGH @ GREENSPRINGS TERRACE @ HAWKINS (Two Way) SOCCER COMPLEX @ APDALE GRANT @ DUQUESNE AVENUE SYLVAN @ EDGEWOOD CEDER ALLEY @ MELLON (Two Way) CEDER ALLEY @ UTAH CENTER @ HELENA BLACKBERRY @ HELENA CENTER @ SARAH BLACKBERRY@SARAH Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. B. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro Resolution of The Borough of West Mifflin to have on record a statement confirming that the Borough has formally requested CDBG funds, has designated an official to perform the required duties between the applicant and Allegheny County Economic Development. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. C. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve the advertisement of Public Hearing for Conditional Use Authorization for True Storage Indoor Personal Storage to be located at 7045 Clairton Road. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays Motion carried. D. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve the advertisement of Public Hearing for Re Zoning of parcel of land located at 901 Camp Hollow Road. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried.  OCTOBER 25, 2021 8218 E. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve the advertisement of Public Hearing for a Food Truck Ordinance. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. F. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve the BCS maintenance contract of HVAC Controls in the Borough Building in the amount of $5,096.00 for the 2022 year. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. G. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve $1,000.00 annual salary increase for Employee Jeff Youkers for obtaining Commercial Building Inspector Certification. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. H. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve contract with Pennsylvania Wildlife Pest Control for wildlife control services pending final review and approval of the Borough Solicitor. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. I. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Santoro to approve awarding of the 2021-05 2021 structured Demolition project to Minniefield Demolition Services in the amount of $74,500.00 for the base bid and options 1 and 2. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. J. Motion by Inglis, seconded by Kushner to approve the hiring of Teresa Hager as Dispatcher at a starting rate of $21.06 per hour pending successful completion of background and drug and alcohol testing. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. K. Motion by Stephenson, seconded by Inglis to approve the hiring of Andrea Mayernik as Dispatcher at a starting rate of $21.06 per hour pending successful completion of background and drug and alcohol testing. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS: Community Development…………………………………………………...Walter B. Anthony Mr. Anthony read the Community Development Report for the Month of September 2021. Police………………………………………………………………...…Chief Anthony Topolnak Chief Anthony Topolnak read the Police Report for the Month of September 2021. Public Works…………………………………………………………………………James Hess Mr. Hess read the Public Works Report for the Month of September 2021. EMS…………………………………………………………………………Chief Todd Plunkett Chief Plunkett read the EMS Report for the month of September 2021. REPORT OF THE MAYOR: Mayor Kelly reported a lot of his questions are for department heads, he will wait to speak to them directly at a later time. Mayor Kelly reported along with State Representative Pisciottano, they have been working on the transformers by Pennsylvania Avenue that were continuously blowing. Together they got some of the issues resolved. Mayor Kelly reported he has contacted Lincoln Place regarding their new Deck Hockey complex. Lincoln Place has agreed to allow kids from West Mifflin to play for their teams.  OCTOBER 25, 2021 8219 REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR: Solicitor DiLucente reported he has been working with Mr. Anthony on the Food ordinance, and it is on the agenda for a Public Hearing. Solicitor DiLucente commented regarding the conversation at a previous meeting about the Wildlife Pest Control program. Solicitor DiLucente is working with the Borough Manager to make sure we will be additionally insured, indemnification, and have the right to terminate for the 2 year contract. Solicitor DiLucente commented the operation maintenance agreement for storm water management was received and approved. Solicitor DiLucente reported he has been talking with the Borough Manger regarding the office of the Attorney General in litigation concerning the 3 largest pharmaceutical companies. He has discussed with the Borough Manager to register on behalf of the Borough so that pursuant to the notice that’s on the Attorney Generals website the Borough will be entitled to a certain amount of funds. REPORT OF THE ENGINEER: Mrs. Mowry was unable to attend, but did submit her report. REPORT OF THE BOROUGH MANAGER: Mr. Kamauf read the Finance Report for the month of September 2021. Mr. Kamauf reported on Monday November 1, 2021 he will have a copy of the budget on the Borough website for inspection. The Public hearing will then be held at November’s Council meeting. PAYMENT OF BILLS: Motion by Inglis, seconded by Kushner that all bills properly approved by the Finance Committee be paid. Roll Call: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS: Mr. Marone brought up the Halloween Event scheduled for October 30, 2021 from 11-2. Mr. Marone thanked the Public works department and TLC group for helping with the event. CITIZENS COMMENTS: Alexander Kucherenko 171 Parkside Drive is speaking regarding a business property he owns at 5633 Homeville Road. Mr. Kucherenko explained he buys vehicles that need work, fixes them, and then later sells them. Mr. Kucherenko has received notice of violations for storing junk vehicles, although he doesn’t feel they are junk. Mr. Kucherenko stated everything on his lot is operational, but does have body damage. Mr. Kucherenko stated he would like to work something out and to try and put a fence up so wrecked cars could be behind the fence while waiting to go to the body shop. Mr. Kucherenko stated he had a hearing with Judge Olasz and was told to work something out with the Borough of West Mifflin. Mr. Kucherenko’s proposal is to put some type of fence up to hide any cars that don’t look good until they go to the body shop. Mr. Marone asked if this would be for the Zoning Board. Mr. Anthony replied Mr. Kucherenko is violating an ordinance and was cited for it. Mr. Anthony commented Mr. Kucherenko has an Occupancy for a car sales dealer, not a storage yard for junk and abandoned vehicles.  OCTOBER 25, 2021 8220 Mr. Marone asked Mr. Kucherenko what it is that he wanted Council to do for him. Mr. Marone asked if all of the vehicles are able to be sold. Mr. Kucherenko replied yes eventually. Mr. Marone replied they would have to be sold now, Mr. Kucherenko applied for a car sales lot, not a storage lot. Mr. Kucherenko replied he has some vehicles that are ready to sell, and some that need fixed. Mr. Marone asked how many are waiting to be fixed. Mr. Kucherenko replied approximately 25 waiting to be fixed, and approximately 30 in body shops being fixed. Mr. Marone commented he is thinking of other car sales lots in the Borough. At those locations you can look a cars, test drive them, then buy them. Storing wrecked cars for repairs in the future violates the ordinance. Mr. Kucherenko asked if he can sell them now the way they sit. Solicitor DiLucente commented the ordinance has to be followed. The only way to remedy it from the Borough’s standpoint is that the ordinance has to be followed. Mr. Kucherenko commented that there are several business’s on the same road that look like a junk yard for example a car lot across the street. Mr. Marone commented they are familiar with that business, and all of the vehicles are ready to be sold. Mr. Kucherenko asked if he can sell wrecked vehicles, some car dealerships sell wrecked vehicles. Mr. Anthony replied yes he can sell them, the issue is the storage of the wrecked vehicles on the property. Mr. Anthony commented if there was a huge garage to put them in there wouldn’t be a problem. Mayor Kelly asked if there is any correspondence between Mr. Kucherenko and the lot across the street. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Stephenson, seconded by Moses that the Meeting be adjourned. Meeting adjourned at 6:28 pm prevailing time.