City Council

Thursday, April 2, 2026 7:00 PM Williamsport, PA Council President Eric Beiter brought the Williamsport City Council meeting to order on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM.at Trade & Transit Center II, 144 W. Third St, Williamsport, PA. This meeting was duly advertised in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Council members present: Also, Present: Eric Beiter, Council President Derek Slaughter, Mayor, Mr. Willia Vincent Pulizzi, Vice President Valerie Fessler Liz Miele, Councilwoman Tracey Harer, , Fire Chief, Adam W Jonah Milliken, Councilman, Justin Ottaviano, , Police Chief, Adam Yoder, Councilman Solicitor Austin White Jon Mackey, Councilman, Janice Frank, City Clerk Bonnie Katz, Councilwoman Jamie Livermore Absent: Scott Livermore, S&P t Bonnie Katz Kris Black Jon Mackey Adam Welt3rroth, Treasurer Bill Scott Members of the public Approval of the Williamsport City Council minutes of 03/19/26 approved upon a motion by Mr. Pulizzi and second from Mr. Milliken. All were in favor with a vote of 4 to 0. Ms. Miele had not yet arrived, Mrs. Katz and Mr. Mackey were absent. Mr. Joseph Pawlak There was no public comment or courtesy of the floor . Mr. Joe Pawlak Appointment Mr. Gary Knarr Mr. Tom Cillo C. Dean Brandon Park/Shade Tree Commission Dave Young, Police Chief Chief He Aubrey Fornwalt will to appointed to fill a vacant position commencing 04/02/26 Sol. J. David Smith& ending 01/01/28 Mr. Pulizzi made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Milliken. Janice Frank, City Clerk, absent Mayor: Good evening president Beiter and administration, what youTodd have Heckman, before Fire you Chief ,is the name Aubrey Fornwalt to fill a vacancy that she would fill on the Brandon Park/Shade tree commission News Mediastarting April 2, 2026 and ending January 1, 2028. Aubrey has been very active and you probably seen her around at the farmers market and growers market and things of that nature and she has her own company, biodiversity company and we are very appreciative, she is in attendance tonight if you have any questions for her, but we are very appreciative that she has stepped up and volunteered to serve in this capacity. Members of News Media Mr. Beiter: Thank you very much, Mayor Slaughter. Any questions from Members members of Council? Mr. Yoder? B5 thank yo. of the news media Mr. Yoder: Thank you for stepping up to serve. These volunteer positions are very important. I think that we have been lucky in getting some decent people and qualified people to serve on them and play some ketchup, but it is work, it is volunteer work and we are grateful for your service. So, thank you very much. Mr. Milliken: I just want to say that Aubrey Fornwalt hustles, she is a business owner and when I saw her name on this I was excited because I think she is great. Mr. Beiter: Seeing and hearing nothing else, Mrs. Frank? The appointment was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10042 Resolution Honoring Councilwoman Bonnie Katz for her Distinguished Service to the City of Williamsport The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Milliken made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Miele. Mr. Beiter: we are briefly we know why this is on the agenda this evening. The tragic passing of Bonnie Katz this past Friday. We already miss her and her expertise that she lent to us as a body of city Council, but I'm going to go ahead and read the resolution so it is in the record for the minutes. Thank you. The resolution honoring Bonnie Katz for her distinguished service for the city of Williamsport or ask Councilwoman Bonnie Katz faithfully served the residence of our city with dedication, integrity and distinction on city Council since first taking office in 2012. Earning the confidence of her constituents through successive reelections and whereas -- Councilwoman Bonnie Katz served through 2022 through 2024 with her principal guidance with her colleagues during a time of significant institutional transition. And whereas as chair of the Public Works committee, Councilwoman Bonnie Katz was a tireless advocate for and an integral contributor for the cities levy efforts that is essential for the long-term safety, resilience and insurability of Williamsport and its residents. And whereas as chair of the Public Safety committee, Councilwoman Bonnie Katz spearheaded the real formation of the city's police K-9 unit demonstrating her commitment to responsible, effective and community focused Public Safety policy and whereas throughout her tenure, Councilwoman Bonnie Katz was known for her diligence and preparation, directedness and liberation and her genuine care for the constituent she served bringing to her public duties a love and passion for the city and its people that was evident to all who had the privilege of serving alongside her. And whereas in the face of serious illness in her final years, Councilwoman Bonnie Refused to surrender her post, her purpose continuing to show up which speaks to the depth of her commitment to the people of Williamsport. Few could match and none who witness could ever forget and whereas Councilman -- Councilwoman Bonnie Katz earned respect through her unwavering commitment to the betterment of our community and whereas her contributions to our city's progress and her example of public service have left a enduring mark at our municipal government and will continue to benefit our community for years to come. And whereas the passing of Councilwoman Bonnie Katz leaves a profound hole in the heart of our family, community, all neighborhoods and among all who knew her dedication firsthand and her absence will be felt and deeply missed in the community that she so loved to serve. Now, therefore be it resolved that the city Council and the City Clerk do hereby express our profound gratitude to the memory of Councilwoman Bonnie Katz for her outstanding service, honors her life and legacy of dedication to the safety and well-being of Williamsport residence and extends deepest condolences to friends, family and all who mourn her passing. And be it further resolved that on Friday, May 1, 2026 the city's first Friday is hereby dedicated in honor of Councilwoman Bonnie Katz in recognition for her years of distinguished public service to the city of Williamsport and its residents. Be it further resolved that this resolution be spread upon the minutes of the city Council and that a certified copy be presented to the family of Councilwoman Bonnie Katz as a token of appreciation for her dedication and service to our community and its residents. Is there anything else that any other members of Council would like to add? Mr. Yoder we were very lucky my first years as Council President to serve with Bonnie as vice president and the four years of president were very formidable for me in a number of ways and a big part of that was really because she was my vice president. I was grateful to have Randy, Liz, Bonnie, Janice, a lot of just institutional knowledge to learn from, but Bonnie was a big part of that and we would talk constantly just about city issues and different things and I was really able to pull in a lot from her that I benefited from and at the same time I was a young father and we talked a lot about kids. That was a blast. She always talked about you all and she shared stories and she remembered what I was telling stories of my little one and when I think about Bonnie Heide moving forward, those are the things that I will remember and I am just grateful that I otherwise would not have had. If I would not have been in the chair and not had been president, it is special to me that she was vice president for two years with me. So, I am very grateful. Mr. Beiter: Any other members of Council? Liz Miele? A. Ms. Miele : I think you may actually ask if Randy is out there if you want to say a word or two. Hello, Randy! I may have been on Council actually longer than Bonnie and that gives me the distinguished ability to say that I have known her well since we began serving on Council together and more than a decade ago and her commitment to the city was at that time and remains remarkable to me and at the dedication with which she stuck with her seat even when she was unbelievably ill and the fact that when she would call in for executive sessions and things like that, she never griped about the fact that frankly even I was a little bit surprised last week to learn how serious the situation was because she complained so little that I had no sense of what kind of shape she was in. But, anyway, she was really a remarkable presence on Council and within the city and I will miss her and I will miss her ability to every once in a while ask a question where you are like wow. I am so glad that somebody said that and I'm so glad that it did not have to be me! She was great at getting straight to the heart at things and I will miss that ability that she had. Mr. Beiter: Thank you very much Liz Miele. Mr. Pulizzi? It. Mr. Pulizzi: I want to make sure - one of the things I loved about Bonnie, anything that I would be upset about, I could call Bonnie and I would end up laughing. She always thought the brightest side of things. And lose, to your point, giving her a situation - we knew that she had some issues, but you did not know it, because she was always smiling and happy and making other people happy and that is something that I will never forget and what a great supporter to pass on some experience and advice and I think that I have been really fortunate and we have all been really fortunate and blessed to have served with her. And just what an amazing advocate for the city and for our business district in bringing everyone together. Somebody I will never forget. So, thank you. Mr. Beiter: Former Councilman Alison, is there anything else that you would like to say? Mr. Allison : Yes - I do not have a strong voice tonight and so I will be brief. I look at the empty table tonight and as was said earlier there is an empty space for all of us, especially those who knew Bonnie for a long time. Liz and I got on just a couple years before Bonnie and so we had a long relationship with her and I remember before that that I knew about Bonnie, because she was so instrumental and so much in our city the things that were accomplished like first Fridays and a revitalization of downtown Williamsport when we desperately needed some activity down there and Bonnie 's spirit, she was one of those who was integral in doing that and everyone has covered everything about Bonnie. I was just always touched by her love for the community of Williamsport and fierce dedication to it and her love for people. That just spilled out. That is who she was and you could feel it and believe it and I think that we are all better for having been related and touched by Bonnie. So, God rest her soul. And her family, as well. Thank you. Mr. Beiter: Thank you very much, Randy. Mr. Milliken: I did not have the pleasure of working with Bonnie very closely, I had a handful of conversations over the phone and I just want to say that I aspire to that level of commitment and service to the city and Bernie, I want you to know that I'm thinking about you and your family. So, my heart goes out to you guys. Mr. Bernie Katz: Thank you view. For those of you who do not exactly know I am Bonnie 's husband and I want to say thank you to City Council and all who are here for this special memorial moment. She was a loving wife and a wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, okay? And she was a very creative and ambitious woman and started her business 32 years ago. It may be 33, okay? And eventually 27 years ago, 28 you know I decided to move down to the city of Williamsport to help the city grow. And she said business belongs in downtown Williamsport, not in rural Lycoming, downtown Williamsport. And this is great. As a cofounder, she was a first Friday - that was a wonderful establishment and very hard, the first couple months we did not know you know 23 vendors would show up and maybe 10 or 12 visitors and eventually it became an outstanding first Friday of every month for the city, for the businesses, for the restaurants and for the people who visited Williamsport. It was water -- it was wonderful for them to wander around to shop and dine it Williamsport. And she loved her time on City Council and you know what is going on this evening? Well, let me tell you what the city is doing and I would sit there for an hour listening to what the city was going to do, okay? And it is like there is a football game on -.org.doc, let me finish telling you what the city is going to do and I missed a couple of football games as well. But, thank you all for coming and thank you for the attention you have given to her. She is up in heaven, she is watching, I'll get a text later tonight. She will tell me all about it. Thank you. Mr. Beiter: Again, thank you for that. That is very touching - a tribute to Councilman Katz and she will be sorely missed. Mrs. Frank, on the motion? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. . Resolution10043 Resolution Authorizing 12 Month Service Agreement Between City Treasurer’s Office & Three-One Co. The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second Mr. Beiter : A motion to remove this from the table Mr. Yoder made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Pulizzi. Mr. Welteroth Before you is a 12-month agreement with the city in regards to the company Three+One for their systems product. A quick overview of the product. It is a liquidity analysis and treasury service monitoring which will help the treasurer's office in looking at the investment that we have in making sure the money that we have tucked away in the different banking accounts are being maximized to the biggest potential for return to help alleviate taxpayer needs and to help fund the different general budget needs for the city. Some things that I wanted to focus on - it is a 12 month service agreement that runs from calendar year to calendar year at $18,000, however we will be making quarterly installments and the first installment will be due in September and so we really will only be paying for the first year $4500 out of that. With the help of Jamie Livermore we have been able to identify some areas in the treasurer's budget where we believe that we can go ahead and move some monies around for that contract and service out of our contract portion of the budget to help cover the cost for the first year. We are not locked in to this agreement and to pay this amount after Three One does their initial work through which will look back through a few years of the city finances and they will identify if there is any strategies that we will be able to recoup $18,000 or hopefully more with that. If they cannot find that, we are doing things the way that we need to and we have them maxed out and that is great and we will not continue with that service and we also will not be paying for it. However, if they would present a different strategy that they feel that we could do with the funds to maximize the money, but it is not necessarily something that is palatable to us or would be too much encumbering not just on my department, but on other departments, that would be something that we could weigh and decide not to continue with cash pass and using the services the way that they are recommending that we should. If we decide for that we also would not be needed to pay that amount and we would sever the contract that we would have with them, cost free. And so what I am asking tonight is that we would enter into this agreement just to see if we are doing things right and to give us kind of a good sense of it, because at the end of the day it is not going to cost us any money just to explore to see if cash pass product is going to be something that is going to be an advantage for the city or not. When we do get the report back which should only take about two weeks I will be sitting down with counsel and with administration and with our financial team and seeing if together as a group and a team if we think that this is the right course to continue on. Mr. Beiter: Thank you Veria -- thank you very much for that, Mr. Welteroth. And also we have Mr. No online. Is he still there? And we did discuss this as well in the committee of the whole meeting. Was there anything less Miele or Jonah, that you would like to add? Ms. Miele I think that Mr. No was very thorough and it Jamie, did you feel like you had your concerns are addressed, as well? And I really appreciate the additional effort. I would also I think appreciate if in two weeks we could get a follow-up report or a glimpse into the recommendations if in two weeks the recommendations are finalized. Mr. Welteroth : I will have it in a report to come back, as well. Ms. Miele: I think that would be helpful to all of us simply to understand some of the financial - some of the basic financial elements of the city and exactly how much money we have and how much money we are moving around and if we can better profit from it, I think that is something that I would like us to be more aware of and I don't want this to be just a treasurer knowledge and I want all of us to have some kind of possession of that so we understand where we are going and what the best course of investing for the city is. So, thank you for initiating the process. We appreciate that. The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10044 Resolution Real Estate Reduction – Veteran – Germania St. The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Milliken made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Yoder. Mr. Welteroth: Before you is a similar motion as we had at our prior meeting here this is another veterans exemption that has come through and you will notice that only half of the property is exempt because it is a duplex and the veteran lives in one half and he rents out the other half and so therefore it is not a full exemption on the property, only the residential portion of what they look at. Mr. Beiter: Any questions from members of counsel? Seeing and hearing none, Mrs. Frank? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10045 Resolution Agreement between City of Williamsport & Penn College of Technology The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Yoder made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Miele. Mr. John Markley : It has been a while since I've stood up. Here the agreement between the city of Williamsport and Penn College to do some work up at the park and we always have to have a resolution and I have to have signatures and liability insurance for them. They are going to in front of each monument there is like 20 inches of grass area that keeps dying and we will keep putting Saad in and it keeps dying and so we are going to fill that in with bricks and we're going to put the concrete in and then put bricks in front of the monument and cleaned that up for us. That is the project. If you look at the paperwork that is in front of all the monuments on the south side - Mr. Beiter: Any questions from members of counsel regarding this? Liz Miele? Ms. Miele: Bonnie is not around for this, but we want to say thank you. You really work your butt off for this. Mr. Markley: The committee really does a good job up there. And May 23 you know the mayor is always there and Bonnie Katz always wanted to come up and she was a good believer and supporter on selling the bricks for me and I really miss Bonnie on that. Thank you for everything that you guys to help us with right there. I understand and the mayor just told me that the cameras have just been installed and Bonnie was that that for over a year so, thank you, Mayor. Ms. Miele: Thank you for taking the initiative up there, John. Mr. Beiter Your efforts are very much appreciated by all. Mrs. Frank? . The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution # 10046 Resolution Authorizing & Approving the sale of “Lot H” by the Williamsport Parking Authority The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Milliken made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Yoder Mr. Austin White you have a resolution to authorize the Williamsport arcing authority to sell lot H. This is a parcel that the city had deeded to the parking authority back in 2017 as a deed restriction, it required that if the parking authority wanted to sell the parcel that they needed to get the city's consent and the resolution provides a part of the deal so to speak with any sale proceeds realized from the sale will be paid to the city. And I have a member of the parking authority - or a representative of the parking authority available in case there are any questions. Mr. Beiter This is something that we touched on briefly at the committee of the whole meeting. Anything from members that they would like to add? Liz Miele? Ms. Miele: Just to flesh out the idea of proceeds from the sale. Do we anticipate there being proceeds from the sale or will it be paid down with the parking authority? Mr. White: I believe if somebody can answer that, but I believe the answer is yes. Ms. Miele: You will have to come up to the microphone, unfortunately. Mr. Mr. Duggan: Good evening, counsel members. My name is Zach Duggan. I am an attorney with first Valley Williams and we serve as a solicitor for the parking authority and to answer your question, our expectation is that all of the proceeds which is approximately $325,000 would be paid to the city at closing and I think Lester closing cost. Ms. Miele: And what is the city's anticipation for that funding? And Jamie is like well, hell! Ms. Livermore: I did not even know about until today so I'll have to let you know! Ms. Miele: You know just paying down somebody's debt on their part or something like that. Mr. Duggan: From the parking authority perspective we would like to look at it as a good faith effort to work with the city moving forward and trying to untangle some of these ongoing discussions revolving around the debt. So, hopefully this is a good start to a better relationship. Ms. Miele : Got it, sounds good. And Austin, just to be clear, it was not dictated in the deed that they would look at Williamsport being sold or anything like that, correct? Mr. White: I don't know, but I don't have the deed in front of me and Nick Grimes handled the resolution in working with the parking authority, but I would be surprised if that was in there considering that there is a consent to sale provision and the two could not really work together. Ms. Miele: That is to say that the parking continues with the parking authority - Mr. White: If the parking authority is selling it to 1/3 party, they are required to get our consent before they can do so. Ms. Miele Just understanding some of the components. Thank you. Mr. Milliken I appreciate the parking authority and there are people working hard for going out complex problems and I appreciate this effort in working on our relationship and I can see it and I recognize and I appreciate the hard work. The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10047 Resolution to Extend the Agreement for Naming Rights of Bowman Field The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Pulizzi made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Milliken. Mayor d what you have before you is a resolution to extend the naming rights agreement for Bowman Field. This would continue on with journey bank and there was a clause in the current agreement that allowed them to exercise during the time of the current agreement that they would like to extend which they have asked city Council to consider. This would be a five-year extension and they provided two options within the resolution for city Council to decide from. Solicitor white reviewed out and there was a little conversation on Tuesday during the committee of the whole regarding option one and option two and President Beiter and councilwoman Miele talked about it a little bit. And we have had a great relationship with Journey Bank and we have reached out to the Crosscutters and it is a good relationship on their end as well and that is why we are bringing it before city Council and everything that has been going smoothly with journey bank and we appreciate their continued investment not just within the city government, but within the city and the county as a whole. So, I will turn it back over to you, President Beiter. Mr. Beiter: We do have a representative from journey bank. Joe O'Neill should we have any questions, but as mayor Slaughter had mentioned, what God brought up in the committee of the whole meeting was the option for us to choose whether it would be option one or option two for the contract extension and what the differences between option one and option two is that option one starts at $31,500 and increases the thousand dollars per year for the next five years and option two is a payment that is steady or flat of $33,500 over those five years. Both options equate to $167,000 over that time. My thought process for that would be to choose option one so we have a escalator in their and so hopefully when journey bank decides that they would like to renew this contract it is a much easier ask to continue to escalate that instead of a flat fee, because we all know that inflation happens in today's world and things get more expensive and it would be nicer for us as a city to plan with the increase instead of the flat rate. Mr. Yoder sounds good. Ms. Miele: Sounds reasonable to me. Mr. Beiter : Now, Austin, I do have a question because this does have option one and option two, do we need to strike one of the options - Mr. White: I am not sure who made the motion and the second, but whoever did can say that they amend the motion to select option, whatever the option would be and the person who seconded can say that they consent to that and then you are voting on the option with emotion as amended with the option selected. Mr. Pulizzi: I would like to amend my motion to include option one. Mr. Yoder: I second-period. Ms. Miele: I third that - (LAUGHTER) . Mr. Beiter: Austin if you can clarify, do we need to vote on the amendment? Mr. White : No, you do not because it was done by consent by the people who motion and second-period. Mr. Beiter: Okay, thank you. Anything to add? Mr. O'Neill, thank you for joining us even though you did not have anything that you could contribute to this evening, but we appreciate Journey Bank being a partner with the city of Williamsport going forward. Mr. O’Neill: We very much appreciate the partnership, it has been a great five years and we look forward to many more years working with the city. So, thank you. Mr. Beiter: Absolutely. Seeing and hearing nothing else, Mrs. Frank? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution # 10048 Resolution Awarding Construction Services for the Williamsport Crosswalks Project to Glenn O Hawbaker The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second Mr. Yoder made a motion and it was seconded by Mr. Pulizzi.. : Mr. Scott This is to award construction services to Welteroth nine for crosswalks around the city. The low bid was $754,150.35 and we received three bids and they were the lowest responsible bid and Glenn O Hawbaker has worked for ocelot in the city over the years and we have a good relationship with them and they do good work. We are sharing costs on this project with Lycoming College. We did a MOU with them last year that you may remember and the cost sharing is that we are paying for 55% and they are paying for 45% of the project. So, we are doing six crosswalks in the city and they are at Westport and Campbell, West third and Campbell, West third and Maynard, East third and Mulberry, East third and Mason and basin and viola. And we are doing six crosswalks right around the college at Mulberry and East fourth, Mulberry and Bennis Street and Mulberry Street and Ross Street and Mulberry Street and East seventh and Washington Boulevard, Washington Boulevard and Elizabeth Street and Franklin Street and East Edwin. Lastly I'll just mention that this project is funded by a PennDOT ARLE which stands for automated red light enforcement and those come from traffic violations in the city of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Mr. Beiter: Thank you very much for that. We did discuss this in the committee of the whole and I believe Liz Miele has a question. Ms. Miele: It is nice to get some of that money away from Philly! I just want to make sure, so the grant, I know that you said there was a small local match that we have accounted for, but otherwise despite the fact that I thought this came over the budget that I was anticipating the ARLE will cover the total cost? Mr. Scott: Yes, we have a 15% match. Ms. Livermore: I believe that we pay this out of the general fund. A small amount. And we paid part of it I think already. We have had little pieces. Ms. Miele: Okay, just confirming. And Lycoming College does not count, their contribution does not count as a match in this case? Mr. Scott: No, they pay for the six crosswalks and design and construction and all of that. Ms. Miele: Got it. All right. And design was over and above this 764, correct? Crosswalks have been designed? Mr. Scott: Yes, this is just construction cost. Ms. Miele: Sounds good. I should mention just because we discussed it at Tuesday's meeting that part of the reason this came in a little bit higher than we had anticipated was the increased cost of petroleum right now, correct? Mr. Scott: Yes, petroleum prices are changing every day out there. Ms. Miele: And there is a escalator clause in this? Mr. Scott: No, we are locked into this one which may be a good thing. Ms. Miele Exactly. Just something that is currently taxing the cities decision-making process about when they go out for bid. I understand is not knowing what is going to happen with fuel prices and to what extent that we can move forward on things like these Street bids, correct, Scott? So, thank you for explaining that to us on Tuesday. Mr. Beiter: Timeframe for the work to get started? Mr. Scott: Awarded tonight and kickoff meeting this month and you will see construction this summer. Mr. Beiter: Okay. And this is specifically the one on Washington Boulevard and Elizabeth Street and any plans for Washington Boulevard to get paved? Mr. Scott: That is a PennDOT street and that is happening and let me check on that and that is coming along with grant Boulevard, that is also PennDOT. Let me look into that and I will let you know. Mr. Beiter: I would hate to see Doctor Dunn and then PennDOT come in and screw it up. Even though they gave us the grant! Ms. Miele: They did not give us the grant for that part actually. Mr. Beiter: That is true, they did not. Ms. Miele: It may be wise to try to delay on that if we try to create forward with PennDOT and it would be great if they covered it. And it is a signal crosswalk, correct? Mr. Scott: Yes, a flashing beacon and you may have seen in other cities and it gets people's attention which is much needed there on Elizabeth Street with all of the pedestrians walking up to the new ballfields and stuff right through there. Ms. Miele: I am very excited about that, it has been dangerous for years. Thank you for working together with Lycoming to make that a reality. Mr. Beiter: Anything else from other members? Seeing and hearing nothing else, Mrs. Frank? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution # 10049 Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of a Lenco Bearcat The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Milliken made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Yoder.. Chief Justin Ottaviano: This is a resolution for the purchase of a Lenco Bearcat. It is a total cost of $353,000. The purchase is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of community economic develop and sponsored by state representative Jamie Flick. We talked about this in the committee of the whole and for the record, just a couple highlights. So, there is zero cost to the city and it is fully funded by a state grant and the money cannot be used by anything else. There is no tax money and excuse me there is no taxpayer money required. It is low ongoing cost and built on a commercial truck chassis so it can be maintained in-house. You're looking at a oil change inspection and a yearly cost of about $2000 for insurance. It has numerous warranties and the vehicle easily last 20 to 25 years. It is a upgrade to Public Safety and the armored vehicle protects civilians in high-risk situations and gives access to go where other vehicles cannot. It is not a CERT vehicle and that is a common misconception and currently they use a transport vehicle that is not armored and it is not a replacement to that, it is in addition. It is something that we just don't have. It has a multipurpose use and it provides a productive operation for armed threats, barricaded subjects, firearm related calls and we can also use it for natural disasters and were talking floods, fires - severe weather, anything like that. It is also used for safe transport and evacuation of injured patients which we normally cannot access with unarmored vehicles. Mutual aid and mutual support, counsel to assist neighbors during incidents and it gives us the ability within minutes to deploy that vehicle and right now we have to depend on an extended period of time and in a critical incident minutes matter. So, any questions? Mr. Beiter: This was discussed in the committee of the whole and are there any other questions from members around the item 2 Mr. Pulizzi? Mr. Pulizzi: What is the likelihood that I get to drive it? Chief: Zero. Mr. Beiter: That is a great answer. . Ms. Miele: In that case I am definitely voting no! : I just wanted to make the case that we met in committee and I do not - have strenuous objections to the purpose of this vehicle given that it is effectively coming to us free and clear and the maintenance costs on the vehicle will be extremely minimal year-over-year. And that we are not intending to build this into the capital project budget and finance the purchase of a new one with city funds, because I would very strenuously object to that. But, that said I think the majority of my concerns really surrounding the Bearcat are two full. One of them is the increasing militarization of law enforcement across the US and the way in which the Bearcat plays into that as an image of us against them when it comes to law enforcement. So, I would like to encourage us as a Police Department to think of it of course as an element of providing greater safety to our officers and citizens and to not think of it as something that we deploy because we need to protect ourselves from the people of Williamsport, do you understand what I'm saying? It is a delicate balance and I understand that. But, it is very important to me and I was actually somewhat I think maybe distressed and I will be honored to hear you say that this is something that was going to go out on routine calls with the police department because that is not the image that I want our citizens to have of Williamsport police, guys who bring big fancy pieces of agreement out and use it to protect themselves from the people of Williamsport, but I do want us to have it as a safety tool and I want us to have it in emergency situations and I understand the utility there. The other component of my concern with the purchase is that I continue to feel that Williamsport should not be bearing the burden of the cost of the CERT team as a municipality within a county. It should be a countywide function. I understand that that may not be where we are at and I understand the components within the county that make up the case, but the function performed by this piece of equipment are exclusive to the city of Williamsport and that means that the cost of supporting both of the piece of equipment and the CERT team functions should not be borne exclusively by the city of Williamsport and my understanding is that currently they are, every member with the exception of UPMC and Penn College both of which fall within the city as well is a member of the Williamsport Police Department, correct? Chief: Penn College and UPMC. And I think that CERT team discussion is for another day because that is a much more in-depth conversation and as I said the Bearcat is not a CERT vehicle because our BRP regardless if we had a CERT team or not. Ms. Miele I think that we should have these discussions regardless moving forward and all of that said I am grateful to our state legislatures for finding this funding for us and making this purchase a reality for the city of Williamsport. And so many thanks to you chief Skip for bringing this before us and to Jamie Flick for finding the funding for this. So, thank you. Mr. Yoder : If I can piggyback - if I can piggyback off of councilwoman Miele on a few points and I agree. I don't know that I want this you know showing up in my neighborhood for a routine kind of call like that kind of thing. I don't know what the line is there, but I would be pretty conservative on where I would draw that line. Some feedback for you chief in just the day-to-day and where you are deploying this thing. Please take that into consideration. I would echo the sentiments that she had noted about the whole regional resource here and I mean I am not a public safety expert, right? But, as I have tried to learn about the Public Safety world I was chief - Snyder would sit down with me multiple times and I got a lot out of that. And I still struggle to understand notably why this is a municipal level thing, right? I can see the value in it, right? I was under my desk for 30 minutes one day. I get it. I don't know that the ground-level was the right place for a - Ms. Miele: Just to be clear, nothing actually happened. Mr. Yoder: It was a scare, but nonetheless it was a responsive call and all of the law enforcement that went over there and I get the need of it, it is fresh on my mind and I understand why it is at the city level and the municipal level and I really agree and I would really like to see this grow to being a more regional resource whether that is County or larger. And when I think about this year, next year and initiatives I mean I would be happy to help other councilmembers in trying to facilitate what that looks like. We have been talking about this in my seventh year and I don't know that it is going to happen unless the Council spearheads that and so I agree with you councilwoman Miele and I also echo the sentiments. The Senator really stuck his neck out for this year and I don't want them to take that in a negative way by any means, we are grateful for the support nonetheless. Mr. Milliken: Bito. I just want to add chief Ottaviano I texted you the other day at 8 AM to talk about the Bearcat thing catch me up and you called me in like two minutes or something and I really appreciate that conversation. And your willingness to have the conversation and to help me understand the importance of this thing. And this has been a long time coming and I don't disagree with a lot of the concerns that you guys mentioned and I'm grateful that we have this resource that will protect people in Williamsport and protect our officers. So, thank you to the Senator and his team and Liz I can see you back there and thank you to Jamie Flick 's office, as well as probably are economic develop an office as well. The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10050 Resolution Authorizing the Amendment of the Vendor to Purchase of (2) Cub Cadet Pro Z Dual Wheel Mowers’ With Cool Tops The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Pulizzi made the motion and it was seconded by Ms. Miele. Mr. Livermore: What you have before you is a resolution authorizing the amendment of a vendor to purchase the cub cadet. Two weeks ago I brought this to counsel and (NAME) was by vendor at the time in a change to power Pro equipment and they are a protostar contractor and there is no change, 46,000, that was budgeted in the capital project. Is there any questions? Mr. Beiter: Any from members of counsel? Seeing and hearing him, Mrs. Frank? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10051 Resolution of the City Council of Williamsport Authorizing the Repayment of Certain U.S Dept. of Housing & Urban Development Funds The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Ms. Miele made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Pulizzi Ms. Fessler this is a resolution for a replacement -- a repayment to HUD. And so hard it does a monitoring of the city to make sure that we are following compliance as well as our local policies and procedures for our programs and in a recent monitoring, they are making a recommendation that we pay back an amount of $203.39 for an activity that we were unable to produce an invoice for and so essentially we did a program with fire tree place to support their afterschool program and when we were monitored on it we were audited on it, we paid invoice that we were not able to provide for HUD and so Jamie Livermore actually budgeted in her budget for anticipated repayments that we may need to make for things like this and so that is where the money is budgeted. Ms. Miele: Thank goodness this is loss -- this is less than last time. That is some serious time that they are devoted to tracking down these expenses and I am sorry to you guys that is happening. Ms. Fessler: This project was in 2019 and so it was prior to most of us in the administration being on board. Ms. MieleE: Totally different leadership at Firtree, as well. Ms. Fessler And I will note that they did nothing wrong, this was nothing on them and this is no reflection on them as an organization. This was a city record keeping that we missed an invoice on. That is all it was. Mr. Beiter Seeing and hearing nothing else, Mrs. Frank? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Resolution #10052 Resolution Authorizing the filing of a Municipal Assistance Program map Grant Application through the PA Dept of Community and Economic Development & Designating the Mayor & City Grants Administrator as the Officials to Execute all Documents & Agreements in Connection Therewith The City Clerk read the resolution. Mr. Beiter asked for a motion and a second. Mr. Pulizzi made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Yoder. Ms. Fessler Thank you, Kris, can you tell me if Jonas is here? Okay, I will let him introduce it and then ask him if you want to add anything. As I shared with you at the end of last year and our budget hearing, our department has a strategic plan where we are outlining multiple component plans that will all be tied together for one big grant, one big grand plan that will produce a prioritize project list for the city. I will note that that is not to say that we are not just doing so many projects right now while we get these plans and list together. We have 39 open grant projects that we are currently working on throughout the city. But, as we are doing so we are working on a downtown strategic plan and we just finished a comprehensive Parks and Recreation plan and we just received bids for the road plan. And this housing study is the next thing on our list and DCED recommended this in their stamp grant and they offer a grant called the map granted that will pay for a housing study and the mapper grant pays for 50% of the study and we are required to come up with a 50% match and actually Skip Memmi is here with the RDA because they are partnering with us to provide $100,000 in matrimony and so we will be providing for a $100,000 grant and they will provide the match and this will provide the groundwork for future grant applications so that we are prioritized against other companies early on and on a level playing field with other communities who have done similar studies like this when applying for funds like fair funds and map funds and this will also give all of the organizations throughout the city, Stapp, Habitat for Humanity, the housing authority, the RDA, the city, sort of a playbook for what is needed in the city when it comes to housing. So, then we are all as members of my team say cooking out of the same recipe which is really important. We need to make sure that we are all on the same page with what we are doing. So, there is really two main things that we want to get out of the study. We want to know what factors are leading to homebuyers selecting homes outside of Williamsport when they are relocating here. So, if you are getting a job at a local business, why are you choosing to live somewhere else instead of the city? And then what can we do to get more people to purchase a home in Williamsport instead of one of those neighboring communities? We want to increase homeownership and we want to have attractive housing stock and we think that this study will really lay the groundwork for us to do that. So, I am actually going to just pitch this to Jonas from DCED if he wants Ms. Miele: I think Jonas I think that you covered at all. Ms. Fessler He says that I am good? Okay. Well, if he - We Would Love to Hear from Him, but If Not, Are There Any Other Questions from Counsel? Mr. Pulizzi: I Just Wanted to Say Thank You Very Much for the Work. I and one of those people that things that we do way too many studies and not enough and I understand the importance of this one and I also want to say thank you very much to the RDA for stepping up to be a partner. Definitely it is necessary and hopefully it will provide a guidebook on how to better improve our housing stock and where and how to invest. So, thank you to all involved very much. Ms. Miele: I am extremely excited to have the RDA as a partner on this, because I feel as though they will be uniquely well-positioned to help take advantage of the information that comes out of this study, as well. The city will in general, but I think that we can hope that the redevelopment Authority will kind of recharge and so having them as a partner from the get-go in this process should help keep everyone on the same page and make sure that our goals at the end are unified which is exciting. Mr. Beiter: Doctor Yoder? Dr. Yoder: Skip, Valerie, the match money, is this eligible? Do we have that in writing? The resolution was carried with five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Accept for filing Brandon Park Commission Meeting 2/18/25 WMWA & WMWS Minutes 10/22/25, 11/19/25, 12/17/25 Dr. Yoder made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Pulizzi. The Minutes were accepted for filing five yes roll call votes. The vote was 5 to 0. All were in favor. Mr. Yoder voted yes, Mr. Milliken voted yes, Mr. Pulizzi voted yes, Ms. Miele voted yes, and Mr. Beiter voted yes. Mr. Mackey was absent. Announcements The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM, Trade & Transit II 144 West Third St, 3rd floor, Williamsport, PA. Upcoming Meetings: Friday, April 3 CITY HALL CLOSED GOOD FRIDAY Wednesday, April 8 3:30 PM O&E Pension Tuesday, April 14 1:00 PM Committee of the Whole Wednesday, April 15 10:00 AM Blighted Property Thursday, April 16 10:30 AM Zoning Hearing Board Thursday, April 16 7:00 PM City Council Meeting Comments: a. Members of the Public : Scott Miller, 822 Tucker Street, Williamsport. A couple things I will not put out there before I talk about the subject I want to mainly address under the Americans with disability act I am qualifying to say that I am a disabled person and also by the guy that I was given in 2008. Last year I was still poor by what the federal standards of said in 2008. When Campana was in office I applied for a second home owners grant program. Never heard anything. Never heard anything. Last year when my porch was collapsing, I started pushing the Tiger a little bit. And I found out a couple months ago that you got it once, you cannot have it again. I was never told that. I found out doing research online that Pennsylvania has over 147 home improvement grants, home repair grants and resources, admittedly some of them are Philadelphia, Johnstown etc., but I counted a number of them that would apply in Williamsport, but they all say that you have to go through your local jurisdiction, contact your local community development office. Well, I have been very unsuccessful in that. So, I am filing a right to know. I want copies of all letters, documents and emails stating that I do not qualify for any and all federal, state and local housing repair programs including but not limited to home repair - whole home repair program, USDA single-family repair program, COVID-19 whole home repair program, HUD title I, there is a 203, 502, a 504, he HSA, and why I do not qualify for them, because had I had known this when rates were at 3% interest I could have avoided paying 5 1/2% interest and I would have much rather gotten help from our government that had no problem when I was making good money, they had no problem taking two thirds of my paycheck and so I don't understand this. I want it in writing. I'm going to give this to Miss Frank. Have a good Friday and happy Easter. Mr. Beiter: For those who do not know if you could state who you are, sir. : My name is Bruce Hoffman, 1000 Cherry Street in the city. Good evening resident Beiter and counselors, I regret that I did not say something earlier at the beginning of the meeting when Bonnie 's family was still here, but I would be remiss if I did not say something now. Bonnie was a real people person. As you all know. And she was always willing to listen. I talked to her numerous times over the last seven or eight years over various city issues whether it was on the phone, a text, in her shop, in front of her house, she was always willing to listen. And she frequently, occasionally asked me some questions and some information that I was able to provide to her and that is really a great interaction between city government and citizens and I was always very thankful for that. And nothing against you all, but I don't think that we will be able to re-create that in the same way that she did it. And I appreciate that she served for as long as she did and I thanked her for her service. Thank you. Mr. Beiter: Thank you very much Mr. Hoffman. Well said. : Good evening, my name is CT Weber, general manager of the Genetti Hotel. On behalf of Mr. Genetti who was not able to be here this evening. I come to you as we begin a renovation on the hotel thanks to the senator and representative and tourism and economic development. We have a $2 million grant and the persons who are going to be doing the exterior renovation of the hotel and reappointing of all the brick and replacement of lentils as they start to fall apart. There is a permit involved and these funds, the grant itself is state funds and we would like some consideration or waiver or something to lower the cost of the permit itself. The exterior brickwork cost is $800,000 of the $2 million grant. The fee is $12,000. This is going to take about 18 months to complete that and this fall they will be doing a new roof and exterior on the motel side of the hotel that will be an additional 400,000 and I am anticipating the fees for that would be another $6000 and we are asking for some consideration for that. Mr. Beiter: Could you say your last name again? : Weber. Ms. Frank was kind enough to ask me for some pictures just an idea of the restoration work that would be done inside the hotel and outside. It is a $2000 grant and Mr. Genetti is going to match that with another 2 million and the exterior of the building should be in much better shape and the lobby is torn apart now if you have not seen it recently. There is a lot of ceiling work to be done and all of the guestrooms and carpet would have been replaced and furniture would have been replaced and it would be a very different hotel for the guests coming in. Mr. Beiter: Mr. Weber, thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. >>SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr. Beiter: Anything else from members of the community tonight? Do we have any comments from members of Council this evening? Mr. Milliken: I just want to say that we have a birthday celebration at Brandon Park. 11 AM until 4 PM, it will be great and there will be our lot of food trucks and a poetry jam and you guys are going to love it. Saturday, April 25. Mr. Beiter You get to do that next meeting as well! Mr. Milliken: I'll keep doing it! Mr. Beiter: It is a great event and we have members of Council excited and I hope that the community is excited as well. The only other thing I would like to say is have a wonderful Easter season everybody and enjoy the time with your family if that is what you're doing or friends, whatever it may be I would greatly appreciate the community also just again attend the first Friday in May, because that is going to be dedicated to Councilwoman Bonnie Katz and that would be a great way to remember her. Mr. Livermore? Mr. Scott Livermore: It is everyone's favorite time of the year and I just wanted to remind everyone that the Williamsport annual spring cleaning will begin through May 22. Residents are able to put out there debris April 13, a week prior and we will be there to get it there as best we can. Mr. Beiter: For the record, Mr. Livermore, could you please specify what debris is? Mr. Livermore: No big trees, no big shrubs, no grass clippings, the rest, leaves, branches, get it out on the side of the street. Mr. Pulizzi: I appreciate that, because I have seen all kinds of stuff thrown to the curb during spring cleanup. And just you know, no big branches and - Mr. Livermore: Do not cut a tree down in the backyard and expect us to come get it. Just the small branches and stuff. Mr. Beiter: Anything else - lose Miele? Ms. Miele: Yes, in the spirit of updates on events in the city I should mention that I think Valerie Fessler has taken the lead on organizing an event next Thursday, April 9 from 5:30 PM until 7 PM to begin introducing the concept of the ballot question surrounding home role that will be on the May ballot. And that will be the first event and it will be held at the YMCA from 5:30 PM until 7 PM and we are both running for seats on the commission that will examine the ballot question in May and so we will both be present there and we are working on a senior luncheon under the step to continue publicizing and I believe that we are planning to have a stand at May 1 Friday downtown to help also with public awareness. And as of tomorrow we are hoping to have a website live for that, as well. So, just wanted to let everybody know about a handful of upcoming events surrounding the home role question and hoping that we can get upfront of Williamsport voters prior to the primary and answer all questions that they may have and encourage them to take this step with us from the city. Mr. Pulizzzi.: Just for those who are celebrating, I hope you have a happy Easter holiday and if you're not celebrating I still hope that you have a happy weekend and Bruce for the record I would not be offended whatsoever if somebody said that I would not stack up to the way Bonnie helped everyone out. Mr. Beiter: I do not believe we have anybody from the news media here tonight. We will have a very brief executive session to discuss legal matters after our Council meeting tonight and I'll make a motion for adjournment. b. Council Comments c. Administration d. News Media Adjournment Meeting adjourned upon motion by Mr. Yoder and a seconded Mr. Milliken. Meeting adjourned 8:17 PM with unanimous ayes. Submitted by: Janice M. Frank City Clerk