RICHLANDTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL MINUTES
The Regular Meeting of Richlandtown Borough Council was held on February 8, 2010. Council President Jim Bowman opened the meeting at 7:00pm. All Council Members were present.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Borough had their annual appreciation dinner for Council members on Thursday, January 28 at the Richlandtown Inn.
The Borough Council had an Executive Session prior to this meeting to discuss the Hinkle case.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Rhonda Mitchell of 122 S. Main St. made comments regarding the manner in which snow was removed from the Fire Company driveway during the February 6 storm. The resident claimed that the plow operator pushed snow up onto her driveway and sidewalk.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes for January 11, 2010 were accepted on a motion by John Calder, seconded by Matt Scheetz, and approved by all.
PRESENTATIONS / DEVELOPER’S ISSUES
There were no Presentations or Developers.
COUNCIL & STAFF REPORTS
Mayor’s Report
Recently, I attended the following…
Wednesday, January 20th, a portion of the breakfast meeting with state senator Bob Mensch at the Richland Township municipal building.
Friday and Saturday, January 22nd and 23rd, the workshop for newly elected officials training, along with Tom Gross, Jocelyn Myers and Matt Scheetz.
Monday, January 25th, the Spirit Night held at Chick-Fil-A by our Parks and Recreation Board.
At this time, I do not have any further information regarding the Crosswalk Program.
However, I would like to ask for the cooperation of all my fellow Richlandtonians regarding motor vehicle issues. In order to keep our community safe for everyone, including our children, please make an effort to repair a disabled vehicle if you should happen to have one or make plans to dispose of an unsafe vehicle or one that is no longer being used. This will help to alleviate the current parking crunch that exists in some areas. Everyone’s cooperation will allow us to focus on important issues that continue to have an impact on our community.
Solicitor’s Report
a. Hinkle Case: The Judge gave the Solicitor the Briefing Schedule for the case. We will pursue settlement again. EXECUTIVE SESSION Council had an Executive Session at 630pm on Monday, February 8 before the Council Meeting to discuss the Hinkle case.
b. Smith Case: We will have a judgement placed against the Smith property regarding violations.
MOTION There was a motion made by Floyd Bless, seconded by John Calder, and approved by all to have the Solicitor file to have a judgement placed against the Smith property. Matthew Scheetz abstained from the vote.
c. Phoebe Tax-Exempt Status: A voluntary agreement was negotiated with Phoebe Richland Health Care Center relating to the taxation of their property in October, 2002, which is set to expire this year. I have attached information regarding PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) programs.
In addition, there are bills pending (HB 2192 and SB 1175) which may further address voluntary agreements. These allow municipalities to enact an essential services fee on tax-exempt organizations. The legislation allows municipalities the option of enacting voluntary agreements, or impose a fee not exceeding 25% of the assessed value of the property. Currently, our Voluntary Agreement with Phoebe is approximately 25% of their tax bill.
Borough Manager
a. Copier Purchase: The copier is still giving us problems. Additionally, the scan head on the fax/scanner seems to be broken – the unit needs to be replaced. The fax machine currently only receives faxes – it cannot send or scan. Please review the attachment for options regarding purchase/lease of a new all-in-one unit. Upon review of the paperwork, the Manager feels that the purchase of a Kyocera 1128 may be the best fit for the office in terms of functions and service. Other units like the Brother 8480 from Staples may seem like the economical choice, but overall quality, longevity, service, and low toner life give us some concerns.
MOTION There was a motion made by John Calder, seconded by John Wassmer, and approved by all to allow the Manager to purchse the Kyocera 1128 from ISP Services for office use.
b. Updated Fee Schedule: the subcommittee will review and have a draft ready for March.
c. Appointments: Wayne Fulmer of the Zoning Hearing Board has moved out of the Borough, and can no longer serve on the ZHB. We will need a replacement. Mary Slotter would like to step aside from the ZHB as well, but will wait until we find an alternate. Rhonda Mitchell of 122 S. Main St. offered to volunteer for the position. The Manager will get a Volunteer Application to her.
Borough Zoning / Code Enforcement Officer: Keystone Municipal Services should be reappointed until if/when they will be relieved of their service.
MOTION There was a motion made by Matt Scheetz, seconded by John Calder, and approved by all to appoint Keystone Municipal Services as the Borough’s Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer.
d. Snow Reports
e. USPS Meeting: Postponed for future date. Thom Gross and the Manager have worked on setting a new date. This looks to be the week of February 22 in the afternoon (possibly 2/25/10 at 1pm).
f. US Census: The 2010 Census forms will be in the mail shortly. The US Census Bureau will hold office hours for a Questionnaire Assistance Center at Boro Hall beginning February 26 through April 19 to answer any questions from citizens regarding completion of the forms. At this time, hours will be 2p-5p, Monday through Friday.
The public had questions regarding how the residents at the Phoebe home will be counted. The Manager will check with Phoebe and Census officials.
REPORT OF THE FIRE COMPANY
The Fire Company received a grant in the amount of $11,722.46 for the roof replacement. The project estimate was $18,800 for the roof with the 20-yr warranty and gutter replacement. The Manager will check with the Solicitor regarding the bid/quote criteria, and then work with the Chief and President on obtaining bids/quotes.
The Fire Company also offered to pay half of the balance on the project, after the grant funds are taken out.
The Manager and Chief will work to look into Fire Marshall doing inspections of commercial properties.
FINANCE COMMITTEE:
PennVest Payments need to be reviewed and authorized for bills received in January.
The Water Superintendent’s Report for December was accepted on a motion by John Calder, seconded by Floyd Bless, and approved by all.
PUBLIC WORKS:
West Union St. Paving: please review the materials from the Engineer, and discuss options with Proebe Richland Home.
Some “Welcome to Richlandtown” flags have come loose. The Manager will repair them when the weather improves.
PARKS & RECREATION:
· Home Party Bingo February 28th, need volunteers, $10 regular ticket, $15 preorder special
· Flea Market- April 10th, 24 spaces sold so far
· Star Party April 16, Rain date 17
· Work Day- April 17, 9am- will complete some small projects around the building, clean up the yard for Spring, maybe light planting, advertise for Disney Give a Day, Get a Day
· Park Rules Ordinance- should be considered and passed before improvements get started. We will look into the legality of passing such rules, regulations, or ordinances concerning lands that are not in our jurisdiction – they are in Richland Township.
· Will pursue a summer science and sports camps in coordination with Richland Twp.
· “Benner Memorial Hall” sign being sketched for installation out front. We will obtain a permit from Richland Township.
PUBLIC WELFARE:
In the spring newsletter, we will remind residents of the importance of clearing the snow from around the fire hydrants.
USPS: The meeting will be held this month.
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS:
Garage Heat: The garage can be insulated in the attic, and the project cost may be approximately $300. We are looking into the option of a radiant heater for the garage.
Parking Lot lights: Joe is working on a schedule with Bob Schmoyer to install safety lighting in the lot.
PERSONNELL COMMITTEE: nothing to report
OLD BUSINESS
Web page profiles: Jocelyn is awaiting profile information for the web page from the Council members.
Vision Statement: Matt suggested that we work on a Vision Statement for the Borough, with long- and short-term goals.
Online Transfer: This will be discussed at the subcommittee meeting
NEW BUSINESS
Adult Entertainment Zoning: Due to recent news articles regarding adult entertainment, Council may look in to passing an ordinance that may place these businesses in a correct location, with certain rules.
Open records: We need to appoint the Manager as the Open Records Officer. The Manager will receive training in the next month.
MOTION There was a motion made by Floyd Bless, seconded by John Calder, and approved by all to appoint Borough Manager Joseph Geib as the Open Records Officer.
PAYMENT OF BILLS
The bills were paid on a motion by Floyd Bless, seconded by John Calder, and approved by all.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40pm on a motion by Floyd Bless, seconded by Matt Scheetz, and approved by all.
Next Meeting: Monday, March 8, 2010. 7pm at Benner Hall.
Submitted by Joseph Geib, Borough Manager.