Minutes

Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Minutes - January 27, 2020

Meeting Details:

• Date: Monday, January 27, 2020
• Time: 6:30 p. m. to 8:11 p. m.
• Location: Ebensburg Municipal Building, 300 W. High Street

Attendance

• Council Members Present: Doug Tusing (President), Dave Kuhar (Vice President), Theresa Jacoby, Scot May, Cecilia Houser, Mike Owatt, and Jeff Ball.
• Others Present: Mayor Randy Datsko, Borough Manager Daniel Penatzer, Solicitor Blair Pawlowski, Chief of Police Terry Wyland, Public Works Director Jeff Evans, Community Development Director Danea Koss, Recreation Director Dirk Johnson, and Mark Pesto (The Tribune Democrat).
• Audience: 12 residents.

Key Decisions and Updates

Consent Agenda The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

• Approval of the December 16, 2019 meeting minutes.
• Approval of the Financial Statement and payment of bills.
• Appointment of Jessica Murphy to complete an unexpired term on the Main Street Partnership (term expires 2021).

Dog Park Project Mr. Phil Sutton of the Rotary Club presented plans for a dog park near the east end playground. The proposal faced significant opposition from residents regarding liability, maintenance, and location.

• Outcome: The council suggested the Rotary Club explore other locations, such as the Lake Rowena area, and work with the Recreation Board to find a new site.

Committee Assignments Council President Tusing announced the following committee assignments:

• Water/Wastewater/Stormwater: Councilors Ball & Kuhar
• Recreation: Councilors Jacoby, May & Owatt
• Streets: Councilors Ball, Houser & Owatt
• Administration: Councilors Houser, Jacoby & Kuhar
• Sustainability (Ad-hoc): Councilor May, Mayor Datsko, and Director Danea Koss.

Infrastructure Projects

• Sidewalk Project: Due to the cancellation of a planned gas line replacement, the council approved moving forward with Phase 1 of the sidewalk project. A $1 million bridge loan was authorized, with interest-only payments made from a $160,000 annual reserve. The remaining balance will be converted to a 10-year loan after completion in late 2021.
• Street Resurfacing: Bids for resurfacing streets in the northeast quadrant will be sought in August, with work scheduled for October.
• Airport Runway: The council unanimously approved an engineering agreement with L. R. Kimball for the runway rehabilitation project. The total cost is $450,000, with the Bureau of Aviation funding $440,000. Construction is scheduled for late summer.
• Dump Truck: The council approved the purchase of a 2020 Ford dump truck from Walsh Equipment for $89,054. The old 2008 truck will be advertised for sale.
• Property Appraisal: A contract was approved with Industrial Appraisals for $9,950 to update the borough's property inventory and insurable values.

Personnel and Administration

• Public Works Hires: Daron Murton and Caleb Oldham were hired as Public Works I at $16. 66/hour, effective January 27, 2020. Tim Myers was hired as a temporary part-time employee at $13. 00/hour.
• Wage Adjustment: An executive session was held to discuss a wage adjustment for public works employees. The council unanimously approved Resolution 2020-01 and a memo of understanding with AFSCME to create an additional wage tier.

Department Reports

• Police: Chief Wyland reported on recent activities, including a large crowd for Dickens of a Christmas and the upcoming retirement of Officer Dave Roberts after 43 years of service.
• Public Works: Mr. Evans reported on handing over the water plant to Inframark as of February 1st and ongoing leak repairs.
• Community Development: Ms. Koss reported on plans for a Main Street Happy Hour and updates on "Art in Bloom. "
• Recreation: Mr. Johnson reported on upcoming events, including a Bingo night on February 28th and a Breakfast with the Easter Bunny in April.

Public Comments

• Mr. Mike Illig asked about the validity period of sewer certificates.
• Ms. Karen Meintel requested that snow plow drivers slow down on W. Lloyd Street.