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Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Minutes - April 27, 2020

Meeting Details:

  • Date: Monday, April 27, 2020
  • Time: 6:30 p. m. to 7:45 p. m.
  • Format: Video meeting held at the Ebensburg Municipal Building (300 W. High Street)
  • Presiding: President Doug Tusing

Attendees:

  • Council Members Present: Doug Tusing (President), Dave Kuhar (Vice President), Theresa Jacoby, Scot May, Cecilia Houser, Mike Owatt, Jeff Ball.
  • Others Present: Daniel Penatzer (Borough Manager), Randy Datsko (Mayor), Blair Pawlowski (Solicitor), Danea Koss (Community Development Director), Dirk Johnson (Recreation Director), Phil Sutton (Rotary Club), Mark Pesto (Tribune Democrat), Kristin Baudoux (Mountaineer Herald).
  • Audience: 5 members.

Public Comments

Residents expressed concerns regarding the upcoming sidewalk and curb project, specifically the plan to remove trees.

  • Renee Martin-Nagle: Shared concerns about tree removal and asked the Council to reconsider.
  • Derek Kaufman: Expressed his wish to keep trees on his property at 609 E. Crawford Street.
  • Kevin O’Brien: Provided background on his experience working with trees regarding Mr. Kaufman’s property assessment.

Consent Agenda

The Council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included:

  • Approval of minutes from the March 30, 2020 meeting.
  • Approval of the Financial Statement.
  • Approval of payment of bills.

Water/Wastewater Committee Reports

Borough Manager Daniel Penatzer provided updates on several infrastructure projects:

  • Plant Operations: Inframark provided written reports for water and wastewater plants. They are developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for water plant operations.
  • Reservoir Drain Valve: A project to replace the drain valve on the small reservoir has been delayed for years. Parts are on hand, and a pre-bid conference is scheduled for April 27 with bids due May 11.
  • West Horner Street Sewer: Two sewer projects in the 200 block are being advertised. Bids are due May 11.
  • Carroll Street Sewer Main: Guyer Brothers is replacing 220 linear feet of 8-inch public sewer main along Carroll Street for $11,000. This price was below the bidding threshold. Work has begun.
  • Sewer Replacement Project: The $9 million project is essentially complete, though Sippel has minor yard restoration work left. A dispute exists regarding downtime costs; Sippel submitted a change order in excess of $2. 1 million, which is currently under review by the Authority’s engineer and legal counsel.

Recreation Committee

  • Lake Rowena Concession Building: The stand is in poor condition. The Board agreed to repair the existing building rather than build a new one. Repairs will include replacing the concrete floor, repairing cracks, adding a second window, and adding new siding. Restrooms have been closed for years and will be removed.
  • Dog Park: The Ebensburg Rotary Club requested to construct and donate a dog park. The Recreation Board recommended locating it at Lake Rowena, adjacent to the outdoor hockey rink. The park will have two sections for small and large dogs. Motion to approve the request passed unanimously.

Street Committee

  • 2020 Sidewalk Project: Bids were considered last month, with the low bid of $1,371,061. 79 from M&B Services of Clarion. Action was previously tabled due to Coronavirus restrictions.
  • Contract Award: Staff recommended awarding the contract now that construction restrictions are scheduled to lift on May 1. Ms. Houser made a motion to award the contract to M&B Services, contingent on the lifting of restrictions. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Financial Hardship: Mr. May made a motion to give special consideration to property owners experiencing financial hardship due to Covid-19. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Line of Credit: First Commonwealth Bank submitted the most favorable proposal for a line of credit to cover costs while property owner payments are pending. Ms. Houser made a motion to negotiate a rate with First Commonwealth Bank. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Unit Debt Act Compliance: New debt requires compliance with the Unit Debt Act. Ms. Jacoby made a motion to grant tentative approval to Ordinance #652 seeking DCED authorization to incur debt. Motion passed unanimously.
  • 609 East Crawford Street: The property owner requested the sidewalk project be revised to save large trees and allow a curb cut. Mr. Penatzer suggested removing this block from the current project to be picked up in a future one. Ms. Jacoby made a motion to exclude the north side of the 600 and 700 block of East Crawford Street from the 2020-2021 project. The motion carried 5 to 2 (Tusing and Kuhar voted No).
  • Tree Cutting: Bids for tree cutting associated with the sidewalk project were considered. The low bid was $35,000 from Top Notch Logging of Ebensburg. Since the sidewalk contract was awarded, this contract should also be awarded. Mr. Kuhar made a motion to award the contract to Top Notch Logging for a revised amount of $32,000. Motion passed unanimously.

General Business

  • Sewage Enforcement: Due to the closure of the Cambria County Sewage Enforcement Agency, staff recommended empowering the Cambria County Building Codes Enforcement Agency (Laurel Municipal Inspection Agency) to serve as the Borough’s sewage enforcement officer. Ms. Jacoby made a motion to grant final approval to Ordinance #651 adopting an Intergovernmental Agreement for this purpose. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Airport: Bids are being sought for the airport resurfacing project, due May 18. The CARES Act allows this project to be paid 100% with FAA funds, requiring no local match. A $20,000 grant was also awarded for general expenses. Ms. Houser made a motion to approve the engineering agreement with CDI/L. R. Kimball for $65,166. 00 for the construction phase. Motion passed unanimously.

Department Reports

  • Police & Public Works: No reports.
  • Community Development: The "Art in Bloom" Committee held a Virtual Art in Bloom with nearly 150 entries. The Main Street Partnership "Save Our Shops" contest will give away two $50 gift cards weekly to anyone spending at least $25 at a local shop.
  • Recreation: The YPCC, Tennis Center, and Swimming Pool will be ready to open once direction is received.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p. m. upon a motion by Ms. Jacoby, seconded by Mr. Kuhar.

Minutes Recorded By: Danea Koss, Community Development Director

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