Documents Jun 10, 2019

Minutes

Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Minutes - June 10, 2019

Meeting Details:

Attendance:

Present: Doug Tusing (President), Susan Barber (Vice President), Cecilia Houser, Scot May, John Cobaugh, Theresa Jacoby
Absent: Dave Kuhar
Others Present: Borough Manager Daniel Penatzer, Mayor Randy Datsko, Solicitor Blair Pawlowski, Chief of Police Terry Wyland, Public Works Director Jeff Evans, Community Development Director Danea Koss, Recreation Director Dirk Johnson, and representatives from local media.

The following items were approved unanimously on a motion by Ms. Barber, seconded by Ms. Houser:

Approval of the minutes from the May 2019 monthly meeting.
Approval of the Financial Statement.
Approval of payment of bills (Councilor May abstained due to a conflict of interest regarding an amount owed to him).

Mr. Terry Powers (408 W. Horner Street): Expressed thanks for the "Pooch Party" at the Borough Pool and suggested exploring the possibility of a dog park in Ebensburg.
Mr. Joe Inzana (E. Highland Avenue): Asked if some streets could take priority over others during patching and expressed concern about the loss of trees near Holy Name.
Mr. Pat Lauer (E. Horner Street): Expressed concern about the inconsistency of where crews are installing new ports and questioned why cementing is happening before projects are complete.

Work continues on the North side of the borough, with all mains expected to be completed in June.
Current Issues: A diesel smell on E. Ogle Street, a spring on Poplar, and a constriction on Rowena Drive are being addressed.

Issue: Long-standing dirty water problem along Laurelbrook Road east of Crestwood Drive.
Solution: The 400 feet of existing 4" main needs replacement. This will also include a new fire hydrant.
Funding: Sufficient money is available in the water reserve fund.
Decision: A motion to advertise for bids for this replacement was passed unanimously.

A new YPCC swim team is being created to help with early swimming skill development.
Operator: Mr. Rory Coleman’s LLC, Kickboard Consulting, will run the program.
Finances: A contract will ensure fees cover all costs; any excess proceeds go to Kickboard. Revenue/expenses are processed through the borough.
Location: Practices and meets will be held at the school pool and sometimes the borough pool.
Safety: Ms. Jacoby asked about adding speed bumps on the road at Lake Rowena.

Sidewalk & Curb Project: This project is complete pending final inspection. Property owners have six months to complete their own repairs.
Street Resurfacing:
- Bids for paving are estimated to be 20% higher than last year, likely around $90/ton.
- Streets like Marian, Julian, and Caroline require extra milling and leveling, increasing costs by another 33%.
- Updated Cost: The total project estimate is now $652,000.
- Timeline: Staff suggests postponing the resurfacing bid until mid-to-late July to allow Peoples Gas to finish their work south of High Street.
- Decision: A motion to authorize bids for street resurfacing in July was passed unanimously.

Peoples Gas is committed to finishing work south of High Street by the end of August. Paving is scheduled for September.
If gas lines on South West Street are not replaced by then, that area will be eliminated from the project.
After August, work moves to the northeast corner of town and should be finished before winter. Work will continue through the winter in the northwest corner.
Sidewalks: The 2020 sidewalk project is split into east and west contracts. The east side can be advertised early in 2020 if the northeast corner is finished over winter. The west side cannot begin until the gas project on that side is complete.

Five applications were received for the full-time police officer position. Two applicants withdrew, leaving three finalists certified by the Civil Service Board.
Decision: A motion to hire Aaron Leyo as a full-time police officer, effective June 24th (subject to medical and psychological exams), was passed unanimously.

2020 Census: The Borough is encouraging participation, noting its importance for political representation and federal/state funding. Residents can respond online, by phone, or mail.
Local Use of Radar: Resolution #2019-03 was proposed to support a law allowing municipal police to use radar for speed detection.
- Decision: The resolution was adopted unanimously on a motion by Ms. Jacoby.

Police: No report.
Public Works: Three sections of mainline remain, and new traffic lights have been installed.
Community Development: The Main Street Partnership received accreditation through the National Main Street Center for 2019 and was ranked as the 5th highest performing program in the state.
Recreation: Activities at the Tennis Center include new summer clinics and camps.

Meeting Adjourned: 7:55 PM Minutes Recorded by: Danea Koss, Community Development Director