Documents Aug 28, 2023

Minutes

Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Minutes Summary

Date: August 28, 2023

The regular monthly meeting was called to order at 6:30 p. m. by Vice President Cecilia Houser in the absence of President Doug Tusing.

Present: Cecilia Houser, Jeff Ball, Theresa Jacoby, Mike Owatt, and Junior Councilor Abraham Remillard.
Others Present: Borough Manager Kelly Cook, Mayor Randy Datsko, Chief of Police Joseph Loughran, and various department directors.
Absent: President Doug Tusing and Bob Miller.

Junior Councilor

Mayor’s Report

Mayor Datsko welcomed new Chief of Police, Joe Loughran.
He noted that a local high school graduate recently won a national horse competition.
He reminded residents that all bikes, including e-bikes, must obey vehicle code laws.

Water/Wastewater Committee

Inframark Contract: The Council approved a five-year contract with Inframark for water and wastewater operations, effective January 1, 2024. The base amount for the first year is $970,060.
Reports on operations for both the wastewater and water treatment plants were submitted for review.

Recreation Committee

Dog Park: Construction is complete. The grand opening is scheduled for September 9th at 9 am.
Swimming Pool: The last weekend for the Borough Swimming Pool is approaching.
Bingo: A Bingo event will be hosted on September 8th.

Street Committee

2023 Street Paving: Bids were awarded to New Enterprise Corporation for $175,572. 30. Paving is tentatively scheduled to start August 24, 2023.
Sidewalk and Curbing: Bids were awarded to CH & D Construction for $136,827. 88. Work is tentatively scheduled to start September 12, 2023.

Administration Committee

Police Recruitment: Applications for a full-time officer are being reviewed. Testing is scheduled for August 19th and 24th. The Council voted to proceed with hiring a new officer, aiming to have them in place by early-to-mid October.

Employee Pension Plans

The Council adopted the Minimum Municipal Obligation (MMO) calculations for 2023:
- Non-uniformed plan: $98,536
- Uniformed plan: $5,756
- Defined contribution plan: $8,168
Employee contribution rates were set at 3% for both the non-uniformed and uniformed plans.

General Business

Municipal Airport: A structural engineer determined the existing hangar could not be rehabilitated. However, a second opinion suggested repairs are possible; a cost estimate for specifications is expected by the end of the month.
Municipal Leadership Summit: Doug Tusing was appointed as the Voting Delegate and Kelly Cook as the Alternate for the summit in Bethlehem, PA (October 5-8).
Comcast Franchise: The franchise agreement was renewed. The Borough receives approximately $62,000 annually (5% of gross revenues).
Traffic Signals: Resolution #2023-07 was approved to update the Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement with PennDOT. Staff is exploring Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons for pedestrian safety on High Street.
Façade Grant: The Borough was unsuccessful in obtaining a grant in 2023. Staff recommended applying for a new grant in the same amount as the previous year ($50,000). Resolution #2023-08 was approved to authorize this application.

Mr. Illig asked about future street paving plans (specifically Virginia Street).
Mr. Tom Bortel commented that the Council should be careful when hiring the next police officer.
Ms. June Fether suggested adding a bocci court to recreational assets.

The Council entered an executive session at 7:07 PM to discuss personnel matters and exited at 7:35 PM. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM.