Minutes of Regular Meeting Oakmont Borough Council July 11, 2005

Transcription

1 240 The Regular Meeting of Oakmont Borough Council was called to order at 7:30 PM by President Winkler. Present: Excused: Visitors: Messrs. Benusa, Bland, Favo, Fitchwell, Kennedy and President Winkler, members of Council; Mayor Peoples; and, Roger A. Dunlap, Jr., Borough Manager and Ex-Officio Borough Secretary Mr. Myers and Mr. Shoop Joe Bonifate, Nancy DeTar, Margaret Kastelic, Teresita Kolenchak, Kristie Linden, Chief Robert Moyer, Carl Palumbo, William Peoples and Ted Sokol All those who were present and able stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The following reports from Borough Officers and Departments were circulated among the members of Council for examination and review: Borough Treasurer s Report for the month of June 2005, dated June 30, 2005, shows a Book Balance in the General Fund, as of June 30, 2005, of $766, Police Department Report for the month of June 2005; Wage Tax Report of Collections for the month of June 2005; Hoffman Kennel Report for the month of June 2005; Secretary s Report of Collections for the month of June 2005; and, Volunteer Fire Department Report for the month of June Mr. Kennedy offered a motion to accept the minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 13, 2005 and the Special Meeting of June 20, 2005, as circulated to the members of Borough Council. Mr. Fitchwell seconded the motion, and all those members of Council present voted in the affirmative. With regard to the Mid-Year Budget Report, dated July 11, 2005, President Winkler noted that Borough Manager Roger Dunlap was monitoring expenses very closely and that there have been no major unanticipated expenditures that will affect the year-end balance so far. Mayor Peoples announced that a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria had to be purchased for the Police Department after an older model became too expensive to repair. The car is currently being detailed and should be on the road within the week. Mr. Favo offered Resolution No , and moved for its adoption, for the approval of Claims from the General Fund (Fund #1, Voucher Nos to 21837) in the amount of $235,048.05; from the Payroll Fund (Fund #2, Voucher Nos to 6062) in the amount of $103,268.88; from the Sewer Revenue Fund (Fund #6, Voucher Nos to 6498) in the amount of $67,539.76; from

2 241 the Library Fund (Voucher Nos to 2906) in the amount of $85,190.88; and, from the Centennial Fund (Voucher Nos. 370 to 377) in the amount of $1,358.88, for a total of $492, Mr. Kennedy seconded the motion, and all those members of Council present voted in the affirmative. Book Volume 29, Page 52, as Resolution No. R Mr. Favo offered Resolution No. R , and moved for its adoption, a resolution establishing an Educational Service Agency for the Borough of Oakmont. Mr. Bland seconded the motion. Mr. Dunlap explained that the purpose of the resolution was to protect the Borough s interests with regard to the uniqueness of the School Guards role in the Borough. Book Volume 29, Page 53, as Resolution No. R Mr. Favo offered Resolution No. R , and moved for its adoption, a resolution authorizing the filing of a CDBG grant application for funds with the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development for the Handicap Ramp Project. Mr. Fitchwell seconded the motion. Mr. Kennedy asked where these handicap ramps would go and their cost. Mr. Dunlap said the ramps would be placed specifically in those public areas that were still in need of the ramps, at an approximate cost of $1,100 per ramp. The hope is that funding will be obtained in time to complete the project next year. Book Volume 29, Page 54, as Resolution No. R Mr. Favo offered Resolution No. R , and moved for its adoption, a resolution authorizing the filing of a CDBG grant application for funds with the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development for the Maple Way Retaining Wall Project. Mr. Kennedy seconded the motion. Mr. Dunlap described the project to those present. Mr. Favo asked if the project would be revisited if the funding did not come through. Mr. Dunlap said that it would.

3 242 Book Volume 29, Page 55, as Resolution No. R Mr. Favo offered a motion to adopt the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development s Governor s Center for Local Government Services Peer Assistance Program Scope of Services for financial management software selection and services. Mr. Dunlap outlined the procedure for obtaining this free service to help select and implement new accounting software for the Borough Office. Mr. Fitchwell asked if we were limited in our choice of software programs. Mr. Dunlap said he already had a fairly good idea which software program best fit the Borough s needs, so that the selection part of the service would not be essential at this point. Mr. Bland offered a motion to authorize the execution of a Police Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement with North Versailles Township, Wilkins Township, White Oak Borough, Plum Borough and the Municipality of Monroeville for the purposes of a DUI Task Force Program. Mr. Kennedy seconded the motion. Mayor Peoples explained that such an action was necessary in order to act properly in a DUI situation. Mr. Bland asked why these particular communities were involved. Mr. Peoples said although Plum Borough was the closest community to Oakmont listed in the agreement, all the communities listed were members of the Task Force. Mr. Fitchwell reported that the Planning Commission was working on the Final Draft of the Zoning Ordinance amendment on new Mixed Use and River Overlay districts. He said that the amendment applied mostly to the former Edgewater property at this time, and that Council should be ready to hold a Public Hearing on the amendment by August 29. Mr. Dunlap added that a letter recommending approval of the amendment should be to Council from the Planning Commission by August 17. Council Member Fitchwell also announced a meeting on August 4 with the Alle-Kiski Coalition on the Connector Bridge from Parnassus to Route 28. Mr. Winkler offered a motion to authorize the execution of Pay Application No. 17 to Lanmark, Inc. for work on the Library Renovation in the aggregate amount of $43, Mr. Benusa seconded the motion. Mr. Favo asked if the payment included a reduction for the amount of gas used by the contractor. Mr. Dunlap said that it did, in the amount $17,

4 243 Mr. Bland asked how far along construction had proceeded on the Library basement. Mr. Dunlap said there had been a water main break over the weekend that interfered with construction. He added that the contractor and his plumber responded quickly to repair the line. Mr. Winkler offered a motion to authorize the execution of an agreement with Lanmark, Inc., 3160 Leechburg Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15239, in the amount of $120, for the Oakmont Carnegie Library Accessible Ramp Project. Mr. Benusa seconded the motion. Mr. Winkler explained that the reason for isolating this particular cost was because it will be paid for as part of a $150,000 grant to the Library. Council Member Kennedy announced that the basketball program had started that day at the Park. The program has 25 junior high level boys and girls in it, with Jack Kells as their coach. He said all other organized activities for the Park s summer season were over except for tournaments and the 5K Race, which is always the last event of the season. President Winkler commended the Park Crew for the dedicated maintenance of the fields, to the extent of watering them at 3:00 AM when no one is on them. Margaret Kastelic once again address Council regarding conditions around 732 College Avenue. Her major complaints were: 1) there has been a dumpster at the top of College Avenue since 2000, which residents are now using to dump their garbage; 2) the Water Company did repair the sidewalk, but no one ever inspected, and there has been a construction horse and bag of cement left on the site; and, 3) the street sweeper is still not coming to the top of College Avenue. President Winkler asked Mr. Dunlap to follow-up with the Water Company on the sidewalk project. With regard to street sweeping, Mr. Fitchwell suggested that more emphasis be placed on ticketing of parked cars on street sweeping day so that the sweeper is able to sweep there. Ted Sokol, 720 Plum Street, asked Council to report on the status of various flood-related projects going on on Plum Street, which they did. President Winkler commented that Council was attempting to find a permanent solution to the flood-related problems facing Plum Street and its residents, and that they have committed a lot of resources to this end. Mr. Benusa recapped the discussion by saying that the problems to be addressed at present were the flooding around Fortino s, the Burrows junkyard, and the pipe along the Wycich property. President Winkler suggested that the Corps of Engineers might be contacted to discuss Plum Creek issues. He also assured those Plum Street residents present

5 244 that Council has been diligently working on these problems since the flood, and intended to continue to work towards a solution. Fire Chief Bill Peoples commented that there was no easy solution to many of the problems exacerbated by the September 17 flood, and that all of Allegheny County is dealing with the same flood-related issues. He also thanked all those who assisted the Fire Department during the days following the flood. There being no further business to conduct that evening, Mr. Kennedy offered a motion to adjourn the meeting, which passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 PM. Transcribed by: L. C. Jensen Roger A. Dunlap, Jr., Borough Manager and Ex-Officio Borough Secretary