TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015, 7:00 P.M. 11279 Center Highway, North Huntingdon, PA 15642 Presiding Officer Richard G. Gray, President, Board of Commissioners CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Gray called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Commissioner West Present Also Present: Commissioner Bevan Present John M. Shepherd Commissioner Haigis Absent Solicitor Alexander Commissioner Martino Present Michael Turley Commissioner Herold Present Chief Lisiecki Commissioner Austin Present Richard Albert Commissioner Gray Present Andrew Blenko Dan Miller PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE OPENING PRAYER The opening prayer was given by Pastor Doug Burns of Christ United Methodist Church. CITIZENS INPUT Ed Sam, 622 Court View Drive, Greensburg: His company is Affordable Media Entertainment Network and they provide help in marketing for communities like Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin. The project he would like to discuss began with the Irwin Business Association wanting a sign installed welcoming people to Irwin. There was discussion about where to place a sign and who owned the property. Because he is from the area, he designed a sign that should be acceptable to everyone. The sign welcomes people to the communities of Norwin School District. He is there to get approval from the Board to move forward with the construction of the sign. He is not looking for financial support for the sign. He has a meeting scheduled with the School District to advise the district of the sign and of the promotion of the School District. He has copies of the picture of the sign which he gave to the Board. When he designed the sign, he put the communities in alphabetical order, Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin. He is asking for the Board support and looking for the green light to proceed. It would be a joint decision where to put the sign.
RESPONSE TO CITIZENS INPUT Ed Sam January 21, 2015 Commissioner Gray asked if he designed the sign and created it. Mr. Sam said they would go to a graphic artist first and then the sign company to get the costs on what it would be to make the sign and have it installed. Commissioner Gray said the genesis for it was Irwin Business Professional Association. Mr. Sam said they showed him drawings from 2003 that didn t happen and said Welcome to Irwin. He feels it shouldn t be that way as this is the Norwin School District which is made up of the three communities. Commissioner Gray asked if he was under contract with someone and why Irwin Business Professional Association wasn t presenting the proposal. Mr. Sam said they asked him to come as he met with Irwin Borough and he volunteered to come as an outsider. He has been an Irwin resident all his life and he is trying to be helpful. He feels it would be good for all the communities and the businesses. Commissioner Martino asked if they would have two signs for each side of the Township. Mr. Sam said it was to both on both ends of the Township and he would go to all the communities to ask where it should be. Commissioner Austin asked how large the sign would be. Mr. Sam said when driving down Route 30, you only get 6 to 10 seconds to see a sign. He thought it should be 20 x 20 but would ask the sign company for their input. It would be similar to a billboard. He was asked if they could put a logo on but if they do, it would make the name smaller. Commissioner Gray said the location would be determined later but then he said at both ends of the Township. Mr. Sam said those were his thoughts but it isn t his decision where to put it. He would go to all three communities to see where they thought it should be. Commissioner Gray asked who would fund it.
Mr. Sam said the Irwin Business Professional Association is planning on funding it. Commissioner Gray asked why the Association wasn t there trying to pitch it. Mr. Sam said they sent him. Commissioner Gray said he understands the concept and that they are trying to use Norwin School District for this, so why not say Welcome to the Norwin School District comprised of the communities. Mr. Sam said it can be done any way but it should be easy to read when driving by welcoming people to the communities of the Norwin School District. Commissioner Martino said he feels the sign says welcome to Irwin and North Huntingdon and North Irwin is part of Irwin. Irwin and North Irwin are surrounded by North Huntingdon but the sign shows you are coming into Irwin with the other areas as part of it. Mr. Sam said he picked the font of the sign they are looking at and the Irwin font is what they use in their logo. It can all be the same fonts. Commissioner Gray said there are bigger issues than the font and colors and this could be an issue for a work session another time. Mr. Shepherd said they have been working on the community identity trying to make North Huntingdon a place where people know where it is. He has never seen a sign that says welcome to a community other than the one you are going in. If you want to say welcome to Irwin coming off the turnpike, then you would be in Irwin. He doesn t have a problem with any community saying you are there. Mr. Turley said they don t want to send mixed messages as we have a logo and a tag line. If they want to put up signs, it would have our logo to keep with what they are trying to accomplish. Commissioner Gray thanked Mr. Sam for his input but they don t seem to have an interest in going that way.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Public Hearing 12/11/14) (Special Meeting 12/11/14) (Regular Meeting 12/17/14) PAYMENT OF BILLS I make a motion we pay Voucher No. 69397 through Voucher No. 69466. PUBLIC WORKS REPORT Commissioner Herold asked how the salt was holding up. Mr. Albert said they are doing well this year. PARKS AND RECREATION REPORT Commissioner Gray said the Father/Daughter dance has been very popular this year. He asked if Sony had been out to view the park. Mr. Miller said Sony and Pittsburgh Film Industry came to the park for a second walk through about two weeks ago. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORT There were no Board comments.
POLICE REPORT Chief Lisiecki said he met with people from the State for Live Scan and they said the room was acceptable. He found out that the County will pay up front costs of $38,000 and all they have to do is get the room read. Live Scan allows them to take automated fingerprints instead of print cards. The F.B.I. does not accept printed cards now, so we send them to the State Police who scans them and sends them to the F.B.I. This was going to be stopped last year but has been extended to get more machines out in the region. Our department is the largest in Westmoreland County and we should have one. They started the process last year but Monessen wanted on and it was put on hold. It finally got approved and they can get one. They will be losing a dispatcher soon to an administration position and they are looking at updating and getting the testing procedure set for dispatchers. Commissioner West asked if other communities would be coming here for the live scan since we would be the only one with it. Chief Lisiecki said that is part of the requirement for it but we don t have to staff it. When the State comes in to install, there will be a day for training and any community that wants to use the machine has to send a trainer up and they will have to train their officers. If someone comes to the magistrate s office from a different community for an arrest and isn t fingerprinted, he issues an order and sends them to our station. Once this is installed it will only take about five minutes to do fingerprints. FIRE OFFICIAL S REPORT Commissioner Martino asked about the first three items that were inspected on January 13 and if it was 2013. Mr. Shepherd said that he meant January 13, 2015. Mr. Blenko said it is the date on the fire extinguisher. Commissioner Martino said looking at the date inspected and looking at the violations for the date re-inspected which is 1/13, is it for this year. Mr. Blenko said it is on the report because when he went back the fire extinguishers were out of date which was only eight days ago. Commissioner Martino said it is not clear. Mr. Blenko said it would help to put the year on it. They will get it edited to make it clearer.
SUBDIVISION & LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION REPORT 1) Action to adopt a Resolution which approves S-01-2015, Zugai Subdivision & Consolidation Plan, Clifton Drive, R-2 Zoning. 2) Action to adopt a Resolution which approves SP-01-2015, W.W.M.A. Pump Station and Equalization Tank Site Plan, S.R. 993, R-2 Zoning. Second: Commissioner West 3) Action to adopt a Resolution which approves S-23-2007, Maronda Homes, Inc., Dartmoor Estates Phase 3, 62 Lots, R-2 Zoning. SOLICITOR S REPORT 1) Action to adopt Proposed Ordinance No. 1 of 2015, accept roads in Lincoln Hills Plan, Ashton Court in Phase 6-B & 7. If adopted, this would be Ordinance No. 2209. 2) Action to adopt Proposed Ordinance No. 2 of 2015, accept roads in Dartmoor Estates, Haflinger Drive and Salerno Drive, Phase 2. If adopted, this would be Ordinance No. 2210.
Motion: Commissioner Herold Second: Commissioner West TOWNSHIP MANAGER S REPORT 1) Action to approve the December check register. 2) Budget Report December 2014 Report. There were no Board comments. 3) Action to appoint Virginia Stump to a four year term on the Planning Commission ending on December 31, 2018. Motion: Commissioner Herold 4) Action to appoint Bernard Solomon to a four year term on the Planning Commission ending on December 31, 2015. 5) Action to appoint Fred Lau to a five year term on the Zoning Hearing Board ending on December 31, 2015.
6) Action to appoint Emily Angelcyzk to a six year term on the Civil Service Commission ending on December 31, 2020. 7) Action to appoint Richard Albert to a three year term on the Educational Service Agency ending on December 31, 2017. Motion: Commissioner Austin Second: Commissioner Herold So move. 8) Action to appoint Jennifer DeFlitch to a three year term on the Educational Service Agency ending on December 31, 2017. 9) Action to appoint Tim Hondal to a five year term on the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority ending on December 31, 2019. 10) Action to appoint Jeff Fisher to the unexpired term on the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority ending on December 31, 2018. Motion: Commissioner Herold
11) Action to appoint Jennifer Stump to a five year term on the Recreation Board ending on December 31, 2019. Motion: Commissioner Austin Second: Commissioner Herold So move. 12) Action to appoint Ernie Furno to a five year term on the Recreation Board ending on December 31, 2019. Motion: Commissioner Herold So move. Commissioner Gray said that Mr. Furno was in attendance tonight and he thanked him for volunteering his time. Motion Carried 6 0-0 13) Action to appoint Kory Bulloch to a one year term on the Vacancy Board ending on December 31, 2015. 14) Action to adopt a Resolution which approves the importation of a liquor license for North Huntingdon Hospitality, LLC in accordance with their application of January 2, 2015. 15) Action to appoint Whendy Godich as a Deputy Tax Collector in accordance with the request of Shelley Buchanan, Tax Collector.
Motion: Commissioner Austin So move. 16) Action to award the bid for the 2009 Crown Victoria in the amount of $1,350.00 to Jeff Mack in accordance with the memo from Michael Turley dated January 16, 2015. 17) Action to sell a portion of Township property identified as Tax Parcel No. 54-07-05-0-131, further identified as Lot 30-R in the Zugai Subdivision and Consolidation Plan #1, dated December 31, 2014, to Jason & Staci Zugai in the amount of $1,500.00, conditioned upon the purchasers preparing all required documents. Motion: Commissioner Herold Motion Carried 6 0-0 18) Action to accept the retirement of Mary Ellen Cooper effective February 27, 2015. Remarks Commissioner Herold thanked Mary Ellen for all her hard and dedicated work and she will be missed. 19) Action to adopt a Resolution which establishes salaries and wages for Non-Union employees of the Township for 2015.
20) Action to appoint James Flynn to the unexpired term on the Zoning Hearing Board ending on December 31, 2015. FURTHER BOARD COMMENTS There were no Board comments. ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Discount ski tickets are available for sale at the Township Administration Office for Seven Springs. Please call the office for details on times or rates or go to the web site. 2) North Huntingdon Township Parks & Recreation is sponsoring a Family Fun Snowman Contest beginning with the first snow in December and ending on February 28, 2015. The family s entry can be registered in one of three categories: Biggest Snowman, Funniest Snowman or the Norwin Community Spirit by submitting the snowman photo by mail or hand delivery to Parks & Recreation or dmiller@nhtpa.us. Provide Name, Address, Phone Number and Snowman Category with the photo. 3) Westmoreland Cleanways is sponsoring a live Christmas tree recycling drop-off at the Public Works Building every Saturday and Sunday in January from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. 4) The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program will be available to give tax counseling with special attention for low to moderate income and those age 60 and older every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. beginning February 3 through April 14, 2015.
The Board of Commissioners held the following Executive Session: Thursday, January 15, 2015 -- * Board & Commission appointments. * Personnel. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Commissioner Herold Second: Commissioner West Motion to adjourn. (7:43 P.M.) Regular Meeting Minutes of January 21, 2015 were approved by the Board of Commissioners on. Richard G. Gray, President John M. Shepherd, Township Secretary /mec