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MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 11, 2004 MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL The nineteenth regular meeting of the Hamburg Borough Council for 2004 was held this evening at the Hamburg Municipal Center with President Adam Dries presiding. The meeting was opened with Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and a Prayer. Members Present – Adam Dries, Tammy Wilkinson, Charles Figard, Jeanette Heckman, Martha Bertolet Members Absent – Tina Yoder, Dale Schlenker Also Present – Lynda G. Albright, Borough Manager, Kim Y. Berger, Recording Secretary, Solicitor Shollenberger Visitors- Lowell Thomas, Norma Berger, Heather Breininger, Sylvia Summons, Neven Dries, Lori Guldin, Chief Michael Painter A motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Charles Figard to approve the amended agenda by adding the approval of the Personnel Committee report and adding an executive session to discuss forming a committee for negotiations. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES – None COURTESY TO AUDIENCE Lowell Thomas was present to discuss the effects of the municipal building not having electricity and housing an emergency operations center (EOC). On October 7, 2004 the north end of the borough lost electricity for a number of hours due to an accident where a truck pulled lines. The Borough Office and Police Department were out of electricity for almost 4 hours. If we would have had to open an EOC, we could not have, there is no generator in this building. Mr. Thomas explained further that the ambulance building has a generator and that is where the EOC will be housed until such time that the borough purchases a generator for the municipal building. The police cannot operate anyway without electricity. Mr. Thomas asked Kim Berger and Chief Painter to present some problems that they had experienced with the power outage. Kim Berger, Office Manager and Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator stated that the Borough office could not operate. There were no phones. The interior office could use the sunlight for lighting, however, the reception area and the hallway were dark. We had no communications with the police department. The Base unit uses electricity to operate. The Nextels are great, however, in the municipal building the police cannot obtain service at all and there is some reception in the borough office. There is an amplifier which alleviates the problem with "no service" however that runs on electricity as well. Kim stated that she was the one conversing with the officer on duty due to the fact she could not reach the police secretary or the Chief. Kim went downstairs to let them know that the officer on duty needed assistance. Kim stated that the police department was totally dark and there are no emergency lights at all in the borough office. Kim stated that there is no way she would have an emergency operations center in this building without a generator back up. She stated that she cannot operate without phones and lights. When people’s lives are at stake, not only emergency responders but also residents, we have to have an operations center that is working. Chief Painter stated that there was a real problem when the department was without electricity for any length of time. There were no phones, no lights, no Nextels. The officer on the street was calling, but the Chief didn’t know it. Kim was the one who responded and then relayed the information. Along with no electricity at the station, the 4 intersections in town were without it too. The Chief will be conferring with the Public Works Superintendent to make some portable stop signs and if the electricity goes out again, make the intersections a 4 way stop. Chief Painter stated that we need a generator. Someone could contact Mike Kershner, our local electrician, and ask what do we need to get this building up and running. The phones and communications are the most important. Manager Albright will contact Mike Kershner to see if he can give us some idea of what type of generator we need to power up some of the equipment in this building. Mr. Thomas stated that this has been talked about for over two years, it is about time that we get something done about it. Mr. Thomas stated that the borough was very lucky when Hurricane Ivan came to town. On September 18, 2004, Kim and I were alerted to the fact that the river was rising and that we needed to be ready. Mr. Thomas stated that Kim, the police officer on duty, Troy Hatt, Fire Chief and the Tilden Township Police Chief and one of his patrolman met to discuss the situation. There was fine cooperation with Tilden Township. The mayor had declared an emergency, just in case there was a need for it. Berks County EMA coordinated with EMA and we had prepared notices just in case there was a need for evacuation. We watched the river stages on the computer and also on sight at the river and thankfully the river started to recede by 5 p.m. and the emergency was called off.Lori Guldin stated that if the borough needs to have car titles transferred they are going to be free and she will drop off some paperwork for the Borough Manager. This goes for the Fire Company and Ambulance. Ms. Guldin questioned if anyone had spoken to the crossing guard at the Elementary school about staying later. Manager Albright stated that she just spoke to Officer Schwoyer today and he will be speaking to the crossing guard. Discussion was also held about extending the 15 mph flashing lights another fifteen minutes to 4:15 p.m. Manager Albright will talk to Mike Kershner about it. Chief Painter stated that he wanted to report that Tina Yoder is doing better, going to rehab and will hopefully be back within the next month, hopefully the next council meeting. A motion was made by Charles Figard and seconded by Jeanette Heckman to approve the minutes of the September 27, 2004 meeting. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES – None A motion was made by Martha Bertolet and seconded by Charles Figard to approve the following reports: Borough Manager’s Report, Public Works Supt. Report, Water/Sewer Supt. Report, Office Manager’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Police Report, Property Committee Report and Personnel Committee Report ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None
BOROUGH MANAGERS REPORT The Borough Manager’s activities for the month of SEPTEMBER, 2004 included the following: Held Staff meetings to discuss various issues. Handled complaints as needed. Attended monthly meeting of Our Town Foundation. Met various times during the month with John Leonforte, Code Enforcement Officer, for updates on projects he is working on, as well as the Draft Zoning Ordinance. Attended a meeting at the Ag Center to hear possible plans for County-Wide Policing. While it certainly is prudent to move in this direction, it is certainly something that will take time to organize and approve throughout the county. Met with Chief of Police and representative from the Historical Society to review plans for their trolley ride through parts of the borough on Heritage Day. A lot of time spent in preparation for the parking lot paving; attended a pre-construction meeting to finalize details. Attended a meeting at the Center for Local Government to prepare for a self-assessment some municipalities will participate in to assess how Met with Paul Jackson from EMC Insurance regarding the final bill submission for the municipal center water damage. Kim Berger, Office Manager and I attended a meeting sponsored by the Borough’s health insurance representative in Middletown. Various ideas and suggestions were offered to the group in order to make informed decisions regarding their health insurance. Met with all of the department heads to review their year-to-date budgets and to discuss any major needs for 2005, in order to start the 2005 budget process. Attended a meeting in the Blue Mountain Senior Center to discuss their future. It is hoped that the Center will remain open, even if on a limited basis, in order to continue to provide Meals on Wheels and congregate meals for those attending the center. They are currently looking at other funding methods and it is hoped a tentative decision will be forthcoming regarding their future. Met with Fire Chief Troy Hatt to discuss the possibility of having the Fire Company assist with the hanging and removing the Christmas Lights in a two-block radius in the Business District. Also discussed with Troy (who is also a Tilden Twp. Supervisor), the possibility of allowing the Borough to house some of their excess salt for the 2004-2005-winter season. This is being done until it is decided on a new salt shed and/or borough garage. In addition to the two regular council meetings, Planning Commission and Hamburg Municipal Authority, attended Property committee, Safety Committee, Finance and W/S/Public Relations. If anyone has any questions regarding my report, please feel free to ask. Attached with my report are the activities of my staff for the month of September 2004.
PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT SEPTEMBER 2004 Repaired sign at Franklin and State Street. Cold patching continues as well as cutting of grass and spraying of weeds. The crew cleaned the grates at the flood control dams due to debris catching on it from the storms. Winterization of the pool took place. The pavilion roofs at numbers 1 & 2 were painted. The park bank was cut once again. The painting of the curbs has finally been completed. We spent a good part of September accomplishing this task. Clean up around the Dolly Haupt property continues. The crew assisted the sewer plant personnel with the dryer press and installing the roller. The weeds were cut at the reservoir and around the dam. Attended staff meetings and Road Committee as requested. \Public Works Supt. Water/Wastewater Superintendent’s Report Sept.2004 Water Most production was from the surface water source, however Hurricane Ivan caused excessive raw water turbidity and we shut down the plant and used well water for a few days. Since that time there have been some problems with turbidity spikes and raw water turbidity remains higher than normal. Construction of the well houses is proceeding on schedule. Tony and I met with representatives of Hamburg Center on the operation of their storage tank as it relates to our system. We have reached agreement on a method to fill it and we expect no disruptions or ill effects to the system. Our relationship with Hamburg Center remains good and lines of communication are open. Wastewater Hurricane Ivan and his companion Jeanne were not kind to the wastewater system. Both storms forced bypasses at the Pine Street Pumping Station and overflows at both Ridge Lawn and Edenburg. In both cases the proper authorities were notified and appropriate paperwork was filed. The weather continues to put us behind on tank cleaning and maintenance. One cell of the aerobic digester has been emptied and some repairs were made. We hope this is the first domino to fall and we will be able to continue cleaning tanks. The parts for the belt filter press have all arrived and we expect to have it back in service shortly. We have been doing some spot cleaning and televising of sewer mains. So far we have found little in the way of I&I however the high flows from recent rains have prevented us from getting to the places we suspect have the worst problems. Captain Clog will be back as soon as the flows are down to a reasonable level. After the recent storms we opened manholes in different areas of the system and found clear water everywhere. The engineer is preparing a bid to televise mains on a larger scale. Respectfully Submitted Keith L. Brobst Water /wastewater Superintendent
During the month of September: A list of those residents who have not had their home inspected for infiltration to the sewer system was developed and sent to the Solicitor for follow up. Discussion has been held with the King Frost Chairperson Carla Kramer regarding various issues, parking lot, judges, vendors etc. Various sewer problem letters were mailed. Numerous letters of complaint were mailed. On September 18, 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit Berks County. Lowell Thomas and I were in contact with Berks County EMA at various times throughout the day. We met with the Hamburg Police, Fire Company and Tilden Township police to be ready if the need arises. Thankfully, there was no damage and the river receded quickly and we did not experience any problems. Updated the Municipal Access Channel and the web page. Worked with John Leonforte in reference to properties in the borough, pictures taken, letters mailed. Worked on a budget spreadsheet for the third quarter of 2004. Attended a County emergency management training regarding Mass Care Overview by American Red Cross. Quarterly reports, grease trap letters and reappointment letters were completed. Attended a seminar regarding benefits for the future, hosted by Benecon. Attended two council meetings, one special council meeting, one Civil Service Commission meeting and staff meetings as necessary. Respectfully submitted, Kim Y. Berger Office Manager
SEPTEMBER 2004 POLICE ACTIVITY REPORT
Personnel Committee Report October 5, 2004 – 4 p.m. Persons attending: Jeanette Heckman, Dale Schlenker, Chuck Figard and Lynda Albright Items discussed: reviewed planning commission policy proposal as returned from Attorney Speicher. Non-uniform employees request not discussed due to the need of more information concerning medical insurances. Informed that PA Municipal Health COOP may be in the works. Respectfully submitted, Jeanette Heckman OLD BUSINESS Nothing On the recommendation of the Property Committee, a motion was made by Tammy Wilkinson and seconded by Charles Figard approving the request of First Assembly of God Church for use of the municipal parking lot at South 4th and Pine Street on Thursday, October 28, 2004 to hold their annual "Light the Night" outreach to the community. (Question: Does this lot need to be blocked off? Manager Albright will talk to the Public Works Supt. about blocking it off.) ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None On the recommendation of the Borough Manager, a motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Charles Figard approving the 2005 agreement with the Animal Rescue League. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None On the recommendation of the Personnel Committee, a motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Charles Figard authorizing the Borough Manager to advertise a proposed ordinance which would allow the Borough of Hamburg to enter into an intergovernmental agreement for the purpose of joining the PMHIC (Pennsylvania Municipal Health Insurance Cooperative) and to participate as a member of the PMHIC. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None Mayor presented parking proclamation for King Frost 2004. Due to the Mayor’s absence, Manager Albright read the restrictions. Under Section 3, Chapter XV as amended by ordinance number 430, dated July
10, 1973, the following parking restrictions will be in effect from 4:00 P.M. on
Saturday October 30, 2004 to 12:00 P.M. on Sunday, October 31, 2004.
On the recommendation of the Property Committee, a motion was made by Charles Figard and seconded by Jeanette Heckman authorizing the preparation and advertisement of an amendment to the current residential building permit exemptions as submitted by Systems Design and John Leonforte, Code Enf. Officer. (Discussion: Manager Albright stated the following exemptions: 1) change the accessory structures – the term includes carports, detached private garages, greenhouses and sheds have a building area less than ‘1000’ square feet to 200 square feet. 2) Replacement of exposed traps, concealed traps must be inspected. 3) An application is required for all work proposed in the borough. The code official will review and determine the exemption status and ensure workers’ compensation compliance. Even if no permit is required, all work must meet the code requirements.) ROLL CALL: AYES – M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - A. Dries, T. Wilkinson On the recommendation of the Water/Sewer/Public Relations Committee, a motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Charles Figard to approve the letter of support to the Hamburg Municipal Authority regarding the construction of the planned improvements to the sewage treatment plant and pumping station and authorizing the manager to present on Council’s behalf. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None A motion was made by Charles Figard and seconded by Martha Bertolet to approve payment of invoices totaling $221,088.07 ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None T. Wilkinson abstained from Reading Eagle (direct income) and Met-Ed (family member works for them) List of Bills For Approval AT & T 270.53 Arigas East 22.55 B.C.M.H.I.P.G. 17,492.87 Barko Cleaning Service, Inc. 771.00 County of Berks 1,836.97 Berks-Mont Newspapers, Inc. 21.75 Blue Marsh surveyors 231.00 E-Mac dairy Brush Co. 48.50 Ecco Communications 71.00 Edenburg Welding Co. 44.00 Fort Dearborn Life Insurance 230.68 Robert Grugan 99.99 Henn’s Garage 102.66 Kuzan’s True Value 21.79 Leisawitz, Heller, Abramowitch 1,755.33 Lowe & Moyer Garage 121.77 Met-Ed 5,332.83 Miller Municipal Division 317.00 Miller’s 5 & 10 88.42 Mountain View Supply 16.28 Municipal Employers Ins Trust 188.50 Munis 189.19 Nextel Communications 697.03 State Workers’ Insurance Fund 6,629.00 PA State Assn Boroughs 9.00 PPL Gas Utilities 423.28 Penn Pride, Inc. 1,065.42 Quill Corporation 48.59 Reading Eagle 124.55 Randall Rentschler Inc. 25.07 Reppert’s Auto Service 354.76 Thren’s Auto Parts 13.45 ThyssenKrupp Elevator 160.37 Triangle Communications 170.50 UniFirst 214.75 Verizon 425.44 Windsor Press 40.33 YIS/Cowden Group Inc. 160.00 YIS/Cowden Group Inc. 26.00 TOTAL 39,862.15 INVOICES PAID PREVIOUSLY 181,225.92 TOTAL FOR APPROVAL 221,088.07 BILLS PAID DURING THE MONTH Borough of Hamburg – Gross Payroll 123,482.45 Borough of Hamburg – Emp. Share S.S. 6,716.48 Centre Township 1,977.00 Ark Rentals 1.66 American Legal Publishing Corp. 64.95 PuroFirst of Reading 9,546.09 Union Fire Company #1 15,000.00 North Berks Recreation Corp. 1,000.00 Our Town Foundation 20,000.00 Kuzan’s True Hardware 22.79 Lou ees 336.00 M & T Bank 430.16 Muhlenberg Foods Inc. 15.84 Copy World, Inc. 1,794.00 Kim Y Berger 45.00 Berks Co. Treasurer 103.50 Albright College 150.00 Petty Cash 15.00 Hamburg Municipal Authority 525.00 An executive session was called at 8:10 p.m. to discuss forming a committee. Meeting reconvened at 8:25 p.m. A motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Tammy Wilkinson to form a committee to explore contracted police services to Shoemakersville Borough. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None A motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Tammy Wilkinson to name the following individuals to this committee: Manager Albright, Chief Painter, Mayor Del Rosario, President Dries (Chairman), Tammy Wilkinson and Safety Chairman Charles Figard. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, C. Figard NAYES - None SOLICITOR’S REPORT Nothing to report INFORMATION ITEMS OCTOBER 18, 2004 – 7 P.M. – PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 19, 2004 – 3:30 P.M. – SAFETY COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2004 – 7 P.M. – AUTHORITY MEETING OCTOBER 25, 2004 – 7:00 P.M. – WATER/SEWER COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OCTOBER 25, 2004 – 7:30 P.M. – BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. on the motion of Martha Bertolet and seconded by Tammy Wilkinson. Attest: Kim Y. 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