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MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 9, 2004 MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL The fifteenth 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, Jeanette Heckman, Martha Bertolet, Dale Schlenker, Tina Yoder Members Absent – Charles Figard Also Present – Kim Y. Berger, Recording Secretary, Lynda Albright, Borough Manager, Solicitor Shollenberger, Mayor Del Rosario Visitors – Ronald Anthony, Sylvia Summons, Tim Neufeld, Mike Trask (Reading Eagle), Nikki Murry (Hamburg Item), Heather Breininger, Norma Berger, Lori Guldin, Rick Boyd, Kim Emes A motion was made by Tina Yoder and seconded by Jeanette Heckman to approve the amended agenda. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, T. Yoder, J. Heckman, D. Schlenker NAYES – None COURTESY TO AUDIENCE Mayor of Shoemakersville Ronald Anthony was present to discuss with Borough Council the coverage that the Borough is providing for Shoemakersville. Mayor Anthony stated that he had received a letter from Chief Painter stating that Hamburg cannot continue covering shifts for Shoemakersville. Mayor Anthony wanted to be sure that Council was aware of this and what was happening. Chief Painter stated that Shoemakersville has some of their manpower back and Hamburg will not have to cover shifts or entire weekends any longer. Chief Painter and Mayor Anthony will be sitting down to discuss these issues. There have been times when Hamburg was covering both boroughs for whole weekends. Chief Painter stated that he had to cover Hamburg first. It is his top priority. Lori Guldin stated that the council was considering adopting a policy whereby if someone needed to speak to a child on borough property they had to first check with the Borough Manager or Chief of Police. Discussion was held about how old a child must be to go to the pool alone. Ms. Guldin told the council about an incident at the pool a few years ago whereby her daughter’s friend was pulled out of the pool by her husband because the lifeguard had not seen her go under. Ms. Guldin stated that the lifeguard was inexperienced. Who is responsible if something happens? Discussion was also held about various issues dealing with who is responsible for the child’s safety at the pool. Solicitor Shollenberger stated that there are a lot of factors to think about when you are talking about liability. Councilwoman Wilkinson stated that she spoke to someone at Children and Youth Services and they have indicated that their personnel are not permitted to remove any child from the premises without a court order. Ms. Guldin stated that she had requested a letter from Children and Youth services stating that she was not the one who called CYS and the supervisor stated that she could not write such a letter. Councilwoman Wilkinson stated that the Borough has never accused Ms. Guldin of contacting CYS. Ms. Guldin stated that the Hamburg Item had mentioned it in their article. Councilwoman Wilkinson stated that the council has no control of what the Item prints. Councilwoman Wilkinson stated that CYS stated that they would abide by any rules that the Borough sets forth. Councilman Schlenker stated that the borough shouldn’t be brought into this. He stated that if there is a problem with someone, take care of it and don’t bring it to Council. Sylvia Summons stated that her child was a lifeguard at the pool years ago. The lifeguards go through a lot of training. To state that the lifeguards are not doing their job is unfair. Rick Boyd stated that the point is that there is no policy in effect that states what age is appropriate to be at the pool alone. Manager Albright stated that no one is allowed into the pool under 6 years of age without an adult or a much older sibling. Chief Painter stated that CYS does not have a policy regarding an age when children can be left alone. It is based on the parent’s discretion. Heather Breininger stated that the borough has 30 years of experience. Parents are responsible for their children. A motion was made by Tina Yoder and seconded by Tammy Wilkinson to approve the minutes of the July 26, 2004 meeting. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, T. Yoder, J. Heckman, D. Schlenker NAYES – None A motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Tina Yoder to approve the following reports: Borough Manager's Report, Public Works Supt. Report, Water/Sewer Supt. Report, Office Manager's Report, Recreation Director’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Police Report. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, T. Yoder, J. Heckman, D. Schlenker NAYES – None BOROUGH MANAGERS REPORT JULY, 2004 The Borough Manager’s activities for the month of JULY, 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. Working with insurance company to finalize water damage done to municipal building. Met with Jim Gilmartin to discuss issues relative to Planning Commission. Met with Deena Kershner, Dale Schlenker, Rick Pickel, John Leonforte and representatives from Ludgate Engineering to review the application being submitted for the Streetscape program. Roger Stetzler, borough crew employee, retired July 23; held a small get together for him with employees and presented him with a gift certificate and a key to the "borough". In addition to Roger’s work on the crew, he had previously served as a member of Borough Council. Roger will be missed. Scoreboard for ball field was received and installed. Received thank-you from ball teams, who were extremely appreciative. Received call of vandalism at the park Arts and Crafts building. Perpetrator was caught and will be responsible for damage that was done. Dale Schlenker, Chairman of Property, and I met with members of the Recreation Board to discuss issues of concern by the board. In addition to the two regular council meetings and Recreation Board, attended Property committee, Safety Committee, Road Committee, 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 July, 2004. PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT JULY 2004 Throughout the month the crew spent a lot of time mowing the grass, spraying weeds etc. at the parks, as well as other areas of the borough. When the weather permits, cold patching continues as well as hot patching. The crew spent several days paint "cross-T’s" and installing signs for the BARTA buses. Servicing of equipment and vehicles continues. The crew spent time repairing things along the Greenway. In addition we have had numerous storms come through the area, after each of them the crew spent time cleaning up the streets and property. Weeds were cut around the dam and reservoir. The old water ditches were cut out and new blacktop was placed. Gutter was hot patched along Arch Street. Crack sealing was done on Chew Street, Elm Street and Arch Street. After a vandalism incident at the Arts & Crafts Building the crew repaired and reinforced the doors. The bandshell wall was painted. Started painting the bleachers at the ball fields. Assisted with installation of the scoreboard. Replaced the new motor in the baby pool filter room. Attended staff meetings and Road Committee as requested.
Water & Wastewater Superintendent’s Report July 2004 Water All water for the month was from the surface source. Recent rains, while causing some small turbidity spikes in the raw water, have greatly replenished what had been a dwindling supply. We have conducted the triennial lead and copper testing throughout the distribution system. All samples were reported under the EPA action levels. We wish to thank all the residents that cooperated in this sampling. Wastewater The plant has shown considerable improvement although we are still struggling with chlorination problems.Work has been done at the Ridge Lawn Pumping Station to replace the flanges the pumps connect to. The flange for number 1 pump was broken. When the pump turned on it just recirculated the water in the wet well. Heavy rains on the 23rd resulted in a by-pass of the main pumping station and an overflow of the station in Edenburg. The by-pass lasted for about 4 hours. At that point the flow dropped off dramatically. Earlier in the week there were high flows which caused the pumping station to flood but not to the point of needing a by-pass. In both these instances there were several areas of the Borough where the storm water was over the curbs. The high flow has delayed tank cleaning and maintenance. I&I inspections are proceeding. There are approximately 60 residents who have not responded to our request for entry to their homes. They have received 2nd notices, and in some cases we have left phone messages but as yet have received no response. Respectfully Submitted Keith L. Brobst JULY 2004 A second notice was sent to all customers who have not responded to the first notice regarding inspections of their properties for the Hamburg Municipal Authority. I have contacted about 2/3 of this list by telephone. I am compiling a list of those who have not responded so that a third and final notice can be sent. Letters have been mailed to those properties where there are violations. Weed notice and junk car letters continue to be sent as well as various other correspondence. Held a small retirement gathering for Roger Stetzler who has retired. Attended a two-day training course for Emergency Management staff. Attended two council meetings and staff meetings as necessary. Respectfully submitted,
RECREATION DIRECTOR REPORT FOR JULY, 2004 First week in July was busy with swim lessons and then preparing for Fourth of July weekend. Attendance is down due to the rainy weather. We had our first Swim Dance and the number of attendance was outstanding. Thanks to our Police Department’s presence, there were no incidents. The next part of the month was busy with preparing for Mardi Gras, which was scheduled for July 28th, but was cancelled due to the weather. We were able to have it the next day. It turned out to be a fun day for both parents and children. We were visited by the Reading Eagle. They took photos and interviewed our kids in order to do an article in "Voices". HAMBURG PARK REPORT: JULY 2004 July was a very active month at the Hamburg Park. The main event was the Battle of the Parks. Hamburg hosted the event and other participants included Tilden and Edenburg. The rivals clashed in events such as roof ball, grandstand, tennis ball, dodge ball, Frisbee, football, and a water balloon toss. Hamburg edged out Tilden by 3 points for the overall victory, but most importantly, all involved enjoyed a fun time. Hamburg even sported team shirts, a fun craft the kids worked hard on for days leading up to the battle. July also marked the return of night park. For two straight weeks, park faithfuls and more jammed the park for dusk games of grandstand, roof ball, and what has quickly become the most popular event – dodge ball. On July 22nd, the park ventured to Kaercher Creek for the day. The kids enjoyed fishing and playing with the geese. The next day, July 23rd, Christmas in July was celebrated. There was a secret Santa exchange and a gingerbread house-building contest. July was a crucial month for tallying overall points towards the grand prize. With his great efforts during Olympic Week, Jared Ruppert earned 30 points to take a huge lead and further added to his total by winning the scavenger hunt. His brother, Danny, however, is catching up quickly and it looks as if it will be the last day of park until the winner is determined. The kids enjoyed their usual activities this month, but some new and challenging games were also invented, such as the new game, target toss and rafter ball. With all the rain this month, these "under the pavilion" games kept the kids dry and active. It has been another fun and busy month at the Hamburg Park. June Hilbert HAMBURG BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT JULY 2004 ACTIVITY REPORT
Mayor Del Rosario stated that the police department just received an extension for their seatbelt grant. They will receive an additional $2,500. Also, Officer Mengle was inspecting trucks today and made $1,000 for the borough in violations. OLD BUSINESS NONE NEW BUSINESS On the recommendation of the Borough Manager, a motion was made by Dale Schlenker and seconded by Jeanette Heckman to authorize the transfer of $6,000.00 from the Line of Credit to pay for the balance of the scoreboard. The remainder will be paid out of general funds. Total cost of the sign was $21,039.00 ($15,000 will be reimbursed to the Borough by the donor of the sign). (Councilwoman Bertolet stated that there was a question about why it had to be taken out of the line of credit and will it be put back into the line of credit once we receive the rest of the money. Manager Albright stated that it would be going back into the line of credit except for the $6,000 that was agreed to be paid by the borough.) ROLL CALL: AYES - M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, D. Schlenker NAYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson T. Yoder Due to the tie, Mayor Del Rosario voted yes and the motion carries. On the recommendation of the Borough Manager and Chief of Police, a motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Tina Yoder to hire Gerard Bonenfant as a regular crossing guard and Thomas Webb and Shirlene Peiffer as substitute crossing guards. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, T. Wilkinson, M. Bertolet, T. Yoder, J. Heckman, D. SchlenkerNAYES – None A motion was made by Jeanette Heckman and seconded by Dale Schlenker to approve payment of invoices totaling $170,067.45. ROLL CALL: AYES – A. Dries, M. Bertolet, J. Heckman, D. Schlenker NAYES – None T. Wilkinson abstained from the Met-Ed bills due to her father working for the company. T. Yoder abstained from payroll portion of the bills due to her brother and son working for the Borough. List of Bills For Approval AT&T 350.03 B.C.M.H.I.P.G. 16,876.31 Boc Gasses 83.48 Barko Cleaning Service, Inc. 833.00 County of Berks 1743.14 Berks Products Corp. 86.98 Berks-Mont Newspapers, Inc. 46.90 Blue Marsh Surveyors 2,116.00 Keith L. Brobst 41.25 Capp, Inc. 53.48 Commonwealth of PA 340.00 Day-Timers, Inc. 39.96 E-Mac Dairy Brush Co. 37.20 EJB Paving & Materials 951.76 Ehrlich Co., Inc. 933.76 Henn’s Garage 108.08 Hershey Creamery Co. 395.40 Hess Embroidery & Uniforms 41.00 Lou ees 504.00 Paul Melniczek 186.00 Met-Ed 5,391.87 Mountain View Supply 94.49 Muhlenberg Foods Inc. 116.96 Municipal Employers Ins. Trust 188.50 Nextel Communications 785.79 State Workers’ Insurance Fund 6,629.00 PPL Gas Utilities 481.86 Penn Pride, Inc. 1,217.14 Quill Corporation 250.86 Reading Eagle Co. 59.80 M J Reider Associates Inc. 100.00 Reppert’s Auto Service 275.42 E.S.Savage Inc. 37.84 Telco Inc. 50.00 Thren’s Auto Parts 184.40 ThyssenKrupp Elevator 160.37 UniFirst 208.00 Verizon 428.31 Weis Markets 24.91 Win Outlet 610.75 Windsor Distributing 661.36 Windsor Press 130.79
TOTAL 43,856.15 INVOICES PAID PREVIOUSLY 111,172.30 TOTAL FOR APPROVAL 170,067.45 BILLS PAID DURING THE MONTH Borough of Hamburg – Gross Payroll 92,908.93 Borough of Hamburg – Emp. Share S.S. 5,300.11 Sam’s Club-Foodstand Supplies 1,111.76 Sam’s Club-Office Supplies 52.30 State Worker’s Insurance Fund 6,630.00 Oriental Trading Co., Inc. 37.80 Kim Y Berger 58.25 M & T Bank 430.16 Met-Ed 4,316.12 Kipp Brothers 39.95 Cynthia Roberts 20.00 Berks County Treasurer 179.00 Petty Cash 87.92 Solicitor Shollenberger stated that he has reviewed the curfew ordinance and has given this information to Lynda for Council to review. Solicitor Shollenberger stated that the D.R.O.P. program is a very good program, however there are costs associated with it. Council can find administrators to help them. Solicitor Shollenberger has forwarded information to John Leonforte regarding the sidewalk repairs and the prevailing wage issues and are for review by Council. Mayor Del Rosario asked that Solicitor Shollenberger check with Solicitor Speicher on the Noise Ordinance – see if he has reviewed it.
INFORMATION ITEMS AUGUST 16, 2004 – 7 P.M. – PLANNING COMMISSION AUGUST 17, 2004 – 3:30 P.M. – SAFETY COMMITTEE AUGUST 18, 2004 – 7 P.M. – AUTHORITY MEETING AUGUST 23, 2004–7:00 P.M.–WATER/SEWER COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC RELATIONSAUGUST 23, 2004 – 7:30 P.M. – BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 14, 2004 – SIDEWALK SALE AUGUST 20 AND 21 – COMMUNITY DAYS
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. on motion of Tina Yoder and seconded by Tammy Wilkinson.
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