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Somerset Borough Council Minutes

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Borough of Somerset Council Meeting
July 22nd, 2019 7:00 p.m.

      Meeting was called to order by President Ruby Miller, opening with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
  
Roll Call:
      Council Members present:  Ruby Miller; Fred Rosemeyer; Judy Pyle; Pam Ream; Sue Opp; Steve Shaulis and Gary Thomas.      
      Absent was Mayor Scott Walker. 
      Also absent was Junior Council Member Jonathan Wagner.
      Present were the following: Borough Manager, Michele Enos; Director of Finance, Brett Peters; Chief of Police, Randy Cox; Solicitor, James Cascio and Consulting Engineers, Tom Reilly and Jake Bolby. 

Announcements:
  (a) None

Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings:
  (a) June 10th, 2019 – Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes

Motion
Mrs. Ream moved, Mr. Rosemeyer seconded to approve the June 10th, 2019 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes.         
Motion Unanimously Carried

  (b) June 24th, 2019 – Borough Council Meeting Minutes

Motion
Mrs. Opp moved, Mr. Thomas seconded to approve June 24th, 2019 Borough Council Meeting Minutes.
Motion Unanimously Carried

  (c) Departmental Reports - Approval of Departmental Reports for June 2019

Motion
Mrs. Opp moved, Mrs. Pyle seconded to approve theDepartmental Reports for June 2019.                   
Motion Unanimously Carried

Award of Bids:
(a) None   

General Public Comments:
  (a) None Requested.     

Administrative Business:
  (a) Communications (None)

  (b) Payment of bills:

Motion
Mrs. Ream moved, Mrs. Opp seconded, to approve the payment of bills numbered
33380 – 33533 totaling $530,827.91.
Motion Unanimously Carried

Policy Agenda:

Old Business:
  (a) None                                                                                                                       

New Business:
  (a) PennDOT Winter Services Agreement – Authorization to continue participation in
       the Winter Services Agreement for North and South Franklin Avenue for the
       2019/2020 winter season in the amount of $4,341.00.
Ms. Enos stated that the reimbursement cost of this Agreement is 1.7% higher than last year.

Motion
Mrs. Opp moved, Mrs. Pyle seconded, to authorize the continued participation in the Winter Services Agreement for North and South Franklin Avenue for the 2019/2020 winter season in the amount of $4,341.00.
Motion Unanimously Carried

  (b) Resolution – Consider adopting a Resolution to apply for funding through the
       Department of Community & Economic Development for replacement of sidewalks
       along the 100 blocks of North and South Center Avenue.

Ms. Enos explained that we are applying for a Multi-Modal Grant to complete the sidewalks along the 100 blocks of North and South Center Avenue, similar to what was recently done on West Main Street.  The submission due date of this grant is July 31st, 2019.   

Ms. Enos brought out that Council chose not to use any General Fund monies.  She stated that the Borough would apply for this Grant in the amount of $800,000.00, roughly the cost estimate, to complete the entire project.

Ms. Enos explained that one Resolution that was drafted explains that we would be applying for the entire project with no contribution from the Borough’s General Fund.  So that would be a 0% match. 

Ms. Enos further added that she and Mr. Bolby discussed how numerous people would be applying for this same Grant.  Therefore, they contacted the Redevelopment Authority to ask if the Borough is able to use its Community Development Block Grant funding as a “match”.  As a result, the Borough could then apply for this Grant a little more competitively at 30%.  

Ms. Enos explained that we will not have the answer from the Redevelopment Authority until after tonight’s meeting.  She stated that they are hoping we have that answer prior to the application due date of July 31st.     
Ms. Enos explained that Steve Spochart is doing everything he can, as well, but he has to contact other individuals with DCED to make sure that the Borough’s CDBG monies is an allowable expense, which would enable us to utilize those funds as a local match for the project.  

Mr. Bolby explained that typically you have to have a local match, but this is the second year that they have waved the match component, so there is going to be a lot of applications going in for this Grant.

Ms. Enos brought out that it is always encouraged, if you are able to, to provide a local match because that is more funding that they can give to other communities too. Plus, they see that you are also buying into the project.     

Ms. Enos disclosed that this was explained to Solicitor Cascio because, typically, we only have one Resolution for Council to consider. 

She stated that if we discover prior to July 31st, 2019 that we cannot use the CDBG funding, we are still going to apply with a 0% match. 

Ms. Enos added that if we do find out that we are able to apply the CDBG funding, then we are going to submit with the application, the Resolution, that equates the 30% of Grant Funding that we would use as a local match. 

Ms. Enos reiterated that no monies will come out of Borough funds at all.  If DCED gives permission to utilize CDBG funding, it will be used for this project. 

Ms. Enos read the Resolution requiring Borough Council’s action.

Solicitor Cascio explained that the “motion” authorizes the Borough Manager to submit the Resolution that is appropriate to the funding.

Ms. Enos explained that the whole project is $812, 400.00.  She stated that if we are able to utilize the 30% match, the funding that we would be applying for would be $568,680.00.  If it is a 0% match, we would be asking DCED to fund the whole project, which we are estimating now to be approximately $812,000.00.

       (A 3-part Motion was voted upon by Borough Council, dependent on the outcome of the response from DCED, for the allowable use of our CDBG Grant monies for the replacement of sidewalks along the 100 block of North and South
Center Avenue)

Motion - Resolution 1A for a 0% match:
Mr. Rosemeyer moved, Mrs. Pyle seconded, to approve Resolution 1A with a 0% match.
Motion Unanimously Carried

Motion -  Resolution 1B for a 30% match:
Mr. Rosemeyer moved, Mrs. Opp seconded, to approve Resolution 1B with a 30% match.
Motion Unanimously Carried

Motion – to authorize the Borough Manager to submit application:
Mrs. Ream moved, Mrs. Opp seconded, to authorize Ms. Enos, Borough Manager to submit the appropriate version of the Resolution to apply for a Multi-Modal Transportation Fund Grant for the match that is determined to be available prior to the submission date of July 31st, 2019.

Motion Unanimously Carried

  (c) Somerset Volunteer Fire Department – Requesting a donation for their annual Golf
       Tournament they hold as a fund-raising event.
Mr. Peters mentioned that a $100.00 donation was previously given to the Fire Department for their annual Golf Tournament fund-raising event.

Motion
Mr. Rosemeyer moved, Mrs. Pyle seconded to donate $100.00 to the Somerset Volunteer Fire Department for their annual Golf Tournament fundraiser.

Motion Unanimously Carried

Mr. Rosemeyer mentioned that Somerset Borough will be hosting the County Boroughs Association Meeting on September 19th, 2019 at the Somerset Volunteer Fire Department. 
Also, Windber Borough will be hosting another County Boroughs Association Meeting on November 21st, 2019 at Rizzo’s Restaurant in Windber, PA.
Mr. Rosemeyer also mentioned that LEPC, the Local Emergency Planning Committee will meet in the Commissioner’s Complex on August, 13th, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.

       Mr. Bolby mentioned that all three ongoing projects are still moving along on schedule. They are the two projects at the Sewage Treatment Plant, and one at the Highland Park Loop Water Line Project.

       Chief Cox mentioned that, with the conclusion of Somerfest, he will be billing Laurel Arts for the Officers that they contracted for. 
Chief Cox stated that, traditionally, Borough Council has had him discount that total bill by $500.00.  He wanted to get Council’s approval for the discount, again, before he billed Laurel Arts for this year’s event, if Council so chose to apply that same discount.

Mr. Rosemeyer recommended that Chief Cox reduce the cost to Laurel Arts, relating to Somerfest, by $500.00.

Motion
Mr. Rosemeyer moved, Mrs. Opp seconded, to reduce the cost to Laurel Arts, relating to Somerfest, by $500.00.

       Mr. Thomas conveyed his “cheers” to the Borough Employees for their help with traffic control, and other needs, during Somerfest and its parade.  He stated that it worked out very well.
Chief Cox stated that the Borough Employees give them the best traffic control support we’ll ever find.

       Ms. Enos stated that the Borough is still under contract with the Uptown Sidewalk Replacement Project for some “punch-list” items.  As a result, they are there for an additional thirty days, with two weeks already having passed.  She stated that we should be “wrapping that project up” very shortly.

Executive Session – To discuss matters of current litigation.

Motion
Mrs. Opp moved, Mr. Shaulis seconded to go into Executive Session to discuss matters of current litigation.
Motion Unanimously Carried
7:18 p.m.

Back in regular session
7:38 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion
Mrs. Opp moved to adjourn, motion seconded by Mr. Thomas.  

 Motion Unanimously Carried
7:42 p.m.     


_______________________________
Michele A. Enos, Borough Secretary