City Council - Regular Meeting

Call this city council meeting to order. Now have a moment of silent prayer. Please stand for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stand indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Uh, don't you call the role, please? Councilman Batty, here. Councilman Butterball, here. Councilwoman Clinich, here. Vice Mayor Ellis, here. Councilman Kis here.

Councilman Kelly here. Mayor Pacificico

here. Um on uh when was that? Hold on. Bear with me one second here. On uh the 26th, we had an executive session to discuss real estate personnel and potential litigation. With that, we'll open the floor for public comment. If anybody would like to address council, please come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and please keep your comments to under three minutes. Floor is open.

I guess I don't have to fight anybody. It's me.

I'm here. Maryanne Cinei from Families United for Change because of last month's meeting on the ordinance that you're trying to do for the recovery homes and whatnot. Anybody that knows me knows I'm going to say what I think, but last time I thought I better not say what I thought because it was some of the comments that were made were pretty appalling. By referencing those people, I thought was pretty disgusting. I'm a mother that lost. I watched my son suffer for many years and follow through a failed system. I've had a couple discussions with Matt over this. Matt knows me well. I applaud him for being the only one that didn't vote it through because everybody's looking at this as bringing those people in here. A lot of our relatives and loved ones leave this area to go somewhere else because it's the only way they can survive. So, I don't know why we would be so cruel to talk about them in such a manner when we have people coming here that can only survive by leaving their hometowns. And as far as any kind of ordinance when you're saying about having them the buildings close together, one person in mind that I can think of is Pastor John Gray who has his own way of healing and dealing with people in recovery. It might not be for everybody, but part of his is very deep rooted in the 12step program, which means those community members help each other and lift each other up. So, his properties are very close together. So, I don't understand why council would decide that it's not a good idea for them to be close to each other. Another was the parking issue, which I understand parking is rough anywhere in the city, but you're targeting a certain clientele of people that are in a place. You don't do it with any of the bars,

and I could name several of them that don't have off- streetet parking in this town. If you had somebody that wanted to move to this town and open up a cancer center and had three buildings and people parked on the street, it it wouldn't be an issue. It's targeting a certain group of people and it's discrimination. So, I'm here, like I said, basically to say I think that we better open our hearts and our minds and learn and educate because a lot of the people that end up on the street are there because there's not enough resources here for them. And we're not unique to that. There's not enough housing that they can afford. There's agencies that are putting them in for six months and after the six months they don't have anywhere to go because in their mind they're hopeful that something's going to come in their lap and they're going to be able to afford it. They're not being um handled properly. I don't think either with some of the case management that's out there. They slip through the cracks. We advocate all the time and say to people then you need to get back on to your case manager and make them do their job. go to the agency that's telling you that they're going to give you those things and make them follow through. Another thing that was mentioned was Altunians. I don't know who that population is. I'm an Altuna citizen. I don't know what these people think, but I think that my heart is open to everybody and anybody that can come to our town, take the jobs, which there's very little of and try to make a life for themselves here. So, I would hope that we would change some of what was said last time and the way that it was said because it was definitely discrimination and you're all voted in to work for all of us, not just whoever these Altunians are that have a different opinion. Thank you.

Yeah. My name is Dan Casey, 417 North 12th Avenue. Well, you know, I know your backs are against the wall. I really don't think it's crude. It would have been if Chris had a great article in the paper, a comment, and Bill wrote it real nice and I know your back's against the wall. Oh, Lisa Ham was here last month and everything and and she runs these group homes, consortium, whatever you want to call them. And her hands are going to be tied now because if they want to put another group home in an area, they can't they can't do it. There's they're so many feet away, you know. I don't know exactly how many feet it is before they can put it up, but I wish you had a meeting of the minds a little bit deeper. See, um and and and put a maybe a grandfather clause in there. See? Um I don't It's a tough situation. And uh I I realize that uh it's just what it is. My name is Carol Taylor. I wasn't planning on speaking. I was just going to come and watch today, but I've been in the uh substance use field for the last eight years as a counselor, as a supervisor, both inpatient and outpatient. I did want to say that recovery houses are a lower level of care. These are people who have gone through the rehab process who are trying to make their way back into the community. They have to

work while they're in recovery house to pay part of the costs. If we limit their ability to find housing, we are increasing another problem. We're increasing the homelessness problem in Altuna. And these are folks who don't have family to depend on. They don't have a place to go. They want to do better. Why would we limit that ability to think deeply about it? I know everybody says, "Not in my neighborhood, not on my street." But honestly, if we don't hold each other up, each individual in our community, we all fail. Thank you. All right, we'll move on to the resolutions.

Approving item A is approving the minutes of the Altuna City Council meeting held Monday, January 12th. items. There's are four demolition bids and they are all for um awarding to GNR excavating of Tyrone and they're payable to from the al together city of Altuna Al together fund and they're authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same and the first one is item B which is a demo bid for 2056th Avenue in the amount of $13,900. Item C is for a demo bid for 5127th Avenue and it's in the amount of $14,900. Item D is a demo bid for 4274th Avenue and it is in the amount of $5,450. And item E is in a demo bid for 32523rd Avenue and it is in the amount of $7,425. Item F is approving the submission of a Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission, Keystone Historic Preservation Planning Project Grant application for funding request for $25,000 to be matched by the Jaffa Shrine in the amount of $25,000 for preparation of a facility preservation plan by a consulting firm for the Jaffa Shrine and further authorizing the mayor to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same as needed. Item G is authorizing a payment of 140 hours of unused vacation to the city manager at the applicable rate of pay. The total amount payable shall be calculated based on the 2025 hourly rate of the city manager and the payment made in a lump sum and further authorizing HR director to process the payment via the payroll finance department department in accordance with applicable payroll procedures. Item H is approving a

repository bid in the amount of $1,000 submitted by virtual flips of Johnstown for property located at 1508 to 1510 13th alley and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest do same. Are there any is there anything that needs to be pulled for separate vote or deleted? Item H please. H

and Linda, I have a question that can probably be best by answered by Chris. Uh the planning grant for the JAPA, I am an officer there. I do not receive any compensation. There's nothing like the shareholder. There's no remeration to me. Do I need to abstain on that or may I vote on that? No, you don't. You're good. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, we're going to take the consent vote on all items A through G excluding H. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes.

Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes. And the consent vote passes seven to zero. And on item H, we're approving a repository bid in the amount of $1,000 submitted by virtual flips of Johntown for the 1508 to 1013th app alley and further authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district form. Councilman Batty, no. Councilman Butterb, no. Councilwoman Clinich, no. Vice Mayor Ellis, no. Councilman Kis, no. Councilman Kelly, no. Mayor Pacificico,

and the vote does not pass 0 to 7. And we have um ordinances for adoption on the agenda tonight. We have the first one which was introduced by Councilman Butterball and it is an ordinance of the city of Altuna which eliminates chapter 700.20-22.1 of the Altuna city code entitled off streetet parking. Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. Second. Second. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilman Batty. I'm sorry, by Councilman Butterb and seconded by Councilman Batty. I'll call the role for a vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clint, yes.

Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes. And the vote passes seven to zero. We have a second ordinance which was introduced by Councilman Batty and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna, Blair County, Pennsylvania, amending chapter 700 vehicles and traffic to create a new article 12 administration and enforcement of on street parking regulations as well as the enforcement of off- streetet parking lots owned by the city to provide enforcement power to the Alto parking authority to provide severability of provisions and provide an effective date Is there a motion for adoption? So moved. Second. Second. I'm sorry I didn't.

That's me, Jesse. Okay. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Vice Mayor Ellis and seconded by Councilman Ikis. And I'll call the role for a vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico,

yes. The vote passes 7 to zero. The third ordinance for in for adoption was introduced by Councilman Butterbaugh and it's an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending the code of the city of Altuna chapter 570 residential rental inspection adding section 570-1 a family exemption and adding 570-10 B general definitions family provide severability of provisions repealer and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? I'll make a motion. A second. Second. This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilwoman Clinich and seconded by Vice Mayor Ellis. I'll call a role for a vote. Councilman Batty, yes.

Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Kis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico,

and the vote passes seven to zero. And then we have a fourth ordinance which for introduc for adoption which was introduced by councilman Ikis. It's an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending the code of the city of Altuna chapter 295 entitled disposition of surplus real and personal property. Amending definitions eliminating unopened paper street. Amending disposal of other property. Amending unopened rights of way and orphan parcels. Provide severability of provisions. Repealer and provide an effective date. Is there a motion for adoption? So move. Second. Second.

This ordinance was moved for adoption by Councilman Butterb and seconded by Councilman Batty. I'll call the role for a vote. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterb, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, the vote passes seven to zero. All right, man.

Sir, just two quick updates. I'd like to uh commend public works, the specifically the the highway yard folks that have done a tremendous job over the last two weeks with the amount of snow, keeping the streets open and keeping it safe. And then I'd also like to commend the fire department for making a rescue Saturday in a fire. Um, Chief Re updated me before the meeting that uh the gentleman that was rescued is off the ventilator. So, that's that's great news. And uh they've been extremely busy the this past week with fire. So, that's all I have. Thank you. Anybody from council have anything?

I have nothing.

I just like to echo uh Chris's comments. Good job with the storm. That was a lot of snow and it just kept on going. But uh your guys did really well, Nate, and we appreciate it. And same with the fire department over the weekend. Even before the weekend, I was talking to the chief before the meeting and I'm thinking going into the weekend, I'm thinking this is the worst possible time to have a fire and we had multiple fires and our guys did a really great job. That was very adverse conditions. Thank you. Uh I too want to uh commend public works for dealing with the uh significant amount of snow that we had. Uh fire department has been busy and very cold times to be dealing with fires and uh of course the police department they're involved out there in those things too. So all the city employees that are dealing with cold weather issues, I I commend the work that's being done. Thank you.

Yeah, I'd like to echo that. You know, we have a water department that works in these type of weather and um we have very narrow streets to plow and very little room to put the snow. So, I'm very proud of what the city workforce did.

I'll echo also, thank you all for a great job uh handling all the snow and everything you do on a daily basis. Thank you. Thank you. Um would anybody care to comment on the um statements by Maryanne, Carol Taylor, and Dan Casey regarding the recovery homes?

Yeah, Bill, I think we're going to be talking about this at the work session coming up at the end of the month to possibly repeal and reintroduce it uh at a later meeting. Can you say what led to that possibility? Um, uh, some of the case law that was presented to us after the last month's meeting by whom? Uh, Autumn. Whoever provided the case. Autumn Temple, believe. So, yeah. Okay. Um, Mike, you want to say anything about that or

No, we're gonna be talking about it. Sorry. We're going to be talking about it at our work session. Okay. Um Okay. Um, when will the um the downtown on street parking enforcement start? Chris, do you know

now that the ordinance has been officially adopted, u we'll present at the next parking authority meeting and begin that enforcement actions? And I I know I asked you this before and I don't remember what you said and I don't think I wrote about it, but when will the the broader authority that this ordinance gives or maybe it's the companion ordinance um for enforcement all over the city beyond downtown when when will that start? Is that is that going to be like done?

No, you asked about this last month and I gave you an answer. Then we don't have a date in sight. We just wanted to put the pieces in place now so that the ordinance has the language there so that when we are ready to go with it, we can move and we don't have to through the process of doing this all over again and setting up a new ordinance. We don't have a date yet. We just wanted to put the put it there so it's ready to go. Okay. Um and then I didn't catch it. The ordinance number three that was was that passed unanimously like the others?

I believe so. And that could you expl that is something that I I might have asked about that before but the the rental inspection ordinance that has nothing to do with the recovery homes right? No sir that changed uh the de excuse me the definition of family. So uh the current ordinance restricted uh who can occupy a rental property and this expands the definition. Oh okay. Yeah I remember that. Okay that's all I have. Thanks.

Thank you, Bill. They're an act of God.