City Council - Regular Meeting

I call this Altuna City Council meeting to order. Monday, June 9th, 6 p.m. We'll now have a moment of silent prayer. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Uh, Linda, would you take roll call, please? Councilman Batty Councilman Butterb here. Councilwoman Clint here. Vice Mayor Ellis here. Councilman Icis here. Councilman Kelly is absent. Mayor Pacificico here. Our first presentation tonight is uh the Blair Regional YMCA. Joining us is Phyllis Baker and Frank Capria to talk about the Angie Jiosa Fourth of July race. Good evening. It doesn't seem like it's been a year since we were here, but uh here we are. Um we're here to say thank you for letting us have another Andrew Angie Jiosa Memorial Fourth of July race. This will be the 52nd year of this event. Uh we're just happy to keep the tradition going and appreciate the support of the city. Um last year we had over 900 participants at the event including the little free lollipop uh race for the kids and 40% of those participants were Altuna residents. Uh and so it is truly an Altuna race and that include that 40% makes up more of the participation

than the rest of Blair County residents combined for this particular race. Um we had ages 1 through 85 participate in the event and finish. Um and then we also had nine different states represented in participation outside of Pennsylvania as far away as the state of Washington. So just a pretty neat event to have on the 4th of July and we're looking forward to it again this year. So, thank you all. And it's not lost on us. Um, just the work that you folks put in from the fire chief and your folks putting out the hydrants and everybody running through them to the police chief and all of you folks keeping our roads safe and having the participants know that they're going to have a safe race, not that they're going to get hit by a car. And also, city council, I mean, this is a big deal. Uh, it is on a Friday this year and it is the 4th of July. You know, we're like, we don't mind working the 4th of July, but we know some people do mind working the 4th of July. So, we really appreciate it. If you haven't been to one of the races, we would suggest you come down. Jesse, you've seen it and Mayor Pacificico, you've seen it just how crazy it is. You have 900 people, but they usually bring two or three other people with them. So, you're talking about like 18 to 2,000 people plus down at the Heritage Plaza when they come around Curry signs at that building and you see all those people running toward you or when you're looking at, you know, 12th Avenue and you're past the cathedral and you see all these folks. Um, that's because you folks allow us to do this and we are grateful for that. So, thanks again and um, Mayor Pacifica, if you can be there, that's great. If not, I will be. Yeah, I'm good. Super. Um, and I know Jesse, you're running. Uh, so we really appreciate it and come on down and see it. It's really great. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And, uh, thank you for Thank you for keeping the race in the city. Um, I Yes, I'm I will be running uh the 15K this year. It won't be fast, but I I was

built for feed, not for speed. Uh so, well, what's great about that is the the residents in the city, they'll come out with their hoses and they'll have their own water station. So, Jesse, although you do see God on Ruskin Drive, he's just there to encourage you not to take you out. So, have a great race. See you on race day. Thank you. Okay, next we have uh attorney Yen's Damguard from Echert Seammens and Brad Kelly, Water Authority Director of Wastewater Operations to talk about the PennBEST loan for sanitary sewer system replacement. Thank you. Uh Brad Kelly, director of wastewater operations for the Alternate Water Authority. uh we put this presentation together to kind of give you a view from pictures and videos of what we do with our combined system. So the first slide here is our combined or our system. Uh it's broken into two basins, the easterly and westerly uh system. But in the middle there's a little bit area that's uh gray which is the combined area. in the combined area not only collects sanitary sewer but also all the rain water that comes from the streets into the storm basin which makes Alatuna unique. Next slide please. Here's a picture of our cso facilities. Uh on the left is our easterly cso facility down by peoples and Craig's fencing and on our right is our westerly cso facility in an area known as Tahoe Park. Uh from outside view it doesn't look like there's much there but underground there's over a million gallons of storage in in these cssos. Next please. So in our penvest loan that we applied for is the replacement of the cso bar screens. These were installed in

1989. So they've reached their useful life. Uh and to keep those going we do run into some some challenges. Um, and Altuna is one of the first in the United States to do this type of treatment with wet weather flows. Next slide. So, this picture here shows our bar screens on the front end. Uh, we have we have this uh rake and screen mechanism that as the water flows into the system, it catches debris and the debris could be from uh sanitary to also what's collected in on the road system. Uh the rakes come up through the screens and pulls the debris out. Next slide. So here's the backside of some of the debris that's pulled out. Uh this is called the scraper. What it does is remove the debris from the bar screen itself. So this is a picture of our conveyor. So it falls on the conveyor and just moves it from point A to point B for collection. And this is what we call our waste pit. On average we collect 25 tons per year out of the csos and then we dispose of this material. Uh in this picture you could see the rags to bottles to straws. Um so like I said the reason of replacement is one is the end of useful life. Also the manufacturer doesn't support the bar screens anymore. So anytime we need to do any replacements, we need to do some fabrication which is either from in-house fabrication to local shops. Some of those parts may take six months to get. Uh we also re have received violations from the department because it is a requirement to keep them up and running and with the turnaround time and the hard to get the parts sometimes we don't have all those running. Next slide. So this one here is a video that looks at how a bar screen works and kind of the new technology

that we're looking at which is called flex rate. So this is just demonstrating how the bar screen moves and what type of debris comes through and how it's collected. So as debris builds up the rakes just bring it up vertical to dump onto our conveyor. Uh what's unique about the flex rate screens, there's no sprockets or any mechanical parts down at the bottom. So anytime that we need to work on it, we don't have to go below grade. That's just a picture of some grit that was collected. Now it's showing some leaves that come into the system, which we experience on a daily basis. not only at our CSO during uh rain events, but also at our treatment plants. Like I said, there's no sprockets below grade on this. So, as bigger debris comes down the system, 2x4s, rocks, the flex screen will actually jump over the material until it can act get a hold of it and pull it up. Uh, our current screens with the sprockets that actually put some torque on the gearbox and we uh break the chains. I'd like to say I've never seen a pipe or a log come through our system, but we have. Not only we've seen tires, but we've seen shopping carts as well.

Okay. So, that's the end of the my presentation. Do you guys have any questions for me? Have Have you gone out of town to see uh these in action in other places? We currently have these in action at both of our easterly and westerly plants. Oh, so you have sets of them already? Yeah, we have six, eight sets of them. Oh, okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Hello everyone. Good to see you again. I'm Yen Scamgard and I've had the pleasure of working with the city now for a number of years and as also with the Altuna Water Authority. Sorry to have to say this but it reminds me of my first tour of a sewage treatment plant was down in Chestnut Ridge and I remember going to the first stop was this is the screen and I look at I said why are people flushing all these colorful balloons? They weren't balloons anyway. Um, yeah, I gave me the same kind of look. So, I guess what we're talking about here, first reading of an ordinance, uh, as the city has done in the past, uh, where as a condition of the loan, that the authority was successful in getting yet another 1% 20-year loan. So, kudos to them. the loan amount 6,750,000 for the the screen system that you just saw and Penvest is asking that the city guaranteed a loan and that makes sense because as you'll recall the city is the title owner of the sewer system as it is for the water and uh simultane simultaneously leased it to

the authority for operation and rate setting. So the the authorities and uh charged with all the activities regarding both utility systems and orchestrating the borrowings through governmental lenders and private lending. the city has done some borrowing in the past when their bond issues are involved. But here uh the payments under the lease um to the extent that um there is a shortfall and full faith credit and taxing power of the city are pledged in the event of a shortfall in the payments of the pledged sewer revenues in this case. Same scenario. I mean I was about here about a year ago. We talked about water system improvements, but it works the same way. It's um again it's fixed rate 1% for the first for the construction period which would be what a yearish or so about a year plus then the first five years. So about a six years fixed at 1% and then it goes to 1.743% for the remaining 15 years. So obviously a very good deal for the residents and rateayers of the city and surrounding communities. So um I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding requirements of the guarantee. Really nothing you're not required to budget. There's language in here about budgeting but that would only be if there was a net shortfall as projected. the city would receive the annual budgets that the authority prepares showing that the revenues will be sufficient in the coming year to make all its debt service payments. Um to make the city even uh provide further comfort, one of the documents we'll be filing with the state is what we call a self-lquidating debt

report. That's a report uh prepared by uh Gwen Dobson to uh show and project the revenues coming from the sewer system throughout the 20 plus year term of the loan. And they give the opinion that the revenues will be sufficient based on some assumptions on operating costs and future rates will be sufficient to cover this debt. in exist in addition to the other sewer debt. Any questions? Question. If anything occurs to you between now and your second reading, please reach out to administration and we can certainly answer those question or to the authority if it's a project question. Thank you, Yens. Thank you. Thank you. uh CZB uh had to cancel their SAO and zoning ordinance uh presentation. So they will be at the June 23rd work session. Um before we get into public comment, we have an agenda item that we have to take action on now prior to um public comment because it's incomplete on the agenda. So, um, we need to where is it? Item M, um, appointing a council member to the bladed property review committee. Um, I would like to make a motion, uh, to appoint Councilman Butterb to that. And I'll second that motion. We have a motion to appoint Councilman Butterb to the Bladed Property Review Committee for a term of two years. And um we have a motion by Mayor Pacificico

and a second by Councilwoman Clinich. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? The motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. And now we will open the floor for public comment. If anybody would like to address council, uh, come to the podium. Please state your name and address for the record. And we ask that you keep your comments to 5 minutes. And with that, the floor is open. Good evening. Uh, Bill Scully, 321 Maple Avenue. I've been uh in working Altuna and around Altuna since the mid 90s, but I was became a resident in uh 2001. My wife and I never have freedom excursions uh locally here. And uh as of August of last year, um and most the the couple issues I want to discuss are downtown issues. Um, as of August of last year, uh, we, uh, uh, began leasing an office downtown, office space, and we had been out on Pleasant Valley Boulevard, but, uh, uh, things we, that lease ran out, and we wanted to be downtown to try to make a difference. Things are happening. Now, you have to remember as a transplant, I wasn't here in the in the glory days of the Gable buildings and all that. So, I moved in downtown with what's taking place, what we have, and and the situations that's down there. So, um, we have moved in downtown. Uh, the the challenging one of the issues that we've had lately and I'm sure you guys are aware of that some of the homeless people and issues and, uh, I know a lot of them by name. So, it's not a it's not of those people type thing. I mean, I' I've met some of them. I talked to them. I I get their story. I hear it. But the challenge we're having is um just some of the trash. Um, I've dealt with a couple people with with

trash issues. And you'll you'll be you'll be happy to know that one of the gentlemen that's downtown that's in and out name's Dallas. He he assured me that the city pays people to clean up after him. So you'll be happy to know that. It's a mentality that we're you know you deal with. Um twice within a week I've had to clean up places where somebody's defecated and that's you know not a not a good situation at all. Uh not a good reflection on the city. The latest, and this happened twice in the same week, but the latest was uh Sunday the 1st, we had the saturate Altuna. Um the one of the U restrooms down there was open. I assume, and I don't know any of this for a fact. That's part of the reason we're having this want to have this discussion that there's one available for homeless people down there. I don't know, but it appeared uh just checking everything as we check everything, trash cans and everything as we get started for safety issues, uh that somebody had stood on the uh in the restroom and just kind of went just all over the back wall and down the seat and everything. So, you know, you got 800 people coming down and uh one restroom was like that. You know, we had to make a trip to get a power washer to get that cleaned up and get it at least presentable. Don't know what the solution is. That's why we have you folks. Um, and I don't know whether it's a a matter of further policing. I don't know for something like that. It's a good thing we were there early to kind of check things out. But it's uh it's gotten out of a little bit out of control down there. Uh, I think the the number of people it seems what I see just wandering around and people that are kind of really questionable is is down. Uh but there's just some that are that are there and living in places down there that that um they need to be uh moving on someplace with the weather nicer weather that's becoming an issue. Um and again I don't know if there's a restroom available to them down there if there's one that's left open that's monitored on a daily basis. I don't know. Um but those are that's the uh you

know some of the issues we're seeing that's uh that's kind of challenging and you know with the with the addition of the new business and the different things you know that that's probably been going on all along but when there wasn't anybody downtown maybe it wasn't noticed in some of the corners and places I don't know and then the um the second issue we have which is uh ongoing everybody I know is having a challenge with is the uh is the parking issue and uh I know there's some there's some big city ideas we get into all the different cities and we get into all the apps and all that type of stuff. And half the time the apps don't work, trust me, from traveling what I do. It's a it's a challenge. If I need a place to park and I've got to get download an app, it's crazy. And uh you know, you got you got older folks of course that don't get into any of that type of stuff either. Um I understand the need to be able to uh to be able to get you know, some revenue out of the parking situation. I don't know that it's ever going to be a profit center. um where we're at at the Colms building um there's signs and and we were told when we moved in and I know Chris was under the understanding and there's been signs at the back of that space for 25 or 30 years that those spaces were designated for the columns. So there was something grandfathered something official. There wasn't just something that somebody dreamed up and left signs there for all that time. And of course they were they were removed by the new uh the parking uh authority or uh entity, whatever that would be. And uh um so uh there's just some issues there. They're being challenged and u I know with people coming in um and finding parking and what they have to go through is a little bit on the challenging end too as well. So anybody have any questions for me? The the restrooms you're referring are they in the transportation center or where um there's the there are some portage Johns that are over by the uh where the train platform is at the heritage uh center. Yes, the portable. Okay. And I know the other ones are locked up, I think, all the time. I'm not sure if they got unlocked for saturate alt tuner or not, but yeah, the

ones that I'm referring to are the portable ones down there. Correct. I was just curious. I didn't I knew I didn't know they were there and I and I don't know. I mean, maybe you guys know if there is something public down there for those folks. I don't know. We got the the porta potties as a solution because of the problem that you were talking about. Um people are also using the 13th Street crossover as a restroom. Um we've been having issues there. Um we're we're very aware of this. Let me just go back to that. We're very aware of this problem down there. Uh, Councilman Ellis and I have had several meetings with social service agencies. I know, um, Chief Swopee has kind of ramped up the police's efforts for patrolling in and around downtown as well. Um, we're we're trying, but it's it's not an easy it's not an easy fix. It really isn't. Yeah. I I when I had the issues that we had up on our end of the street, I thought, well, it might be make sense if there is something public available until I went into the public restroom downtown and you know, so down at the port of John, well, there's there's that theory goes out the window. and the the the restrooms that are the permanent restrooms that are down there. Um that's up to the discretion of the the individuals who are renting the the plaza if they want to open those because you know they'd have to maintain them then at the end of the night as well and you know restock things. So that's completely up to the people renting the plaza if they want to use the restrooms. Sounds good. Yeah. Any anything we can help out with? I mean, since we've moved down there, we keep the alley behind us from 121 13th Street. We keep it picked up. I mean, we have a I have a guy that comes in that works for me every Monday and we get down through and it's

interesting as you keep it clean, it seems to stay clean, too. Um, so I mean, that's just a thought as any place else. If you kind of get it cleaned up and of course if you police it and you and you I wouldn't say threaten people, but give them a difficult time, it seems to help a little bit, too. So, um, All right. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Okay. If there's no other public comment, we will close the floor and go into the resolutions. Item A is approving the minutes of the Altuna City Council meeting held Monday, May 12th, 2025. Item B is approving the collective bargaining agreement between the city and and the ASME district council number 83 for the crossing guard school crossing guards covering the period January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027 and authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item C is authorizing a winter maintenance agreement between the city and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the period of winter of 202526 through the winter of 202930 with the compensation amount as described in the attached agreement to be deposited in the highway aid fund. Further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item D is awarding the 2025 Capitol Street Reconstruction Project to New Enterprise Stone and Lime of of New Enterprise PA in the amount of 1,217,611 payable from the capital budget and highway aid further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to

attest do same items. I I'm sorry, wrong page. Items E through H are all awarding demolition bids. I'll give you the address. They're all to GNR excavating and demolition. I'll give you the bid uh address and the amount and they're all from the city of Altuna Altogether Altuna Fund and they're all further authorizing the city manager to execute all the documents and the city clerk to test you same. The first one is item E and it's for the bid, the demolition bid is for 1276th Avenue in the amount of 13,940. The item F is at 100, yeah, 131 East 5th Avenue and in the amount of $19,480. Item G is 9156th Avenue and it's for $18,940. Item H is 102 Third Avenue and it's for 16,530. Item I is 21105 Washington Avenue. Now I and J are with this they are also demolition bids. They're with Leky's Demolition Service of Johntown. And item I is 21105 Washington Avenue in the amount of $11,500. And item J is 106 20th Avenue and it's in the amount of $22,900. Item K is amending the 2021 home ARP grant allocating an additional $1,344 to the home ARP administration project. Item L L is approving a contract for police services with the Altuna Housing Authority for the period July 1, 2025 through July through June 30th, 2026 and further authorizing the

city manager to execute all documents in the city clerk to attest doame. Item M is appointing Councilman Dave Butterb to the blight of property review committee for a term of two years. Said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2027. Item N is appointing redevelopment authority of Altuna member Alan Thompson to the blighted property review committee for a term of two years. Said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2027. Item O is appointing Altuna City Planning Commission member Drew Brennan to the blighted property review committee for a term of two years. Said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2027. Item P is appointing Matthew Zupon to the blighted property review committee for a term of one year. said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2026. Item Q is appointing Devin Henninger of the blight of property to the blight of property review committee for a term of one year. Said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2026. And now the next group are all repository bids and they would be items R through BB. They're all approving repository bids and they're all um going to be authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district forms. The first one is item R and it is in the amount of $100 submitted to Ralph Smith of Altuna for property located at 1821 to 23 Walton Avenue. Item S is in the amount of $900 submitted to Ralph Smith for propert of for property located at $1825 to 27 Walton Avenue. The next one is in the is item T in the amount of $200 submitted by Chris Widley for property located at 1404 18th Street. Next one is

item U in the amount of $800.40 40 cents submitted by Julian Vaughn Vaw of Altuna for property located at 1811 8th Avenue. The next one is item V. It's in the amount of $150 submitted by Barry Null of Galiten for property located at 1616 111th Street. The next item is in the amount of $150 submitted by Barry Null of Galiten for 1618 111th Street. The next item is item X in the amount of $1 submitted by Jerry R of 152018th Street for property located at 1514 to 161 18th Street and 1518 to 18th Street. 15181 18th Street. The next one is item Y. It's in the amount of $500 submitted by Compass Geographic Care of David Black for property located at 3127 to 337th Avenue. And item Z is in the amount of $500 submitted by Compass Geographic in it is for property located at 417 to 19 South 8th Street. Double A is a repository bid submitted by Modi Tlesa of Minnesota and there each property is in the amount of $25. First one's 2609 Maple A, 1814 11th A, 1514 to618th Street, 1509 1st Avenue, 1429 Washington, 1618 11th Street, 1904 10th Street, 90210th Street, 1616 11th Street, 1404 18th Street, 1124 to 2617th Avenue, 227 East 5th Avenue, 112017th, 209 and H and a half 10th

Street 810 6th Avenue 2024 5th Avenue 2005 to07 3rd Avenue 2015 third 13th Avenue 1091 18th Avenue 607 3rd Avenue 312 Howard Avenue and BB is also by the same gentleman Modi Tlesa of Minnesota each property the amount of $25 located at 1811 8th Avenue 15113rd Avenue 8196th Avenue 1521 20th Avenue 170023rd Avenue 3127 to 33 7th Avenue and 18231 13th Avenue. Are there any anything that needs to be added or pulled for separate vote? Oh my yes. Uh, U, X, Y, Z, A, A, and BB. And I'm surprised nobody yelled bingo. Okay. And Linda, I'd like to pull Q Q. Yeah. For a separate bud. Get another. Okay. All right, we will first do the consent vote on all items excluding items U, X, Y, Z, A, B, and Q. Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterball, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Ikis, yes. Councilman Kelly is absent. Mayor Pacificico. Yes. And the v the consent vote passes six to zero. Next we will do

item go last item U. Approving a repository bid in the amount of $800.40 submitted by Julian Vaw of Eltuna for property located 1811 8th Avenue. Councilman Batty. No. Councilman Butterb. No. Councilwoman Clintich, no. Councilman Ellis, no. Councilman Ikis, no. Councilman Kelly is absent. And Mayor Pacificico, no. The vote does not pass 0 to six. Is it possible to do all these repositories as a consent vote to avoid all the reading a second time? That's fine. Okay. All right. So, we're going to do the rest of the as a consent vote. Should I just go ahead and just do the rest of them as a consent vote? Okay. So, X, Y, and Z, double A, and double B will all be as a consent. Councilman Batty, no. Councilman Butterb, no. Councilwoman Clinich, no. Vice Mayor Ellis, no. Councilman Kis, no. Councilman Kelly is absent. Mayor Pacificico, no. and the consent vote on the repository. The remaining propositories does not pass 0 to six. Then we have I item Q, appointing Devon Henninger to the blighted property review committee for a term of one year. Said term shall expire the first Monday of January 2026. Councilman Batty, no. Councilman Butterb. Yes. Councilwoman Clintich, yes. Council Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Icis, yes. Councilman Kelly

is absent. Mayor Pacificico, yes. And the vote passes 5 to one. We have ordinances on the agenda this evening. All there's four of them and therefore all for adoption. The first one is incurring lease rental debt as defined in the Pennsylvania Local Government Unit debt act and a principal amount not to exceed 6,750,000 evidenced by its guarantee of 100% of the payments due under a debt obligation of the Altuna Water Authority issued to the Penvest in connection with the sanitary sewer system operated by the authority and pay related expenses. Authorize and guarantee agreement by and among the city as guarantor the authority and Penvest as lender securing the debt obligation pledging one certain sewer system lease revenues of this city to the full faith credit and taxing powers of this city in the support of its guarantee appointing a syncing fund depository in connection with such guarantee and authorizing related actions and documents. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance this move? We could do this as a governing body if you guys want to. It's fine. Okay. This ordinance was introduced by the governing body then. Is that okay? All right. Okay. We have the second ordinance for introduction which is an ordinance of the city amending the code of the city specifically chapter 98 entitled personnel policies adding section 11.9 voluntary leave donation program repealing all other ordinances or parts of laws in conflict therewith providing severability of provisions and providing an effective date. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance? So moved. Yeah. This ordinance by was introduced by vice mayor Ellis. The third ordinance is an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending the code of the city of Altuna chapter

550 entitled property maintenance adopting the international property maintenance code 2021 edition repealing of all inconsistent provisions and establishing an effective date. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance? I'll do that one. This ordinance was introduced by Councilman Batty. The fourth ordinance is an ordinance of the city of Altuna amending the code of the city of Altuna chapter 711 entitled vehicles storage of changing the title to vehicles storage of and parking adding recreational vehicle and vehicle parking requirements to the code repealing all inconsistent provisions reaffirmation of chapter 711 as amended and establish an effective date. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance? So move. This ordinance was introduced by Councilman Butterva. All right. City manager updates. I have nothing significant to report. Thank you. Uh, council discussion items. Councilman Kis. Mayor, I have nothing this evening. That you, Councilman Butterb. I just want to uh commend the employees for uh the one ordinance there with the uh sharing and and uh just stepping up for one another like that. That's a blessing to see that. Thanks. Thank you, Councilman Ellis. Uh yes, I'd like to address one thing that has been probably a real pain in the neck for all of us, and that's these street cuts. I know we've had some releases to the media about it and there's been some media stories about it, but I would like to look at maybe changing the ordinance that will give us a little bit of teeth so that if there is issues on one or two blocks where the contractors are working

that they are not permitted to continue on to the next block until the block they're working on is brought up to some type of standard that's acceptable. So, uh I don't know uh where we're at with that now and what it'll require as far as inspections are concerned, but this thing got way too out of control and I I propose this as a way to to maybe control it better in the future. Should we be permitted to do that? I would support that entirely. We'd want to work with all the rounding up of the usual suspects to make sure what makes the best uh plan as far as number of blocks. But I I understand what you're saying. Yeah. I mean, I I I don't know what that is. Staff certainly will be able to give us an idea what what they're capable of and how much rope should be given to this kind of thing, but I think we all agree that what occurred here over the last 14 or 15 months needs to be corrected. We we got hit with the perfect storm because the water folks have been under mandates to replace all their uh lines that don't meet the latest greatest standards. And same with the gas company they have to replace. And apparently uh the city of Altuna was one of the uh uh toughest ones in the east coast just because all our lines were like substandard there for a while. So, I'm really hoping that after after this year, we can get up to speed and keep up. I'm sure people don't want to hear this, but it's a good thing that this is happening with the infrastructure being updated, but it's creating a a stark threat. But I would definitely be supportive of your idea. That's all I Thank you. I'd like to address the blighted property uh review committee vote. Um, I truly believe

that, you know, Devin is a a fine young man, but I really feel that on when we have an at large person that we need to have at least one on a committee that actually does that type of work. And there was an application and it wasn't followed up on. And I really think that in the future those type of applications need to be followed up on. We need to have professionalism on these committees to get a better outcome. The city's had 40 years of blight and there's been very little done about it. We are now tearing down houses, but we also have to fix up houses and I think that needs to be addressed. Thank you, Councilwoman Clintich. Yes. I would like to uh thank the following um organizations as I asked them for their help in beautifying uh Heritage Plaza. And each one of these not only donated flowers, but their time and effort. We all went down one Sunday afternoon and planted all the flowers. And that would be the Women's Club of Altuna, the Rotary Club of Altuna, the Altuna Sunrise Rotary, Blair Regional YMCA, and the Tipsy Tulip donated flowers. So, I just appreciated everybody's time and effort. And Heritage Plaza looks really nice. It does. So, I just wanted to say thank you to all of them. And you poor guys kept making a date. It would rain. make a date. It would rain and then at the end you were all scrambling getting everything done and so you did a great job getting all that done. It did turn out really well. Yes. Nice work. Questions from the media.

[Music] Um thank you. Um would anybody care to well could could somebody explain the um donations of voluntary leave um matter? I would defer to management. What's the question? What is the uh and you may have actually told me about this but I forget. What did what is the donation of voluntary leave issue mean or? So, this program will allow city employees to donate their sick time, vacation time, or their personal days to fellow city employees who are having u sometime a medical event or anything that's a disaster to the family where they've used all their existing leave. Is that is that a common thing among employers? Yes, it's fairly common. Uh, and it's becoming more and more common and the federal government uses it as well. Who whose idea was it to have to to offer this? I guess I uh I proposed this to council members uh and I I worked in conjunction with the human resources office to craft up the policy. Uh and and this was specifically geared towards a city employees who's undergoing a medical crisis. So it was a way an individual an individual. So it was a way to support them. And does it apply to all the entire uh roster of employees? Yes. If you've been employed by the city by for more than one year, you're eligible to donate to an affected employee. And we did secure memorandums of agreement from all the bargaining units for their complete concurrence.

And is it possible must the donation be to a particular individual or not necessarily? Yes, it's to it's case specific to an individual. So So somebody can't just donate to whoever might need it in the future. That sort of No, it's it's a bonafide need. Um the policy spells out the guidelines for it and then the application process. So, so the indivi the targeted individual or the the beneficiary needs to be have a a um an actual need that's documented that's documented and that individual has to make a request for employees to donate leave. Bill, I think it's more pointed toward if you exhaust your benefits. So if you're off longer than you have benefits for, then you know you can make the request to get an extension of your benefits. Okay. And can you say whether anybody has offered that or is it not this this hasn't started yet? No, this hasn't started. This was the first read of the ordinance. Uh the second read will be at the July council meeting and if approved, it'll go into effect immediately. So it can be approved in July then. Correct. if council chooses to approve it. Okay. Um I I know I've heard about this before and and written about it even I guess, but could somebody like briefly explain um the the bladed property review committee revival like what what the benefits of that will be or what the purposes will be? Yeah, Bill. They will that board will work with um the code enforcement staff who will be out identifying um the properties bringing the to the board um you know kind of

giving them an assessment of you know what what they found with the property and kind of give their um staff level opinion on you know what what the next best course of action is for that property. And this would be an attempt to get more properties rehabilitated rather than demolished. Is that fair to say? Um, this is kind it's it's a requirement of the What statute is that, Mike? Um, us having a functioning BPRC is a is was a requirement of one of the statutes. Um that's kind of getting him back in line with that bill. It's the redevelopment act. We have to have that to for for vacant property owners, people who are not responding to any uh any uh enforcement of codes, any uh blighted property that this will clear the way for the RA once they're um once they're identified as blighted. then the RA can use their powers to intervene. You know, a lot of the houses we lose are because they're unoccupied or the owner has died or they're a uh absentee uh owner. They may live out of state. So, this will just give the city more ability to intervene in the houses other than using CDBG money and tearing them down. And it I mean primarily it's it it enables you to use eminent domain to take those houses, right? In the event that there's no response, you know, we would be able to make an offer, a

reasonable offer. And if that offer was refused, then that would be one of the tools we would have to do it. Which you can't use without this, right? We cannot use it without this. Okay. Um, Matt, could you say what the criteria you used to choose the people that you nominated for the BPRC? Um, yeah. I looked for people that weren't going to have a conflict of interest. A lot of the applications, people had conflicts of interest. you know, they had a lot of property or whatever other reasons. Um, yeah. So, I was seeking out younger people to get involved and came across Matt and Devon, which by the way, Devin, I have full faith that you will be perfect on this board, by the way. Yeah. You're welcome. And Ron, can you say why? I I know you talked about a little bit, but like what sort of professional um expertise did you want to see for that? Well, if you had renovated a house, if you had flipped any houses in the city, if you had bought any real estate, if you'd owned real estate, you know, I think that brings a whole different dimension to decisions that you made. And I think one member would have been wise because you have you have um a member from the RA, you have a member from the planning commission, you have a councilman, and then you have um two at large people. So I I believe that one of the at large people at least should be knowledgeable in how this works because, you know, Altuna has a severe issue. you know, this is going to be a busy board

for, you know, a period of time. There's quite a buildup of houses that need to be um adjudicated through the system. And, you know, if you've remodeled a house, you know what to look for. If you've never done it, then that puts you at a disadvantage. And you know, the the dates on the um applications are telling because the RA board approved Allen Thompson in April and I think that the planning commission also approved it in April and here we are. Here we are at this point and we still don't have people on it. So if you look back, I'll get I have copies of the dates of whenever the talent banks were submitted and then whenever they were picked. So there was a lot of time there to do more um investigation for people and people to participate and that wasn't taken. Um, Matt, do you see the the kind of criteria that Ron would like to see as as potential conflicts of interest rather than as an advantage? Is that what you meant? Um, yeah. If we found the right right person, I I did not see that person. I did not see that application. So, but what I mean is, do you think that having lots of experience in buying properties and flipping them or that sort of thing, it can be a conflict of interest rather than an advantage? Could be. Yeah. Only only if you're bidding on the House bill. There's a lot of boards that people sit on that make decisions that if they're not personally involved in it, it doesn't it doesn't matter.

Um, would anybody care to comment on what Mr. I I believe his name is Scully talked about? Um, yeah, Bill, I'll I'll I'll take that one. Uh, as he pointed out, this is not an easy problem to deal with. Uh, I've been active on the the homeless task force operations for the last couple years. And it is virtually uh a drain on our resources here in the city. Police, the fire, our fire chief has stepped up and has been very active with his staff uh dealing with some of the homeless things. Uh we have seen an uptick in uh issues in the downtown. Uh we have, as the mayor pointed out, we've met uh with some of the social service agencies to discuss avenues to maybe put these people on the to make more progress in their lives or to get them into a better place. U but unfortunately that population sort of rotates. So when you get some herded in for help, more seem to appear. So, it's it's an ongoing process that we're well aware of. Uh, I will commend uh Chief Swope for putting together a I'll use the term loosely, but a task force working with social service agencies specifically to address some of the issues that we're seeing downtown. Uh, but it's going to be an ongoing fight. And I don't want you to use the term fight. I'm going to use it's going to be an ongoing project. Yeah, it's a real challenge and we're not the only city that's dealing with it obviously. So, and I I think our problem's a little bit smaller than some of the other ones, but I think

the hard work that's been done, you know, by the city to manage it has been very helpful. And Councilman Ellis has spent a lot of time and has done a put in a lot of effort. We we had that tent city starting o over by a street and and uh several got very involved to make sure that that wasn't going to turn into a major issue. And there are a lot of people in town that have gotten involved and are really working hard. But we've looked at two what we would consider big problems tonight. Blight and homelessness. And the real challenge with both of those issues is neither those are a root problem. Both of those are problems that are the impact of the other real issue at the root of the problem. And so like like homelessness for sorry which is what well like homelessness is an issue because of a root issue and yeah and a lot of times it's a mental health issue like a lot of a lot of times the homeless people if you could buy them a house right now put them in it and and you would think everything would be good they'd be right back out in the street two days later and and the house would still be there unoccupied a lot of times it's the poor folks have mental health issues and it's hard to figure out how to handle those challenges because there is help around here. There are various agencies where people work very hard but if people aren't capable of getting that help or don't or are not cognizant to seek that help it's and that's the challenge of of dealing with that. And the same with

blight like blight is an issue. Blight is a problem but it's always there's a root there's a reason for that problem. And so you you can't just fix the blight and the blight fix there. There's the root problems that you have to address. And that's what makes the problem of blight and homelessness so challenging because they are not root problems that you could just fix and they're fixed. They're they're still the real reason for the homelessness. They're still the real reason for the blight. You mean they're more like symptoms than Yeah, exactly. They're symptoms. Very good, Bill. Bill, I I also want to make a point that uh to the to the tent issue that that Councilman Butterball brought up. We were made aware of the tents back about two years ago. were starting to collect different parts of the city and uh actually initially councilmanas and I got drafted into some of this stuff and council's been very clear through this whole process in supporting the work that we've done uh that we don't believe that the solution when people come and ask for help is that they're handed a tent a sleeping bag from a social service agency. Okay. I personally don't believe and I don't think this council believes that that is a solution to a homeless person's problem. Okay. And that's been my standard going forward dealing with this that we need to get these social services agencies involved in some of the root causes that these people are dealing with. And that can be a challenge because a lot of people that are having issues don't want to deal with those issues. All right. So, uh, you know, we've done things like warming centers. The Salvation Army has has stepped up and doing cooling centers, uh, providing meals and things like

that. Uh, but it again, it's just it's an ongoing process and we're trying to give these people direction so that they can get the support that they need in their lives. And we're working like we're working on the solution. As downtown improves, each time a building improves and cleans up, it makes our city better, makes our city cleaner, less problem. Same with the slums. Same with the blight. As we clean up the blight, as we as we get buildings either repaired or or the ones that are too far gone, as we tear those down, the more cleanup, the more improvement, the more solution to the problems at hand. Okay. Um, oh, would somebody explain to me what the purpose of of the recreational vehicle addition to the parking requirements or the parking regulations is? Bill, I can share that with you. Um the international property maintenance code has a section on vehicles that states that no unregistered unlicensed vehicle motor vehicle is permitted on a property. This current ordinance was a conflict with that. Um so we made some changes on in this ordinance to reflect what was in the property maintenance. the other issues. Um, we added the recreational vehicle and it really is to include boats, travel trailers, and campers. Um, and it was for to prevent

front yard and sideyard parking. Um, many times, not many times, but we have received an increase um, number of complaints from residents in neighborhoods that people were parking on their front yards or in their front yards. um you know with the rain and everything else when it's not on a stabilized surface um you know mud and dirt track uh off and on throughout the you know over the sidewalk and onto the street. Uh we didn't have any code to refer to for anything like that. Do you mean does that apply to cars too or just It would be apply to vehicles. Correct. Any vehicles. If if you're parked in a front yard and you're not on an approved parking surface, then it would apply. And and that's that didn't exist before. No. Okay. And and there were complaints that kind of led you to Yeah. Not only did we have complaints and generally they were all in neighborhoods, of course. Um, but we had complaints and also upon visual inspection by our code officers as well, it seems that, you know, obviously people have more vehicles probably than they used to. Um, if they run out of parking, it's understandable, but it has to be an approved um, parking surface. And Rebecca, would that have to deal with unregistered and unlicensed vehicles parked on side lots and houses? It's actually the way this reads currently, it's any vehicle. Any vehicle that's parked that somebody just decides to park in their front yard. Um, but this ordinance also includes um it did say no more than one unlicensed, unregistered, or inoperable vehicle per property. But the property

maintenance code says no inoperable, unlicensed, or uninspected. So, we we changed this ordinance to reflect the property maintenance code, which says none because I think there's a few other repair shops around town that could do away with some abandoned vehicles also. So, I think that would be helpful. Is that all, Bill? Um, I think I have one more thing here. Um, Except I can't figure out what I wrote. Oh, I'll ask you afterwards. Okay. Meeting adjourned.