City Council - Regular Meeting

Call this Altuna City Council meeting to order. Monday, November 10th at 6 p.m. We'll now have a moment of silent prayer. Please stand for the pledge of 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.

Linda, would you call the role, please? Councilman Batty here. Councilman Butterbach here. Councilwoman Clintich here. Vice Mayor Ellis here. Councilman Ikis uh here. Councilman Kelly here. Mayor Pacificico here.

Uh we have a presentation on the agenda tonight, the 2024 audit report. Uh joining us is Chris Shyrock from Yabco. Good evening everyone. Again, my name is Chris Shyra from Young Oaks Brown & Company. Just want to start off by saying thank you to mayor and council for having us complete the audit and thanks to Jim and the remaining staff for all their help throughout the audit. Um our auditor's report it's on all the opinions directly to the city operations were unmodified or clean opinions. So that's the best opinion you can receive. the statement of net position which includes all assets and liabilities of the city, capital assets, long-term liabilities, the net pension and oped liabilities. The net position of the city at the end of 2024 was $479 million. Of this amount, 52,000 was invested in capital assets and restricted and then there was an unrestricted portion that was negative 23 million. Moving on to the statement activities that goes along with the net statement of net position sort of like the income statement. The change in net position for the year ended was $48 million 19.7 that was related to being invested in capital assets. Moving on to the balance sheet for the governmental funds. This reports only current assets and current liabilities of the city. The general fund fund balance as of 123124 is $18.4 4 million and the total fund balance of the city including all funds was 46.7 million. The statement of revenues, expenditures and change in fund balance, the general fund showed an increase in fund balance of $3.2 million whereas the total funds total change of all the funds of the city was a little over $9 million. Going to move on to the budget to actual the city budgeted for the general fund for 2024 a surplus of 1.2 $2 million

before transfers, but the actual results was a loss of $104,000. Overall expenditures were approximately 2 million under budget, but revenues were also under budget by $3.3 million. So there's detail in the audit regarding that. I want to talk about the uh federal expenditures of the city. Total federal expenditures for 2024 were a little over $19 million. Uh we performed single audits on the major federal programs of the city which were the coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds and the community development block grants. The total of those two funds federal expenditures for the year were a little over $18 million. So out of the $19 million our single audits was almost 95% of those total expenditures. Obviously we didn't look at every expenditure in those but based on sampling forms and you know the required procedures were we had to perform. Happy to report that there was no findings or question costs related to those single audits. Last thing I want to mention, there were two financial statement findings noted that are repeat from prior years. When I stood here last year, there was three findings. The city was able to re remedy one of those. So now we're down to two and they're making efforts to get rid of the last two. Those are the comments I have on the report. I'll try to answer any questions you might have at this time.

Thank you. Anybody have any questions for Chris? Thank you. Thanks again. Have a good evening. Thank you. Thanks. You too.

All right. We'll open the floor for public comment if anybody would like to address council. Uh come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and please keep your comments to three minutes.

Lawrence Carter, 11:05 Broadway. The Immigration Customs Enforcement or ICE has been conducting raids nationwide in America's municipalities, enforcing immigration laws and arresting illegal aliens. Local government is not responsible for enforcing immigration laws. And some Pennsylvania municipalities are passing ordinances limiting their cooperation with ICE because they have no information about their resident citizenship or immigration status. Allentown, Lancaster, and Philadelphia have passed such ordinances or are passing. ICE may seek a contract relationship with Altuna's police to assist in their activities. Our police department is already understaffed in busying enforcing local laws and issuing criminal warrants. Assisting ICE would greatly diminish our officers local efforts. The Department of Justice attempted to withhold grant funds from Philadelphia for for limiting their cooperation with ICE, but the city prevailed in court because it has a constitutional right to control how local pre resources are used. Federal statutes do not require local government to take any specific action to cooperate with ICE or inquire about local residents immigration status. Local law enforcement should not allow ICE to access a person already in custody without a judicial warrant. This would not prevent ICE from carrying out their immigration enforcement activities or prevent local law enforcement from releasing illegal immigrants already incarcerated. Altuna's economy is fueled by medical establishments, many owned and staffed by immigrant professionals. So, will ICE be investigating,

obtaining, and incarcerating medical professionals without some due process? Pennsylvania Senator Nikki Savo has introduced legislation prohibiting local police from being used for civil immigration enforcement, including sharing data, and quering about the status, arresting or detaining individuals without a criminal warrant. I'm recommending that Altuna City Council consider legislation limiting cooperation with ICE activities much like Allentown, Lacister, and Pens, and Philadelphia's legislation. Thank you.

Thank you. [clears throat]

Good afternoon, council. Uh, bear with me here. losing my [snorts] voice a little bit. Um, congrats again on the election, guys. Uh, Devin Sailor, 1515 25th Avenue. Uh, I'm here on behalf today, uh, to ask a question uh, for a constituent here, a friend of mine, Christian Delo, um, who's working on a, uh, I guess running a business or a property in a newly zoned, uh, neighborhood. So due the new zoning that was put in place, the property at 3620 Be A um is now placed in an RNA zone. And the zone allows for pretty much next to no commercial uses. Uh the property has been placed in this zone as a garage and it would be very hard for this building to be retrofitted for a use uh that would be permitted within this zone. Uh according to the new chart, which I I did look at the zoning chart and everything before I came in, um it's pretty cut and dry from the most part from what I looked at. You know, the minus symbol pretty much says that this is not allowed. There's an SE which says that there are special exemptions or something that the zoning hearing board could listen to. And then uh the P would stand for permitted. Um but there would be no use that would uh conform to this. And I guess the question I have here today for you guys or even just for your consideration or thoughts, you know, is there a a pathway forward or you know to even go to the zoning hearing board or moving forward should there be a precedent that when you see that that minus symbol that there is no way to get uh a variance or so on.

I guess I would ask uh Mr. Deloer, did you speak with anybody any staff from city hall yet? Did you speak with anybody from zoning about this question? Uh, we just found out about it like a couple days ago. So, um, we're just now trying to Yeah, I would start there. I would start with staff. Um, we can touch base with you afterwards and provide you information on who the [clears throat] who that contact person would be, but then you could go from there and start there. Okay. Yeah. You're welcome. All right. Thanks, guys. That's all I had. Welcome. Thank you. [clears throat]

Okay, if there's no more public comment, we will close the floor and move on to the resolutions. Linda,

item A is approving the minutes of the Altuna City Council meeting [clears throat] held Tuesday, October 14th, 2025. Item B is approving the collective bargaining agreement between the city of Altuna and the FOP Mountain City Lodge number 8 for a three-year period from January 1, 2026 through December 31st, 2028 and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents in the city clerk to attest to same. Item C is awarding a demolition bid for 1116th Avenue to GNR Excavating of Tyrone in the amount of 12,578 payable from the city's altogether Altuna fund and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item D is authorizing application to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania financing authority for the Pennsylvania Local Share account statewide grant for the replacement of fire hoses and nozzles in the amount of 252,694 and further authorizing the city manager to execute all documents and the city clerk to attest to same. Item E is approving a repository bid in the amount of $777 submitted by Mr. Rans of Gaithersburg, Maryland for property located at 3127 to 337th Avenue and further authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district form. Is there anything that needs to be pulled for a separate vote or uh E, please?

Okay. Okay. I'm going to take the consent vote be first on all items excluding item D. I'm sorry, item E. I knew that. Okay. On the consent vote, Councilman Batty, yes. Councilman Butterbaugh, yes. Councilwoman Clinich, yes. Vice Mayor Ellis, yes. Councilman Kis, yes. Councilman Kelly, yes. Mayor Pacificico, yes.

And the consent will pass the seven to zero. And then we have item E, which is approving a repository bid in the amount of $777 submitted by Mr. vans of Geathersburg, Maryland for property located at 3127 to 337th Avenue and further authorizing the city manager to execute the taxing district form. I'll call the role for a vote. Councilman Batty, no. Councilman Butterb, no. Councilwoman Clinich, no. Vice Mayor Ellis, no. Councilman Icis, no. Councilman Kelly, no. Mayor Vacico,

no. and the vote does not pass. We have two ordinances for adoption. I'm sorry for introduction. The first ordinance is an ordinance of the city of Altuna authorizing the city to join with the other political subdivision as a member of the Pennsylvania Municipal Health Insurance Cooperative known as PHIC to enter into an intergovernmental agreement for the purpose of joining the PMIC and to participate as a member of the PHIC. Is there a council member who would be willing to introduce this ordinance? So moved.

This ordinance is introduced by Vice Mayor Ellis. The second ordinance it for introduction is an ordinance of the city of Altuna in the county of Blair Commonwealth of Pennsylvania appropriating specific sums estimated to be required for specific purposes of municipal government here and after set forth during the year 2026. And this is known as the 2026 budget ordinance. Is there a council member willing to introduce this ordinance? So moved. This ordinance was introduced by Councilman Ikis. All right, moving on to city manager updates. Chris, nothing [snorts] for the group tonight, sir.

Thank you. Uh council discussion items. Councilman Nickas. Thank you, Mayor. Uh just uh one item. I do want to take a minute and um thank our police, firefighters, and uh AMED. Not this past Sunday, the Sunday before we experienced a medical emergency at our church, the end of church service. Um everyone was on scene in about 3 minutes and um the lady of our congregation was successful in getting the care she needed. Um everyone was great, administered aid, um timely, and uh heck, he hardly knew that anyone was there. So, just want to uh commend our uh first responders, etc. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Butterball.

Uh yeah, I'd just like to make a couple uh kind remarks there with the uh passing of uh Ted Beam. Uh he did a really good job over the years and he was very faithful uh serving on various committees and even up until about his last day he was he was still taking part in activities for the city and and doing his part in being community-minded and I just uh uh he's certainly going to be missed. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Kelly. Thank you, mayor. I have nothing to uh for tonight at this time. Thank you,

Councilman House. Uh just to add on to to Councilman Butterb's comments, uh Ted Beam is someone who lived his life as a true public servant and he will be missed by our community. Agreed. Councilman Batty, nothing at this time, Mayor. Councilwoman Clinch, nothing at this time.

Thank you. Uh questions from the media. Bill. Thank you. Um, I intend to talk with Jim after the meeting about the budget to get some details, but would any of the council people like to comment on it in any way, I guess? Uh the proposed uh the proposed budget bill uh has its level so there's no no tax increase for this year's budget. Uh it continues the efforts uh that are outlined in the city's adopted comprehensive plan. Uh addressing um you know targeted uh demolition for bladed properties as well as efforts for revitalization. Um it continues to pay for the the services that are essential to the city. Um I would say that's that.

Okay. Anyone else? I thought they did a really uh everybody worked really well together. Uh Jim did a great job as always. Chris did a great job as always and everybody worked really well together uh to put this budget and uh to have no tax increase and still fulfill the obligations at hand.

Anyone else? Okay. Um the audit findings that were mentioned by um Chris Shyrock, he didn't specify what they are. Can somebody tell me what they are and what one you got rid of from last year? Uh, Bill, I don't have the audit directly in front of me, but I can uh have that conversation with you Wednesday. I can go over those with you. Okay.

We're closed tomorrow, that's why. Wednesday. Um, and then I I know I asked this I've asked this before, but what what does it mean to have a clean audit if you still have findings? I I don't quite get that,

Bill. What it means is what it means is those those findings are not material. I I literally have I had this same conversation with you last year. So, it's it's fun to do it again, but I'm old. It's all right. So, um, I mean that endearingly, by the way. I like to I like to keep friends in the media. Um, yeah. So, it means that the this the financial statements as presented are there's no material impact with the findings that have been found. I don't want to say that the findings aren't uh significant. Obviously, you know, the city does take any finding seriously in an attempt to correct it, but it doesn't mean that the the financial statements presented as a whole um these findings wouldn't have a significant impact on the overall uh audit as presented.

Okay. I think they ought to just say that instead of using a Well, you know, there's there's there's probably a a lawyer or something somewhere that probably came up with that. All right. Um would anybody care to comment on um on what Larry Carter said? Lar statement. Okay. Um, could I get some details on the police contract?

Like maybe Wednesday at some point or something like that. Okay. Um, that's all I have. Thanks. Thanks, Bill. Meeting adjourned.