# Agenda

- Summary: Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Agenda Date: Monday, October 26, 2020 Time: 6:30 p. m. Meeting Officials Borough Council: Doug Tusing (President), Dave Kuhar (Vice-President), Jeffrey Ball, Cecilia…
- Source: Ebensburg Borough
- Published: 2020-10-26
- Captured: 2026-08-10T16:42:10.366Z
- Source URL: http://ebensburgpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Agenda-2020-October.pdf
- Content URL: https://ebensburg.site/document/agenda-10-26-2020/
- Content note: This portable copy is not the official record and may include an automated convenience summary. Verify important details in the original document.

Ebensburg Borough Council Meeting Agenda Date: Monday, October 26, 2020 Time: 6:30 p. m. Meeting Officials Borough Council: Doug Tusing (President), Dave Kuhar (Vice-President), Jeffrey Ball, Cecilia Houser, Theresa Jacoby, Scot May, Michael Owatt Mayor: Randy Datsko Agenda Items 1. Consent Agenda The following routine items are recommended for approval by a single motion: Item 9A: Approve minutes from the September 28, 2020 meeting. Item 9B: Approve the financial statement and quarterly transfers. Item 9C: Approve payment of bills. 2. Appointments to Address Council Item 3A: Mayor’s Report on the Police Department. 4. Council President Comments 5. Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Committee (Ball & Kuhar) Item 5A: Report from Inframark on Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations. Item 5B: Report from Inframark on Water Treatment Plant Operations. 6. Recreation Committee (Jacoby, May & Owatt) Item 6A: Winter Plowing. Staff recommends contracting snow plowing for the YPCC and tennis center on an as-needed basis. The estimated cost is less than $100 per lot for heavy snow events, allowing borough crews to focus on intersections and sidewalks. 7. Street Committee (Ball, Houser & Owatt) Item 7A: 2020 Sidewalk Project. Primary work is complete; minor punchlist items are expected to finish before the meeting. Item 7B: 2020 Street Resurfacing. Milling began October 12th, and resurfacing started October 20th. Work is currently underway in the northeast quadrant. Item 7C: Street Trees. Bids were sought for 76 trees. Eisler’s Nursery: $13,103. 00 Schichtel’s Nursery: $11,538. 00 Recommendation: Award contract to Schichtel’s Nursery for $11,538. 00. Item 7D: Sidewalk Ordinance. Grant final approval to Ordinance #655, which deletes the required sidewalk on the south side of West Sample Street between West Street and Marian Street. 8. Administration Committee (Houser, Jacoby & Kuhar) Item 8A: Borough Manager Retirement. The vacancy has been advertised. Applications are due November 9th. Interviews will occur in November and December, with a target start date of February 22nd for the new manager. Item 8B: 2021 Annual Budget. The tentative budget calls for revenues of $6,115,030 and expenditures of $6,063,450. This represents a 2.9% overall increase from 2020, primarily driven by higher healthcare and pension costs. General Fund: Increased by 2. 5% to $2,125,250. Water Fund: Increased by 3. 9% to $1,794,140. Wastewater Fund: Increased by 2. 7% to $1,918,060. Stormwater Fund: Remains flat at $226,000. Tax Rates: Resolution 2020-13 proposes maintaining current real estate tax rates (30. 75 mills on land, 8. 5 mills on buildings) and a 2. 5 mill rate for stormwater. Recommendation: Grant tentative approval to the 2021 budget and advertise for public inspection. Item 8D: Zoning and Property Maintenance Enforcement. The Borough Manager currently handles these duties. The committee recommends engaging the Laurel Municipal Inspection Agency for zoning enforcement (fee: $55 per opinion) while keeping property maintenance enforcement in-house, assigned to the new Borough Manager without additional pay. 9. Diversity Committee (May, Kuhar & Houser) Item 9A: Gender-Neutral Code Revisions. Ordinance #656 is ready for final adoption to replace gender-specific terms with neutral language throughout the Borough’s Code of Ordinances. 10. General Business Item 10A: Approve minutes of the September 28, 2020 meeting. Item 10B: Approve the September 2020 financial statement and quarterly transfers. Item 10C: Approve payment of bills totaling $*******. Item 10D: Middle School Football Field. A request to rezone the former field from single-household to multi-household residential is pending. Both the Cambria County and Ebensburg Borough Planning Commissions recommended approval, subject to satisfying Land Development Ordinance and Historic Character Overlay requirements. Item 10E: Zoning Amendment. A request regarding front yard fences has been referred to the planning commission for their November 5th agenda. Item 10F: LERTA Ordinance. Tentative approval is requested for Ordinance #657 to establish a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) exemption for the former Cambria County Prison site. The 10-year tax abatement schedule is: Years 1 & 2: 100% Years 3 & 4: 80% Years 5 & 6: 60% Years 7 & 8: 40% Years 9 & 10: 20% Item 10G: Building Code Waiver Permits. The Borough is the only municipality served by Laurel Municipal Inspection Agency that does not issue waiver permits. A recommendation to implement a free waiver permit process for minor residential projects (e. g. , roof replacement, siding) is under discussion. Item 10H: Reaffirm Actions of September 28, 2020 Meeting. Due to a Zoom interruption, the Council must reaffirm five actions taken during the second portion of that meeting, including: Awarding a garbage/recycling contract to Pro Disposal (starting Jan 1, 2021). Approving Ordinance #654 banning outdoor burning (except recreational fires). Adopting Resolution 2020-12 for a $375,240 Covid-19 Relief Grant application. Approving the site plan for a dog park at Lake Rowena. Referring the front yard fence zoning amendment to the planning commission. 11. Department Reports Item 11A: Police Department (Chief Wyland) Item 11B: Public Works Department (Director Jeff Evans) Item 11C: Community Development (Director Danea Koss) Item 11D: Recreation Department (Director Dirk Johnson) Item 11E: Codes Enforcement Item 11F: Ebensburg Municipal Authority (Minutes included in packet) Item 11G: Ebensburg Planning Commission. A lot merger at 320 East High Street was finally approved in October after being tabled in September. Item 11H: Ebensburg Zoning Board (No activity) 12. Media Comments/Questions Representatives of the media are invited to comment and ask questions on any issues. 13. Public Comments Members of the public are invited to comment on any issues, whether or not they appear on the agenda. 14. Adjournment