Trafford Borough

Monthly Business Meeting Minutes- March 3, 2020

The Trafford Borough Council held its monthly business meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers.

Council President, Kris Cardiff, called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence.

Roll Call of Attendance by Assistant Borough Manager, Nina Solivan:

(Present)              Kris Cardiff, Council President                        Craig Alexander, Solicitor        

                              Steven Perovich, Council Vice-president       Don Glenn, Engineer         

                              Zackery Cole, Councilmember                        Ed Llewellyn, Mayor

Ralph Deabner, Councilmember                     Ashley Stack, Borough Manager

                              Leslie Peters, Councilmember                         Adam Hlad, Code Enforcement Officer

                              Casey Shoub, Councilmember

                              Christopher Corrales, Councilmember  

 

(Absent)               Charles Miller, Emergency Management Coordinator

Councilman Cardiff announced an Executive Session was held March 3, 2020, prior to this meeting for matters of litigation.

Minutes

 A motion “to accept the minutes of the February 4 ,2020, regular meeting” was made by Councilwoman Peters and seconded by Councilman Cole. The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Payment of Bills

 A motion “to approve the expense voucher list dated, March 3, 2020” was made by Councilman Cole and seconded by Councilman Shoub. The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Public Comment

Dolores Sutton 601 Brinton Avenue: Mrs. Sutton came before the council to express the need for an updated business directory. Mrs. Sutton questioned if anyone new has adopted a space. Mrs. Sutton questioned the timer on the stop light, she feels it’s too long on the 993 side. Mrs. Sutton questioned if Sixth Street is on the paving list.

Manager Stack stated on your list you have Christmas decorations. We do not have a bucket truck and to avoid renting one we wait until Pitcairn’s becomes available. They had pressing matters that took precedence. PennDOT controls the light and are usually based off of a traffic study and pattern. Sixth Street is not a part of the paving list this year. Councilman Cardiff stated the Trafford Business Association is looking to put together a map that lists businesses and other important establishments. Brandon Lacina member of the TBA stated they are also working on a directory and haven’t released anything yet due to several new business’ moving in. Manager Stack stated no additional individuals have come forward to sign up to adopt a space. If anyone is interested, they can fill out a form and then it would be approved by council. The county did award a bid for 315 Fifth Street, there is a pre-bid meeting on Friday. There is no timeline at this point.

Don Glenn, Engineer

-         Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Public Hearing on the Trafford Pollution Reduction Plan

Don stated the purpose for this hearing is to present a revision to the original PRP that was submitted to DEP in 2017. The DEP guidelines expect that municipalities could spend close to a million dollars to implement the changes needed to comply with each municipalities PRP. Public Works, Manager Stack, and my office put together a plan that complies with the DEP requirements and reduces the amount of funds that will be expended by the borough. The revision of the plan is a cost reduction revision. The DEP has accepted the plan however one of the requirements is to have a public hearing to inform the public of the projects that will be completed. The purpose of the plan is to achieve a 10% sediment reduction in both Turtle Creek and Brush Creek by the permit expiration date of March 15, 2023. This is a state mandate that is again unfunded. The reduction is achieved by implementing approved DEP best management practices (BMPs) such as rain gardens, bio swales, stream restoration, and detention ponds. The BMPs the borough will be implementing are as follows;

1.      1500 lineal feet of stream restoration that runs parallel to Murrysville Road which is a tributary to Brush Creek. This work has already been completed.

2.      A retention facility behind the South Trafford Ball Fields. We discussed putting in a pond to collect debris before it enters the stream.

3.      Bradford Square Phase II retention pond. One the retention pond is built by the developers we will be able to receive credit at no cost to the borough. ,

4.      Coventry Court retention pond renovation. The pond was never maintained. Public works will need to perform maintenance to bring the pond up to where it should be, and we will then be able to receive credit.

5.      Existing sediments trap at the BY pond. The purpose of the trap is to collect items before they enter the stream.

No questions or items were brought before Don Glenn. Don concluded the hearing and moved on to his general engineering report.

Don reported he has completed the requests by ALCOSAN and the Allegheny County Health Department to submit the annual waste load reduction report. We are mandated each year by the PA Borough Code to report a synopsis of the sewer system and all projects or work that were completed to comply with the mandates.

Don reported additional information on matching funds is needed in order to obtain the PA Small Water and Sewer Grant. Don applied for a total of $106,168.00 for drainage issues on Meadow Street. They are requesting a letter stating the matching funds of $18,736.00 are available.

Don reported on the agenda there is a motion to award a bid to Whitney Construction in the amount of $9,100.00, to repair air flow problems.

Don reported we anticipated on having paving bids opened today to be awarded this evening however the paper was delayed in getting the ad in. They will be opened on Friday, March 6, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.

Councilman Perovich questioned if signs could be placed in North Huntingdon that state weight limit approaching. Manager Stack stated she will email North Huntingdon’s manager.  

Borough Manager

Manager Stack reported the contractor has completed the demolition of 501 Cavitt Avenue. Manager Stack stated she has contacted both Verizon and Duquesne Light to coordinate the removal of the temporary pole and install a new pole. The paving bids will be placed on the April agenda. Charles Miller our EMC is currently at a CDC seminar in Texas on the Coronavirus, we will be meeting with him next week to get his take. We will be formulating an emergency/contingency plan just in case and will be sharing that with council. Manager Stack stated she and Mr. Miller are working on scheduling a NIMS training to be held at the borough building. Manager Stack reported the current account balances; general fund appx. $ 376,000.00, liquid fuels appx. $153,000.00, recreation appx. $3,300.00, and the sewage fund appx. $908,000.00. AS a reminder the paving project will be deducted from the liquid fuels fund. The Inwood project will be deducted from the sewage fund which is $190,000.00. Sewage postings will be going out tomorrow. The next round of sewage bills for the period of November through February will be going out mid-April. Manger Stack stated she has been researching online payment option for services, bills, and permits. Once the information has been obtained, she will present the information to council.

Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement Officer Adam Hlad reported there were nineteen new occupancy inspections, and eight occupancy permits issued. There was one building permit issued, one demolition permit issued, and three sidewalk opening/grading permits issued.

Garbage/Trash/Debris

836 Forbes Road. Magistrate Herbst asked tenant to finish clearing out trash, based on progress made to this point, dismissed charge.

Fairmont. Abated.

Pine Street. Summary trial continued to next week.

 

Property Maintenance

Corner of 3rd and Cavitt. Follow up with magistrate scheduled for later this month.

7th Street. Working with property maintenance company to abate.

                                        8th Street. Working with property maintenance company.

Cavitt. 1 Abated, 2 in process.                   

507 Fairmont. Multiple citations filed.

                                        Shady. Attractive nuisance, in process.

                                        Stewart. Abandoned vehicle, in process.

                                        Duquesne. In process.

                                        5th Street Ext. In process.

                                        224 Adrian. Working with new property maintenance company to resolve outstanding issues.

 

                   

Permit violations

                                        Gilmore: 1 excavation, 1 sidewalk opening resolved.

                                        Brinton Ave: 1 excavation resolved, 1 building permit in process.

 

Disorderly House violations

                                        Adrian Ave: Met with Chief Disso and property owner, eviction in process. 

5TH Street Ext: Met with Chief Disso and property owner, eviction in process.

 

Councilwoman Peters questioned the Shady Lane property. The property just sold. Code Enforcement Officer Hlad stated yes, the nuisance had been abated under the previous owner. We are working with the new owner to abate the same issue.

Councilwoman Peters and Councilman Perovich both mentioned the debris on Pine Street. Officer Hlad stated it has been continued with the magistrate for a later date.

Councilman Perovich questioned the nuisance property on Homewood. Officer Hlad stated we have a hearing scheduled and will be reported on next month.

Councilwoman Peters thanked him for his hard work.

Solicitor

 Solicitor Alexander stated he and Code Officer Adam Hlad work closely together on code enforcement legal issues.

EMS

Manager Stack reviewed Penn Township Ambulance’s 2019 activity report. PT Ambulance responded to 2,692 requests for EMS. Fifteen percent of the calls were received by the Borough of Trafford. PT Ambulance provides primary coverage to 4 municipalities and 11 miles of the PA Turnpike.

VFD

Fire Chief Brian Lindbloom reported there were nine emergencies and one hundred seventy-two non-emergency medical transports. For training this month CPR and AED training were provided to a local daycare. Members are still attending the National Registry of EMT-Paramedics Continuing Competency Program at UPMC East. Fire and EMS personnel completed CPR and Resuscitation proficiency training. Crews also participated in station drills for self-contained breathing apparatus. Fire and EMS are continuing updates and guidance on Covid19. Response vehicles are equipped with exposure kits. We have not been advised with any threats or confirmed cases. We have 40 additional n95 masks. Attached in the packet there is additional information regarding Covid19. Wash your hands, don’t touch your face.

EMC

Manager Stack stated he is not here tonight he is in Houston. We have been constantly in communication. Councilwoman Peters questioned who sent Mr. Miller to this seminar. Manager Stack stated his job, which works out for us.

Rec Board

No report.

TECDC

Carol Richardson member of the TECDC reported the TECDC and the Trafford PTO will be hosting a Night at the Races in the Manchester Room on March 21, 2020. She hopes to see everyone there. Tickets are available for purchase.

WHT

No report.

Mayor’s Report

 Mayor Llewellyn stated he will have a report next month.

Community & Economic Development

Councilman Perovich reported there are a few new business’ coming into town. He also thanked Brandon of Digital Trafford for religiously advertising the new business’ online. A member of the audience questioned the status of the old Parente’s liquor license. Manager Stack stated they are hoping to open very soon. Councilwoman Peters mentioned Mrs. LeCuyer is still working on the summer lunch program. Once she has a plan in place we will go from there.

General Government & Finance

Councilman Corrales mentioned he and Councilman Cardiff discussed the position of a Junior Councilperson. Councilman Corrales stated if anyone knows of someone who may be interested to please reach out to him via email.

Parks & Recreation

Councilwoman Peters stated PTARC is hosting a March for Parks event on March 21, 2020, additional information will be posted on the website. 

 

Planning, Property, & Ordinances

No report.

Public Safety

Councilman Cole stated he attended the last Crime Watch meeting and discussed the emergency response team idea and received a lot of positive feedback.

Public Works & Sanitation

Councilman Shoub stated fortunately we have had an easy winter. We have saved money on budgeted overtime that was not expended which will hopefully lead to additional funding for next years road program. Councilman Shoub announced cleanup days on May 1, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and May 2, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

President’s Report

Councilman Cardiff stated the TBA’s Newsletter is a great idea and we have received positive feedback because it directly pertains to what is happening in town. However, the article written about the Mellon Bank building/501 Cavitt Avenue is incorrect. The article mentions “the residents are subject to higher tax rates due to this demolition”. Councilman Cardiff stated there was never a discussion that mentioned that statement. The borough never considered raising taxes due to this.

Manager Stack read an email that disclosed the details of the funding source for the project. It read, The Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County was able to procure approximately $120,000.00 for the demolition and the borough to contribute $25,000.00. RAWC is overseeing the project.

Councilman Cardiff stated he is not discrediting or condemning the Trafford Gazette but please have some journalist integrity.

Recreation Board resignations

A motion “to accept the letters of resignation from Diane Delare, Mary Dobos, Rose Frolinni, and Renee Kociela” was made by Councilwoman Peters and seconded by Councilman Cole.

Councilwoman Peters thanked all of those resigning for all their hard work and dedication for all of the years served.

The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Advertisement for Recreation Board vacancies

A motion “to approve the borough manager to advertise for the vacancies on the Recreation Board” was made by Councilman Cole and seconded by Councilwoman Peters. The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Appointment of WHT Director for Trafford Borough

A motion “to appoint Brandon Lacina as the Westmoreland Heritage Trail Director for the Borough of Trafford” was made by Councilman Cole and seconded by Councilman Peters.

Councilwoman Peters questioned if Mr. Lacina had an opportunity to read the job description as Trail Director. Mr. Lacina stated he has he is currently gearing up and getting ready for trail day. Councilwoman Peters stated if there is an update please do not feel obligated to come to the council meetings. The information can be emailed, and we can report it.  

The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Advertisement for Crossing Guards

A motion “to approve the borough manager to advertise for a part-time school crossing guard position” was made by Councilman Cole and seconded by Councilman Shoub.

Manager Stack stated recently there have been several call offs when this happens a police officer has to cover the shift which is not a good use of resources. Solicitor Alexander stated half of the wages are paid by the school district. Manager Stack stated when an officer does have to cover, we do not get reimbursed by the school district.

The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

Award bid for dormer repairs

A motion “to award a bid to Whitney Construction Inc. in the amount of $9,100.00, for the borough building interior dormer repairs” was made by Councilman Shoub and seconded by Deabner.

Councilwoman Peters questioned if we were expecting the bid to be so expensive. Manager Stack stated no. The initial repair work was $1,500.00 then the cleanup was $4,500.00. Once everything was torn out Lou assessed the area and decided to get Don involved and Don’s suggestion was to get the original architect involved. They met and formulated a plan which is why a bid package was put together. Councilwoman Peters questioned what line item this would be expended under. Manager Stack stated 406.450 in the general fund.

Councilman Perovich questioned if an insurance claim had been filed. Manager Stack stated we had to wait for the bid to be opened before submitting anything. She will get the information over to the broker in the morning and he will get back to us. We may receive a partial payment.

The motion carried unanimously 7-0.

New Business

Councilwoman Peters mentioned there is a grant available for small boroughs for rehabilitation of park facilities and outdoor recreation. The grant is through DCNR and is the Small Community Program. This grant is for communities less than 5,000 residents. Grants are available for rehabilitation and/or new devolvement of basic outdoor recreation and park facilities that provide a high level of recreational value. Councilwoman Peters mentioned BY Park and the track around the pond. The first $30,000.00 of funding does not require a funding match. Councilwoman Peters asked council for a motion to explore and apply for the grant. Councilwoman Peters stated she would share all pertinent info regarding the grant via email. Councilwoman Peters stated she has two grant resources. Manager Stack questioned when the deadline of the grant is due. Councilwoman Peters stated April 22, 2020. Manager Stack questioned if the focus would be on the track around the pond. Councilwoman Peters stated yes, the track has needed limestone for several years and with this grant we could take care of that and possibly the Eighth Street water runoff. Solicitor Alexander stated there is no motion required to apply for a grant. Manager Stack questioned if her grant resources would be charging the borough. Councilwoman Peters stated she has not reached out to either until she received the okay from council to explore. Solicitor Alexander stated if there is a match required and we were able to secure the grant that would need to be approved by council to expend those funds. Councilman Cardiff stated if there is no financial responsibility on the boroughs end and can make something look nicer, I’m in. Councilwoman Peters stated if we get $30,000.00 hopefully there are no particulars $5,000.00 would go towards the limestone and we would have $25,000.00 at will that would be great. Manager Stack stated it’s a grant you are going to have to identify where the funds are being distributed. Councilwoman Peters stated she had anticipated that the funds would need to be identified. Councilman Cardiff questioned if there is enough time to put this together before the deadline. Councilwoman Peters stated yes, she expects to reach out to both grant writers to get their feedback. Councilman Cardiff asked that Councilwoman Peters work closely with the office. Manager Stack stated she has written many grants, if any questions arise or they aren’t interested she is more than happy to help. Councilwoman Peters thanked Assistant Manager Solivan for finding and forwarding the grant information over to both herself and Councilman Perovich.

Councilwoman Peters announced the Rec Board will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at BY Park pavilion 3on April 3, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. for children 12 and under.

Councilman Perovich questioned if there has been any movement with Port Authority and the condition of the road. Councilman Perovich stated we have made many efforts to contact them and their lack of response shows they do not care. PAT gave an employee a bonus of $22,000.00, for efficiency and working. Is there anyone else we can contact? Maybe we should get rid of them. Solicitor Alexander stated that has already been discussed. It was only installed and established because of Westinghouse. Manager Stack stated the idea of terminating service has been discussed publicly in an open meeting during my employment and there was strong opposition. Manager Stack she met with the higher ups and their municipal liaison. Councilwoman Peters stated she has that a takeaway from last meeting to see if Senator Ward had any other resources however, she has not heard back. Councilman Perovich stated he will reach out to someone at PAT. Solicitor Alexander stated try reaching out to Bruster and Markosek. 

Adjournment

Councilman Cardiff announced the next regular council meeting for Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

A motion “to adjourn” was made by Councilman Cole and seconded by Councilman Shoub.

The meeting ending promptly at 7:55 p.m.