Borough Council Roundup - 2/1/2010

Sorry it's late folks - been very busy. In any event, the meeting for the most part was relatively uneventful. Some highlights:

1. I have decided to sit on the Residential Rental Property Inspection Program committee. While the program has passed and is now officially on the books, there are things that still need to be ironed out - so I thought it would be best if I sat on the board and offered, wherever and however I can, some assistance to ensure the success of this program.

2. We passed the ordinance designating several additional streets in the new developments (Tatamy Hunt and Fieldstone) as "Snow Emergency Routes". Please folks - when it's going to snow - remove your cars from the Snow Emergency Routes. I had the opportunity to once again ride in the plow with Frank Young, our road foreman on Saturday afternoon. What an eye opening experience. I have several photos of that adventure that I will share with you shortly. Please also remember that the guys driving the plow trucks are doing their jobs. Yes - I understand that it sucks when the snow gets dumped on your driveway after you've just cleared it. Unfortunately there's no other way. Frustrating? Absolutely. Does it merit getting yourself all riled up and swearing at us as we're driving by? No. Also - do NOT, under any circumstances, throw your snow into the street. This includes snowblowers. Please make sure that the snowblower chutes are aimed toward your property and not out into the street. If you're caught throwing snow into the street you risk getting a ticket. Thank you in advance for your support.

3. Help Wanted. The borough has two open positions:

- Borough Secretary. In case you haven't already heard, Joanne Keifer is no longer with the borough. We wish her well as she pursues other opportunities. This is a part-time position, maximum of 30 hours / week with no benefits. If you're a detail oriented, organized individual with office experience, please stop down the Borough Office and turn in you resume and fill out an application. I will be interviewing next week.

- Part Time Police Officer. All applicants must be Act 120 certified. If interested, please submit an application at the Borough Office. All applications must be received by 4:30PM on Tuesday, 2/23/2010.

That's about it for this month folks. Stay tuned - looks like more snow (and the fun that goes with it) is on the way!

Borough Council Roundup - 1/4/2009

Well - the first Council meeting of 2010 was held this evening. Mayor Duignam opened the meeting, and swore in our newly elected officials, Hazel DeReamus (new to council), and Bob Hayes, who was re-elected to another four-year term. Unfortunately, due to illness, Mike Racz was unable to join us tonight, but Mayor Duignam will make sure Mike is sworn in properly in the next day or so.

The first order of business was to elect a council president. After much deliberation (well, there really wasn't that much deliberation - hell, there was hardly any discussion) I was nominated by Stuart Albert and elected by my fellow colleagues on council as your new Tatamy Borough Council President this evening. It's an honor that I do not take lightly, and I will do my best to make sure that, at the end of the day, we do what's right for the citizens of the Borough of Tatamy. Stuart Albert was once again re-nominated as Council Vice President.

Once that was completed, we had an executive session to discuss some personnel issues.

Coming out of that executive session, the following personnel changes were approved, effective as of January 1, 2010: The hours of the borough secretary and treasurer will be set at 30 / week, making these positions part-time. They will no longer participate in the full-time benefits program (e.g. vacation, sick, personal time). If they are scheduled to work on a holiday and the office is closed, we will pay them the hours for holiday pay. This will result in a significant cost savings to the borough. I have asked the finance committee (now headed by Hazel DeReamus and Bob Hayes) to report back to council next month with the amount that this change will save us moving forward.

Other appointments confirmed tonight include those of the Solicitor (Elviria LaBarre), Engineer (Hanover Engineering; Bob Mack and/or Brien Koecher); Building Code Inspector (Keystone Engineering); Zoning Officer (John Soloe). The only outstanding appointment remaining is that of the auditor. We have tabled that until next month at the earliest.

Other than that - it was pretty much business as usual. Some other highlights:

1. Dale Fern presented an update to the Residential Rental Property Inspection Program, to include announcing a public meeting to review the new program on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 7:30PM. This meeting will be advertised. If this program affects you, as a landlord OR as a tenant, I highly recommend you attend.

2. We approved an ordinance increasing the mayor's salary. For the life of me I can't remember how much it was, but trust me - for what he does, it's not enough.

3. The mayor reported that the police department handled a total of 1,233 incidents last year. A special "Thank you" to the police department for taking care of us and making sure that we're safe.

4. Speaking of the police department, they had a great turnout this past Christmas with the "Visit from Santa" program. Collaborating with the Fire Department (we had two trucks on this year) - Santa was able to visit quite a few homes and put smiles on the faces of a lot of children.

That about sums things up. As always, please email me or drop a comment here if there's something that you need help with, or if there's anything that you have questions on.

Stay warm - according to the weather folks, it's looking to be quite cold for the foreseeable future. It is winter, after all.

Council Meeting - Monday 1/4/2010

2010 - wow -- it seems so strange writing 2010. In any event, enough rambling. Don't forget, tomorrow night, Monday, 1/4/2010 is our monthly Council Meeting. It begins at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall.

The meeting will open with the swearing in of newly elected councilwoman Hazel DeReamus, and the swearing in of Bob Hayes and Mike Racz, who were re-elected to new four year terms.

We will then begin the reorganization - a new council president and vice president will be nominated, and then we will begin the re-appointment of all the other folks who take care of us - solicitor, secretary, treasurer, engineer, road foreman, etc.

Following that, it's business as usual.

I hope to see you at tomorrow night's meeting. If you don't attend any others, please come and show your support for the folks who YOU recently elected, and witness their swearing in.

Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2010 (and beyond) for Tatamy!

Borough Council Agenda - 12/7/2009

The following items are on the agenda for tonight's Borough Council Meeting:

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

Approval of November 2, 2009 Council Meeting Minutes

Treasurer's Report and Approval of Receipts and Disbursements

Planning and Zoning - Discuss tentative administrative program for Rental Inspection Program

Engineer's Report - Discuss traffic signal installation

Solicitor's Report
1) Resolution authorizing Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note
2) Discuss raising Borough Council President's Compensation
3) Motion from Council to pass "Residential Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection System" Ordinance and adopting the "International Property Maintenance Code".

Old Business
1. Establish an Emergency Management Committee
2. Motion to approve the 2008 Audit
3. Motion to approve final payment of $269.79 (plus accrued current interest) in Tatamy Hunt Escrow Account and close the Tatamy Hunt Escrow Account

New Business
1. Approve payment of sewer bill, refuse bill and fuel bill from the Special Relief Fund for the Special Needs of a Tatamy Resident
2. Request from the Nazareth Rotary to use Braden Park in August 2010
3. Budget Committee suggests closing the following accounts and depositing the funds (plus any current accrued interest) into a checking or savings account:
- Rails to Trails: $15.60
- Grant Money (Dirt/Gravel): $28.25
- Truck Fund: $122.97
4. Request from Chrin Brothers in support of their Landfill Renewal Application

Also included:

Comments from the Floor

Police Committee Report

Mayor's Report

Sewer Authority

Correspondence

2010 Budget - 2nd Reading

Reminder - council meets tonight at 7:30PM at the Municipal Building - 423 Broad Street. See you there!

Borough Council Roundup - 9/8/2009

Can you believe it's September already? Where did the time go? Seems like just the other day I was opening my pool, this weekend if we get a break from the rain I'll be closing it. The end of another summer season is upon us.

In any event, you're not here to listen to me lament about the weather - you're here because you're curious as to what happened this week at the borough council meeting.

It was a relatively uneventful meeting actually - though there are a few things worth mentioning:

1. The "No Through Trucks" ordinance in Tatamy Hunt (a blog reader suggestion actually) is going to be passed next month. We have received approval from Palmer Township to install some signage at their end of the development. So - once the ordinance is advertised and passed, we will post the signs and drivers will face penalties for violating them. Please be mindful that local deliveries are exempt from this policy. Thanks to the reader (you know who you are) who suggested it.

2. Trash Collection. There was a brief discussion concerning the cost of trash pick-up in the Borough, along with the administrative expense of maintaining the billing, chasing after open receivables (there will ALWAYS be open receivables) and such. I thought it might be a good idea to see if there was any way to absorb the cost into the property taxes and eliminate the separate trash bills that we receive twice a year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the math works out - so, for now, anyway, it will stay the way it is, and we'll be billed 2x/year for our trash pickup.

3. Library. Of course I saved the best for last (gotta keep you reading . . .). Anyway, a few weeks back if you recall, I met with the Board of Directors at the Nazareth Library. Also present at that meeting if you remember was the State Librarian. I learned (along with the rest of the Directors at the Library) that the State Library Code allows local libraries only to reach out and attract communities that directly border them to become contributing members. So, in the case of the Nazareth library, that includes Nazareth Borough, and the townships of Upper, Lower and Bushkill. What about Tatamy you ask? Well - because of where Tatamy sits on an "island" if you will surrounded on three sides by Palmer Township (North, West, and South) and by Forks (East), we don't have a direct link to Nazareth, therefore Tatamy is not (and never was) eligible to be a participating member of the Nazareth Library. So where does that leave us today? Is there a library that we're eligible to be a contributing member of? According to the folks in Harrisburg, the only library that we would be eligible to join (should we choose to do so) is the Easton Area Public Library. I offered to begin discussions with them, but the general consensus of the majority of the folks on council, along with the folks in the audience (and the folks who I have received emails and feedback from) has all been consistently the same - and that's "let's keep things the way they are for now". So - those of you who want library cards are free to go to the Palmer or Easton library, pay for your membership, and the Borough will reimburse you 50% of the fee. Some day perhaps things will change, but for now, it is what it is.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Tatamy Car Show, Other . . .

Sorry folks - life has gotten away from me and this morning I just realized it's been a month since I posted anything here. I've been traveling and quite busy at work (believe me, I'm not complaining at all about that one) so I apologize for being quiet. In any event, there are a few things that you should know:

1. The annual Tatamy Car Show is being held today on Broad Street. Please come out and support the Tatamy Historical Society and the drivers who have braved the elements (or at least the threat of rain and storms) who are bringing their cars. I hear them already.

2. At last month's Council meeting, borough council passed an engine braking ordinance forbidding the use of "jake brakes" within the borough limits on 8th Street and on Broad Street. Signs are being made up and will be posted. Thanks to the citizen in Tatamy Hunt for suggesting that. We also discussed the possibility of restricting truck traffic through the Tatamy Hunt development. Our engineer Bob Mack will be back this month with some recommendations and hopefully we can propose an ordinance. Stay tuned.

3. It looks like the street lights in Tatamy Hunt are finally being replaced (Thanks John for the heads up). I realize the lights are not the "fancy schmancy" ones that were installed by the developer, they are nicer than the ones that I thought MetEd was going to install (standard brushed aluminum post with a light at the end of a mast arm hanging over the street). Hopefully once they're all in and powered up this will FINALLY put an end to that whole mess.

That's it for today - I hope to see everyone at the car show (come out before it rains).

Borough Council Roundup - March 2009

At this month's council meeting, about the only important item of business worth mentioning is the fact that the position of Assistant Borough Secretary was eliminated, effective immediately. We hope to use some of the money saved to create a new position as part-time Borough Treasurer. While the job description hasn't been completely developed, in my mind (and mine only) the ideal candidate should have a background in accounting and finance, and should also have experience dealing with municipal budgets. The employment committee is supposed to be formalizing the job description, and it is my hope that we can begin advertising and interviewing for this newly created position soon. Once we hire a treasurer, Joanne will strictly be responsible for the day to day administrative activities for the borough and will be reclassified as Borough Secretary.

Other than that, there's not much else to report on this month.

Spring is coming - in fact don't forget to "spring ahead" tonight before going to bed and turn your clocks ahead one hour. Don't worry, you'll regain that lost hour of sleep in November.

Council Meeting Tonight - Agenda

Items of interest on tonight's Borough Council meeting agenda include:

Planning and Zoning
1. Review a complaint received regarding a property on Main St.

Engineer's Report
1. Review what appears to be an ongoing issue with drainage in Tatamy Hunt
2. Discuss the (still non-operational) street lighting in Tatamy Hunt

Old Business
1. Discuss our Emergency Management Plan - and perhaps talk about scheduling drills

That's about it. Hopefully it will be a quick meeting. See you tonight at 7:30 at the Borough Hall!

Tax Increase

Get ready for a tax increase folks. Council last night during a (very long and drawn out) special meeting approved an increase from 9.5 Mills to 11.5 Mills.

Why raise taxes you ask? Well, let me start by saying that I'm not a fan of raising taxes - ever, especially in this economy. However . . . the Borough needs to start 'saving for a rainy day'. For years we have held the tax rate steady at 9.5 Mills. Unfortunately the economy being what it is, expenses are steadily increasing, with the income remaining relatively the same.

Sorry guys - it's just the way it is. I wouldn't be surprised to see an additional increase next year. There was some discussion at length last night about Council trying to bundle trash collection into the taxes instead of sending semi-annual bills to everyone. Stay tuned - that's a whole year away. For now, make sure that you pay your (exorbitantly large)trash bills on time!

See you around town!

December Borough Council Roundup

OK - a little late, but better late than never. Here's a summary of this past Monday's Borough Council meeting:

PLANNING AND ZONING:
1. Rental Agreement Form for Landlords. The Planning Commission has prepared, and the Borough Solicitor has reviewed and approved, a new form to be sent to all landlords to complete to identify their tenants. Council approved. The form will be sent to the landlords at the beginning of the year.

2. Crosswalk at the corner of 7th and Main. The planning commission presented a request to have a crosswalk installed at the corner of 7th and Main Streets. A motion was made by me to have a crosswalk installed. I felt it was the right thing to do - it's a school bus stop and a lot of residents use that intersection to go between North Tatamy and the main portion of town. Council and the Police Chief discussed the issue at length, and the motion ultimately failed, 4 to 2. Chapter 35, Subchapter C, Sections 3542 and 3543 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code outlines the rules concerning pedestrian crossing and rights of way (if you're so inclined, you can read it here). Bottom line, pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right of way. The fear is that if a crosswalk is installed, pedestrians would step into the crosswalk and automatically expect vehicles to stop. We don't want to see anyone get hurt. Without a crosswalk, vehicles have the right of way and the burden is placed solely on the pedestrian to determine whether or not it's safe to cross.

Engineers Report
1. Municipal Map Update. Its time to update the official municipal map. Council has forwarded to the Planning Commission for their recommendation as to what they want to see on the map (e.g. public buildings, parks, etc).

2. "Jake Brake" Retarder Study. Bob Mack has stated that there should not be any issues with PennDOT and we have given him the authority to draft and submit to PennDOT for approval a draft ordinance to implement a ban on the use of Jake Brakes in Tatamy on 8th and Main Streets. PennDOT has to grant approval before we can advertise and pass an ordinance. Stay tuned . . .

3. Chrin Commerce Centre Plan Recording. The final plan for the Chrin Commerce Centre has been signed and recorded with the County.

4. Tatamy Hunt Street Dedication. 5 of 9 lights have been activated. Word is that MetEd has to replace a defective piece of equipment to energize the remaining four lights. The ordinance for street dedication will be presented at the 12/15 special meeting.

Solicitors Report
1. A revised Peddler's Ordinance was reviewed and approved by Council.

That's about it folks. Please note that there is a special meeting that is scheduled to be held on 12/15 at 7:30PM to discuss and pass the 2009 operating budget.

See you around town!

12/1 Borough Council Meeting - Agenda

Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving Holiday, and that you didn't eat too much - HA!

Can you believe it's December already? The following items of interest are on the agenda for tomorrow night's Borough Council meeting:

PLANNING
1. Rental Agreement Form for Landlords

2. Yes/No on a crosswalk at the corner of Main and 7th. This is a school bus stop, and is frequently used by folks walking from the main part of town to North Tatamy. I vote "yes". Let's see what my colleagues think.

ENGINEER
1. Municipal map update
2. Jake Brake Ordinance update
3. Recording of the plans for the Chrin Commerce Centre
4. Dedication of streets in Tatamy Hunt (contingent of course on having the street lights turned on. At last check, you guessed it, they were still dark).

SOLICITOR
1. Adoption of a revised Peddler's Ordinance
2. Tatamy Hunt Street Lights (need I say more?)

BUDGET
The 2nd reading of the 2009 Tatamy Borough Budget will be read.

That's all folks. Borough Council meets tomorrow evening, 12/1/2008 at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall. I hope to see you there!

Tonight's Council Meeting Agenda

In case you're interested, the following items are on the agenda to be discussed at tonight's Borough Council meeting (in no particular order):

JT Maloney - Signature Homes - Extension Request

Tatamy Hunt
- Water Drainage Issues
- Street Lighting (will this never end?)

Updating the Municipal Map

Traffic Light Agreement with Chrin

Tatamy's Website

2009 Operating Budget - FIRST READING

Council meets tonight at 7:30PM in the Municipal Building. See you there!

Borough Council Monday Night

Now that October is all but over (Happy Halloween everyone) I wanted to remind you that Borough Council meets on Monday night (November 3rd) at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall. Among the items we're going to be discussing are the first reading of the borough Budget (there are three readings total), and, perhaps even more important, the continued lack of progress toward getting the lights turned on over in Tatamy Hunt. I encourage everyone to come to the meeting - i) to hear the budget reading, and ii) to get the latest information on the (lack of) progress toward getting the lights turned on in Tatamy Hunt. As I understand it, MetEd is waiting on information (an inspection report for the lighting installation I believe) from Mr. Steve Goffredo, the Project Coordinator for the developer. This documentation was supposed to have been provided weeks ago - why it hasn't (or if it has and was misplaced) will be determined on Monday.

I hope to see you there! Have a great weekend everyone! :-)

June Borough Council Round-up

Hello everyone - here's a brief summary of the June Council Meeting held last Monday for all those who are interested:

1. Dale Fern attended a class that discussed putting together a rental property inspection and presented the results of the class to Council. Council asked Dale to form a committee to determine the types of requirements and what would be needed to put together a program to inspect rental properties within the borough, to include fees, timing, etc. We will most likely readdress this next month.

2. Zoning Officer John Soloe presented a new proposed fee schedule; basically upgrading our permit and application fees to align with other municipalities, and to allow for more commercial development. Council tabled further discussion on this until next month.

3. Borough Engineer Bob Mack presented a few items:

- A report on the street lights in the new Chrin Commerce Center - they are in fact powered by PPL feeds, so we won't have to deal with the same issue that we've been dealing with for months now in the Tatamy Hunt subdivision with the change in power providers (MetEd vs. the borough's provider PPL Utilities) when it comes time to turn on the street lights. Speaking of the street lights in Tatamy Hunt, we are no closer to coming to an agreement on that one. I believe the borough is going to go back to the developer and make them resolve it.

- The contractor for the Chrin Commerce Center may be coming before Council next month to request i) a realignment of a few lot lines to make them align with the Palmer Township/Tatamy Borough line, and ii) to rename a few of the streets within the development to accomodate a potential tenant.

4. Council (me) presented a few ideas to the Borough Secretary on how to improve her meeting notes. For those of you who attend the meetings regularly, you will know that I and a few others are very particular with the minutes that are published, and will not hesitate to point out mistakes, misspellings, etc. that are contained in them. The minutes of our meetings are public records - they will go on in history forever - and if they are not 100% accurate, do not reflect what truly went on. Anyway, I gave her some suggestions, and hope to see some real improvement soon. We shall see . . .

5. Just a reminder, in preparation for the completion of the new High Street Park, the new stop sign has been installed at the corner of 6th and High Streets. This is now a 4-way stop intersection! Please pay special attention to it (e.g. don't go through it . . . ).

6. Larry Koehler, Chairman of the Sewer Authority, reported that they will, at this month's meeting, plan to adopt the new fee schedule. Sewer billing will be delayed by a week and will reflect the new schedule.

That's about it for this month. As always, let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for stopping by.

Borough Council - Tonight 7:30

Well, since I was delinquent in providing the roundup for last month (shame on me), I wanted to remind you all that tonight at 7:30 we shall get together again for what I'm sure will be a most lively discussion (HA!).

Hope to see you there!

Council Meeting Update

I know I've been delinquent (sorry . . . ) and I owe you an update of last week's Borough Council meeting. I hope to have something up by the end of the week. Stay tuned!

Tonight's Council Meeting - Preliminary Agenda

Some topics for discussion at tonight's council meeting will include:

1. The bids for the construction of the basketball / volleyball courts on the new High Street Park.

2. Approval of the 4-way stop sign ordinance at the corner of High and Sixth Streets.

3. Status of the street lighting in the Tatamy Hunt sub-division.

4. Signature Homes is expected to ask for an extension to file their final subdivision plans. They are looking to develop the field in North Tatamy to the north of Main Street (the plot of land between Equipto and the houses already in North Tatamy).

I hope to see some of you there!

Reminder - Borough Council Monday Night

Don't forget, our monthly Borough Council meeting will be held Monday May 5, 2008 at 7:30PM Monday, May 5, 2008 at the Borough Hall. I hope to see you there!

Tatamy Borough Council - 4/10/2008 Wrap-up

Hi Everyone -- A little late, but here's a summary of this month's Council meeting. As always, please keep in mind that these thoughts are mine only and are in no way to be interpreted as official meeting minutes or any official communication from Tatamy Borough. Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome and encouraged!

1. Traffic Light. As you all know, we have been waiting for some time to have a traffc light at the corner of 8th and Main Streets installed. This signal was required as part of the two new housing developments (Tatamy Hunt and Fieldstone) that were recently constructed. The signal work has all been approved for some time, but (I believe) PennDOT put the project 'on hold' due to the changes that were required because of the Chrin development (longer mast arms, etc.). Money was placed into escrow by both the developers, but now several years have gone by, and, of course, the cost for the installation of the traffic light exceeds what is in escrow. The question now is who is going to have to make up the difference? Stay tuned . . .

2. Street Lights. A carry over from last months update, we have been trying to get the street lights in Tatamy Hunt turned on. When the developer submitted his final plans for approval, the power utility company that was indicated on the plan was PPL Utilities, as they are the power supplier for Tatamy Borough. We have since learned that in fact MetEd is the power supplier in Tatamy Hunt. Unfortunately Tatamy Borough does not have an agreement with MetEd, so that presents a problem. According to what we have been told by a MetEd representative, there is an agreement somewhere on file between MetEd and PPL Utilities to allow MetEd into PPL's service area. Unfortunately they were unable to locate that agreement prior to the council meeting. MetEd did send us a proposed Ordnance to review and sign which would allow them to energize and turn-on the street lights, however the way the ordnance was written it would have placed the burden of responsiblity for maintaining and replacing the street lights on the Borough (normally the utility company takes care of this). So, unfortunately, until all the bureaucracy can be worked out, the lights, at least for another month, will stay dark.

3. Zoning Hearing Board. Pam Pearson was sworn in as the Co-Chairperson for the Tatamy Borough Zoning Hearing Board. Congratulations Pam and welcome aboard!

4. No Parking Ordnance. Council approved the ordnance to install the "No Parking" signs behind the newly constructed Borough Garage. This no parking zone will make it easier to get the vehicles (especially the new truck) in and out of the garage safely. Thanks to everyone in advance for your cooperation and compliance with this new no parking zone.

5. Stop Sign Ordnance. We were also supposed to approve the creation of a 4-way stop intersection at the corner of 6th and High Streets, along with the installation of crosswalks. Unfortunately, even though we sent it to the Express Times, somehow the ordnance didn't get advertised and now we have to wait another month. In any event, be prepared as that intersection will most likely become a 4-way stop come May.

6. Sewer Authority. Be on the lookout for a REDUCED sewer bill coming to a post office box near you soon. The Sewer Authority is proposing a realignment of their fee structure.

Those were the major highlights of this month's meeting. Just a reminder, Borough Council meets the first Monday of every month at 7:30PM in the Borough Hall. Come, get involved, voice your opinion, see what's going on. The more the merrier! I look forward to seeing you there!

Borough Council Wrap Up

Delayed . . .

Life has gotten in the way of pulling together my notes and posting the update to Monday night's council meeting. While nothing earth shattering was discussed or approved (unless you consider a "NO PARKING" zone behind the newly constructed borough garage on Green St. earth shattering), I have an obligation to you, my two faithful readers (HA!) to provide a summary. I will have it up for you tomorrow night.

As they say in show business - Stay Tuned!