MARTINSBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 10, 2006
The regular meeting of the Martinsburg Borough Council was held on Monday, July 10, 2006, in the municipal building. The meeting started at 7:00 p.m. with prayer by Robert Carper and the Pledge of Allegiance.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT: Mayor Donald C. Greenleaf, President Robert A. Carper, Pro-tem Nathan P. Ormsby, Councilman Christopher E. Brooks, Councilwoman Suzanne McNally, and Councilman Sheldon O. Smith
ALSO PRESENT were Manager Randy Stoltz, Attorney Frederick Gieg, Attorney Cathy Miller, and Dan Horton of the Morrisons Cove Herald.
The MINUTES of the regular meeting of June 5, 2006, were approved on a motion by Nathan Ormsby, seconded by Sheldon Smith, with a correction to page 3 the next to the last paragraph changing “Town Center Parking Lot Project” to “Downtown Street Scape Project”. The motion passed unanimously.
The FINANCIAL AND TREASURER’S REPORTS were presented for June 2006 as written.
The LIST OF BILLS for June 2006, check nos. 3196-3239 in the amount of $160,849.49 (including a PLGIT investment of $135,000) was approved on a motion by Chris Brooks, seconded by Nathan Ormsby. The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Greenleaf reported that he gave a welcome presentation on June 16th to 200 campers in the banquet room at the park; on June 17th installed two dry marking boards in the Jaycee room; July 6 participated in the agricultural parade; received several complaints about shrubbery extending into the alley behind 310 E. Julian St. – referred this to the manager; received an invitation to participate in the firemen’s parade on July 15th; sent an e-mail to the Morrisons Cove Herald commending most of the residents for maintaining their lawns in preparation of the agricultural parade.
Manager Randy Stoltz reported that Nick Evanosky of Municipal Publications started soliciting adds for the community map on June 12th. He has obtained enough adds to complete the map at no charge to the borough. Most of the borough’s information has been researched for the publication. Martinsburg is partnering with North Woodbury Township so both municipalities will have their information on the same map.
On June 15th attended a meeting on the ISO (Insurance Services Office, Inc.) for our community fire suppression rating. The rating is used to set fire insurance rates. Rating is from 1-10. A formula is used which considers many things such as fire equipment, personnel, training, distance from station, water supply, pressure, hydrants, maps, etc. Martinsburg’s rating is 5 which is very good for a volunteer company. A career department could lower the score because of the number of men responding and a quicker response time.
Manager Stoltz continued with his report: sprayed weeds along the curb line of all of the borough streets; painted the police speed lines and all of our crosswalks on June 20th; foamed 4,500 feet of sewer main with herbicide for root control - we have a yearly program to control the roots; repaired a main water line break on July 5th at 209 S. Mulberry Street; on July 6th Martinsburg had 3 trucks, air compressor and water repair utility trailer in the agricultural parade - Rich, Brian and Gary did a nice job of cleaning things up.
MARTINSBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 10, 2006 – PAGE 2
Attorney Gieg reiterated the importance of the ISO Premiere Rating Service for the commercial buildings such as Manager Stoltz reported.
Received the survey work on the Over property for the town center parking lot. The deeds have been prepared and Manager Stoltz was in the process of getting them signed. A release was given by Altoona First Bank. Gerald Pastva did the survey work. Everything has been copied and was sent to Richard Over on June 21st.
On the subject of the Edgewood Acres Development, there is a portion of E. Christiana St. that was never taken over by the borough. A petition, dedication and release will be required from the owners on either side to take over that portion of the street. Attorney Gieg has prepared all of this. An ordinance will be required by the borough so that liquid fuels money can be used to maintain that portion. After the legal documents are all in order, a public hearing will need to be arranged. It could be held at 6:45 p.m. on September 5 prior to the regular meeting.
Attorney Gieg reviewed the bond that New Enterprise had filed for the second paving bid and it appeared to be in order.
The authority is moving ahead with the Central High water line replacement project scheduled to start this week. P. Joseph Lehman Engineering will be sending as-built drawings to Attorney Gieg for the Kanode Development.
Chris Brooks reported that since the 2006 paving bid from New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc. came in at $51,824.50 and the borough only had $41,553.20 to spend, they will obviously need to cut back on the proposed streets scheduled to be pave. There should be enough to do the paving if they eliminate the W. Julian St., Railroad and North Market Street section from the proposed project.
Suzanne McNally reported on the 175th Anniversary CELEBRATION committee’s fund raising projects. They made $300 on parking at the old Benson school lot on the fireworks night at the park. They sold thirty T-shirts at the craft show. The Rotary Club will be helping the committee with a calendar.
Suzanne McNally also reported that there were about ten nominations for the Yard of the Month for the month of June. Nominations were given to the Garden Club to select a winner.
Sheldon Smith presented a contract between the Martinsburg Boosters and Identities, Inc. for the Martinsburg Streetscape Project which was adopted at a meeting of the Boosters on June 8 which he attended. The contract was reviewed by member of the Borough Council and the borough solicitor. No action was taken by the Martinsburg Borough Council.
On a motion by Chris Brooks, seconded by Suzanne McNally, council authorized to open a checking account with PLGIT for the 175th Anniversary Celebration. The motion passed unanimously.
On a motion by Nathan Ormsby, seconded by Sheldon Smith, council appointed Rodney Weyant to replace Dean Smith on the Martinsburg Municipal Authority as a Taylor Township representative. The motion passed unanimously.
MARTINSBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 10, 2006 – PAGE 3
On a motion by Nathan Ormsby, seconded by Chris Brooks, council approved to pre-buy $8,500 of heating oil for the 2006-2007 season at $2.599 per gallon from Barkman Oil Company. The motion passed unanimously. Deliver period is from September 1, 2006 thru April 30, 2007.
Gene Henry is requesting permission to widen the southeast corner of the intersection of N. Market and E. Julian Street by changing the radius by 4-feet 4-inches. He feels the curb sticks out too far and he is willing to pay for the entire widening. Council was concerned that if borough manpower was required it would interfere with the upcoming borough projects already planned as well as unplanned. Council would only be in favor of the project this year if Gene Henry could subcontracted it out so that borough manpower is not involved. Council is appreciative of what Mr. Henry has done for the community, but borough manpower is limited.
There will be an individual from 911 working around town mostly from his vehicle. They just wanted the borough to be aware of it.
A grant check was received for $643,505 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park renovation project made payable to the Borough of Martinsburg. Council understood that the borough was only guaranteeing the loan when they agreed to help the park obtain the grant. The borough would like to stay out of the audit process altogether by co-signing the check over to the park, but Attorney Gieg was not sure that it could be done that way since the grant was set up requiring that it be obtained by a municipality and not a private entity. Attorney Gieg recommended that a separate account be set up to handle only the grant money as it comes in. Per Atty. Gieg’s recommendation, council on a motion by Nathan Ormsby, seconded by Chris Brooks, to set up a separate account entitled [Borough of Martinsburg] Morrisons Cove Memorial Park [Renovation] Grant to handle only the park grant money(s) as it comes in. The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Greenleaf brought up the issue of the alley mail box located behind the post office. Chris Brooks spoke with the postmaster and was told that it was the busiest mail box in the borough. Council concluded to leave the mail box as is. No further action was required.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:37 p.m. on a motion by Nathan Ormsby, seconded by Chris Brooks. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Randy K. Stoltz
Acting Secretary