Meeting Minutes State College Borough Council Regular Meeting June 1, 2015

Transcription

1 Meeting Minutes State College Borough Council Regular Meeting June 1, 2015 The State College Borough Council met in a regular meeting on Monday, June 1, 2015, in the State College Municipal Building, 243 South Allen Street, State College, PA. Mayor Goreham called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present: Elizabeth A. Goreham, Mayor James L. Rosenberger, Council President Catherine G. Dauler Thomas E. Daubert Sarah Klinetob Theresa D. Lafer Peter Morris Evan Myers Also in attendance: Terry Williams, Borough Solicitor; Roger Dunlap, Assistant Manager; Dwight Miller, Manager of Financial Services; Courtney Hayden, Communication & Special Projects Coordinator; Edward LeClear, Planning Director; Thomas King, Chief of Police; Mark Whitfield, Public Works Director; Shawn Bengali, UPUA Student Representative; Sharon Ergler, Assistant Borough Secretary; Amy Kerner, Borough Engineer; Douglas Holmes, Interim Parking Manager; as well as members of the public, numerous students and several media representatives. Public Hour John Simbeck, 601 West College Avenue, said every spring new people come to town who are not familiar with the one way street system on College Avenue. He commented that he sees at least one car a day going the wrong way on College Avenue. He suggested putting wrong way signs on the back of the 25 mph signs as a deterrent. In addition, Mr. Simbeck said there have been several motorists exceeding the 25 mph speed limit on West College Avenue and not stopping at the stop signs. Mr. Morris said earlier today he too had been driving on West College Avenue, going the right way, and there were two cars traveling in front of him and the car in the right lane made a left turn. Ms. Lafer said an option may be to make College and Beaver Avenues two way again. She said if this option was approved by PennDOT, it would not occur overnight. She agreed that cars traveling the wrong direction on College Avenue can create a very dangerous circumstance. Special Report/Presentation Autumn Farrell, a State College High School student, who interned at the Borough, gave a brief overview of a capstone report she prepared on social media. She said social media could give the Borough a leg up to connect to and with the community. She said social media could be the platform to a peaceful bridge for communication between students and residents. Public Hearings Capital Improvement Plan Mayor Goreham opened the public hearing on the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at 7:18 p.m.

2 John Simbeck, owner of Gemini Enterprises, said he had followed the CIP discussion with anticipation for great changes to the West End. He inquired if there was an official document that changed the name from the Urban Village to the West End. Ms. Dauler said a consultant had recommended this portion of town be called the West End. She said she did not recall Council making a formal name change. Mr. Simbeck said he personally would prefer this area be called the West Side, and not the West End, because West Side had a more positive connotation. He noted that improvements to the West End had been included on the CIP for the last seven years and none of the projects had been accomplished. He stated that Project #ST-053, as proposed, raised some concern. He said if this project were to be completed, it would make Gill Street the primary bike path to and from campus. If that were to occur, it would remove on-street parking in front of his business, which would be detrimental. The Mayor closed the public hearing on the CIP at 7:26 p.m. Stormwater MS4 Permit Mayor Goreham opened the public hearing on the Stormwater MS4 Permit at 7:27 p.m. Amy Kerner, Borough Engineer, explained that the Borough holds a Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System as regulated by the EPA, which was required with the development of a Stormwater Management Program. She noted that one of the requirements was to receive public input on the Stormwater Management Program. She also explained that the Borough was required to implement a Stormwater Management Program, which included an ordinance, track progress towards set goals, document everything staff does in terms of public education and outreach, develop a written plan and to collaborate with the Borough s MS4 partners. There was no one in the audience who had any questions about the Borough s MS4 permit so Mayor Goreham closed the public hearing at 7:47 p.m. Consent Items Mayor Goreham said Mr. Myers had requested that Item E be removed from the list of Consent Items for further discussion. Mr. Daubert had requested Item C be removed as well. Ms. Lafer made a motion to approve the remaining Consent Items. Mr. Myers seconded the motion. Approve the limited closure of Ridge Avenue, on Sunday, June 7, 2015, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for a neighborhood graduation party. Approve the closure of East Foster Avenue, between Fraternity Row and Sidney Friedman Park, on Saturday, July 4, 2015, from 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m., for the Centre Region Parks and Recreation s annual Kid on Wheels Parade. Approve the closing of the 100 block of Locust Lane, from East Calder Way to East College Avenue (not blocking Calder or College), on Friday, June 19, 2015, from 5 p.m. on Friday until 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, for the annual Ramadan Tent Dinner sponsored by the Red Rose Multicultural and Education Foundation. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Rosenberger made a motion to approve the use of the Municipal Building s first floor restrooms and the staggered closing of various Borough streets and roads, with conditions, beginning on Saturday, July 4, 2015, and ending by 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, for the annual Central PA Festival of the Arts.

3 Mr. Myers seconded the motion. Mr. Daubert questioned why the street closure was so long when the festival only ran for five (5) days. Mr. Rosenberger said because the festival committee needed the time to set up and to tear down. Rick Bryant, the Arts Festival Executive Director, said the committee would start to set up on Sunday, July 5, at noon. Ms. Lafer said she believed the 4 th Fest events, i.e. parade, had something to do with the closure. She said it made perfectly good sense to close the street for the 4 th Fest parade and then keep it closed, since the Arts Festival would begin to set up the following day. The motion to approve the Arts Festival s street closure passed unanimously. Ms. Dauler made a motion to award Project #1-2015, the Sidewalk Replacement Project, to BCS Construction, Inc., the lowest qualified bidder, for a total maximum amount of $433,800. Mr. Morris seconded the motion. Mr. Myers commented that the cost for this project was not borne by the Borough, but the amount was charged to Borough homeowners and businesses. He noted that the project was put out to bid in case property owners choose to have the Borough s contractor perform the work. Mr. Myers asked why staff s estimate was $17,000 less. Ms. Kerner said staff s estimate had more to do with the quantity of blocks that needed to be repaired/replaced that year. Staff does not always know how many blocks will need to be done until they are finished with the inspections, which are done after the winter months. This year in particular, she noted, was a much larger quantity than previous years. Mr. Myer asked if staff thought the square footage breakdown was what they thought it would be. If yes, were the costs in line with the original estimates staff prepared. Ms. Kerner said the combination and quantity and the actual square footage amount is slightly higher than staff s original estimate. Mr. Rosenberger said usually the Borough does obtain the best price per square footage. He noted that this contractor was from Altoona. He asked if there were some local contractors who could do the work and could the Borough bid smaller sections so smaller contractors could get in on the work. Ms. Kerner explained that when the Borough puts the project out for bid, they bid it for the maximum number of blocks; however, any contractor could do the work. She noted there were over 500 properties that needed their sidewalks replaced this year. If a property owner wanted to shop around for another contactor they are more than welcome to do so. The letter the Borough sends to property owners provides them with three options. The first option would be to do the work themselves, hire a private contractor or to hire the Borough s contractor to perform the work. Mr. Rosenberger said it would be helpful if the Borough included a list of local contractors when sending out the notices to property owners. Ms. Kerner said the Borough has never been able to recommend any one contractor over another. She said staff encourages property owners towards a Google search for local contractors. Mr. Williams said it would not be appropriate for the Borough to send a list of contractors because that would imply the Borough approves those contractors. If a property owner had a problem with a contractor, the Borough could be involved in litigation and this could also create liability issues. The motion to approve Project # passed unanimously.

4 General Policy and Administration 2015 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (CPFA) Ms. Dauler made a motion to approve Ordinance 2061, which designates the time and place for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and to suspend certain other activities designated by the ordinance. Ms. Lafer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously in favor in a roll call vote. Official Reports and Correspondence Mayor s Report Ms. Goreham said she had nothing to report. President s Report Mr. Rosenberger said he nothing to officially report; however, he wanted to let everyone know that the Planning Commission planned to meet at noon on Wednesday to discuss the Collegiate Housing Overlay. Staff/Other Reports Mr. Dunlap said he had nothing to report. Student Representative Mr. Bengali said he was working on establishing the Student/Borough Advisory Committee. He commented that UPUA supports the suspension of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity. Items of Information Council recessed to a work session at 8:05 p.m Capital Improvement Plan Mr. Whitfield reviewed the Public Works projects that would be completed this year. Some of those projects included the HVAC unit for the computer server room, which the Borough received grant money to do. In addition, a Fire Suppression System would be completed later during the year. He noted there were no projects planned for the Building Maintenance Reserve Fund. Other projects include the sally port expansion, security improvements to the Police and Finance lobbies, keyless access to elevators, power door operators on various departmental doors, the replacement of the main electrical switchgear and living design furniture for the public spaces. Mr. Rosenberger commented that the new Service Building should require less maintenance and he asked how much was in it. Mr. Dunlap said a report would be prepared and available at the next meeting. Mr. Whitfield pointed out that funds had not been set aside for repairs at the old Service Building, since staff knew it was going to be replaced. Mr. Whitfield said other projects included the replacement of the roof at the Sunset Park restroom, the relocation of electrical lines and additional park land acquisition and improvements. Also proposed was an action skate/bicycle park and a pocket park for West College Heights. Ms. Dauler asked where the pocket park was going to be located. Mr. Whitfield said this would involve a partnership with the State College School District and the Radio Park School, but noted this would not occur until Mr. Whitfield commented that staff was proposing the replacement of two refuse trucks with a single new truck; however, staff was waiting until a study was done through COG before proceeding. He explained that in the past, the Borough had used a regular brush truck and a chipper; however, there had been manpower injuries from pulling and feeding the chipper. Ms. Lafer asked if the Borough had done any adjustments given the expectations of the surrounding region and their interest in the green waste program. Mr. Whitfield said the Borough had concern regarding the amount of carbon available for the mixing. Mr. Whitfield said the Borough had intended to reconstruct a portion of South Atherton Street; however, PennDOT now plans to reconstruct all of Atherton Street, from Patton to Harris Townships.

5 Mr. Myers asked about Westerly Parkway. He noted that there had been a considerable amount of development in that area, such as the Retreat and the upcoming high school project. He added that a number of trees had been cut down in preparation. He said he knew the parkway floods quite a bit. He said with the trees gone and the landscaping cleared, was staff concerned about flooding. Mr. Whitfield said the Retreat had an underground storage system so that area should not flood. Ms. Kerner said although the Retreat was located in College Township, it must comply with the Borough s stormwater management ordinance. That development constructed a huge underground storage retention system, which mimics the natural conditions on the site. She added that the State College School District has plans to reduce some of the impervious area as time goes by and the School District plans to address water runoff during the different phases of construction. Ms. Lafer had a question about the street resurfacing schedule. She noted that Smithfield Street was on the schedule for resurfacing; however, she said she drove around but did not see a pothole or anything that should be avoided. She suggested staff review these streets closely, especially those coming up on the schedule during the next couple of years. Some streets may need to be pushed back for a bit more wear. Mr. Whitfield reviewed the proposed Parking Projects. One project slated for this year was the parking access and revenue control system. Another was the joint repairs and waterproofing. Next year s project included streetscape improvements at the Beaver Avenue/South Pugh Street intersection. In 2017, staff was proposing to replace the existing elevators in the Fraser Garage with high-speed elevators and to resolve the leaky canopy issue and the reconstruction of the brick plaza, including landscaping, seating, awnings and lighting in the Martin Luther King Plaza area. Mr. Myers said he had two questions. First was the open space area at the corner of Fraser Street and Beaver Avenue and the large traffic signal box in the middle of the space. He asked if any thought been put into moving that box. Mr. Whitfield said the traffic signal control box would remain and be incorporated into the edge of the public space. Mr. Myers then commented that the Pugh Street Garage was approximately 45 years old and in years it would be a 60 year old parking facility. He said it was nice to think about how repairs could be made to prolong the useful life of the garage, however, where will the Borough be in 5, 10 or 15 years in terms of identifying and/or purchasing land for a new parking structure. He asked if funding would be put aside for the future development. Mr. Whitfield said that was a good question. He said the Borough received a revised Executive Session from Walker Parking Consultants last week and if the Pugh Street Garage was taken out of the mix, the Borough would need roughly an additional 700 spaces by the year Leaving the Pugh Street Garage in the mix, that problem goes away. While the Borough does not have a surplus of parking, it does not have a deficit either. Mr. Rosenberger said the future of parking would be to incorporate a parking structure with a private developer project. That concept was far superior to a stand-alone garage. There are better designs that hide parking structures and make them blend into the downtown. Mr. Rosenberger then said he had two concerns about the Fraser Garage. Would the work on the garage be finished before Fraser Centre was completed. He said of the $1.7 million proposed for renovations, how much of that was needed for the high-speed elevators. Mr. Whitfield said although staff did not have the exact amount, the cost for the elevators alone was $800,000, and in addition, there would be other equipment, construction and labor costs. Mr. Rosenberger said it did not bother him that it takes a minute or two longer to reach the top floor of the garage. Mr. Whitfield noted that was the number one complaint the Borough received because users complained that the elevators were too slow. Mr. Daubert said he did not understand why staff would recommend putting $800,000 into the Pugh Street Garage repairs next year and then keep it for another years. If that was the case, why would staff include in the CIP the option to purchase land in That process seemed ridiculous. Mr. Whitfield said staff was not indicating the Borough would definitely be purchasing land in 2017; however,

6 if the right piece of land became available, the Borough should consider its options of purchasing and constructing a garage in the future. Mr. Whitfield said the Fraser Centre construction was supposed to be completed by December Mr. Daubert said this would affect the Borough s budget and perhaps some of the items in the CIP should be moved ahead. Mr. Morris said when the Borough considers building a new parking garage, it should consider a modern idea that includes a multi-use building and design it in such a way that it incorporates a parking garage without looking like a garage. He added that the aesthetic aspect of a garage s façade was extremely important. Mr. Myers made a general comment about the CIP. He said he had the pleasure, while serving on the Planning Commission, to have Mr. Simbeck attend many meetings and provide great input. He said he agreed with Mr. Simbeck s comment about renaming the West End the West Side, because the West Side was a softer, more inviting name. Mr. Morris said he respectfully disagreed. The reason it was called the West End was because it was west of Atherton Street. He said there were places in other cities where the West End was in a bad neighborhood. The same holds true for West Side. Where he grew up there was a West Side that was a poor neighborhood. He said he guessed it all depends but the West End seemed to describe the shape of the area and it covered the area leading out of the Borough and into an adjacent municipality. Mayor Goreham asked how the Borough was going to honor Dr. King at the Fraser Street Plaza. Would local organizations be included in the discussion. Mr. Whitfield said there needed to be a lot of public input to determine how to best design and use the plaza. There being no additional matters to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon K. Ergler Assistant Borough Secretary