BOROUGH OF GREEN TREE COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 CALL TO ORDER / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Green Tree Borough Council met on Monday, September 14, 2015 in the Sycamore Room of the Green Tree Municipal Center at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Sampogna reported that Council met in Executive Session on Monday, August 31 to discuss labor contracts with the Police Department and the Public Works Department. ROLL CALL Present: Edward Schenck, Mayor Mark Sampogna, President Rino Lindsey David Lorenzini John Novak Ron Panza David Rea Also present: W. David Montz, Borough Manager Deborah N. Gawryla, Stenographer Absent: Arthur Tintori PUBLIC HEARING - CU-02-14 Applicant, ExteNet Systems, Inc., requesting conditional use approval for the installation of a communication antenna on the top of a utility pole at 1100 Oriole Drive. Mr. Sampogna reported that the applicant requested a postponement of the public hearing. After a discussion, Council decided that if the applicant should reapply that this public hearing should be rescheduled on December 7, 2015. APPROVAL OF MINUTES August 3, 2015 Mr. Lindsey made a motion, seconded by Mr. Panza, to approve the minutes of the August 3, 2015 Council meeting as presented. Mr. Panza commented that he felt holding the August meeting at City Vista had been a great idea. Motion carried, with Mr. Novak abstaining because he had not attended this meeting. HEARING OF THE CITIZENS William Korey, 147 Parkedge Road Mr. Korey said he has been a Green Tree resident for 51 years. He commented on the state of various businesses in the area and said that Green Treeʼs library and Public Works Department are doing well. However, he felt that the three-way stop signs along Parkedge/Sheldon and Rhodes/Sheldon are unnecessary and asked Council to review the actual need for all of these stop signs that have been added. He felt it was a waste of time and money to have the Green Tree police patrol these intersections and ticket residents where stop signs are not needed. He
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 2 suggested that the police patrol Greentree Road more often and not worry about these residential locations where there is not much traffic and stop signs are not needed. Mr. Korey said he had presented a petition to Council in 1997 for the installation of a sound barrier between Parkedge Road and the Parkway and nothing has been done to date. He said he has been told that there is nothing that can be done about trucks that jake-brake along the Parkway, but asked that jake-braking be prohibited along Mansfield Avenue that has been having a lot of truck traffic. He suggested that if signs could not be installed for jake-braking that the police should ticket them for disturbing the peace. Mr. Korey said he had received a letter in 1989 from the state representative laying out a 12- year plan for the installation of a sound barrier in Green Tree, but the borough still has not gotten a sound barrier installed. He said that getting a sound barrier as part of the ongoing Parkway construction would be a good idea, but he felt that Green Tree would not be getting one. He said the noise has increased with the expansion of the Parkway lanes and the increase in the height of the center divider. He asked Council to appeal to PennDOT to try and get a sound barrier installed. Mr. Panza asked if Mr. Korey had attended a recent meeting with PennDOT officials who stated that the passage of a particular senate bill would help get a sound barrier sooner for Green Tree. Mr. Korey said he had attended that meeting. Mr. Panza said the sound barrier would be part of the grant projects and not part of the Parkway paving project. There are no additional lanes being added to the Parkway paving project. Mr. Panza said that between the Sound Barrier Committee and help from State Representative Dan Deasy, there has been a lot of pressure on PennDOT for the installation of a sound barrier. He said that the next Sound Barrier Committee meeting would be held in October and he encouraged Mr. Korey to attend. Mr. Panza said there are talks underway with the Chief of Staff of the Highway Commission, and the he has indicated that he would consider visiting Parkedge Road to review this need. Mr. Panza hoped that something could be finalized by October, particularly if a visit could be arranged. Discussion continued regarding the details of the Parkway construction. MAYORʼS REPORT - Mayor Schenck Mayor Schenck stated that during the month of August he performed his fourth wedding since becoming mayor, attended the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company picnic, the special library event honoring the receipt of the Star Library Award, the Green Tree Swim Teamʼs picnic where he presented several trophies for their efforts, and visited a number of businesses in the area including the new Julian Gray Associates, the Holiday Inn Express, and City Vista. The City Vista manager said she would like to give the police department a fob to be able to enter the clubhouse and occasionally patrol and/or write reports there to give more police presence in City Vista. City Vista is currently 81% occupied. Mayor Schenck said he would be holding Mayorʼs Office Hours on Saturday, September 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Birch Room in the Green Tree Municipal Center. Proclamation - Fire Prevention Week Mayor Schenck read the following proclamation: Whereas, since 1992 Fire Prevention Week is observed across the United States as a reminder of the dangers of fires and to provide education to the public concerning fire hazards, and,
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 3 Whereas, since 1927 the volunteers of the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company serve our community selflessly by putting their lives on the line to protect the residents of our community, and, Whereas, the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company has not only responded to fighting fires, but also to a variety of other incidents, including, but not limited to, car accidents, weather events, and hazardous spills. Witness by the virtue of the power vested in me, I, Edward A. Schenck, Mayor of the Borough of Green Tree, declare the week of October 4 to October 10, 2015 as Fire Prevention Week in the Borough of Green Tree, and on behalf of the residents of Green Tree express appreciation and gratitude to all past and present members of the volunteer fire department for their dedication and service to the residents of Green Tree. Mayor Schenck noted all of the training that members of the Green Tree Volunteer Company receive to take part in this noble service. REPORT OF BOROUGH COUNCIL COMMITTEES A. PUBLIC PROPERTY & EQUIPMENT - Mr. Rea 1. Wilson Park Pool Needs Assessment Mr. Rea said Council had authorized Mr. Jim Goldman to conduct a needs assessment on Wilson Park Pool. That assessment is underway and the Public Property Committee will be meeting to review the results. B. PUBLIC SAFETY - Mr. Lindsey 1. Hiring of Chief of Police Mr. Lindsey said the Public Safety Committee has been working on the process for hiring a new Chief of Police for Green Tree and will be wrapping up the phone interviews shortly. At that time, face-to-face interviews with Council will need to be conducted. He hoped that a decision could be reached by the end of October. Discussion continued regarding the details to complete the procedure. 2. Mr. Lindsey reported that the Sportmenʼs Bash on September 12 had been a big success. C. STREETS & PUBLIC HEALTH - Mr. Novak 1. Sewer Line Warranty Program Mr. Novak reported that the Streets Committee had met last month and discussed the sewer line warranty program. Homeowners would be offered the opportunity or purchase private insurance that would cover any incidents that might happen to their private sewer lines up to $4,000. The new consent decree will impact homeownersʼ sewer lines and this insurance would give residents the opportunity to purchase this type of insurance if they wish. It is a private company that would collect the fee, but a letter would go out under borough letterhead. The insurance would cover water lines, sewer lines, and plumbing. Council reviewed the paperwork they had received on the insurance program. Mr. Montz said that Utility Service Partners is seeking Councilʼs endorsement as recommended by the Pennsylvania Municipal League. Councilʼs endorsement gives the company additional support and credibility in approaching the residents. Mr. Montz said he could obtain a sample letter that Council would send to residents before next monthʼs meeting. Mr. Montz said that the consent decree under review would most likely require inspection of a homeownerʼs lateral sewers at the time of sale. The testing would be a video inspection of a homeʼs laterals to stop infiltration of ground water and storm water.
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 4 Mr. Rea asked why the borough needs to endorse one company over another. Mr. Novak said it helps inform the residents of the availability of the service and the impact that the consent decree may have. Mr. Rea said he would like to see comments and letters from other communities that have endorsed this company. Mr. Montz said he would get this information from other communities, along with sample letters sent to their residents, and distribute this information to Council members. 2. Live Well Allegheny Mr. Novak said that the borough already does a number of items that would fit the requirements of the Live Well Allegheny program, such as the walking track, the various recreational activities, etc. He said the Streets Committee is considering additional new ideas to take part in this program. Discussion continued regarding the program. 3. Consent Decree Mr. Novak stated that the Streets Committee has been reviewing and discussing the proposed consent decree. Mr. Montz said that passage of the decree has been delayed until at least November. Mr. Montz noted that the transfer of the multi-municipal sewer lines to Alcosan has been moving along. Discussion continued regarding the details of these sewer lines. 4. Overhanging Shrubs Mr. Rea asked what could be done about overhanging shrubs near a sidewalk that interfere with walkers and possibly reduce visibility at intersections. Mr. Novak suggested that if there is a minimum sidewalk width and the shrubs take away from the minimum width the borough might be able to do something. Mr. Montz said he would check with the Borough Engineer about this issue. Mr. Rea said there is a problem with the shrubs at the intersection of Greentree Road and Greenridge. It is difficult to pull out of Greenridge onto Greentree because it is difficult to see oncoming traffic along Greentree Road. Mr. Montz explained the various issues involved in providing sufficient sight distance versus shrubs interfering with the sidewalk. Mr. Montz said he would look into it tomorrow. D. RECREATION & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS - Mr. Panza 1. Online Services Mr. Panza said he had received several complaints from residents regarding the lack of online services. He asked that residents be able to register for recreation programs via the website. He would like residents to be able to see schedules of available picnic facilities and be able to select dates and locations and pay for them online. It would also be nice to be able to let residents pay online for the many recreation programs that are offered. Mr. Montz replied that there would be difficulty in identifying residents versus non-residents in online registrations. Non-residents cannot rent borough picnic facilities. There are usually two different costs for residents and non-residents for the recreational programs as well. Mr. Montz said the borough is seeking a new IT company that might be able to help with this problem. Discussion continued regarding issues with possible online payments. 2. Mr. Panza reminded residents that Octoberfest was scheduled for September 19 and 20. He hoped that there would not be Parkway closures that weekend that could deter people from attending. Discussion continued regarding the Parkway closures.
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 5 E. FINANCE - Mr. Tintori In Mr. Tintoriʼs absence, Mr. Rea presented the Finance report. 1. Motion: Mr. Rea made a motion, seconded by Mr. Lindsey, to ratify the actions of the Borough Manager in paying the August 2015 invoices from the General Fund totaling $80,876.90, Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Fund totaling $118.11, Public Works Department Equipment Fund totaling $81,392.00, Payroll Account totaling $232,601.26, and Educational Service Agency totaling $409.36. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Montz commented that although the check has been cut for the purchase of the new truck, the borough is currently refusing to take delivery of the new truck because the company does not yet have the plow that is part of this purchase and the borough is waiting for the entire package. 2. Motion: Mr. Rea made a motion, seconded by Mr. Lindsey, to ratify the actions of the Borough Manager in paying the August 2015 invoices from the General Fund totaling $296,675.19, Sanitary Sewer Bond totaling $18,504.95, and Capital Projects totaling $61,289.54. Motion carried unanimously. F. PLANNING & ZONING - Mr. Lorenzini 1. Mr. Lorenzini reported that the public hearing for CU-02-14 has been postponed until a later date to be determined. 2. General Report Mr. Lorenzini said that the Green Tree Planning Commission has answered all of his questions and addressed the questions and comments from residents regarding the proposed zoning ordinance. Planning Commission will be meeting with Ms. Rosselli from Mackin Engineering who will provide information and comments on a number of items. He said Planning Commission will be meeting twice in October and hoped that Mr. Montz would be able to attend one of the meetings to discuss his questions and comments on the proposed zoning ordinance. LIAISON REPORTS A. MRTSA - Mr. Montz Mr. Montz had nothing to report at this time. subscription notices are getting ready to be mailed. Mr. Sampogna noted that MRTSA B. Char West COG - Mr. Novak Mr. Novak said there had been no meeting this month, so he had nothing to report at this time. C. Library - Mr. Sampogna Mr. Sampogna said that the library director is working on the 2016 budget for the library. The library has a couple of new employees to fill vacancies. The libraryʼs new website
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 6 shows that the number of sessions has increased 25% and he had a full report on library website usage for anyone who would like to see it. Mr. Sampogna said that the Friends of the Libraryʼs annual Used Book Sale is scheduled from October 1-5. October 1 is a preview sale for Friends of the Library members only. The book sale is open to the general public from October 2-5. He reported of several other upcoming library events. PRESIDENTʼS REPORT - Mr. Sampogna 1. Mr. Sampogna thanked Mr. Lindsey and the volunteer fire company for the recent Sportsmenʼs Bash. SOLICITORʼS REPORT - Mr. Molinaro In the absence of Mr. Molinaro there was no report this evening. MANAGERʼS REPORT - Mr. Montz 1. Mr. Montz said he is appreciative of the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company, especially when he makes up the budget because of all the free services the borough receives from these volunteering men and women. 2. Mr. Montz said he had spoken to a new City Vista resident who had moved from Upper St. Clair who said how much more community-friendly Green Treeʼs library was than Upper St. Clairʼs library. The person said that Green Tree had so many more community events, not only with the library but also throughout the borough, particularly with the size of the community. 3. Mr. Montz said the estimate for the purchase of rock salt from the CO-STARS was $68.78 per ton this year. This is $3.51 higher than last yearʼs cost, but cheaper than the SHACOG price at $69.29. 4. Mr. Montz said that there were a number of residents who spoke at last monthʼs meeting with various concerns and the borough has been able to address almost all of them. One of the residents at last monthʼs meeting had requested a sign be posted at the intersection of Parkedge and Penfield regarding their handicapped child. The mother of the child had written to Mr. Montz as follows: Hi Dave, I was hoping to do this in person at the meeting this evening. However, my work interfered with my plans. Please extend our thanks to everyone for the new signs that were put up on Parkedge. Traffic does seem to have slowed down a bit at the two stop signs. Also, thank you for a great summer at the pool. The lift chair is a great gift from heaven and Rob and the crew could not be nicer and more helpful. Again, thanks to all. Cindy, Todd & Ryan White Mr. Montz explained how Ryan White was able to utilize the lift chair at the pool this summer. 5. Mr. Montz stated that he would be starting on the 2016 budget and asked Council members to submit their budget ideas to him as soon as possible. Mr. Lorenzini asked what will be cut first if revenues are declining. Mr. Montz said that the borough puts a lot of money into
COUNCIL MEETING September 14, 2015 Page 7 its paving program and that would probably be the first item to take the biggest hit in cutting the budget. Discussion continued regarding the budget and taxes. Mr. Lorenzini asked if the collection of earned income tax had improved. Mr. Montz replied that it is better than it had been. 6. Mr. Sampogna reminded all those present that there was one more Concert in the Park scheduled for Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. with Tony Janflone and Curtis Swift. He encouraged everyone to attend. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Mr. Panza made a motion, seconded by Mr. Lindsey, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Mark Sampogna, President dng W. David Montz, Manager