PRESENT – President Bollendorf, Vice President Stockton, Councilman Myers, Councilwoman Jacobus, Mayor Schultz, Chief Gardner, Deputy Chief Ruegg, Manager Hegele, Assistant Secretary DeRenzis, Solicitor Geiser, Engineer Goff, and Treasurer Smith were present.

ABSENT – Councilwoman Reichner, Councilwoman Shay, and Councilwoman McMenamin were excused.
CALL TO ORDER – President Bollendorf called the February 12, 2024, Committee Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Chief Gardner led the Pledge of Allegiance.

RECOGNITION – The Borough of Hatboro recognized Carol Brunner, Judi Swanson, and Muriel O’Neill, for their years of service on Borough Boards and Commissions. These women have unfortunately resigned from their current board positions; however, their work made a lasting impact on the Hatboro Community. Carol and Judi have served on the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) since its inception in 2020. Prior to their resignations, Judi served as Chair of the EAC and Carol was the Secretary of the EAC. Both Judi and Carol have been very involved with Borough projects over the years and have always given back to the community. We are so grateful for their outstanding community service and helping to make the EAC what it is today! Muriel O’Neill was appointed to the Library Board in 2019 and dedicated herself to improving the library ever since. You may recognize Muriel from her monthly Library reports at Council Meetings or many library events. The mission of the Union Library Board is to provide all of the members of the community and serviced areas with access to materials that will fulfill their cultural, informational, educational, recreational, and technological needs. Since her appointment in 2019, Muriel has been an integral part of helping accomplish this mission and helped improve so many elements of the library during her service.

MEETING NOTES – President Bollendorf reviewed the Public Comment Policy on the back of the agenda with regards to addressing Council and time allotment.

ANNOUNCEMENT: EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR LEGAL MATTER – President Bollendorf stated Council had an executive session prior to tonight’s meeting regarding a legal matter.

PUBLIC COMMENT: Todd A’ Harrah, 145 W. Lehman Avenue, stated the door was locked.

NEW BUSINESS

1.Public Safety Committee
•ENTERPRISE FIRE COMPANY EXPENDITURE LIST – Councilwoman Jacobus stated included in your packet is a copy of the Enterprise Fire Company Expenditure List for the month of January 2024 in the amount of $22,853.72. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•POLICE TEST UPDATE – Councilwoman Jacobus stated included in your packet is a memo from Deputy Chief Ruegg requesting that Borough Council direct the Civil Service Commission to establish a list of eligible candidates for the position of police officer during the upcoming police test in March or April of 2024. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.

2.Finance/Grants Committee
•COMPUTER LEASE – Vice President Stockton stated the Borough’s current Computer lease started in 2019 and ends in March 2024. Once this lease ends, the current equipment will be owned by the Borough; however, due to the heavy use of the equipment, many of the devices are worn and nearing the end of their useful life, especially at the police department. Over the last few months Deputy Chief Ruegg and Assistant Secretary DeRenzis have been working with the Borough’s IT company to determine the computer needs of Police, Administration, and Public Works. Included in your packet is the most up to date proposal for the equipment lease and details on the equipment proposed. As of right now, the total equipment cost for the lease is listed as $200,036.00 which includes $124,127 of equipment/installation costs for the police station and $75,909 in equipment/installation costs for the Administration/Public Works departments combined. We are asking Council to review this proposal, provide comment, and ask questions. Once Council is comfortable with the proposal and equipment, the Borough’s IT company will look at financing options for the lease. The financing options will then be brought back to Council for consideration. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•HATBORO STATION TRAIL CHANGE ORDER #1 – Vice President Stockton stated included in your packet is a copy of Change Order #1 for the Hatboro Station Trail Project that was completed in 2023. This change of order results in a net contract reduction of $21,420.00. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•FINAL PAYMENT HATBORO STATION TRAIL PROJECT – Vice President Stockton stated in 2023, Borough Council previously authorized a final payment request for the Hatboro Station Trail Project and Engineer Goff was contacted by the contractor following this payment request and determined that there was retainage still held and owed in 2 accordance with this project. As a result, a memo from Engineer Goff is included in packets recommending payment to Lenni Electric in the amount of $3,273.38 for the retainage that was never paid. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENT – Vice President Stockton stated included in your packet is a memo from Engineer Goff recommending payment to Marino Corporation in the amount of $98,053.02 for the Pedestrian Improvement Projects taking place at York/Williams, York/Summit, and Jacksonville/Meadowbrook. Once the payment request is approved at the 2/26 meeting and the check is cut by the contractor, staff will submit reimbursement paperwork to each corresponding grant administrator to receive a portion of the funds back. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•COVID-19 COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROGRAM GRANT – Vice President Stockton stated included in your packet is a packet of information for the COVID-19 ARPA Capital Projects Fund Multipurpose Community Facilities Program. This program funds projects that include construction or improvements to full-service community buildings, structures, and public spaces including schools, libraries, recreation centers, buildings owned and operated by local government, etc. This grant funds projects ranging from $250,000 to $2,000,000 and there is no match requirement for these projects. All projects approved through this program must reach substantial completion by December 31, 2026. Pre-Project Development Costs are eligible expenses for this grant program in addition to construction costs which means that engineering, design, etc. can be included in the grant application for reimbursement instead of being paid as an extra cost outside of construction. A small portion of staff time for processing the grant is also eligible for reimbursement under the grant. These costs need to be included in the project scope when the grant is applied for. Sample projects for this grant include: 1. Pennypack Facility HVAC Rehabilitation 2. Borough Hall Windows and we are asking Council to review the grant document and determine whether this is a grant you would like to apply for. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•FIRE HOUSE PROJECT GRANT EXTENSION – Vice President Stockton stated Borough staff continues to work with the grant administrator for the Fire House Project to close out the grant. The staff is working with a few subcontractors to determine costs that can be removed from the grant scope. These subcontractors were not willing to provide the necessary documentation needed by the Office of the Budget in order to consider the costs “eligible” under the grant. This was mostly due to the previous litigation associated with the project. The Borough needs to keep the grant active in order to receive the reimbursement, so Council will need to authorize an extension for this project at their Monday, February 26th meeting. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•FEE SCHEDULE AMENDMENT – Vice President Stockton stated the Borough recently discovered that there are no appeal fees included in the fee schedule for Uniform Construction Code appeals. These fees cover costs including advertising, staff, the Building Code Official, and Solicitor (if necessary) for permit appeals made to the Borough. The Borough is recommending an appeal fee of $500.00 which is in line with other municipalities and what they are charging. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.

3.Community Outreach & Events Committee
•UPCOMING EVENTS – Councilman Myers stated join us at the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting to honor Chief Gardner for his 40 years of service to Hatboro! Councilman Myers stated the Borough of Hatboro will be partnering with the Montgomery Department of Health and Human Services for a “Child Passenger Safety Basics” presentation! Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health will teach you about installing a car seat, buckling your child in correctly, PA laws, and more. This event will be taking place at Pennypack (130 Spring Ave) on Friday, March 1, 2024, from 1PM-2PM.
•NEW BUSINESS – There were no new businesses.
•BUSINESS RECOGNITION – C & L RIVET – Councilman Myers recognized C & L Rivet with a power pint presentation.
•FRIENDS OF CRESSBROOK UPDATE – Councilman Myers stated the Friends of Cressbrook met on February 6, 2024, to discuss an archeological dig at the Tannery, the upcoming History Fair, fundraising event in the fall, and grant opportunities. The next meeting is March 5, 2024.
•2024 SPECIAL EVENT REQUEST ANNOUNCEMENT – Councilman Myers stated department heads are currently reviewing and signing requests in anticipation of the voting meeting at the end of the month and will be voted on at the Council Meeting. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.
•2024 BANNER SCHEDULE – Councilman Myers stated Borough Staff is working with the chamber to obtain a banner schedule for 2024. Once this schedule is received, we will forward it out to Council. This schedule will need to be approved so Public Works knows when to hang each banner. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.

4. Public Works Committee
•RECYLING COMPOSITION AUDIT RESULTS – Manager Hegele stated in 2023, the Montgomery County Consortium conducted a recycling composition audit for all participating municipalities including Hatboro, Abington, Cheltenham, Plymouth, Springfield, Upper Dublin, and Upper Moreland. A copy of the official report is included in packets for review. Please note, this is not a voting item and is just an announcement so Council can acknowledge receipt of the report.
•MUNICIBID SALE OF UNIT #3 & AIR COMPRESSOR – Manager Hegele stated she met with Foreman Young met to discuss items ready to be sold on Municibid and the items proposed for sale are below:
Unit #3: Unit #3 is a 2003 Chevy Ford 1500 Pickup truck which is extremely worn and nearing its end of useful life with the department. The department will not need a replacement vehicle at this time due to the two pickup trucks purchased in 2022. Foreman Young is proposing a starting bid/reserve of $500 for this listing.

Air Compressor: Public Works has an air compressor that no longer functions and has since been replaced. Public Works would like to sell this online to see if there is anyone interested in purchasing it. Foreman Young is proposing a $1.00 starting bid on this item so the department can off-load it. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting Agenda for approval.

5.Facilities
•FACILITIES UPDATE – Councilwoman Jacobus stated the Facilities Committee met on Monday, February 5th to discuss upcoming events for 2024. Topics included event dates, organizational use of Pennypack, and proposed improvements to the property. If the COVID-19 facilities grant for Pennypack HVAC is authorized by Council, the facilities committee will work with staff to come up with a grant application that addresses the deficiencies at the property. The Facilities Committee will also be working with Department heads in 2024 to determine any improvements needed to the facilities in the upcoming year and in future years to assure there is a capital maintenance plan.

6. Environmental Affairs & Parks Committee
•EAC UPDATE – Councilman Myers stated the EAC met on Monday, February 5, 2024, and discussed items including training opportunities, volunteers needed to assist with the annual Shade Tree Inventory, the Council’s goals for 2024, upcoming events, and more. The EAC will hold their next meeting on Monday, March 4th at 7 PM at Borough Hall.
•PENNYPACK STEERING COMMITTEE UPDATE – Councilman Myers stated The Pennypack Steering Committee continues to work with Montgomery County representatives to compile information and feedback from the public workshop in the fall. The Committee continues to meet regularly to prepare a future plan for the Pennypack Property.

7.Administration Committee
•MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS – Vice President Stockton announced the upcoming meetings for the next month.
•LAND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE – Vice President Stockton gave the Land Development update which is as follows:
CVS Property: The CVS Project was issued Conditional Use and Land Development Approvals on Monday, November 27th. The developer is working on the next steps of filing agreements, posting financial security, etc.
21-23 & 37 N. York Road (Canalley Property): The project located at 21- 23 and 37 N. York Road was granted conditional use approvals on 2 Monday, January 22nd. The property will go before the Planning Commission on March 12, 2024, with updated Land Development plans.
Victorian Village: The Victorian Village II project has been delayed for quite some time due to the cost of construction materials. They are beginning to perform more sitework in preparation for construction and we should have additional information to provide in the coming months.
Gamburg’s: The Borough has not received any applications pertaining to the Gamburg Property. If an application is received, it will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and the public will have ample time to provide comments and feedback on the project.
2 Home Road: The owners of 2 Home Road are working on finalizing plans for the new home to be constructed on the subdivided lot. We will continue to provide updates on this project as they are available.
•ZONING SUB COMMITTEE UPDATE & ADOPTION TIMELINE – Vice President Stockton stated the Zoning Sub Committee continues to meet monthly to discuss possible improvements to the Borough’s existing Zoning Code. Included in your packet is an updated timeline for upcoming discussions for the group. The Zoning Sub Committee hopes to have a formal draft of Zoning Amendments ready for Council review in late 2024.
•ZONING SUB COMMITTEE PUBLIC WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT – Vice President Stockton stated the Zoning Sub Committee continues to meet monthly to discuss possible improvements to the Borough’s existing Zoning Code. Included in your packet is an updated timeline for upcoming discussions for the group. The Zoning Sub Committee hopes to have a formal draft of Zoning Amendments ready for Council review in late 2024. Included in your packet is a flyer advertising the upcoming Zoning Sub Committee Open House on April 24, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Pennypack, 130 Spring Avenue. This workshop will allow attendees to provide input on current zoning within the Borough as well as suggest changes for the Committee to consider with the ongoing Zoning Re-Write. Attendees will also get to see changes being proposed by the Committee and discuss different districts throughout the Borough. The public is invited and strongly encouraged to attend.
•ACCEPTANCE OF RESIGNATION FROM EAC (TOM BILOTTA) – Vice President Stockton stated included in your packet is an email from Tom Bilotta who is resigning from his position on the Environmental Advisory Council and Council will need to accept this resignation at the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting agenda for approval.
•ENVIRONMENTASL ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT – Vice President Stockton stated pursuant to Mr. Bilotta’s resignation from the Environmental Advisory Council, the Borough is looking for another resident interested in taking the position. This spot is a non-voting member of the Environmental Advisory Council which means that the member will participate in discussions of the board and provide input; however, they cannot participate in formal votes of the board. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please send a letter of interest to Manager Diane Hegele at dhegele@myhatboro.org. This item was moved to the February 26, 2024, Council Meeting agenda for approval.

OLD BUSINESS AND UPDATES – There was no old business or updates.

PUBLIC COMMENT – Sean Cosenza, 5 E. Monument Avenue APT 4, stated his sons fell in love with Hatboro at the car show and wanted to move there and he thought it would be a good idea as well, especially since the market was bad. He stated that he had to give four months’ rent up front including a security deposit to rent the apartment for $1800.00 a month and there has been nothing but problems that the landlord has not taken care of since he purchased the building in 1987 (according to tenant). He stated there are issues with the parking lot and mold in the building that the landlord will not address. He has been told to get a lawyer by the state rep office which he cannot afford and called the Borough in which the Fire Marshal went out to inspect and has addressed any code violations with the landlord. He stated he and his boys left and not the landlord filed an $18,000.00 lawsuit against him for violating the lease and he stated he had to leave due to the living conditions.

President Bollendorf stated that the borough can address code violations but cannot do anything about what a landlord decides to charge for rent.

Manager Hegele stated Mr. Cosenza put in a Right to Know request and that there is a report from the Fire Marshal regarding the complaint. She also stated that the landlord was sent a letter addressing some issues but there are other issues the Borough cannot get involved in as it is a landlord/tenant matter. She stated the tenant was sent a letter stating the copies of what he asked for are waiting to be picked up and paid for.

Solicitor Geiser suggested he get legal aid if he cannot afford an attorney to address the tenant/landlord issues the Borough cannot do anything about.

Chief Gardner asked Mr. Cosenza if he currently still resides at 5 E. Monument Avenue and Mr. Cosenza stated had to move and resides at 534 Comnia Street in Warminster now.

Councilman Myers stated that the state representative cannot get involved in the landlord/tenant issues but can suggest other agencies including retaining a lawyer.

ADJOURNMENT – President Bollendorf adjourned the February 12, 2024, Committee Meeting at 7:35 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted by:

Diane C. Hegele, Borough Manager/Zoning Officer/Open Records Officer
Transcribed by Cindy Bollendorf, Recording Secretary