PRESENT – President Bollendorf, Vice President Reichner, Councilman Myers, Councilwoman Hendrickson, Councilman Hoover, Councilwoman Jacobus, Councilwoman Shay, Manger Hegele, Chief Ruegg, Solicitor Geiser, Engineer MacNair, Treasure Smith, and Fire Company President Brown were present.

ABSENT – Mayor Schultz was excused.

CALL TO ORDER – President Bollendorf called the January 13,2025 Committee Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

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

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

PUBLIC COMMENT – (VOTING ITEMS ONLY) –
Kelly A’Harrah, 145 W. Lehman Avenue, asked if the Pennypack plan was set in stone as she had questions regarding riparian buffer, water way, continued care, removing invasive species, etcetera. Councilman Myers stated that there are 2 versions a short and long term and that anything regarding the plan would have to come before Borough Council first. Mrs. A’Harrah also stated that she wanted to thank Judy M for all of her hard work taking care of the community garden and she will be missed.

Erin McCuen, 22 Harding Avenue, stated that she is Vice Chair of Planning Commission and Gary Blickley (PC Member), are trying to understand the accelerated process that they were just made aware of over the weekend and questioned if they were expected to vote tomorrow and wanted to know the process on this now and is concerned because they have a new member. President Bollendorf stated they met with the County because they were told it was taking too long as it went to the PC in June and are still reviewing R1. Hegele stated that she met Borough Planner Kennedy, County Planner Miklos, and PC Chair Kline and the goal for tomorrow wis to vote on R1 & R2 and present and vote on R3 then move on to the rest of zoning at the next meeting and they are confident they can get the final draft to Council by the end of 2025.

Gary Blickley, 46 Harding Avenue, questioned the meeting and said that the County is not following their method regarding using the form and questioned how the voting was put on the agenda, and he feels that something that took almost 3 years has been put on the PC. President Bollendorf stated that they misunderstood the email and that the reason they had the meeting was because staff mentioned that the County kept discussing items that the PC already said no to twice already and they were told to stop stalling he process, listen to the PC recommendations and to get it finished but they do not have to rush. Vice President Reichner stated that the meeting wasn’t about anything that the PC did but to tell them to stop pushing their agenda and listen to the PC and if they do not feel comfortable with something, they do not have to vote on it.

Erin McCuen stated that they asked for their packets two weeks prior to the meeting, and they just received it on Friday, and they need more time to review before meetings.

Manager Hegele stated that the PC Chair put the agenda together, so they need to discuss that with her tomorrow night and the County didn’t send the information in a timely manner in December and that is why the meeting was cancelled and was reminded about it on Friday when discussing policy and procedure moving forward. President Bollendorf stated that Council was informed by residents, PC Chair, and staff that there were issues with discussions such as setbacks and AUD’s where the PC said no then the County spent 30 minutes at the next meeting discussing why they said no therefore the County was told if the PC says no they move on.

Solicitor Geiser stated that she had to end the dialog with Council regarding the zoning rewrite procedure as the PC is a separate body from Council and that Erin and Gary can have this discussion with the PC Chair and PC tomorrow night.

Merrie Keller, 110 W, Monument Avenue, asked about the Deputy Tax Collector as she wasn’t aware there was one and is it a paid position and Manager Hegele stated that Judy had one and no, the Borough does not pay her deputy and that it is a backup for her just in case.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Public Safety Committee
• ENTERPRISE FIRE COMPANY EXPENDITURE LIST – Councilwoman Jacobus stated the Enterprise Fire Company Expenditure List for the month of January 2025 is $ 14,536.52. This item has been moved to January 27, 2025, Council meeting agenda for consideration.
2. Finance/Grants Committee
• PENNYPACK WALMART GRANT – Councilman Myers stated included in your packet is a memo from Administrative Assistant, Robert Jacobus, detailing information on Walmart’s Community Grant program. This grant program provides funding to local governments, non-profits, and community organizations for events and community programming. This grant was discussed with the Pennypack Events Committee and with the Finance Committee of Borough Council. There is no match requirement or expense to apply other than staff time to write the application. The Pennypack Committee will be discussing possible projects at their meeting on January 13, 2025, and the Committee agreed to apply for children and adult programs. This item will be on January 27, 2025, Council Meeting Agenda for consideration.
• 2025 COMPUTER LEASE – Councilman Myers stated Over the last few months, Chief Ruegg and Assistant Secretary DeRenzis have been working to review options for a new computer lease and monthly managed services. Staff met with the Finance Committee on Friday, January 10, 2025, to discuss the preliminary lease and managed services numbers for a new company, HPT, and how they compared it to figures for the Borough’s current IT company, Integra One. The current review of the services included price comparisons on the following: 1. Review of managed services and monthly costs paid to current vendor vs. services that other companies provide. 2. Review equipment included in original lease documents to pair down with lower cost options and obtain quotes from other vendors. Integra One is currently working on revising their original lease proposal and will not have updated numbers to the Borough until Monday, January 13th; however, we wanted to put 2 this item on the agenda as a placeholder to begin the discussions and update the Council on the progress.

3. Community Outreach & Events Committee
• UPCOMING EVENTS – Councilman Hoover announced the upcoming November events.
• NEW BUSINESSES: Councilman Hoover stated as of today, there are 12 new businesses coming in 2025 so stay tuned for Grand Opening Announcements after their fit outs have been completed.
• FRIENDS OF CRESSBROOK UPDATE – Councilman Hoover stated the Friends of Cressbrook met on Tuesday January 7th and discussed by-laws, term limits, and IRS status.
• SPECIAL EVENT REQUEST: EAC BIRDING WORKSHOP – Councilman Hoover stated included in your packet is an event request from the EAC for a Birding Workshop to take place on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. at Loller Academy in the Council Room. For more information, please contact Kelly A’Harrah at kellyaharrah@gmail.com or any EAC member. This item will be on January 27, 2025, Council Meeting Agenda for consideration.
• SPECIAL EVENT REQUEST: SCOUT DESIGNER BAG BINGO – Councilman Hoover stated included in your packet is a special event request from troop for a designer bag bino to take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Pennypack Community Center located at 130 Spring Avenue. For more information, please contact Rene Kirkwood. This item will be on January 13, 2025, Voting Meeting Agenda for consideration.

4. Public Works Committee
• ROAD RESTOATION ORDINANCE – Councilwoman Shay stated in 2024, Borough Council began the discussion of a road restoration ordinance amendment. This amendment would require utility companies and contractors opening Borough streets to restore larger sections of roads that are disturbed by construction. This would prevent recently paved streets from being destroyed and would ensure that the Borough’s roads are restored to their original (if not better) condition than when work began. This item is being placed back on the agenda to resume discussion with Borough Council. Once discussed, Solicitor Geiser and Engineer MacNair will work on a draft ordinance for Borough Council
• EQUIPMENT PURCHASE DISCUSSION – Manger Hegele stated The Borough Public Works Department owns a 2007 bobcat which is very bad shape. I have authorized some repairs to Bobcat because it is a crucial piece of equipment used daily for trash collection as well as used for snowstorms for moving salt, loading of salt as well as some plowing in parking lots. The Bob cat has given us many years of service and we have got a lot of value for the money paid. There is still some value for the equipment, and we should be able to sell it and make a few bucks. Foreman Young and Assistant Foreman Puceta has visited vendors, driven equipment and gotten 3 quotes for a replacement. I am getting everything in writing to present to the council as well as options to finance or purchase, delivery, and research on whether the attachments we have for our bob cat will fit a new machine. Each machine being specked has additional equipment that may be of interest to the Borough. The two that PW would like to see funded are a snow blower option, which will assist with plowing lots, smaller spaces and walks and walkways in parks. The costs vary from $10K to $25K for this attachment. The second piece is a broom that would be used for pathways, walks, parks, smaller spaces and is around the same as the other piece up to $25K. We are researching as well using this to help us with our MS4 requirements. The prices vary based on the equipment chosen. I am researching whether Liquid Fuels or Fee in Lieu of money can be used so council can decide on payment should you desire to add these features. Foreman Young is putting together everything for me to present. They saw the last machine yesterday and will have a recommendation for me next week. We are putting this on your agenda for January to discuss and to begin planning for the purchase as it is inevitable. I should have all the information to decide on financing, added pieces, delivery times and PW recommendation on which one for the January Council meeting. I will send out all three proposals. I should also have firm answers on the use of other funding to help offset the costs for the additional pieces should council desire to purchase. With the unknowns for ordering and delivery and the fact that the bobcat is not reliable for our operations, we need to start planning this sooner than later. With winter weather, I would hate to see the bobcat go out of service and hamper our operations. If you have been to PW then you know we have little space to work outside during storms, using the larger backhoe is problematic in the current space.

5. Environmental Affairs & Parks Committee
• EAC UPDATE – Councilwoman Hendrickson stated the Environmental Advisory Council will be meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Borough Hall. The group is also hosting two upcoming workshops discussing Solar for Residents (on January 29th from 7 PM to 8 PM) and Birding in Hatboro (on February 18th from 7 PM to 8 PM). These meetings will both be taking place at Borough Hall and are free to attend and no pre-registration is required.
• PENNYPACK PLAN ADOPTION – Councilwoman Hendrickson stated the Montgomery County Planning Commission has been working on updating the Pennypack Plan that was previously presented to Borough Council in Fall 2024 and is ready to adopt.
• MILLER MEADOW MAINTENANCE PLAN – Councilwoman Hendrickson stated Land Stewards performed the removal of invasive Mugwort in Miller Meadow between July 2024 and December 2024. The Borough will now need to establish a maintenance plan to ensure the meadow remains free of invasive species. The Parks Committee would like to start a discussion regarding what future maintenance of this area needs to look like to ensure the meadow remains clear of invasive species in the future.

6. Administration Committee
• MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS – Vice President Reichner announced the upcoming meetings.
• LAND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE – Vice President Reichner stated Land Development updates are as follows: CVS Property: Construction continues. 21-23 & 37 N. York Road: We will keep everyone updated when the developer is ready for demolition. Victorian Village: Construction continues. 100 Meadowbrook: The applicant was issued his demo permit. 110 W. Lehman Avenue: We will keep everyone updating if and once we receive applications for new construction. 2-4 Home Road: The applicant was issued his permit to begin construction. 410 N. York Road: The applicant is still working with their planner to make amendments to their land development application and is currently waiting for a response from PennDOT regarding the driveway. Gamburg’s: We will continue to keep everyone updated regarding the sale and proposed use of the property.
• ZONING REWRITE UPDATE: Manager Hegele stated attached is a proposed new timeline put together by the County for the zoning re-write project. In December President Bollendorf, Vice President Reichner and Councilwoman Shay and I met with the County to review some concerns over the proposed zoning re-write. As you know Council convened a special committee comprised of staff, council members, residents, the County and Planner Kennedy who spent 2 years reviewing the current zoning for the Borough and making recommendations for the changes. In addition to those meetings, there was a public workshop held, and additional feedback gathered. The zoning sub-committee compiled all the information and notified the Borough that their work was done, and it was now time under the MPC to have the Borough PC begin to review and make a recommendation to council for adoption. The PC has been meeting for several months, and it appears to the County and others that some members are looking to begin the process all over again, rather than do what their duties are to review and recommend to council to adopt. We met with Planner Kennedy in December, and he noted that the county had the zoning rewrite done and was ready to take the recommendation to council from the PC and agreed that the process was becoming problematic. He suggested that he meet with the county and see if they would be willing to share what was already done and proceed in a different manner. Last week she met with the County and Planner Kennedy and the County was willing to make the change in the timeline and present the draft document in larger sections vs. one section which was the current presentation which if continued would take us into 2026 to finalize. Today, we met with Chair Kline of the PC and reviewed the new timeline and procedure, and she is on board. We will be meeting monthly going forward to review before each meeting, so we can ensure things run smoothly and we adhere to the timeline attached. She will be sending out an email to the PC members explaining the change of procedure and we have also included this on the council agenda for this month to update the public of the change to procedure and will keep this on the agenda monthly so Council can update the public as to where the PC is in the process.
• STAFF APPOINTMENTS – Vice President Reichner stated on the voting meeting portion of the agenda is a list of staff appointments for 2025. These appointments are done annually and will be accompanied by a resolution memorializing the appointments.
• ALEXANDER KALNAJS UMHJSA RESIGNATION – Vice President Reichner stated The Borough is in receipt of a letter of resignation from UMHJSA Board Member, Alexander Kalnajs. Borough Council will need to accept this resignation during the voting meeting portion of the agenda and will need to consider appointing a replacement to the Board.
• BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENTS/VACANCIES – Vice President Reichner stated Included in your packet is a copy a memo detailing boards and commissions volunteers/letters of interest received. Borough Council will need to make recommendations for these vacancies and will need to make appointments during the voting meeting portion of the agenda. Please note, the staff has prepared blank resolutions for these appointments and will fill in the names of those selected/appointed after being voted on by Borough Council.
• AMUSEMENT DEVICE ORDINANCE – Vice President Reichner stated The Borough began researching the mechanical device ordinance amendment in 2024. Manager Hegele would like to resume the discussion of this ordinance amendment so Solicitor Geiser can begin preparing a formal draft for Council’s review. This item will be on January 27, 2025, Council meeting agenda for consideration.
• ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER – Vice President Reichner stated as you recall, the Building Code Official recommended that the Borough adopt an Electric Vehicle Charger Ordinance that will regulate the placement and operation of EV Chargers throughout the Borough. He indicated that many other municipalities have adopted similar ordinances to fill the gaps between the International Building Code and local Zoning Regulations. Manager Hegele would like to resume discussion of this ordinance and its contents in preparation for Solicitor Geiser preparing a draft for Council’s review. This item will be on January 27, 2025, Council meeting agenda for consideration.
• HISTORICAL COMMISSION ORDINANCE AMENDMENT – Vice President Reichner stated in 2024, Council discussed an amendment to the Historical Commission Ordinance that would allow the Historian to serve as an alternate to the Board in the event that a quorum cannot be reached. There 3 have been many instances in 2024 where the Board did not have a quorum and was not able to meet to conduct pertinent business. By making the Historian an alternate member of the Commission, the Board will have a better chance of being able to meet, especially if no volunteer is found to fill the vacancy from former member Suella Guthrie. This item will be on January 27, 2025, Council meeting agenda for consideration.

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

PUBLIC COMMENT –
Kelly A’Harrah, 145 W. Lehman Avenue,

ADJOURNMENT – President Bollendorf adjourned the January 13, 2025, Committee Meeting at 7:46 P.M.

VOTING MEETING AGENDA

CALL TO ORDER – President Bollendorf called the Voting Meeting to order at 7:46 P.M.

PUBILC COMMENT (VOTING ITEMS ONLY) – There was no public comment.

2025 STAFF APPOINTMENTS
Councilman Hoover made a motion to approve the following staff appointments.
BOROUGH MANAGER – Diane Hegele
SECRETARY – Diane Hegele
ASSISTANT SECRETARY – Deena DeRenzis
OPEN RECORDS OFFICER – Diane Hegele
ZONING OFFICER – Diane Hegele
CHIEF OF POLICE – Chief Ruegg
PUBLIC WORKS FOREMAN – Charlie Young
ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS FOREMAN – Greg Puceta
FIRE MARSHAL – Kate Valesky
DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL – Matt Houser
ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL – Pete Croak
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR – Kate Valesky
DEPUTY PROPERTY MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR – Diane Hegele
TREASURER – Tom Smith
VACANCY BOARD – Steve Guenst
SOLICITOR – The Law Offices of Sean Kilkenny
ENGINEER- Gilmore & Associates
CODE ENFORCEMENT/BCO –
EIT/LST TAX COLLECTION AGENT – Berkheimer & Associates
AUDITOR – Lopez, Teodosio, and Larkin LLC
DEPUTY TAX COLLECTOR – James Anders
JOINT BOARD OF APPEALS – James Anders
HISTORIAN – Bill Thompkins

TAX COLLECTION COMMITTEE – April Mount, Diane Hegele, and Bill Stone for a term of 1 year
Motion was seconded by Vice President Reichner, all ayes. Motion carried 7-0.

UMHJSA RESIGNATION – Councilwoman Jacobus made a motion to accept the resignation of Alexander Kalnajs from the UMHJSA Board. Motion was seconded by Councilwoman Hendrickson, all ayes. Motion carried 7-0.

2025 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENTS
Councilwoman Jacobus made a motion to approve the following Boards and Commissions appointments.
ZONING HEARING BOARD ALTERNATE – Robert Wipplinger for a term of 4 years.
PLANNING COMMISSION – Joseph Gallagher for a term of 4 years.
LIBRARY BOARD – Michele Johnson for a term of 3 years.
HISTORICAL COMMISSION – Cole Woodson for a term of 3 years.
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION – Jennifer Cox for a term of 3 years.
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION – Laura Lasher for a term of 3 years.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL – Ann Menichelli for a term of 3 years.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL – Ryan Fairman for a term of 3 years.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL – Luann Kline for a term of 3 years.
UMHJSA – Bill Rollin for a term of 3 years.
PARKING COMMISSION – Kelly Kennedy for a term of 3 years.
SHADE TREE COMMISSION – Marianne Shaeffer for a term of 4 years.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION – Richard Guyer for a term of 6 years.
Motion was seconded by Councilwoman Shay, all ayes. Motion carried 7-0.
SCOUTS BINGO REQUEST- Councilwoman Hendrickson made a motion to approve the Special Event Request for the Troop 81B/81G Bingo Eventon February 22, 2225. Motion was seconded by Councilman Hoover, all ayes. Motion carried 7-0.

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

NEW BUSINESS – There was no new business.

PUBLIC COMMENT –
Kelly A’Harrah, 145 W. Lehman Avenue, stated that the EAC is trying to work with the Borough and is trying to be on the same page.

ADJOURNMENT – Councilwoman Jacobus made a motion to adjourn the January 13, 2025, Voting Meeting. Motion was seconded by Councilwoman Shay, all ayes, motion carried 7-0. President Bollendorf adjourned the January 13, 2025, Voting Meeting 7:50 P.M.

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