WYOMING BOROUGH
COUNCIL MEETING
Minutes
November 13, 2018
7:30 p m
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call:
Mr. Stephen Nalewajko P Attorney Shannon Crake Lapsansky A
Mr. Frank Yurek P Mayor Joseph Dominick P
Mr. Michael Baloga P Lars Anderson P
Mr. Michael Flynn P
Mrs. Diane Smiles P
Mr. Joseph Scaltz P
Citizens: __18__ _ Press: __0_____
Approval of minutes: The minutes of the October 2018 meeting are available for review at the borough office. The minutes are approved on a motion made by Mrs. Smiles, and seconded by Mr. Yurek.
Officers Reports: Reports of the Police Department, Street Commissioner and Code Enforcement Officer for the month of October 2018 have been submitted and placed on file for public inspection.
REPORTS AND COMMITTEES
Administration: Finance and Grants
Chairman
Joseph Scaltz Mike Flynn Frank Yurek
A motion was made to submit a Resolution for A PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant. A grant for $332,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to be used for the Wyoming Walkway and Roadway Restoration Project.
Motion to submit Resolution was made by: Mr. Flynn and seconded by Mr. Yurek.
Motion Moved
A motion was made to approve Cooperation Agreement by and Between the Luzerne County and Wyoming Borough for the Capital Improvement Community Development Block Grant Funds (LCCDP Grant-$434,550.00)
Motion Made by: Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mr. Flynn
Motion Moved
A motion to increase tax mil for 2019 tax year
Motion was tabled
A motion was made to apply for a 902 Recycling Grant.
Motion made by: Mrs. Smiles and seconded by Mr. Scaltz
Motion Moved
A motion was made to allow the Little League to go forward with receiving quotes for the projects that will be completed with Grant funds.
Motion made by Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mrs. Smiles
Motion Moved
A motion was made to appoint Mr. Yurek to work with the little league through the Grant process.
Motion made by Mr. Baloga and seconded by Mr. Scaltz.
Motion Moved
Report:
Request for Proposals for the Early Intervention Program and Five-year Financial Plan were mailed out on November 6, 2018 to the consultants provided by the DCED. A response date of November 30, 2018 was requested for the bids.
Bids will be opened and viewed by council at the December 10,2018 meeting.
Bank account closure and signor updates.
- The Sanitation account at M&T Bank was closed on October 12,2018, funds were deposited into the Fidelity Sanitation Account. Amount deposited $2,107.36
- The General Account at UFCW was closed on October 12, 2018. The funds were deposited into Fidelity General account. Amount deposited $158.07
- Signors were updated on the M&T Sewer account on October 12, 2018.
(remove previous treasurer and update with new information)
Emergency Service: Police and Fire Departments
Chairman
Diane Smiles Mike Flynn Joseph Scaltz
A motion was made to open new bid and accept the bid for the 2009 Chevy Tahoe after confirming with advertisement. Received a bid in the amount of $4,129.00 if this complies with the advertisement then the Borough will proceed with the sale.
Motion was made by: Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mrs. Smiles
Bid of $4,129.00 was submitted by Dino Brothers LLC, Freedom, Pa
Motion Moved and Accepted
A motion will be made to hire 3 part time police officers.
Motion made by: Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mrs. Smiles
Motion Moved
A motion was made to increase part time police officers hourly pay rate to $17.00. Effective the 1st of December 2018.
Motion was made by: Mr. Baloga and Mrs. Smiles
Motion Moved
Health and Sanitation: Recycling and Solid Waste
Chairman
Frank Yurek Michael Baloga Diane Smiles
A motion will be made to waive $150.00 trash fee for 272 Susquehanna Ave. Resident was told in 2015 by a Borough employee that was not responsible to pay the other half year due to work being done on apartment and no one was living there.
Motion made by: Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mr. Baloga.
Motion moved Fee will be waived
Report: Officer Mercavitch has been working on issuing citations to residents with past due bills.
Personnel:
Chairman
Mike Flynn Diane Smiles Joseph Scaltz
A motion was made to hire an investigator for a personnel issue.
Motion made by: seconded by
Motion never was voted on, only made in the work session,
Will put on December agenda for motion.
A motion was made to appoint Roseanne Colarusso as the Borough’s Right to Know Officer.
Motion made by: Mr. Flynn and seconded by Mr. Baloga
Motion moved
A motion was made to carry over vacation time for Police Officers from
2018 to 2019 calendar year. This will be one- time only.
Motion made by Mr. Flynn and seconded by Mr. Baloga
Motion moved
Motion was made to increase Roseanne Colarusso’s Clerk hourly rate to $14.17.
Motion made by: Mr. Baloga and seconded by Mr. Yurek
Motion moved
Motion was made to back date pay increase to Clerk from October 9 2018.
Motion made by: Mr. Baloga and seconded by Mr. Yurek
Motion moved
Motion was made for Lars Anderson to represent the Borough for the Right to Know case with Mayor Dominick’s Facebook page.
Motion made by Mr. Baloga and seconded by Mr. Scaltz
Motion Moved
Motion was made to terminate the position of Borough Manager.
Motion was tabled
Motion was made to accept the Resignation Letter of Borough Manager Tamra Smith. Resignation as of November 21, 2018.
Motion made by: Mr. Yurek and seconded by Mrs. Smiles
Motion Moved
Public Property: Borough Building and Recreation
Chairman
Frank Yurek Diane Smiles Mike Flynn
Report: Tree lighting will be held Saturday December 1st at Bolin Park, Parade will begin at 4 and tree lighting to follow.
Streets and Sewers: Public Works
Chairman
Frank Yurek Joseph Scaltz Diane Smiles
A motion was made to review an amendment to the Sewer Ordinance, the document will be available to view at the Borough office for 30 days.
Motion made by Mr. Flynn and seconded by Mrs. Smiles.
Roll call
4 Yes Mr. Nalewajko, Mr. Yurek, Mr. Flynn, Mrs. Smiles
2 No Mr. Baloga, Mr. Scaltz
Motion Moved
Zoning and Planning:
Chairman
Michael Baloga Frank Yurek Mike Flynn
Report: No report
Solicitor’s Report
Litagations and Personnel matters were discussed in the Executive meeting.
Asked Council to put a motion on the floor to give approval to proceed with legal council for Mayor Dominick’s Facebook page Right-to-Know.
Mayor’s Report
The Police Department responded to 348 incidents in the month of October 2018.
There are police officers with an extreme amount of vacation time, they are comfortable with carrying over their time into 2019. This would be a one- time thing. The department is currently short staffed.
Officer McGuirk was asked to speak about the need for additional part time officers to be hired. Asked that they hourly rate be increased by $2.00.
Floor opens to the public
People signed to speak: Pat Skilonger, Chris Cawley, Bobby Borzell
Pat Skilonger: For months people have been asking for Tamra Smith to be suspended. Who pays for her health insurance? She is never available or at the borough. Should not be paying for a Borough Manager who is not present and working at the borough. She feels sorry for her health issues but the council can’t keep putting it off. The Borough is getting deeper and deeper in debt. She asked that they suspend her. She asked that a member of council make Roseanne Colarusso manager.
Mayor asked if anyone knows if she was retained for her Accounting Services?
Do part time employees receive Health Benefits?
Chris Cawley (Ashburn Advisors): Chris discussed the process of the LSA Grant that was awarded to the Charles Flack Memorial Little League. The bid process; Any jobs below $10,000 no bids are required. Public bids are required $21,000 plus.
The Borough and the Little League need 1 point of contact
Asked if the Little League can take their own quotes. Asked to put a motion on the floor to see if council wants to allow this.
Mayor asked whom pays for administrative fees?
Chris responded that they are paid by who applied for the grant.
Mayor: Borough paid for the administrative fees for the VFW grant. Why did the funds come from the Sewer account? Do we owe the Little League for the fee? Or does the VFW owe the Borough? Mayor suggest that council draft a policy for grant funding.
Mayor wanted to make the council aware that sewer funds were being used to pay Ashburn grant fees. Money needs to be reimbursed to the sewer fund.
Bobby Borzell: Asked about the Grants that were discussed by Chris Cawley.
How long ago did the Borough apply for the $500,000.00 LSA.
Asked why the Borough needs to amend the sewer ordinance, and what is wrong with the way it is now?
Communications: A list of communications received since the last meeting have been presented to council and accepted on a motion made by Mrs. Smiles and seconded by Mr. Baloga.
Motion Moved
Payment of Bills: A listing of bills paid and received for payment have been presented to council and accepted on a motion made by Mrs. Smiles and seconded by Mr. Flynn.
Motion Moved
Unfinished Business:
Appoint or advertise the position for Civil Service Committee Member.
Marcella Starr is listed as the Chief Administrative Officer for Police Pension and Non- Uniform employees. Need to appoint or advertise the opening.
Motion to adjourn: Mr. Yurek
Seconded by: Mr. Baloga
Time: 9:08 p.m.
Date: November 13, 2018
Minutes Recorded by Roseanne Colarusso, Secretary