The Telford Borough Council meeting held this date was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by President J. Allen Landis with the following members in attendance: Robert Baker, Carolyn Crouthamel, Scott Hillegass, Jeffrey Maxwell, Stanley Nyce, James Schaeffer and Mayor David Snook. Also present were Manager Mark Fournier, Solicitor Mark Weand, Finance Director Craig Davies, Public Works Director Gary Yoder, Recording Secretary Megan McShane, Tax Collector Emiline Weiss, Jerry Guretse from the Telford Fire Company, residents Lori Rappold and Edward Toy, and a press reporter.

 

The invocation was given by Jeffrey Maxwell, followed by the pledge of allegiance.

 

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:

 

A Hillegass/Crouthamel motion carried unanimously (7-0) approving the minutes of the October 6, 2014 Borough Council meeting.

 

TREASURER'S REPORT:

 

Manager Mark Fournier reported that we’ve taken in 87.18% of our revenues and have spent about 85.76% of our expenditures.

 

A Crouthamel/Baker motion carried unanimously (7-0) approving the Treasurer’s Report for October, 2014.

 

MAYOR’S REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

Mayor David Snook reported that he attended the Telford Fire Company Open House, which was a great event. He also attended a dinner at the McCalla Lodge to honor First Responders, which was a nice honoring of the First Responders.

 

POLICE REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

FIRE REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

Telford Fire Company President Jerry Guretse reported that Telford Borough has received an ISO rating of Class 3 for 2014; this is the 4^th consecutive year that the Borough has sustained that rating, which is an excellent rating. Mr. Guretse informed Council that this rating is based on 3 components: the municipality’s fire company (including the condition of their apparatus, training & response), the Borough’s water system, and the dispatch center. Telford Borough is now dispatched by both Bucks and Montgomery Counties, and is one of the only municipalities to be serviced by both.

 

Mr. Guretse reported that the Fire Company is now assisting EMS with cardiac emergencies, lifting, and other calls. The Fire Company has a new unit in service – a crew cab pick-up truck for medical assistance calls, fire police needs and traffic control.

 

Mr. Guretse thanked the community for their continued support, and thanked Mr. Fournier and his son Daryn for their help at the Fire Company breakfast.

 

LIBRARY REPORT: We received a written report for the file.

 

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

Councilwoman Carolyn Crouthamel stated that the Municipal Park looks great; it is really coming along.

 

Mr. Fournier informed Council that this playground piece is the most complex piece of playground equipment we’ve ever had in the Borough. He added that the Public Works crew is doing an outstanding job, and there is a lot of work involved with this project.

 

MANAGER’S REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

Manager Mark Fournier reported that the ISO rating we received affects the Borough residents’ fire insurance rates in a positive way; a better score helps to lower the rates.

 

Mr. Fournier added that there was a recent pre-construction meeting for Secant Medical, which has begun doing exterior construction on the building.

 

Mr. Fournier reported that leaf collection continues in between other project work.

 

BUILDING OFFICIAL’S REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

SOLICITOR’S REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

Solicitor Mark Weand gave an update of the pending zoning matters in the Borough.

 

ENGINEER’S REPORT: We received a written monthly report for the file.

 

COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE: There were no comments from the audience.

 

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE: Mr. Hillegass

 

A-1       Manager Mark Fournier reviewed the proposed 2015 Budget, including an overview of the proposed revenues and expenditures. Mr. Fournier stated that there are 2 items that would keep the Borough from having to raise taxes: the implementation of a Local Services Tax (LST), and the Arlington Square townhouse development on 3^rd Street.

 

Councilman Scott Hillegass thanked Craig Davies and Mark Fournier for their work on the budget. He informed Council that Souderton Borough has agreed to increase their library tax to .3 mills, and stated that he does not want to put Telford Borough residents through what Upper Salford is going through, even though Telford Borough is currently running the Borough with less capital reserve than the Library.

 

Mr. Hillegass stated that, despite the fact that we found out that the Library did not seek funding from the other municipalities (Hilltown and West Rockhill Townships) who use the Library, he recommends a .3225 mil increase, which would include an increase for the Library, an increase for the Fire Company and an increase to the Borough General Fund. The increase to the General Fund would allow the Borough to eliminate the per capita tax, and allow the Borough to put funds aside for a street sweeper, which is old and in poor condition.

 

Councilman Stanley Nyce stated that we should’ve never let the School District pull their funding from the Library; it puts the community in a very bad spot.

 

Councilman Jeffrey Maxwell asked if this proposed increase would be for this year and every year forward, and stated that the Library did not cut hours, and should’ve given a little bit. He added that it seems that the Library is financially better off than the Borough.

 

Councilman James Schaeffer asked what happens next year, and are we sure we’re done. Mr. Hillegass stated that yes, this would be it for the Library, and both he and Mr. Baker added that they believe we should definitely give an equal tax increase to the Fire Company if we give it to the Library, given how much they do for the community.

 

After a lengthy discussion, a Hillegass/Crouthamel motion carried 5-2 approving a Library Tax increase to .3 mills, a Fire Tax increase to .3 mills and an increase to the General Fund tax to 5.46 mills. Stanley Nyce and Jeffrey Maxwell opposed.

 

A-2       A Hillegass/Baker motion carried unanimously (7-0) authorizing the advertisement of Ordinance 402, which would implement a Local Services Tax.

 

A-3       A Hillegass/Schaeffer motion carried unanimously (7-0) approving the appointment of Doug Souder as Deputy Tax Collector to Emiline Weiss, per the recent passing of HB 1590, which now requires that the elected tax collector have a deputy in place in case of any incapacitation.

 

A-4       A Hillegass/Crouthamel motion carried unanimously (7-0) approving the bills for the month of October in the amount of $ 439,654.52.

 

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE: There was nothing to report at this time.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE: There was nothing to report at this time.

 

PUBLIC WORKS/BUILDINGS & PLANT COMMITTEE: Ms. Crouthamel

 

PW-1    A Crouthamel/Schaeffer motion carried unanimously (7-0) authorizing the sale of the Borough’s 1996 GMC pick-up truck to Jeffrey Russell for $9,200.

 

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE: There was nothing to report at this time.

 

DEVELOPMENT & CULTURE COMMITTEE: Mr. Nyce

 

DC-1     Montgomery County Borough’s Association Holiday Dinner – December 4, 2014

 

DC-2     Souderton Holiday Parade – December 6, 2014, 11:00 am          

 

DC-3     Mayor’s Dinner – December 7, 2014

 

DC-4     Tree Lighting Ceremony – December 12, 2014, 7:00 pm

 

OTHER BUSINESS:

 

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

 

Borough Council entered into Executive Session at 9:00 pm to discuss a matter of personnel.

 

Borough Council closed Executive Session at 9:15 pm. No action was taken.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 pm by a Crouthamel/Schaeffer motion.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Mark D. Fournier                                                                                                                                 

Secretary