Alleged comments under fire

PINE GROVE - Pine Grove borough council's newest member has been in office less than a month and he already has himself in hot water with some of the community's older population.

With only five minutes to speak, Russ Stump did not have time to complete his remarks, but he did read from a copy of a Facebook page he had recently received anonymously through the mail, and after reading it aloud, he suggested Steve Kramer apologize or resign.

According to the reading, Kramer wrote: "It stinks that I just got sworn in and now I have to watch what I say. The senior citizen club of PG borough needs to all induct themselves in a retirement home far far away and leave the people who are trying to make PG the place it should be and that want to fix the mistakes many of them made, alone. To(o) bad the old cowards have to post stuff anonymously in a newspaper and only have their messed up reality of what the council does spewing out for people to read and have their ideas corrupted."

Although Kramer made no remark at the time, council president Larry Dubbs reminded the council, that as council members, they represent all members of the community. Following an executive session to discuss personnel matters, Kramer did apologize noting he was young and had lots to learn. He added also that his comments had not been directed at all elders.

Stump offered some comments concerning other remarks listed on the Facebook page.

Last month the Bi-Centennial Committee was informed the council would discontinue paying the electric bill for the lighting on the Carbon Street side of the canal, owned by the committee. According to Stump, the committee had installed the lights for security and the control of vandalism. He reminded the council the lights had come from the former PPL Clubhouse, which the borough had owned. The committee, he said, had spent $500 for sandblasting and repairs, stored the lights for two years, then paid $10,000 for the installation of the lights on both sides of the canal. Other bills paid by the committee for both the lights and the aerator installed in the canal total $25,800. Stump suggested timers be installed on those lights, as well as the ones at the borough hall, as a way of saving money.

Stump noted also that the Bi-Centennial Committee is not a club, as another Facebook entry stated, but a community organization formed in the l970s. The committee, along with boy scouts, girl scouts, and other volunteers all helped turn the mosquito-infested canal into a park.

In ending, Stump reminded Kramer of all the old veterans who fought for his right to make the statements he had written. With that said, many in attendance applauded.

Shade Tree

Commission

During the January 3 workshop meeting which followed re-organization, council discussed the Shade Tree Commission. Minutes of that meeting state that two members had recently resigned. Several members were in attendance during the January 19 meeting, one reporting a problem the borough needed to address involving falling branches. "Since the Tree Commission is in limbo," said Phyllis Hesser.

After the meeting, Hesser noted she was in attendance when a police officer was on the phone with the Mayor who informed the officer that she (the Mayor) had dissolved the Shade Tree Commission. Before the conclusion of the meeting Hesser questioned the status of the commission. "By ordinance it exists," said Dubbs, "but no one is serving actively on it." According to Hesser, a meeting of the commission had been held the day before.

Another Shade Tree Commission member, Joann Yesanosky, had recently visited borough hall to obtain the commission's 2010/11 financial report and minutes. She questioned why she was denied access to the records when she is the secretary of the commission. Dubbs noted that Yesanosky was unable to fulfill her duties due to flooding concerns and had missed three consecutive meetings and is no longer a resident of the borough. In accordance with the ordinance, said Dubbs, vacancies are filled by the council. Council finally agreed solicitor Chris Hobbs would review the ordinance and investigate the issues.

Frank Snyder, Schuylkill County's service forester with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, was on the agenda to explain the benefits of a Tree Commission and to encourage council's support. A Shade Tree Commission brings back more to the community than it costs, said Snyder. According to Snyder, some of the benefits include increased property values as much as 10%; trees ability to help control storm water; instilling stewardship; and less crime and more sociable citizens. "I highly encourage the borough council to support it."

Fire Co.

The North End Fire Company provided a year end report listing 229 calls for 2011. According to Lee Strubhar, the company is slowly getting back in shape, with the fire equipment section 100% up and running. The social quarters, however, he said, would take months.

Although the HH&L#1 did not have a report ready, Gene Hindman questioned the money budgeted for the fire company, noting there was a difference in how Firemen's Relief money can be spent and the borough's donation. Dubbs suggested the fire company and he discuss the matter at some future time.

Lights

Christmas Lighting committee chairman Dick Becker reported the committee is in the process of buying additional lights since two had been smashed by a truck which was three feet higher than the legal height. He noted that he had discussed the $58 insurance reimbursement at a previous meeting which Dubbs had offered the borough would pay. According to Dubbs the council had been asked to adopt the committee as a borough committee so that the committee could be included under the borough's insurance. Dubbs said he had made the motion to do so, but later rescinded it, but still thought the committee would be covered, which it was not.

According to the borough's insurance agent, W. R. Stump, to add the Christmas Lighting committee to the borough's liability insurance, the council must pass a resolution approving the committee as a committee of the borough, and send a copy of the minutes and the resolution to Stump for addition to their file. There is no additional cost to the borough for the added coverage, said Stump.

Kraft Code, Shillington, had been appointed, along with OTM Engineering, as the borough's engineer and Uniform Construction Code (UCC) inspector, replacing Alfred Benesch. Joseph Boulanger explained that using a fee schedule instead of an hourly rate is less expensive and also required less book work. He noted that he would schedule borough work on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings, plus some office time. In addition, no charge would be made for routine telephone calls with questions.

Visioning program

Mayor Kim Brown-Zerbe reported Senator Dave Argall is looking to set up a visioning program in the borough. Although she said she noted her opposition to the program since she did not want the state to come into the borough since there were groups already doing what he was talking about. "I'm concerned with the folks still dealing with flood issues," said the mayor. We're doing things with government grants, clearing spaces, then the borough can reach out to groups to improve those spaces. According to the mayor, a March date has been set for a brainstorming session. She noted that she suggested the churches be contacted.

Brown-Zerbe said after the meeting she was reprimanded by State Rep. Mike Tobash. She noted Tobash was unaware that PEMA or FEMA had not been in the borough. She said she then sent letters to all the representatives stating that the borough felt forgotten. "The government responded that they found money and are promising to come in," said the mayor, adding that she expects to see some serious help soon.

Although not publicly discussed, a letter from attorney David Rossi from the Pine Grove Area Business and Community Association was received commending the council and mayor for their quick response during the recent flood. Rossi, on behalf of the association, however, urged the borough to take immediate action to alleviate the identified problems, specifically, the raised level of the Swatara Creek bed and the debris that clogs the storm water system. A spring flood is a reality, the letter stated.

Continuing, Rossi wrote that although the association recognizes the financial constraints of the borough to correct some of the problems, the money borrowed to correct them would pale in comparison to the long term economic impact on the community if another flood occurs. "It is the overwhelming consensus of the business owners that should another flood occur this spring, that most of the affected business owners will not in fact reopen, and simply relocate outside of the borough limits." The long term economic impact on the borough in not having doctor offices, law offices, retail stores, grocery stores, plumbing and heating businesses, manufacturing sites, gas stations, convenience stores, and other established businesses within the borough, said Rossi, would be greater than the financial burden of repaying debt to correct some of the immediate problems.

The letter further noted that the association is working with the many government entities regarding the long term watershed issues which, according to Rossi, is a 10 year plan. Dredging the creek bed, and cleaning-up the storm water system, however, is the only short-term solution to preventing the next flood which could be this spring. Rossi referred to the Army Corps of Engineers' dredging of the Swatara Creek in 1972 which the association claimed prevented any flooding whatsoever for the next 35 years.

In other business,

- a resident complained that the issuance of parking tickets on Cherry Street is not done consistently. Brown-Zerbe explained with only one officer on duty at a time, most of his work involves domestics, not parking. When someone is ticketed, it's probably because someone called about it, said the mayor.

- a resident objected to the borough paying for gas for the fire companies to go outside the borough filling swimming pools. The resident said he didn't want to stop it, but he was not in favor of the borough paying for the fuel. Dubbs explained $2,500 is budgeted for fuel and he did not know how the borough could regulate how it was spent. According to North End's Lee Strubhar, the fire company makes a lot of money on the service.

- following the executive session, council approved the hiring of a borough street worker, as well as a second choice if the first refused. The person's name will be made public upon acceptance of the position.

- council agreed to keep the January 31 property maintenance waiver termination date. All residents whose properties have been affected by the flood must be taking steps to clean up their properties by that date.

- council agreed to increase per page copy fees to 25 cents and copies of police accident reports to $25, both effective on January 19.

- council approved the attendance of the mayor, Machamer, Rikki Umbenhauer, and Tony Gurski at a meeting on blight to be held by Sen. Argall.

- the mayor reported information on the Buy Out Program package submitted to FEMA would be available during the week of January 31 to February 3.

- residents doing any digging must first call 811, "Pa Know Before You Dig". Someone will come to mark where any underground pipes are located.

- Brown-Zerbe reported a change in the Police SOP adds more protection for juveniles in the borough.

- permission was granted to Rikki Umbenhauer to plant ground cover on the bank behind 11, 13, and 15 Mifflin Street.

- bids for the installation of new water meters purchased with a H2O grant had been opened by BCM Engineering, Plymouth Meeting. The council approved the recommended low bid of $94,310 submitted by TSE, Inc., Dunmore.

- council appointed Thomas Kramer chairman of the vacancy board.

- Dubbs commended Lenny Clark for his work since taking over as supervisor of the Streets Department.

- police activity for December included 13 criminal arrests, 67 complaints, five ordinance warnings; 23 traffic arrests; two traffic warnings; and 44 parking tickets issued.

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