SPECIAL MEETING WASHINGTON CITY COUNCIL Thursday, MAY 13, 2013
A special meeting of Washington City Council was held on Tuesday, May 13, 2013, at 5:15PM in Council Chambers, 55 West Maiden Street, Washington, Pennsylvania. Mayor Brenda Davis, presiding, opened the meeting.
ROLL CALL: Councilman Kenneth Westcott — Present
Councilman Joseph Manning — Present
Councilman Terry Faust — Present
Councilman Matthew Staniszewski — Present
Mayor Brenda Davis — Present
MOMENT OF SILENCE
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Mayor and Council held an Executive Session prior to this evening’s meeting to discuss personnel matters and litigation.
A motion was made by Councilman Westcott, seconded by Councilman Manning, and unanimously carried, to approve the minutes of the May 2, 2013 regular meeting of Washington City Council.
Mayor Davis opened the public participation portion of the meeting. Those signed in to speak were as follows:
• Gwen Powell lives at 555 Allison Avenue. There is a Three-Quarter House located at 560 Allison Avenue. Gwen stated that this location houses drug offenders. She has many concerns regarding this Three-Quarter House. She has been a business owner since 1985 when she opened a day care facility. In order for this day care to be in her home she had to walk door to door to inform all residents on this street of her intentions. In 1992 she opened Gwen’s Montessori Day Care School on the corner of Allison and Tyler Avenues = 860 Allison Avenue. The Three-Quarter House is 3 blocks from her business and 3 blocks from the high school. She is concerned about the young people who walk by this house. The offenders have ankle bracelets on and make catcalls to them. We try to bring new residents and businesses into the City of Washington. When new residents call Gwen asking if their children can attend her school – they also ask if she is located in a good neighborhood. Gwen stated that she is no longer to say that her neighborhood is a good one. She feels that she will lose business and this is not fair to her. She has always paid her taxes on time. She was also told that she will be losing property value. Gwen said that she has never complained to the City or brought this to Mayor and Council’s attention. She wants a safe place to live, a safe place for her neighbors to live. She said that she brings a lot of revenue into the City and does have 17 teachers on her payroll.
COMMENT: Councilman Manning said it would be a good idea for our new Solicitor take a look at how legally this can be addressed. He said that he receives complaints all of the time about these Three-Quarter Houses bringing down property values and upsetting the people who have lived for years in these areas.
Mayor Davis said that when this house first moved in this past January she alerted her colleagues and also the Code Enforcement Office. The Code Enforcement Officer recently cited them, there was a hearing last week.
Gwen stated that this house was not following procedures. She said that the City was tough on her when she had to pay extra fees. The City did not budge with what she had to do and this is what the City should do with them.
COMMENT: Mayor Davis said that there are 2 Three-Quarter Houses that recently opened. They came in and opened up without following procedures. The City has been given some case law on what should happen. Our new Solicitor will investigate this.
Councilman Manning asked if he could contact Gwen. Gwen replied yes and gave him her telephone number. She continued by saying that the people who live at this house are not originally from here.
Mayor Davis said that there will be County and State Probation Officers visiting this facility.
Councilman Staniszewski stated that many residents have spoke to him about this as well. The residents from this Three-Quarter House just hang out and make things very suspicious.
COMMENT: Gwen said right next door there are two 13-year olds who are doing cartwheels in their year. She is concerned that we are not assuring the protection of the residents and the small children who are in this area.
Councilman Westcott said that safety is the first priority.
Councilman Manning said that the City of Washington’s door is always open.
There being no further public participation, Mayor Davis closed this portion of the meeting.
A motion was made by Mayor Davis, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and unanimously carried, to approve Chris Luppino as Police Chief for the Washington City Police Department at an annual salary of $65,996.35 – effective and retroactive to May 7, 2013, and amend the salary ordinance accordingly.
COMMENT: Councilman Manning extended congratulations to Chief Luppino.
Councilman Staniszewski said congratulations as well.
A motion was made by Councilman Manning, seconded by Mayor Davis, and unanimously
carried, to action to create the position of a part-time/seasonal maintenance employee for the
Electrical Department at a rate of $12.00 per hour, amend the budget and salary ordinance
accordingly.
COMMENT: Councilman Staniszewski asked if we have the money to do this.
Councilman Manning asked if we have someone for this position.
Mayor Davis answered yes to Councilman Staniszewski’s question and no to Councilman Manning’s question. She continued by saying that when the budget was done Joe Hello’s salary was left in. Now that Splash has Joe Hello’s position there is Splash’s line open.
Councilman Manning asked if we were going to advertise for this position.
Mayor Davis said that she has instructed Splash to do what John does with the Public Works Department’s summer help and to follow exactly what the Street Department has done.
A motion was made by Councilman Manning, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and
unanimously carried, to transfer $5,760.00 FROM 01.16/433-128 (Salary
Recreation/Maintenance Employee) TO 01.16/433-149 (Salary Part-time Maintenance
Employee).
A motion was made by Councilman Westcott, seconded by Councilman Manning, and
unanimously carried, to accept the resignation of City of Washington Solicitor, Lane Turturice,
from the law firm of Berggren and Turturice, LLC as of May 13, 2013.
COMMENT: Councilman Manning wished Lane the best and thanked him for his services to the City. Lane will still continue and be with the Citywide Development Corporation.
A motion was made by Councilman Staniszewski, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and
unanimously carried, to accept John F. Cambest as City of Washington Solicitor, from the law
firm of Dodaro, Matta & Cambest, P.C. effective May 13, 2013.
COMMENT: Councilman Manning said welcome aboard.
A motion was made by Councilman Manning, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and
unanimously carried, allow employees to participate in the Nationwide Retirement Solutions
Deferred Compensation Loan Program.
A motion was made Councilman Staniszewski, seconded by Councilman Manning, and
unanimously carried, to correct name of project listed in previously approved motion. Project name should have been listed as: 2013 Area Wide Inlet Replacement Project. Previously approved motion read as follows: A motion was made by Councilman Staniszewski, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and unanimously carried, to approve lowest bidder to be awarded the Storm Inlet Projects.
A motion was made by Councilman Staniszewski, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and carried, to approve Senate Engineering to serve as Project Manager and Engineer for the 2013
Storm Inlet Projects they recently designed and Council approved.
COMMENT: Mayor Davis asked why we were approving Senate Engineering to do a project when they are not the Engineer on record – and Widmer is the Engineer.
Councilman Staniszewski said that when we moved to Senate a few years ago any project that Widmer was involved with they retained and served as Project Manager and Engineer. Senate then took on any new projects. This is the same professional courtesy that was provided to Widmer previously. It would actually cost the taxpayers a lot more money to bring Widmer up to speed on what Senate is familiar with. This is like the transition period we are doing with the Solicitor now.
Mayor Davis said we all know that past practice has not always been the right practice. Considering that Widmer is the Engineer on record she does not want to open the City up to any liability by giving work to an Engineering firm not on record.
Councilman Westcott said that Senate Engineering was the firm that was on record when this inlet was advertised.
Mayor Davis that ground has not been broken yet.
Councilman Westcott said that his support was not about past practice, but for not spending more money for a new Engineering Firm to do what has already been done.
Mayor Davis said that she did not understand why this packet just couldn’t be given to Widmer. They have been the City’s Engineer for the last 4 years and are very familiar with the dealings in the City of Washington.
Councilman Manning said that there has been a lot of confusion regarding this. He did not answer the email that was sent out. His support of this was, only, in as much as Widmer would have to re-due work that Senate has already completed at an additional cost . . . he would not support this. If Senate could finish it out with no additional cost he did not have a problem with this. This is the only way he supported this; but not to pay for this work twice. This should have been brought up at an Agenda Meeting and also the cost of it.
Mayor Davis said we were not already billed for this by Senate.
Councilman Staniszewski that they have billed us for things.
Mayor Davis asked Solicitor Cambest if this opens up the City to any possible liability if we award this to an Engineer who is not on record.
Solicitor Cambest said that we would have to approve the motion because Widmer is our Engineer of record. He then continued by talking about a possibility of liability, insurance policies, and exclusions.
Councilman Manning said that Widmer may take action against us because they are the Engineer of record for allowing Senate to do this work.
Councilman Faust said that he would like to talk to Widmer if there would be any additional cost and also talk to Senate. The two people that could answer these questions are not here. He would like to find this information out.
Councilman Staniszewski stated that we have bids that were opened 2 months ago. At this point the contractor does not have to honor the price.
Solicitor Cambest said that usually bids are good for 90 days.
A motion was made by Mayor Davis, and seconded by Councilman Manning, and carried, to table this motion until there is further discussion with our Engineer on record.
ROLL CALL: Councilman Kenneth Westcott — No
Councilman Joseph Manning — Yes
Councilman Terry Faust — Yes
Councilman Matthew Staniszewski — No
Mayor Brenda Davis – Yes
A motion was made by Councilman Manning, seconded by Mayor Davis, and unanimously
carried, to approve to continue the current Health/Dental/RX plans currently in place for the
2013-2014 health insurance plan year with the exception of changing the stop loss provider to
Vista Underwriting Partners, LLC. (This stop loss change should realize an expected savings of
$145,000.00 over last year’s rates with US Fire.)
A motion was made by Councilman Manning, seconded by Councilman Faust, and
carried, to retain Millennium Administrators, Inc. as the plan administrators for the 2013-2014
health insurance plan year.
COMMENT: Councilman Staniszewski asked if we have looked at any other proposals or prices. This has not even been discussed.
Councilman Manning stated that it was Millennium’s efforts that resulted in bringing in Vista underwriting partners which gave us a savings of $145,000.00 over last year’s stop-loss rate. Millennium has been doing a fantastic job.
Mayor Davis said that we asked Millennium to give us proposals for fully insured health insurance and also to continue with the self-funded insurance. They have done this. Going fully insured would cost $1.7 million dollars per year. If we continue with the self-funded it would be $1.4 million per year. We would continue to have our grandfather status when it comes to the Affordable Health Care act and the implementation of it.
Councilman Manning said he went to Cranberry Township to attend a seminar on the Affordable Care Act more commonly known as Obama Care. He stated that we have been very fortunate. The Obama Care will be coming in this October and some departments will be affected. Councilman Manning said he will give Mayor and Council, at our next Agenda Meeting, an update on everything that this entails. Being self insured was the wisest thing we could have done, we were way ahead of the curve. Thanks to Millennium’s advice that we move in that direction – this saved us money.
ROLL CALL: Councilman Kenneth Westcott — No
Councilman Joseph Manning — Yes
Councilman Terry Faust — Yes
Councilman Matthew Staniszewski — No
Mayor Brenda Davis – Yes
A motion was made by Councilman Westcott, seconded by Councilman Manning, and
unanimously carried, to approve payment to Washington School District in the amount of
$21,284.58 for their share of the P.I.L.O.T. Program for fiscal year ending September 30, 201 in
lieu of taxes. CHARGE 01.60/489-521
ELECTED OFFICIALS:
Councilman Kenneth Westcott – No Comment
Councilman Joseph Manning – No Comment
Councilman Terry Faust – No Comment
Councilman Matthew Staniszewski – No Comment
Mayor Brenda Davis extended a welcome to Chief Luppino to the Police Department. Mayor Davis also welcomed our Solicitor John (Jack) Cambest.
The Washington City Building will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2013 in observance of Memorial Day holiday. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 8:30AM.
The next regular meeting of Washington City Council will be held on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 7PM in Council Chambers. The Agenda Meeting will be held on Monday, June 3, 2013 at 6PM also in Council Chambers.
A motion was made by Councilman Staniszewski, seconded by Councilman Westcott, and unanimously carried, to adjourn the meeting.
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Brenda Davis, Mayor
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Christy S. Thomas, City Clerk