Sugar Grove Borough Approved Minutes for April 6th 2009

Council Members Present:

Mayor “Dutch” Strand, President, Kevin McIntyre, Kevin Nicklas, Kathy Buerkle, Dave Slater, Jerry Bloomgren, Ryan Hoffman, Neal Hoisington, Terra LoPresti

 

Council Members Absent:    None

 

Citizens Present:  Luann Lassinger, Jenny Nicklas, Kent Wilcox, Gene Falconer, Linda Cross, Bryan Rutsky, Candy Rieder,

 

Call to Order: President McIntyre at 7:00 p.m.

Visitor Comments: Linda Cross asked for a donation for the Chandlers Valley Easter egg hunt being hosted by the Chandlers Valley Community Center. Any money left over from the hunt would be used at Halloween.

 

A motion was made by Jerry Bloomgren and seconded by Neal Hoisington to donate $50.00 towards the Chandlers Valley Easter egg hunt.. The motion carried

 

Bryan Rustky asked for a donation to replace safety bases and pitcher plates at the Sugar Grove ball field. This will help eliminate broken ankles and other injuries. It was noted that Sugar Grove has 9 teams playing this year. The bases will be locked up on site when not in use.

 

A motion was made by Dave Slater and seconded by Kevin Nicklas to donate $400.00 towards the purchase of new safety bases and pitcher plates for the Sugar Grove ball fields. The motion carried

 

Kent Wilcox updated council on the success of the Maple Syrup competition and Pancake Supper. They had more people attend then expected. After costs they were able to donate $700 to the Sugar Grove VFD auxiliary, $75 to the Girl Scouts, and around $600 to the Sugar Grove Community Development Council.

The Sugar Grove Cruise-In will be on May 22nd. Council gave permission to close the same streets as last year. The Sugar Grove VFD plans on having music in the evening as a fund raiser. There will be a fundraiser meeting at the Sugar Grove VFD on April 28th at 7:00 pm.

Kent informed the council that the “Welcome to Sugar Grove” signs are complete and ready to install. The Sugar Grove Community Development Council will need the money council agreed to pay for the signs. Council gave the secretary permission to pay for the signs when the bill arrives.

  

Approval of Minutes: Minutes from last meeting were approved as is.

Balance of Accounts: 

            .

      Assets:  March 31st, 2009 

101.100 · General Fund Checking

 $        301.88

107.000 · GF  Money Market

 $ 116,697.15

108.100 · Park Bank Account 2187

 $   11,740.70

109.200 · National City CD#8077

 $   16,664.93

110 · Petty Cash

 $        200.98

35.101. · State Fund Checking

 $          10.00

35.107. · State Fund Money Market

 $     2,180.76

Total Checking/Savings

 $ 147,796.40

 

Income:  March 2009

301.200 · RE Taxes Prior Year

 $        308.38

310.020 · Per Capita-Prior Year

 $        113.30

310.10 · Real Estate Transfer Taxes

 $     1,470.00

310.210 · EIT - Current Year

 $     2,788.92

331.120 · Violation of Ordinances

 $          13.15

341.110 · GF Interest

 $          82.12

Total Income

 $     4,775.87

 

 

Bills to be paid in April 2009

Penelec (Harmon) 

$32.49

 

electric

Penelec (Wilson)

$17.30

 

electric

Penelec (street lights)

$567.49

 

electric

SuGASA

$48.00

 

sewage

Karla LoPresti

$366.11

 

wages

Times Observer

$53.60

 

mowing ad

Judy Satterfield

$74.72

 

tax fee & supplies

Haines & Company

$2,042.12

#

2008 DCED Financial audit

Stapleford & Byham

$327.80

 

nuisance ord / right to know

Sugar Grove Free Library

$900.00

 

donation for entrance project

Sugar Grove Township

$650.00

 

sanding boro streets

IRS

$161.42

 

1st qtr employer & employee tax

E-Tides PA Withholding

$32.39

 

1st qtr emp state tax

E-Tides (PA-UC)

$20.01

 

1st qtr emp unemployment tax

Warren County-EIT

$10.55

 

1st qtr local emp tax

Verizon

$92.06

 

phone

National Fuel

$151.76

 

gas

Total

$5,547.82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A motion was made by Kevin Nicklas and seconded by Kathy Buerkle to pay the bills. The motion carried.

                

Mayor’s Report:

­         The mayor got paperwork from the electric company stating that they could put in the Christmas light electric for about $4,000.00. This would include running new wires on the poles. Ryan asked about just updating what we currently have. Kent Wilcox pointed out that if the Streetscape project went forward it would tear out the current wiring. Council decided to postpone this project until a later date.

­         COG has set up a fire department committee and the mayor is a member. The group would like to change the utilities from the commercial rate. They want to reduce the number of training hours required by volunteers. The mayor talked with our Comp Ins. About allowing other fire department members to help out here. According to the insurance company they would need to be listed under our insurance.

­         Mayor requested that council members look around Sugar Grove for zoning violations and that we invite Gary Snook from Planning & Zoning to our next meeting.

­         The Sugar Grove Borough received a thank you note from a Sugar Grove Elementary School committee for allowing them to meet at the Borough building when they needed a place to meet.

Secretary’s Report:

­         2008 DCED Financial Audit completed by Haines & Co.

­         Requested that the Borough have a Fireproof box, a citizen said they had one to donate

Communications:

­         Engine Retarder Prophibition

­         Thank you from the Warren Historical Society

­         PennDOT Traffic Counts

­         Update from First Presbyterian Church about trees on Stillwater Creek

­         Liquid Fuels deposit for 2009 - $13,162.04

­         Connect 2 Communities Conference – Titusville, May 6th

­         Allegheny Musarium Assoc. – Request for donation / support letter

­         Grants Assistance Program through Sand Associates

­         Wake up to the Issues Breakfast for Borough Elected Officials

­         SUGASA NPDES Permit Renewal Project

­         MDIA Inspection fee changes (find old fees and review before signing) v

­         Legal Notice of Warren County Commissioners meeting on Amendment to Zoning Ordinance

 

Streets, Roads & Bridges: (Kevin Nicklas, Neal Hoisington)

­         Need to talk to Signature about sealing the cracks on the School Street bridge.

­         Need to ask the school district if they will take care of the maintenance of the flashing school signs if the Sugar Grove Borough gets them installed.

­         Neal Hoisington will get sluice pipe bids for Younnie & Stillwater streets.

­         Kevin Nicklas & Kevin McIntyre will look at the drains & catch basin at the corner of School & Pleasant Streets to see what needs to be done to repair / replace them.

­         Neal Hoisington and Kevin Nicklas will get an idea of the costs involved with repaving Curtis Street and returning it to its original width.

­         The Sugar Grove Borough limit sign in missing on Catlin Hill


Parks, Playground, & Sidewalks
: (Kathy Buerkle, Ryan Hoffman, Jerry Bloomgren)

­         The Borough received the Park grant approval package. Jerry Bloomgren sent in the “Partial Payment Request” form that needed to be completed within 2 weeks. He asked for $20,000.00. The next steps will be to find a designer and get plans drawn up and submitted by June 26th. We also need a copy of the title to the Park.

­         CPT asked the council to pay for 2 months of the summer rental for the Port-o-Johns at the playground and the council agreed.

A motion was made by Kathy Buerkle and seconded by Ryan Hoffman to pay for 2 months of the Port-O-John rental fee for the playground. The motion carried

 

 

Building:  (Ryan Hoffman, Kevin Nicklas, Jerry Bloomgren)

­         A citizen has been assigned to the Sugar Grove Borough for community service. Council suggested that he treat the picnic tables and benches at the park and the handicap ramp at the boro building.



Sugar Grove VFD:  (Kathy Buerkle, Dave Slater)

­         Kevin Nicklas spoke with Representative Kathy Rapp about having a scholarship program for the VFD. She said she would find out if there was one and would pursue getting one if there wasn’t.

 

Old Business:  

­         Terra LoPresti updated council on the Tax Tea Party she mentioned last week and said it would be hard to pull together something by April 15th. She said there would be one in Jamestown, NY and suggested council members attend that one to show support. Council remarked that they would like to have one in Sugar Grove and asked her what help she would need to get one organized by April 15th. A meeting was scheduled for Wednesday  to work on the event.

 

Ordinances:  (Neal Hoisington, Dave Slater) None

­         Copies of the Nuisance Ordinance that was updated by Attorney Stapleford were passed out to council members. Any issues or changes will be communicated to the secretary by April 22nd. If there are no changes than the attorney will advertise the ordinance to be voted on at the May meeting.

­         The SGVFD Cost and Expenses Reimbursement of Costs & Expenses Ordinance was reviewed but not decided on.

­         The Sugar Grove sidewalk ordinance discussion was rescheduled for the May meeting.


New Business
:

­         Thank you to the AMVETS for their clean up of trash around the Sugar Grove Borough and Township.

 

      A motion for adjournment was made by Kathy Buerkle seconded by Dave Slater. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 9:36 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Karla F. LoPresti, Secretary

 

The next regular meeting will be held May 4th at 7:00 p.m.