WORK SE
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
6:15 P.M.
Present: Mayor Lee N. Fiedler, Council Members Floyd Pete Elliott, Edward C. Hedrick, Jr., and Terance J. Rephann. Mr. Hendershot was absent.
Also Present: Jeffrey E. Repp, City Administrator; H. Jack Price, Jr., City Solicitor; Kevin Hagerich, Director of Public Works; Jeffrey Rhodes, Director of Administrative Services; Robert Dick, Police Chief; Sgt. Charles Ternent, Cumberland Police Department; Adam Walworth, MIS Department; and Margie Eirich, Acting City Clerk.
I. City Building Security Presentation - Robert Dick, Chief of Police and Sgt. Charles Ternent.
Chief Robert Dick addressed the Mayor and City Council concerning the establishment of a system to enhance security for the Public Safety Building and City Hall, as well establish video surveillance of portions of the city for security purposes. Demo cameras had been set up in the downtown area and in the lobby of the Public Safety Building to provide Council with a first hand look at the technology. Sgt. Ternent advised that with regard to the Public Safety Building, it is proposed that a key card would be used to control access to the system to open the exterior doors and the video system would be used to monitor the hallways and doorways 24 hours a day. He explained the implementation of the system in detail and said the cards would be hooked up to the central computer system through AllCoNet 2 and would be compatible with the County’s accountability system and Allegany Dispatch. He said AllCoNet 2 is planning to assist with in-car computers making is possible for the video images to be beamed back to the lap tops on the in-car computers. In addition, the CPD command post is already configured on the AllCoNet 2 system and could be used as another recording point.
Chief Dick advised that the surveillance system could be used in areas such as the downtown to monitor the streets and garages, and could also be used for special events such as Canal Fest. He said the system could additionally be set up to be viewed from a city director’s desk so that they would be able to monitor problem areas such as the subway, and was adaptable to any part of the city such as the service center, City Hall, etc.
Upon questioning from the Mayor, Chief Dick said the next step in the process would be to look at the possibility of using homeland security funds and funding through a local law enforcement block grant. The cost of Phase I would be approximately $110,000.00 to include $60,000 for the video system, $40,000 for the key card system for police side of the building and $15,000 for the key card system for the fire department side.
Councilman Hedrick asked if a property owner would be able to buy or rent a camera. Sgt. Ternent said AllCoNet may expand into that someday; however, the police department would not monitor home cameras.
Mayor Fiedler requested to be kept informed of the progress as they proceed with this project.
II. Virginia Avenue Presentation - Councilman Terry Rephann
Councilman Rephann began the presentation by recognizing the representatives from the Chapel Hill West and Virginia Avenue neighborhood groups who were in attendance, and indicated these groups had been involved in conceptualizing what needed to be done in the Virginia Avenue area as far as revitalization efforts were concerned.
Councilman Rephann gave a Power Point presentation emphasizing the need for revitalization of this area. He showed graphs of the areas in the City in which permits were issued for the period 1998 through 2004 and his figures indicated that although there has been a good deal of activity occurring downtown with regard to new construction and renovation, in comparison, the Virginia Avenue area has seen very sparse activity. He reviewed the Virginia Avenue Revitalization Plan developed in 1984, the Comprehensive Plan for 2004 and its relationship to the revitalization of the Virginia Avenue corridor, as well as undertakings through Community Betterment funding for FY 2001 through 2004 in the Virginia Ave. area.
Councilman Rephann reviewed incentives currently available to this area such as the Smart Growth program aimed at revitalizing older neighborhoods, historical preservation incentives, and the impact the Rolling Mill Improvements project will have. He indicated there currently was a bid out for a Design and Development Plan for this area. Councilman Rephann advocated the use of programs used in other areas of the City for the Virginia Ave. area, including a property improvement tax freeze proposal and the STAR program. He expressed the need to market the programs more successfully and suggested re-introducing STAR, renaming it, making it more compact, and combining it with other incentives to address new construction as well as renovation. He also advocated in-fill development incentives and suggested obtaining County participation in both these programs.
In closing, Councilman Rephann said he felt it was in both the City’s and County’s best interest to put together a package of incentives aimed at revitalization of the Virginia Avenue area and was looking for feedback from the Mayor and Council and the authority to move forward.
Mayor Fiedler said that Council was in favor of what was presented, but that it was a matter of how the City can put together a program. He asked when the design and development study is projected to be completed and Mr. Rhodes responded that it was to be completed by November 30th. Commissioner Rephann also noted the Chapel Hill West and Virginia Avenue committees have invested their own funds in this plan, and Mr. Mudge said that the design and redevelopment was to include Arch and Springdale Streets.
III. Public Meeting Agenda Review:
Mr. Repp reviewed the public meeting agenda as follows:
Resolutions:
1. Introductory Resolution for extending the Boundaries of the City of Cumberland to include 368.4 acres east of Cumberland adjoining the Cumberland Country Club.
Mr. Repp described this as a three property annexation involving the Aaron family property, contiguous to the Cumberland Country Club property that was brought into the City last year, contiguous to the Devlin Manor/Perini property for which we have a pre-consent agreement, and contiguous to the Turano property which is contiguous to the Devlin Manor property. Mr. Repp indicated that the City has a pre-consent agreement and a letter from the new property owners indicating they are in agreement to the same terms and conditions of the agreement. There are approximately 384 acres in total involving land zoned in a variety of different ways. The Resolution for Annexation will be presented April 5, 2005.
Orders (Consent Agenda):
Mr. Repp briefly reviewed each order as follows and asked for questions:
1. Appointments to Boards and Commissions: 2 Historic Preservation Comm.; 2 Recreation Board; 1 Shade Tree; 1 Zoning Board of Appeals
2. Adopt a fee schedule for bulk pickup – A bulk pickup will begin in March of this year. The fee schedule was reviewed.
3. Authorize the City Administrator to execute Change Order No. 1 to the current contract with Tetra Tech, Inc., amending the scope of work for the Water Filtration Plant Aluminum Study-Water Effects Ratio - $14,000.
$110,000 was budgeted in the FY 2005 for relocation of the outfall at the Water Filtration Plant involving new construction and on-going maintenance costs for injecting chemicals in the issue of dealing with aluminum, a new standard the City must meet. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the City could be exempt from that standard. EPA is requiring a few additional tests be performed to verify the numbers and this change order reflects the cost of the additional tests. Staff’s recommendation is to approve the change order.
4. Authorize the City Administrator to execute Change Order No. 4 to the current contract with ARK Systems, Inc. for the SCADA Project amending the Schedule of Values – No monetary change.
AllCoNet 2 will allow the City to implement the SCADA system to monitor all our outfalls for water and wastewater which will allow the City to know before a tank goes down that there is a problem and what it is. This is a no-cost change order as a result of a schedule of values being altered. Staff’s recommendation is to approve the change order.
5. Accept the proposal of Carl Belt, Inc. for the purchase and installation of an above ground heating oil tank as well as removal of old tank - $10,800.00
This proposal involves the replacement of a tank where there was recently a leak. Although there were no problems with this leak, it is located in an area that has the potential to cause a problem. Staff’s recommendation is for a new site in a contained structure consistent with PA regulations regarding tank storage.
With no further discussion, Mr. Repp requested an executive session to discuss personnel matters.
IV. Executive Session:
Mr. Elliott made a motion to enter into executive session. The motion was seconded by Mayor Fiedler and unanimously accepted.
V. Adjournment:
With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie Eirich
Acting City Clerk