The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call with council member Patrick Cooney not in attendance.
The minutes from the previous meeting were approved, as well as the officer reports and bills and transfers.
Police Chief Mark O'Hearn and Fire Chief Phillip Groody were also not in attendance.
The meeting was opened with Public Comment.
A borough resident who also volunteers with the free lunch program at the Eureka Park reported that the program was a huge success. She reported that 50 children received meals on the first day of the program and over 60 on the second day.
In a different subject, the resident also reported that the rear roof of the home, where a fire took place last year at 13th and Arch Street, has begun to collapse.
Another resident spoke on the meeting agenda item about hiring a full time public works laborer. He asked why the council would not hire more part time employees, where the borough wouldn't have to pay health benefits. Councilman Spieles responded that in the past, when Part Time positions are advertised, they receive no responses.
Another resident also asked why they couldn't do the same in regards to part time employees for the police department?
The first item on the meeting's agenda was the opening of bids for Bituminous Paving Contracts.
The contracts were bids for three separate projects:
- the paving of 19th Street from Centre Street to the Borough Line
- 20th Street from Centre to Market Street
- Chesnut Street from 19th Street to 20th Street
The first bid was from New Enterprise Stone & Lime with a bid total of $73,657.90.
The second bid was from Barletta Materials and Construction Inc. with a bid total of all three projects of $95,438.
The third bid was from H&K Group with a bid total for all three projects of $67,525.20
After the reading, a motion was made by Councilman Bernodin to go with the "lowest" bid through the H&K Group. Councilman Spieles made a second motion. Council president Groody stated the bid would be awarded to H&K Group subject to review by the borough's solicitor.
The next item on the agenda was a letter from Saint Charles Borromeo Parrish for their Annual Parish Picnic on July 20th and July 21st. The letter was to request Walnut Street to be closed for the preparation and festivities. The motion was approved.
The next item on the agenda was a letter from the Ashland Community Watch to request to hold their Annual Night Out on August 10, 2018 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm from the American Legion Building to the Verizon Building. They also requested that the borough police bring their new police car to the event. The motion was approved.
A resolution was read and approved recognizing Ann Helwig on her retirement after working at the Ashland Public Library for 34 years.
The next time on the agenda was the approval to hire a new part-time office clerk. Tanya Stravinsky was hired at a rate of $12.00/hr to work in the office Monday through Friday, pending a background check, drug test, and credit check.
The next time on the agenda was the approval to hire a new full time Public Works Laborer. Kenneth Korn was hired at a rate of $18.00/hr to work from 7:30am until 4:00pm pending a background check, drug test, and credit check. A CDL license will be required within the first 6 months.
Two repository tax sales were voted on for 1018 Centre Street and 918 Market Street. Both were disqualified under the real estate tax sale law due to previous unpaid bills to the borough by the requesters.
In other business, Mayor Walacavage spoke about the recycling area being trashed again with garbage being left outside the bins. Mayor Walacavage stated that the borough police will close the gates at 6:00pm and anyone caught leaving trash will be prosecuted with a first offense fine of $300.
Mayor Walacavage also responded to PETA in regards to building a shrine near the Mother's Memorial.
http://www.skooknews.com/2018/06/mayor-of-ashland-responds-to-peta-letter.html
Mayor Walacavage also stressed that any home that receives a letter that is posted on their home in regards to it being uninhabitable, the letter is to remain on the home. To remove the letter from where it is posted is a crime.
Councilman Spieles thanked the rest of Council for their work on issues over the past week.
Councilwoman McIntyre provided a letter from the American Hose Company #1 to have a tag day at the intersection of Centre Street and Hoffman Boulevard to collect to purchase a new thermal imaging camera. The motion was approved.
Mayor Walacavage acknowledged 15 year old Michael Watkins who was in attendance to the meeting. Watkins attended the meeting as part of earning a Boy Scout Badge.
During the final portion of the meeting, the public asked about the water main break that was going on that evening. NOTE: The break has been repaired since this meeting
It was also asked about how the public could help as fire police in the borough. Councilman Bernodin will have information on that by the next meeting.
Council also spoke about the question of hiring more police in the borough and the council stressed that the topic is still on the table.
An executive session was held at 8:00pm to end the meeting.