CITY OF CORRY SPECIAL MEETING 6:00 PM  COMMUNITY CENTER  JUNE 4, 2024  Mayor Baker called the meeting to order, invocation was given by Pastor Les Utegg and was followed with ROLLCALL the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call found Council members Fike, Hammond, Lindstrom and Maloney present. Also present, was City Solicitor Caparosa, City Administrator Smith, Public Works Manager Leofsky, Police  Lt. Kitchen and Officer Bell. Hearing of the Public: Impact Corry Comments-  HEARING OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS  Wendy Neckers summarized as shift they made and goals Impact Corry has to try to keep the youth IMPACT CORRY in Corry, or coming back to Corry, thet traill being part of that. She also stated Impact Corry hopes to resolve issues with the homeowners along the trail and that thet trail will be ini integral part of Seth Trott stated the section of the trail is part of the Eriet to Pittsburgh Trail and discussed the amount of work and organization that has gone into this trail from various people and organizations. He feels trails will benefit local residents and attract visitors to reinvest in Corry. He would like to work with residents instead of having the grant money sent back to the State. Kimberly Hawkes said she strongly advocates for this section of the trail. She asked Council to postpone their decision on the trail to allow for dialogue, address concerns and resolutions between concerned parties. Progress may be gradual but they are getting new visitors to the trail Marty Radock said Corryi is not in the same position today as it was 20 years ago, the community has worked together on different projects and Corry has moved forward. Since being awarded the Route 6A Alliance Heritage Community Awards, Erie County Planning has been doing a feasibility study on the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Alliance - extending Erie to Corry to make ita a destination on the Trail. He believes all of the work that has been done in the community supports having this trail. He encouraged Council reach out to other communities like Kane with similar awards and Melinda Meyers said the proposed trail is a 2100 ft section of a much larger trail that will extend to the Corry. Junction Greenway Trail. Shet feels there is time to talk through solutions including security and fencing. Now is the time to talk through these in order to continue moving forward. Chuck Gray summarized results of 4,477 residential mailers and 1,588 completed surveys used to determine street and trail projects most important to residents. This trail was voted on by 1,588 residents and was in the top 3 selection. This request was presented to Council twice asking for approval prior to moving forward. She stated after the Resolution was granted, the City declared a private partnership with Impact Corry - the City being lead applicant for DCNR funding with Impact Corry as project manager - Impact Corryt then moved forward with funding.  the City in the future.  system.  trail.  Public Comments-  PUBLIC COMMENTS  Bill Wilt expressed his concerns - asking the Mayor and City Council to please turn the trail down due to it being an invasion of privacy. Hei is also concerned about the amount ofr money it will take Melissa Bayle supported thet trail, explaining she grew upi in the area then moved away due to less opportunities here at that time. Since returning it has been wonderful to see the progress made here. She said people benefit from trail systems, thet trail will be here weather we fund it or not. If  to maintain this property.  1    we upkeep it and present it as a positive, Corry will become a destination with less young people Brad Russell spoke regarding the property that became Mead Park and explained that Council sometimes has to vote for the good oft the City in order to move forward. He supported the trail by asking Council to move forward for recreational activities and progress and still address the residents' Julie Morgan expressed her concerns with privacy and safety. She said people walk through all hours oft the night and things have been stolen. There are also conçerns with dogs coming onto their property. She said everyone has an opinion, but for the residents along the trail, it's personal. Bob Brown spoke as a representative of the Chamber of Commerce. He said once you return grant money, you can't get it back and asked Council to keep that in mind. He said they've been working on this project for years and while understanding homeowners have grievances, why wasn't anyone asking questions back then? He is afraid if we let ther money go back - Corry will again be int the position to let things die. Mr. Brown would like to see the project move forward, keeping the grant money and also make homeowners feels safe and their property protected. Kristen Bartone supported thet trail, explaining her property on N Center Sti is in front of the green space spur where Mead Park meets the rails to trails and it gets a lot of foot traffic. Being there almost 10 years, she has never felt unsafe nor has she had problems with people cutting through their yard. Stephen Evans supported the trail by saying his house in on a corner with his back yard on a side. He sees more foot traffici in a day than the trail probably sees in a month. Mr. Evans said he has young children and the safest access to Mead Park for them is by using the trail getting to the trail using sidewalks and crosswalks. He also explained that between Smith St and Route 6-a all! 5 streets- Frederick St, Congress St, Bond St and Elk St- do not have complete sidewalks on either side of the street. Without using the trail, his children would have to walk or ride a bike on the street. Even with Ordinance 1286 requiring sidewalks on both sides of the street, they are not there. He said if thet trail is turned down, putting public at risk, he expects at a minimum the sidewalk ordinance would be Doris Gernovich supported thei trail saying returning the grant would be al loss of revenue and limit our chances of future grants. It would not eliminate the problems currently happening on thet trail, alleys or City Park. She feels we should work on the problem and not eliminate trails in the town and asked ) Joe Zelinski expressed his concerns being safety, finding needles near the path, privacy and theft. Our town has a drug problem and hei fears the trail willl help people use their drugs. Sam Piemme expressed his concerns - needles have been found, his dad has been bitten by an unleashed dog, dirt bikes have gone through, you can't camp due to drug use, items have been stolen from their garage, people have been int the chicken coop and swimming pool. Finish sidewalks, fix Joan Sonntag expressed her concerns and asked why the money can't be directed to a different project. Shes said we wouldn't bei in the situation of finding solutions with homeowners if they would have actually met with homeowners like they said they did and that the whole project didn't start out truthful. She also stated she saw a video of someone coming from the trail and going through her neighbors shed. Another question is who is maintaining thet trail because there are over waist high Melinda Martin-Weaver explained that she is not against growth but shei is against false promises made to secure and maintain the trail. She fears the trail would go downhill like the Spartansburg Trail. When ther railroad went out years ago, residents were given the opportunity to buy the stretch of  PUBLIC COMMENTS CONTINUED  leaving.  concerns.  enforced.  Council to let the project go forth.  roads and trim the dead trees. Pay the grant back and move on.  weeds along it.  property their homes by parcel of property near their homes.  L  but stopped at Elk: St. Shei feels homeowners should be able to purchase the  2    Brenda Lawrence supported the trail. She said trail runners are not the caliber of people on the trails PUBLIC COMMENTS  right now -1 they keep things clean. She feels the bad stuff going on will be chased away by trail Chris Gernovich supported thet trail by addressing some of the fear she's hearing. She said her home has an alley running behind it that used to be an active bike trail. They put up a privacy fence and never had a problem after that. She said maybe some of the problems happening on the trail could be stopped with fencing and asked if the homeowners could get a one-time tax break to beautify the Kristin Henderson supported the trail by saying she and her husband work with the youth. She said she doesn't think ai trail itself will stop drug problems for the youth buti it will help them reach out to the youth and give them something to do with the youth in Corry. She said at her old residence, she saw needles right on N Center St and the drug problem is in Corry not just thet trail. She feels the trail could Gary. Johnston supported the trail, explaining his family has been using Greenway' Trail for years and feels our community wille economically benefit from the trail. This is at time to support the benefit of Sara. Jukes supported the trail and said she feels there is the misconception about the City paying for things. She said this is funded with a grant, not taxpayer dollars. Thei issues brought up are valid- but there are: solutions to work towards. If thet trail is continued to be developed, we willl have more Tina Freeman supported thet trail = sympathizing with the concerns of residents. She feels the problems being brought up are all over Corry- notj just the trails. She said it would have been amazing to have a room full of people back when thet trail discussions werei initially happening, not waiting until it'salready been approved and started. Wer need to look at the options Impact Corry is offering. Steven Bresler said he considers this one of the failed policies of the previous administration and they're meeting times madei it so people couldn't attend all the meetings. He said he appreciates Impact Corry for standing up for what they are doing = the problem is that it wasn't done correctly and people were misled. He: said to cancel the Resolution with Impact Corry because it's dragging us down and that the funds should go to government entities to improve and fix the City. Sheri Taylor supported the trail and said improving walkability in a natural environment is a worthwhile investment. She also said our community will benefit for years to come from being involved with the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail. Mrs. Taylor also pointed out the mentioned problems do not Kieri Cox said no residents on the block are opposed to ai trail in general - they have an issue with the trail behind their house that was never a trail before. She doesn't believe the crime started until Impact Corry publicized thati it could be used by the public. Prior to that it was only used by the people who lived there or people who were friends with those residents. She feels privacy and safety measures should have been implemented prior to the public being invited to their back yards. Why can't that trail go through Mead Park where there are restrooms and places for people to eat and rest. Charles Campbell reminded Council that their first responsibility is to the tax payers. He asked how much money tax payers willl have to raise to maintain that trail- - because impact Corry will not maintain it. He also questioned what the next phase is after Elk St. He said we started something Lisa Cox stated her concerns are in line with the other concerns heard tonight. She asked ift there could be compromise and a group could meet with DCNR to see if the grant could have an amendment made to keep the money but relocate thet trail. It's not that they don'twant the trail or to bring people to Corry-it's thel location, privacy and safety concerns. Ifyou don't decide right now to stop the trail- - can we organize a meeting with DCNR.Ido want to connect the trails, but not have it located here.  CONTINUED  runners going through there.  fences.  help the community and the youth.  the whole community and improve our City.  walkers and it'll cut down the negative activity.  seem to be trail related but citywide occurrences.  without a clear path and only went part way.  3    Luke Keppel expressed his concerns and: said therei isl loud noisei in the middie oft the night on thet trail, drunk, arguing and fighting. Hes said that never happened until the trail went in and the project should bec cançelled. He also asked where people are going to park to walk from Route 6t to Elk St.  Council Discussion:  COUNCIL DISCUSSIO  Mr. Hammond: said the most important thingt to himi isy yes- - Corry needs at trail and wel have to protect our citizens - but we will never find a way to make everyone happy. He explained after the City beingi in communication with DCNR -1 the City can apply for any grants moving forward for at trail system eveni if we return the money this time. Maybe if wer return ther money this time, we can! have a new agreement with DCNR Mr. Maloney thanked everyone for voicing their concerns from both sides ands said this is what we need to do Mr. Lindstrom also thanked everyone for coming and would love to this many people during other Council meetings. She said al lot of these things can be prevented with knowledge and presence. Mayor Baker said thisi isn'tj just for 15-20 years, iti is forever. Ify you donate your property for federal or state funds - it belongs to them forever. Hea also stated in 2021 (grant application date) this part oft thet trail was not recognized as at trail connector for the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail. Mayor Baker also thanked everyone for coming (1) Mayor Baker requested a motion to change the Project Coordinator for the DCNR Corry. Junction Greenway Trail Extension Phase 1A.2 Grant to Finance Director' William Hammond. Motion was made by Mr.  that doesn't hold the City of Corry responsible for the property inj perpetuity.  to figure things out and do what is best for the City.  and being polite.  PROJECT COORDINATOR CHANGEFOR DCNR CORRY JUNCTION GREENWA TRAILI EXTI PAHASE 1A.2 GRANT  Maloney and seconded by Mayor Baker.  Discussion:  Mr. Fike asked whoi it was changing from? Mrs. Smith said Impact Corry. then suggested City Clerk, Laura Thomas should take over that.  Mr. Hammond then said he declines and there was discussion that a city employee should take care oft that. He (WITHDRAWN)  After discussion; Mr. Maloney withdrew his motion and Mayor Baker withdrew his second. (2) Mayor Baker requested a motion to change the Project Coordinator for the DCNR Corry. Junction Greenway* Trail Extension Phase 1A.2 Grant to City Clerk, Laura Thomas. Motion was made by! Mayor Baker and PROJECT  seconded by Mr. Maloney. Discussion:  COORDINATOR CHANGEFOR DCNR CORRY JUNCTION GREENWA' TRAIL 1A.2 GRANT EXT PAHASE (TABLED)  Chuck Gray, Impact Corry, advised that according to DCNR, if Impact Corry is replaced as Project Manager rather than adding toi it-t the matched funds that Impact Corry has generated go out the window and there City Solicitor Caparosa said the grant application for submission states thati is the Project Coordinator is identified as the City of Corry andi indicates an individual from Impact Corryi is involved. Ms. Gray said she would: send the e-mails received from DCNR today. City Solicitor Caparosa said that would be fine as she unfortunately does not have the terms for this grant related to the matching funds. Mayor Baker saidi it's clear the Project Coordinator can be changed by vote of council because it's the City's grant. Ms. Gray said that is correct butt the match would notf follow with ther new project group. Mrs. Lindstrom asked where the match funds came: from. Ms. Gray responded- -Corry Community Foundation, After Discussion; Mayor Baker requested to table this motion andi Mr. Maloney seconded.  would need tol be another $73,000 brought to the table.  ECCRA, AARP, Pittsburgh Foundation as well as volunteers.  4    (3)  Mayor Baker requested a motion to suspend all operations, activities and use of the Corry Junction SUSPEND ALL  Greenway Trail Extension from Route 61 to Elk Street. Motion was made by Mr. Hammond and  OPERATIONS, ACTIVITIES, USEOF CORRY. JUNCTION GREENWAYTRAIL EXT FROM ROUTE6 TOELKST  seconded by Mr. Maloney.  Discussion:  Mr. Fike asked for clarification on how we will stop all use. Mayor Baker responded that we will place barricades on each end and we will make sure utility companies can get through a gate. Charles Campbell spoke and said according to the rules, you can't change a grant. The way it's written is the way' you have to do it. Sending the money back will not have thei impact that Impact Corry is stating it will. Mrs. Smith reminded the audience that there is not to be public comment during the motions. Discussion is Mrs. Lindstrom asked who's going to patrol the trail because people are still going to use it. Mayor Baker said Mr. Fike again asked ift the trail is being closed entirely. Mayor Baker said yes for now, it is City property.  between Council.  the Police and thel homeowners. If they see someone on it, call the Police. After Discussion; vote was taken and passed with Mr. Fike voting against. a. Monday, June 10th, work session, 7pm in Council Chambers. b. Mondav.lune 17th, regular meeting, 7 pmi in Council Chambers.  (4) Announcement of meetings:  MEETING SCHEDULE ADJOURN    (5),  at 7:17 pm.  Respectfillys subritted,  u/ Thbias  5