BOROUGH OF GETTYSBURG TROXELLCOUNCILCHAMBERS 59 EAST HIGH STREET, GETTYSBURG, ,PA17325 COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES  MAY2 28, 2024  President Matthew Moon called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM with the following Councilors present: Vice-President Judith Butterfield, Ms. Patricia Lawson, Mr. Christopher Berger, Mr. Chad-Alan Carr, Ms. Alisha Sanders, and Mr. Peter Bales. Staff present included: Mayor Rita Frealing; Borough Manager Charles Gable; Borough Secretary Sara Stull; Police Chief Robert Glenny; Planning Director John Whitmore; Parking Manager Rebecca Fissel; and Chad Clabaugh, Borough Engineer, C. S. Davidson, Inc. Staff not present included: Borough Solicitor Harold Eastman, Barley Snyder; Public Works Director Robert Harbaugh; and Coordinator of Others present included: Jill Sellers, President of Main Street Gettysburg; Former Councilman John Lawver, 524 McMillan Street; Randy Wallett, Council Vice-President of Christ Lutheran Church, 30 Chambersburg Street; Gary Shaffer, 141 East Middle Street; Linda Atiyeh, owner ofThe Upper Crust, 26 York Street; Nancie Gudmestad, owner ofthe Shriver House Museum, 309 Baltimore Street; Brian Hodges, 137 Ridge Avenue; Susan Cipperly 314 North Stratton Street;  Historic and Environmental Preservation Debra English.  and filming by Community Media-ACCTV.  President Matthew Moon announced an executive session of the Borough Council of the Borough of Gettysburg was conducted immediately following the adjournment of the May 13, 2024 monthly business meeting of the Borough Council consistent with section 708(a)(1) and section  708(a)(5) ofthe Sunshine Act.  President Matthew Moon announced an executive session will be conducted immediately following the adjournment ofthis evening'smonthly, general business meeting consistent with section 708(a)(1) and section 708(a)(5) of the Sunshine Act for the following purposes: (1) to provide information and to discuss matters of employment, the terms and conditions of employment and the evaluation of performance of current Borough employees; and (2) to review and discuss matters of Borough business which, ifconducted inj public, could lead to the disclosure ofinformation or matters  ofconfidentiality protected by law. Special Presentation  There were no special presentations.  Public Comment (Restricted to items appearing on the agenda - not tabled items)  Randy Wallett, Council Vice-President of Christ Lutheran Church, 30 Chambersburg Street said that the church appreciates the long standing relationship with the Borough ofGettysburg and noted that the congregation has been at this location since their founding in 1835. He asked that the Council return to allowing the church to place the bags on the parking meters in front of the church, SO that the mobility-challenged worshippers can easily access the church as they have been doing for many years. They would make sure that the bags are removed prior to 1:00 PM when the  Council Work SessionMinutes May 28, 2024 Page 1of1l    parking meters go in to affect on Sundays. Some members arrived at the church and were unable to find a space to park on Chambersburg Street since the bags are no longer ont the meters; and therefore,  they were unable to go to the church service.  John Lawver, 524 McMillan Street expressed his concerns about Borough Council considering taking over the management of sidewalks. He worked for the Borough for over thirty years and most of that time was as the Public Works Director, and the topic for al long time regarding thes sidewalks has been thei trees and their upheaval oft the sidewalks. He said thati iti isa a minor problem when you take into consideration all of the maintenance issues required with the sidewalks. He pointed out the different types of sidewalks throughout town toi include concrete, brick sidewalks that are not on concrete, and blacktop sidewalks, noting that the concrete sidewalks are the only ones that comply with the Borough ordinance. The brick sidewalks that are on concrete only require minimum maintenance, but the brick sidewalks that are not on concrete and were on crushed stones tend to move over the years which creates an issue for mobility devices and for a person with a disability. He also noted that thej public utility lines installed by Columbia Gas, MET-ED, Gettysburg Municipal Authority, or owned by the property owners also create al hazard on the sidewalks. Mr. Lawver said that concrete is expensive and there is not enough of the public works crew available to manage this massive amount of work SO there would be more added costs to contract the work. He pointed out that years ago, there were ten laborers in the Public Works Department and that has since been reduced to five. He said that Council should consider all aspects of taking over the maintenance of sidewalks and asked if that would include clearing the snow from the sidewalks before making any decisions. Mr. Lawver went on to say that the Shade Tree Commission was established in the early 1990's, SO the large trees that are damaging the sidewalks were planted by the property owners and not the Commission. He noted that in the past the Shade Tree Commission was highly active and they would speak with the property owners before planting a tree, and ifthey chose not tol have ai tree anewl location would bei found. Inmost cases the property owners would agree tol have ai tree planted and the owners would then purchase and maintain it. The Borough's responsibility was to get the trees and plant them and then the property owners took responsibility for the maintenance of the tree  and not the Borough.  Gary Shaffer, 141 East Middle Street said that he isi in attendance to speak as ai resident but noted that he has over thirty years' experience serving on the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB). Het thanked Planning Director. John Whitmore for attending the HARB meeting and giving ah highly organized presentation regarding the Sign Ordinance revisions. His concern is that the ordinance that was presented would allow for internally lit signs anywhere in the Borough. The experience he had from the 1970's when Gettysburg was first asked to respond to national criticism for a number of reasons including signage. He feels that the internally lit lights would threaten the integrity of the Historic District. He told Council ift they want to see what the town would look like then go to the West Gettysburg Shopping Center at night and see all the internally lit signs, and asked if this is what you want to see on the businesses on the square. Mr. Shaffer went on to say that, working as an architect in the Borough for over forty years, he never understood why Borough Council was named as anti-business because they have always been very protective oft the residential  neighborhoods.  Council Work Sessionl Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 2of11    Current and Old Business  1. PBS2016-12 Sidewalk Ordinance Revisions  Section d. Shade Tree Ordinance  Manager Gable gave al briefu update on the previously discussed items andi read the following sections ofthe PBS#2016-12/ (f.)"Lincoln Square Management - Solicitor Eastman is in the process of completing deed searches on all properties abutting Lincoln Square for the purpose of knowing exactly where private property rights of property owners end and where the public rights-of-way begin. Once these lines of delineation are known with certainty, staff will begin drafting a Lincoln Square Management ordinance for Council consideration." (g.) "Lincoln Square Center Circle = Concurrent to the drafting ofar new Lincoln Square Management ordinance, staff will draft proposed amendments to the Lincoln Square Center Circle Resolution (Exhibit 4), to include requests for displays int the center circle as part ofas special event permitp process/procedure and to also incorporate the function oft the Gettysburg Garden Club and the work they do annually with beautification oft the center circle - which is currently incorporated in a separate MOU between the Garden Club and the Borough". (b.) "Storm Water Management - As noted by the Borough Engineer, there is no one- size-fits-all solution to installing leaders under sidewalks to pass storm water onto a street instead of on top of sidewalks. Engineer recommendations are forthcoming as staff begins to develop a proposed sidewalk placemen/maintemance program that includes cost share and/or financial  assistance for property owners."  Manager Gable said that former Councilman Lawver spoke tonight about the Shade Tree Ordinance sO he read the following PBS #2016-12 (d.) "Shade Tree Ordinance /1 Procedures - Many people argue that shade trees are ai nuisance and not needed, especially when considering the cost of maintaining them. Given this mindset, it isi important to keep in mind why shade trees are important and why Shade Tree Commissions exist. The Borough of Neptune, New. Jersey promotes shade trees  by the following passage noted on their municipal website:  Why Are Shade Trees Important? Increase Property Values Improve Air Quality Create a Habitat for Wildlife Curb Noise Keep Temperatures Cooler Control Soil Erosion Maintain a Calming Environment Beautify Our Town  Among the direct economic benefits of trees are lowered energy costs to homeowners, lower air conditioning costs, lower heating costs when trees are planted as windbreaks, and value added from landscaped VS. non-landscaped homes (from 5-20% value difference). The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10room-size air conditioners operating 201 hours a day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Trees serve as noise barriers. Birds are attracted to the area. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates. Rain then washes pollutants to the ground. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air, as well as other pollutants, ozone, carbon  Council' Work Session! Minutes May 28, 2024 Page3of1l    monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. They give offo oxygen. The temperature near trees is cooler than away from them. Trees moderate the pavement /concrete urban heat island effects. Wind speed and direction can be affected by trees. Trees reduce storm runoff and the possibility of flooding. Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy is released from the soil in those areas at night. Trees improve air quality, conserve water, and harbor wildlife. They moderate the climate, improve air quality, and conserve water. Gettysburg has a Shade Tree Commission based on similar reasoning as Neptune, New Jersey. Borough Council has indicated that they feel the Borough should assume responsibility of planting and maintaining of shade (street) trees. This is already assumed in the current ordinance, where section $ 25-103 subsection 1 states, "It is the responsibility of the Borough of Gettysburg to maintain and remove street or park trees." The direction the Council is interested in moving is unique. I am unaware of any other municipality expressly taking responsibility for shade (street) trees and any surrounding heaved sidewalks. Accordingly, Ithought it prudent to reach out to thel Borough'sinsurance: provider for some guidance as it relates to liability and premium costs. Following is the email exchange with ACNB Insurance Services formerly Hockley and O'Donnell: Gable writes: Borough Council is interested in moving in a direction to resolve ongoing challenges related to shade trees and sidewalks that are heaved by the roots of shade trees. We all know that this is a significant problem and the Borough has been named in trip/fall claims in the past resulting from these hazards. In these cases, however, the adjacent property owner is also named in the claim. The result of these claims has always been that the adjacent property owner's insurance pays the claim - as borough ordinance stipulates that iti is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to maintain sidewalks in an operable and safe Ata ai recent work session, the Council directed staff to investigate a new policy where the Borough would assume the responsibility of the shade trees (placement, maintenance, species, etc.). Concurrently, Council is interested in also assuming the responsibility of the maintenance of the sidewalk directly abutting the borough-installed shade tree. 1. Have you heard of any other municipality with this type of policy? Current ordinance states that the sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. 2. Ifthis becomes the new policy, would that absolve the adjacent property owner ofany claim should a trip/fall injury occur ini front oft their property?a. Or would it only absolve the property owner of liability if the trip/fall exclusively occurred on the slabs of sidewalk abutting the shade tree? or a defined spacial perimeter around the borough- installed shade tree? 3. How would this potentially affect the Borough's insurance rates should this policy be adopted? It seems to me that accepting this liability exclusively would increase rates. A  manner.  lot to consider here. Thoughts?  ACNB Insurance Services formerly Hockley & O'Donnell responds:  Charles, Sara, and My Council Friends:  "Thank you for the email. Regarding rates, by simply accepting exclusive responsibility, the annual premium that the Borough of Gettysburg would pay for liability insurance would not automatically increase. That being said, frequency of claims and the amount paid to an injured party would impact the insurance premium if you are exclusively responsible. II know that the Borough of Gettysburg takes great pride in the sidewalks and I would be confident that any issues would be fixed, which would minimize the trip and fall exposure. This might not be the current case as the adjacent homeowner may not have the funds toj properly repair the damaged sidewalk. Ifthere aren'tany trip and fall claims, the premium would not be impacted by taking responsibility. If you change the  Council Work Session! Minutes May 28,2024 Page 4of11    ordinance, I would want to make sure that the owners of each property within the Borough would  still be responsible for snow removal".  Manager Gable read the following staff recommendations for Council consideration: "1. The Shade Tree Commission should prepare a comprehensive shade (street) tree plan for the Borough. a. The Shade Tree Commission should identify the following: i. Shade trees in need of immediate pruning; ii. Shade trees in need of immediate removal; iii. Heaved sidewalks caused by shade trees that need immediate remediation; iv. Comprehensive inventory of where shade trees are currently located; V. Comprehensive plan where shade trees should be added; vi. Species of shade trees tol be planted along with location. b. Prepare a 5-year budgetary plan to address the points noted above. C. Enter into agreements with abutting property owners absolving them of maintenance responsibilities ofs shade (street) trees and sidewalks heaved by shade trees-ina5-foots circumference around the tree-well. i. The remainder of the sidewalks should remain the responsibility of the  abutting property owner(s) unless otherwise identified by Council."  Councilman Berger said that he does not recall any discussion where Borough Council said that they would take care oft the adjacent sidewalks next to the trees. His recollection was to repair the damage that the trees made to the sidewalks, SO this is a little misrepresented in their earlier discussion. He: said that he thought the Borough would take care ofthet trees, but the property owners would take care of the sidewalks. He said that he agrees with John Lawver's comments he made  tonight.  President Matthew Moon said that the last time this was discussed, the Council consensus was that the Borough would take responsibility for the damage to the sidewalks that are damaged by the trees. So, ift the cement is heaved due tot the Borough placing a tree, then we are responsible. He said that now after hearing the extraordinary expenses and legal agreements for property owners with trees which may need tol be tied to their deeds, he said that he is not sure. how that would work.  Manager Gable said that the Borough would need to further investigate to see how this President Matthew Moon said that we need to get a comprehensive survey of not only the Secretary Stull said that the Shade Tree Commission in the past kept an inventory with the addresses of the trees planted, pruned and the type of tree. The last one that was submitted was in  would work.  trees planted but also the condition of the sidewalks.  20091 by then Chair. Jane Scott prior tol her term ending. Shade Tree Commission getting established.  Councilwoman Sanders asked who would be responsible for the older trees prior to the Councilman Carr recommended that the Shade Tree Commission resume following the  procedures as they did in the past by notifying the property owners before planting trees.  Council Work Sessionl Minutes May 28, 2024 Page5of1l    2. PBS2023-01  Comprehensive Rezoning  Planning Director Whitmore gave a brief overview noting that this project began in May of2023 and is a three-phase project. The first phase was staff collaborating with the consultant and a working group to establish a basic parameter for the Zoning Ordinance Rezoning to include the ordinance and map. The second phase has begun with the draft zoning document and mapi posted to the Borough website aty wwwgetysburgpagoy and: for the Planning Commission tol begini reviewing the documents making this a primary project over the summer. This will allow time for additional public comment by either a town hall meeting or open house for public interaction. Once the Planning Commission completes their review they will send their recommendations to Borough Council. That will begin the process with the Municipality Planning Code which requires publication notices and public review. He said that the overall process in keeping with the timeline is to have this completed by the end oft this year. A change to the ordinance that has been drafted results int the ability for approximately 3.2 acres tol have a potential height increase over the existing height increase, noting that it would be a very limited area ofthel Borough that would be eligible for asix story building. Another change is the removal of the Elm Street Overlay District and the underlying zoning for the properties would keep Elm Street in the residential areas. He said that the ordinance does modify the Business District and noted that there is a wide range of mixed-use opportunities with the proposal. He said that he has had positive discussions with property owners  with their main concerns focusing on Elm Street and the heighti requirements.  President Matthew Moon said that he appreciates all the work that Mr. Whitmore has put in to this document in the short time that he has been working for the Borough. He said that the draft ordinance is approximately 190 pages and asked Council to review and familiarize themselves  with the document.  Mayor Frealing said that during the summer months people may be on vacation and not Planning Director Whitmore responded that thist topic willl be discussed for several months and that people can call or email him with questions and concerns. He can be reached at 717-334-  able to attend the meetings.  1160: x224 or email Whitmore/Qgettysburgpa.gov.  Councilman Berger said that citizens have requested that the Planning Commission President Matthew Moon responded that there are costs associated with broadcasting the Manager Gable noted that Borough Council approved approximately $7,000 to film all the Borough Council Business Meetings, Borough Council Work Sessions, and the Budget Work Session meetings. Ifyou begin to include all ofthe Appointments, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)  meetings be televised. Borough meetings.  itw would cost approximately $50,000 each year.  Mayor Frealing asked if citizens had paid for media coverage in the past and if citizens are  allowed to pay for filming. Council Work SessionN Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 6of1l    Manager Gable responded that citizens are welcome to attend and film any oft the Borough Councilman Carr said that ifa concerned citizen wants to film any Borough meetings and Councilman Bales said that in reviewing the draft Zoning Ordinance he noticed that there were different height requirements in different sections. He said that most of them were forty-eight square-feet, and the Institutional and Healthcare Districts were sixty square-feet with only one that  meetings ift they want.  post it on YouTube for the public to see, that would be fine.  was seventy square-feet in the revitalization area and asked ift that was accurate.  Planning Director Whitmore responded yes, but noted that the current ordinance allows for 601 feet ini the Institutional District sO that has not changed. The difference is allowing for 721 feet  int the revitalization zone.  President Matthew Moon clarified that the 72 feet plus mechanicals is already allowed in the revitalization zone which was voted on six years ago. He noted that there is a proposal to expand  the revitalization district. with the draft ordinance.  Councilman Carr thanked Planning Director Whitmore for the extensive work involved President Matthew Moon asked Council to familiarize themselves with the document SO that they are able to speak with citizens regarding any concerns they may have about the Zoning Ordinance. Ifanyone has any questions they should contact Planning Director Whitmore.  3. PBS2017-04 Sign Ordinance Revisions  Planning Director Whitmore reported that the Draft Sign Ordinance that was established by the working group is the current draft ordinance for review. He noted that there has been some changes suggested since the initial draft was completed in April. He said that he has met with the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB), Main Street Gettysburg, Steinwehr BID, and the Chamber ofCommerce to discuss and answer questions that they might] have. He plans to meet with Destination Gettysburg in June and plans to schedule a meeting with the Gettysburg Area Retail Merchants Association (GARMA). He said that there is a lot to consider in drafting the ordinance including the level of advertising availability for property owners and tenants and how the Council would like the Historic District to look. He noted that he had the opportunity to review the newspaper articles from the 1970's and found it interesting that at most of those meetings everyone seems to recognize that Gettysburg is unique and that it goes beyond the battlefield.  President Matthew Moon asked what the timeline is for the completion oft the next iteration Planning Director Whitmore said that he expects tol have the revised Draft Sign Ordinance  oft the Sign Ordinance.  ready toj present at the Borough Council Work Session in. June or July.  Council Work Sessionl Minutes May 28, 2024 Page7of11    President Matthew Moon asked ift the Working Group continues to meet.  Planning Director Whitmore said that they have not met since the completion of the draft President Matthew Moon asked ift there is any input needed from Council at this point. Planning Director Whitmore responded that he would be interested tol know what signs the Council does not like andi ifany signs are visually unappealing. He said that we are constrained with how we can regulate the content of the signage and can only regulate the physical form of the  ordinance; but once the revised draft is completed, he will send it tot them for review.  signage.  President Matthew Moon asked Planning Director Whitmore to provide a list of sign Councilwoman Sanders asked if we are responsible for making sure that the signs are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the accessible design of the signs which would be for mobility and other accessibility such as having braille on the signage.  considerations for Council to review.  Planning Director Whitmore responded that the sidewalks must be ADA compliant sO this creates an issue for the Borough with the obstructions on the sidewalks such as furniture, benches, bicycle racks, etc. The Borough must allow at least a five-foot wide clearance with some exceptions inc certain areas that allow three-foot and four-foot wide clearances. He said that we would: not regulate  braille because it would be part oft the content oft the sign. inside the building or an exterior sign that has light within it.  Councilman Carr asked Gary Shaffer if he was speaking about illuminated signs that are Gary Shaffer responded that he was referring to signs hanging outside the building that have internal lighting in them SO that they glow. He noted that the internally lit neon signs that have become an issue are not what he was talking about, noting that there are certain legal issues that have impacted their ability to control those types ofs signs. He said that in the original ordinance it did not allow for the neon signs that hung in the windows, but over the years the interpretation has changed  ini the ordinance.  Councilman Carr asked ift there were any highlighted changes in the draft document. Planning Director Whitmore responded that there are not any highlights in this draft but he Councilman Carr asked when the next meeting of the working group: is scheduled. He said that there are many restaurants and business owners that were: not included in the working group and  plans to have another draft in the next few weeks.  he wants to make sure that everyone is heard.  Planning Director Whitmore responded that they have not met since the end of April and there is no upcoming meetings planned. He said that, ifthey plan to conduct another meeting, he will  Council' Work: Session) Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 8of11    inform the Council SO that they can attend.  4.P PBS2019-09 Gettysburg Welcome Center GwC-Construction and Management Manager Gable gave a brief update on the Welcome Center Project and said that both the Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board reviewed the document and determined that it is not a defined term in the current Zoning Ordinance as a use-by-right. Also, the current zoning requires that a conversion property be 5,000 square feet if you are developing a non-residential property. He said that the lot size is approximately 4,300 square feet sO a special exception and a variance was requested by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Planning Commission reviewed the request and gave their approval to the Zoning Hearing Board, SO both agreed to grant the special  exception and variance to proceed with the development oft the property.  Manager Gable announced that Main Street Gettysburg began an endowment campaign with the goal of raising a million dollars. It will be placed in the Community Foundation as a permanent endowment SO that the interest earned could be used for the annual operating and  maintenance costs of the facility to relieve that burden from the tax rolls.  5. Temporary Reservation ofl Metered Parking Spaces for Museums and Churches Manager Gable said that the Parking Pilot Program concludes on June 22nd sO the Council needs to determine if they want to continue, terminate or move in a different direction with the  program.  Parking Manager Fissel reported that the Parking Pilot Program added restaurants SO that they could reserve meters for the buses. She pointed out that the two permits that were purchased were not by restaurants but the bus driver or bus company visiting those restaurants. She noted that there have been thirteen tickets or warnings issued tol buses for various reasons stating some ofthose are for overtime parking, parking in a handicapped space, or not parking in a parking space. The Parking Enforcement Staff noted on the daily log sheets that they observed twenty-one buses that  either paid toj park or they moved before staff could speak with them. is being utilized and asked if Councilors had any feedback on the program.  President Matthew Moon said that it does not appear that the second Parking Pilot Program Councilman Bales said that the feedback he received is that it is not affordable, but did not Councilman Berger said that he feels the all day parking reservations are: not attainable and would recommend allowing people the opportunity to choose certain times as needed for parking. He said that he spoke strongly inj previous meetings about church parking and continues to feel that the churches, museums, and business owners should be allowed to place meter bags when needed. The Borough would have oversight into how the bags are used and ifthey are abusing them resulting in losing that privilege. He said that he feels that the churches should be allowed to park free on  identify those businesses.  Sunday mornings. Council Work SessionN Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 9of11    Manager Gable said that staff has noticed that businesses are beginning to use parking which is consistent with the original Parking Pilot Program which Council ended last fall. Buses have been parking in front of St. James Lutheran Church on York Street which was in the original program. He showed aj picture ofaj plastic bag that was placed on ai meter on Baltimore Street that was not the Borough's meter bag but placed by a business owner. He said that staff recommends  going back to the original Parking Pilot Program for buses. the Parking Department and it was not permitted.  Parking Manager Fissel noted that the plastic bag placed on the meter was not reserved by President Matthew Moon asked Council to review and consider what approach they want to take whether it be to continue the program, revert to the previous one, do nothing further, or  consider other options.  President Matthew Moon asked Parking Manager Fissel for the different signage options that she was asked to prepare for Council from the discussion of the last Council Work Session. Parking Manager Fissel said that she did get some other options but did not have them for President Matthew Moon expressed his frustration stating that tonight'si meeting was when Council expected to see these signage options and asked Parking Manager Fissel toj provide Council  tonight's meeting.  with options at the next meeting to: review.  Councilman Carr said that he spoke with Pastor Herr of Christ Lutheran Church on Chambersburg Street and also with several business owners within the first two blocks about the parking options that were discussed at the last meeting. He said that none of them want to see signage that says reserved parking on Sundays from 7:00 AM to 1:001 PM because it would not only hurt parking revenue but it would confuse people during the remainder oft the week; so, it seems that the Council is wasting time discussing signage options. If the church and businesses on Chambersburg Street do not want any of those options then we need to find another solution. He agreed with Councilman Berger that they should be allowed to place the meter bags themselves but itr must be a Borough bag and not their personal bags. Ifthe business, church or museum has gone through the permitting process then they could place the bags on the meters for the times they need and remove them similar to what the churches and the Shriver House Museum have done for  decades.  Chief Glenny said that he is opposed to any signage that is not in compliance with the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) stating that it is unenforceable under the vehicle code. The chief pointed out that the Borough Ordinance allows businesses toj place the bags  on1 the parking meters ift they are properly permitted.  President Matthew Moon expressed his frustration with how it was allowed previously for one specific type of business where we were subsidizing thousands of dollars a year to misuse the parking meter bags. Thej parking bags must bei reserved and paid for through the Parking Department in which they would place the bags themselves is what is being described. We would still need to  Council Work Session) Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 10of11    have staff monitor the bags to make sure they are not being used during non-permitted times. He feels they will be abused and have been in the past, and that the Borough did not enforce it causing  al loss of thousands of dollars from those businesses.  Manager Gable asked what the Council wants to do about the Parking Pilot Program that concludes on June 22nd and ift they plan to renew it. The Council consensus was to let it expire on  June 22nd. New Business  There was no new business.  Public Comment (Open to items currently tabled or not listed on the agenda)  Nancie Gudmestad, owner ofShriver House Museum, 309 Baltimore Street said that she has had approximately 150 buses over the past few weeks and has paid for every bus that has come tot the museum. She said that the plastic bag mentioned earlier was a bag she placed on the meter at the museum. She said the reason being is because it was al busy Memorial Day weekend and she did not want to pay for those meters for the entire day and lose parking spaces for people looking for places toj park. She said that she was insulted by the comment stating that she abused or did not] pay thousands of dollars for parking. She pointed out that she gets approximately 250 buses each year and pays $1.00 for each: meter which is about $500 per year. Mrs. Gudmestad said that, in the twenty- eight years of operating her business, she has not had a Police Officer or Parking Enforcement Officer stop at the museum to speak to the bus drivers stating that she has always followed the  Borough ordinances that allowed her to place the meter bags herself.  Randy Wallett, Council Vice President of Christ Lutheran Church, 30 Chambersburg Street said that the church is only proposing to use the parking bags on Sunday mornings for their service when the meters are not in operation. He said that they value the relationship with the  Borough and does not want to take any revenue from the Borough.  Adjournment  President Matthew Moon dismissed the meeting to an executive session at 8:35PM.  Respectfully submitted, orksstll Sara L. Stull Borough Secretary  Council" Work Session) Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 11of11