BOROUGH OF SLATINGTON COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES 12/4/23  The Minutes of Special Council Meeting that was held on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 6:30 PM, at  the Council Room, 125 So. Walnut Street, First Floor, Slatington, PA 18080. Presiding: Bryon Reed: Vice President of Council Recording Secretary: Daniel Stevens, Borough Manager/Secretary  The meeting was called to order by VP Reed at 6:30 PM with the following in attendance:  ROLL CALL: PRESENT Bryon Reed Joseph Wechsler via phone Ronald Kratz Kevin Steckel Jeffrey Hausman Zachari Halkias NOTIFICATION:  ABSENT Thomas Bartholomew  OTHERS PRESENT Mayor Schoch Greg Winokur Daniel Stevens  VISITORS Robert Herzog, Jr. Ryan Mayberry Ron Hausman John Bechtel  Vice President Reed announced that all public sessions of Borough Council are electronically recorded and such recordings are maintained as part of the meeting record until the minutes are transcribed and  approved by the Board, at which time the recordings shall be erased.  EXECUTIVE SESSION - None  PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (Agenda and Non-Agenda items) You will have three minutes to address Council from the podium. The three minutes applies to your time at the podium. Ifyou exit the podium, John Bechtel -1 1302 Pin Oak Lane. Signed in and was recognized to speak. Mr. Bechtel stated that last weekend his pharmacy had been broken ini to. The door had been smashed and they went directly back to the pharmacy. They knew exactly what they were looking for, grabbed, and got out, which did not take them long. This happened early Sunday morning and there were no police officers in the Borough of Slatington at that time. Mr. Bechtel stated that they havel had false alarms, and the police are usually there before he arrives. He is upgrading his security system. Mr. Bechtel said he believes that the Borough 7. Councilor Hausman made a motion, duly seconded by Councilor Kratz, to authorize the yearly donation to the Slatington Public Library for $5,000.00 and Northern Lehigh Pool Association for $1,000.00. Vice President Reed declared the motion passed following a Roll Call,  you have yielded the floor, and any time you have remaining.  should have 24-hour protection.  voting as follows: ROLL CALL  AYES Joseph Wechsler Bryon Reed Jeffrey Hausman Ronald Kratz Kevin Steckel Zachari Halkias  NAYS  ABSTAIN  1    8. Discussion of 2024 preliminary budget  Liquid Fuels Fund  Page 1 - Revenue & Expense. Manager Stevens stated that the cost for snow and ice removal is down a little due to the salt bins being full from last year. The borough must buy at least 60% of the Costars contract each year. The biggest cost every year is the electric. There is an increase in Maint. & Repairs roads from $20,000.00 to $30,000.00. Manager Stevens stated that next year there will be 2 CDBG projects - one on North Street and one on Fifth Street. The total oft those 2 is $178,297.00, a 10% match would be $17,830.00 to come out of liquid fuels. Manager Stevens has suggested that in 2025 the Borough could buy a pickup for highway, and do over a 3-year period out of liquid fuels.  Garbage Fund  Page 1- Revenue. Office wages are split for all departments - 15% to garbage and general and $35% to water and sewer. Manager Stevens pointed out that the interest is lower due toi investing $250,000.00 into Page 2 - Expense. Manager Stevens stated that on the Yard Waste Services we will be split 3-ways - with Walnutport and Washington Township. He stated that this is the last year for the garbage contract  aCD. CD interest is not shown in any ofthe budgets. Total revenue $532,860.00.  and we willl have to bidi it at the end of 2024. Total Expenses are $609,732.00.  Sewer Fund  Page 1- Revenue. The interest is lower due to investing an additional $500,00.00 into a CD. The borough received their money back from the PA Small Water & Sewer grant. Receipts are up a little bit Page 2 - Expense. Insurance has gone up approximately 10%; Workers Comp has increased about 5%. Page 3 - Expense. Councilor Kratz asked about the chemical costs. Manager Stevens stated that during COVID19 prices skyrocketed, but seem to have leveled out. Legal services jumped from $5,000.00 to $30,000.00 due to our response to the new permit requirements. Laboratory testing rose: from $40,000.00 to $75,000.00 due to new testing requirements. Increase for repairs to/new sewer systems went from $5,000.00 to $25,000.00 - this is the money for repairing the sewer laterals on Oakhurst Drive. Page 4 - Expense. Health insurance numbers have increased a total of $90,468.00 which is split among all the departments. Our total health care cost is $409,893.00. The police department health insurance  from billing Washington Township and Walnutport. Total revenue is $1,153,828.00  Contract services has increased with LCA and Ken Fulford.  increase is $69,525.00, which includes 2 new persons on the family plan.  Water Fund  Page 1 - Revenue. The interest is lower due to investing $500,000.00 into a CD. Total revenue  $869,650.00. Page 2 - Expense. Noi issues  Page 3 - Expense. Capital Purchases $90,000.00 this is for half the cost of the control panel project for next year. The borough did pay $63,000.00 up front and we. just received another bill for $27,000.00 this year sO we are at half the cost for 2023. The work should be completed in January. Manager has  2    suggested purchasing a truck for the Water Department in 2025. He suggested keeping the old truck to Page 4 - Expense. Contracted services were up due to multiple leaks in the borough last winter. Health  use int the woods, and ont the back roads.  care costs have increased from 89439000511477000.  Fire Fund  Page 1-1 Revenue. No issues. Total revenue is $90,650.00  Page 2-1 Expense. Thel borough has been paying for fire's gasoline and diesel for a few years. The tablet contract for the IT & Date Processing has been cancelled. SWIF Workers' Comp increased for next year.  After 2024, there is one more. year of payments on the ladder truck.  Total expenses were $103,976.00.  General Fund  Page 1- Revenue. Manager Stevens stated that Earned Income Tax was increased and the DMJ & Page 2 - Revenue. Rent: The municipal building rental is down due the loss of 2 tenants. For  County Judgements are down.  Local/County Community Development the borough is receiving to 2CDBGs. The refund of health insurance expense has dropped from $55,738.00 to $0.00.  Page 3 - Revenue. Noi issues. Total Revenue $2,593,801.  Page 4 - Expense. It was budgeted to purchase more flags. Engineering Services General increased due to the TASA grant. The borough can not bill any ofit tot the TASA grant until the project starts. Page 5 - Expense. Manager Stevens has suggested changing banks due to high bank fees. IT & Data Proc'g for General went up to $14,100.00, but Manager Stevens has suggested taking $10,000.00 out of that and use COVID money to pay for it. The $10,000.00 is a onetime expense. The borough must upgrade (Diversified). Account mate at a cost of $10,000.00. Manager Stevens has also suggested we use the COVID19 money to finish the roof on borough hall by replacing the final section int the front. Page 6 - Expense. Manager Stevens reviewed the salary for the police chief and the full-time police officers. Chief Winokur spoke about the possibility of obtaining more full-time, part-time police officers, and a detective. Chief Winokur is looking for 8 full-time officers, 2 supervisors, a detective and chief of police and a secretary in the future. This budget included 50-hours per week for additional part-time at an increased rate of $25.00 per hour. It also included the new full-time officer which we are in the process  ofhiring. Police health care costs increased $69,525.00 for 2024.  Page 7-1 Expense. No issues  Page 8 - Expense. Budget for gasoline and fuel went down. Maintenance on vehicles is up due to the age of vehicles. Manager Stevens stated that Palmerton will be selling shoring, and the borough could possibly buy it with COVID19 LFRF. Engineering Services increased due to CDBG and possible Page 9 - Expense. An increase in seminars/education. Capital Purchases for $17,240.00 was for the generator in 2023. This was paid for with COVID money. Street Signs and markings increased to  additional road projects.  3    $3,000.00 due to a large number of signs needing replacement. There will be an adjustment to contributions to NL Recr. Authority to $29,981.00 based on new census numbers. Councilor Hausman asked about hiring highway personnel due to possible retirements. Manager Stevens stated since there are no definite retirement dates, it would be costly to hire at this time. Now that the pool has reopened, we Page 10 - Expense. There is an increase for chlorine and other supplies for the pool. Debt service is for the roads - $120,000.00. This is for borrowing money to match possible road grants. As with all EXECUTIVE SESSION Vice President Reed recessed to executive session at 8:57 PM. At 10:10 PM. Vice President Reed reconvened the meeting. Contractual matters and personnel were discussed in 9. Councilor Kratz made ai motion, duly seconded by Councilor Steckel, to adopt and advertise 2024 preliminary budget. Vice President Reed declared the motion passed following a Roll Call,  have al better idea of the actual chlorine costs.  departments, health insurance has increased significantly.  executive. session.  voting as follows: ROLL CALL  AYES Joseph Wechsler Zachari Halkias Jeffrey Hausman Ronald Kratz Kevin Steckel  NAYS Bryon Reed  ABSTAIN  10. The Council discussed the Tax Ordinance 713. Councilor Hausman made a motion, duly seconded by Councilor Kratz, to advertise Tax Ordinance 713 setting tax rates for general Borough purposes at the sum of 6.875 mills on each dollar of assessed valuation and a fire fund tax of. .625 mills on each dollar of assessed valuation for a total of7.5 mills. A tax of7.5 mills is equivalent to .75 cents on each $100.00 of assessed valuation on taxable property. Vice President Reed declared the motion  passed following a Roll Call, voting as follows:  ROLLCALL  AYES Joseph Wechsler Bryon Reed Jeffrey Hausman Ronald Kratz Kevin Steckel Zachari Halkias  NAYS  ABSTAIN  11. OTHER BUSINESS: None  12. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR - Agenda Items Only (2 minutes)  13. ADJOURNMENT  Being no further business, Councilor Kratz made the motion, duly seconded by Councilor Wechsler, to adjourn the meeting. Vice President Reed declared the motion passed following a Voice Vote, All in  Favor.  Vice President Reed declared the meeting adjourned at 10:25 PM.  4    Daniel L. Stevens Borough Secretary  5