Things Get Heated Over an Oven, Marcellus Shale Letter and More (Nov. 15 Baldwin Borough Meeting)

Things Get Heated Over an Oven

“Cook or get off the stove,” Baldwin Borough Council President Michael Stelmasczyk said on Tuesday night in reference to an extended council discussion regarding the in .

The discussion ensued after borough Manager John Barrett requested a motion by the council to install an oven with a “not-to-exceed-$500” cost limit. Stelmascyk suggested that the motion be revised before being put to a vote, saying that the motion should be revised to allocate the funds to the 2012 budget for kitchen work and made subject to completing and reviewing an energy audit.

Councilman Bob Collet said that he was concerned about what Allegheny County law requires in terms of stove and oven ventilation and fire safety for public buildings, whether the administrative offices constitute a public building, and whether Barrett’s cost limit would allow for installation in accordance with such laws.

Councilman Ed Moeller was also concerned with cost and said that he didn’t think that the Baldwin Council should make a last-minute decision that it might have to significantly revise later to bring the oven up to code.

After advising his fellow council members to “Cook or get off the stove,” Stelmasczsyk reiterated his point by saying that he didn’t think that the council should belabor the issue with another tabling and that it should act on it rather than continue to “nitpick” away at it.

In response, borough Mayor Alexander R. Bennett Jr. said that he did not think that the council was nitpicking the issue. He said that he applauded the council for how tightly it scrutinized everything in the budget and the close attention that it paid to how taxpayer money is spent.

In further reference to taxpayers, Bennett pointed out that many of the people who use the administrative building’s kitchen are senior citizens, who, without an operational oven there, must carry hot plates and Crockpots around with them in order to cook and serve food.

Bennett said that he would like to see the oven installed for their benefit, among other reasons.

After much heated debate, the motion was amended to include a not-to-exceed-$1,000 cost limit to be allocated to the 2012 budget pending satisfaction of energy requirements. In a roll-call vote, the motion passed, 4-2, with Councilmen Larry Brown and John Conley in the dissent.

Counciman John Ferris was absent.

Borough Saves Some Money on Roadwork Projects

Borough engineer Larry Souleret had some council-pleasing news to deliver in his report, which included requests for motions for change orders to reduce contract prices for roadwork on Churchview Avenue and Willett Road.

Souleret said that the reductions were the result of measuring final in-place quantities of what materials and resources were actually used as opposed to those that were projected prior to the projects starting.

Because less square yardage and tonnage of materials was used, less base-work/repair was required, and other contract terms were deemed unnecessary. Thus, the costs of the projects were able to be reduced, he said.

The motions, which each passed, 6-0, reduced the contract price of Churchview work by $60,884.52 and Willett work by $13,119.35.

Loan Refinancing Plans Could Save Money

Barrett requested motions to get the ball rolling on refinancing the borough’s Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority loans. He explained that the first step in the process is to bring on bond counsel and an investment banker.

Motions to appoint the law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl as bond counsel and the firm of Boenning & Scattergood as investment banker both passed, 6-0, after Barrett explained that he selected those firms because he believed that they could best serve the borough while keeping costs low.

The estimated savings from refinancing the loans, Barrett said, could be between $200,000 and $250,000.

Baldwin Borough Turns Lights On

Mayor Bennett announced that the Baldwin Christmas Festival will be held at the municipal complex on Dec. 7 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., during which time Santa Claus will ride around on a fire truck.

Baldwin Borough Turns Lights Off

Bennett also announced that Michael Scott, Chief of the , will be conducting a study of eliminating certain lights in the borough pending further research as to whether the state, county or borough gets the final say in street illumination.

Baldwin Police in the Limelight

Chief Scott announced that the Baldwin Borough Police Department received an AAA Platinum Award for its excellence in DUI enforcement, Click It or Ticket administration and child restraint safety procedures.

According to Scott, this is the seventh Platinum Award that his department has received in seven years.

Personnel Positions Opening Up

Collet said that the borough will have nine leadership positions opening soon, including, among others, three library board seats and one seat each on the planning commission, zoning hearing board and standards committee.

Call 412-882-9600 to learn how to apply for those positions.

Collet requested a motion, which passed, 6-0, to advertise those vacancies and to review at the borough’s regular December meeting which incumbents would like to remain seated in their positions.

Motion Passes to Write Letter to State about Marcellus Shale Drilling Impact Fees

The council passed a motion to write a letter to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the state Senate and Gov. Tom Corbett to oppose state legislation on Marcellus Shale drilling impact fees, legislation that would take away the right of local municipalities to regulate drilling companies’ locations and activities within its boundaries.

The motion passed, 5-1, with Moeller dissenting.

Before voting on the matter, Stelmasczyk made a comment for public record. He said that he had received a lobbying call early in the day by a representative of a state senator on the Marcellus Shale Coalition wherein the phone representative spoke of “job creation” and eliminating “municipal red tape.”

As far as “municipal red tape” goes, Stelmasczyk said that he thinks that this is a faulty term and that taking away municipal rights would cause the state government to grow and have too far of a reach into municipal affairs.

Stelmasczyk said that he called and emailed various state senators and representatives, as state legislature is mulling this issue.

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