Martinsburg Borough Council Minutes

Meeting Overview

The Martinsburg Borough Council held its regular meeting on Monday, April 3, 2023, at 7:00 p. m. in the municipal building. The session began with a prayer by Richard Brantner, Jr. , and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Elected Officials Present:

• Mayor Richard A. Brantner
• President P. Robert Dickson
• Vice-President Durban D. Metzler
• Pro-tem Charles E. Kensinger
• Councilman Edward L. Bennett
• Councilwoman Janet E. Blattenberger
• Councilman James C. Dell
• Councilman Darin B. Meck

Other Attendees: Manager Richard Brantner, Jr. , Secretary/Treasurer Jane Staily, Chief Kerry Hoover, Attorney Nathan Karn, Sandy Weyandt, and Anna Baughman (Morrisons Cove Herald).

Financial Reports & Bills

• Minutes Approval: The minutes from the March 6, 2023 meeting were approved unanimously on a motion by Janet Blattenberger.
• Financial Reports: Secretary/Treasurer Jane Staily presented the Financial and Treasurer’s Reports for March 2023.
• List of Bills: A list of bills for March 2023 (check numbers 10987-10995) totaling $3,891. 34 was approved unanimously on a motion by Janet Blattenberger.

Departmental Reports

Police Report (Chief Kerry Hoover)

• New Cruiser: The new police cruiser is completed and has been in service since the second week of March.
• CNET Program: The borough went live with the new CNET program on March 26. Chief Hoover noted it is a learning curve after using the old system for twenty years.
• Security Warning: Residents were advised to frequently check their online banking due to recent hacks involving copies of checks used by vendors. Chief Hoover, a victim of such a scam, may issue a news release via Facebook.
• Hiring: One patrolman employment application was distributed, but none have been returned.

Borough Manager Report (Rich Brantner)

Manager Brantner provided updates on various administrative tasks completed in March:

• Mar 7: Conference call with Attorney Karn regarding liens and shut-off procedures for non-payment of water/sewer bills.
• Mar 9: Team meeting regarding the Curryville connection.
• Mar 10: Zoom meeting with Jane and Renee regarding the RAVE procedure for automated call-outs (replacing SwiftReach).
• Mar 13: Pre-ops inspection with DEP regarding the Curryville interconnection.
• Mar 15: Attended a Service Line inventory training class.
• Mar 21: Picked up a new truck from Stucky’s.
• Mar 22: Meeting with the Village of Morrisons Cove regarding zoning issues.
• Mar 31: Reported an individual running into the fence at the wastewater plant.
• General Update: Spoke with Jake, the Blair County Manager, about a potential paving project to mill down and resurface bad areas in the district.

Council Business & Resolutions

Truck Bid Acceptance

The council received bids for the sale of the borough’s 2006 Ford Dump Truck. The following bids were received:

• Advantage Auto Service (Johnstown PA): $11,500
• Kevin Smith (Roaring Spring PA): $11,200
• Cove Prep/Cove Secure (Torrance PA): $15,000
• Mike Long (Martinsburg PA): $16,500
• Bill Gigante (State College PA): $16,300
• John Miller (Cherrytown PA): $16,900
• Jeff McConnell (Hollidaysburg PA): $15,600

Decision: The council accepted the bid of $16,900 from John Miller for the 2006 Ford F-350 Super Duty Dump Truck. The motion passed unanimously.

Police Hiring Extension

It was the consensus of the council to extend the application deadline for full-time and part-time police positions. The council noted that hiring issues are nationwide, with other departments (Logan Township, Altoona, State Police) also seeing low application numbers. The goal is to find good applicants rather than just any applicant.

Agricultural Parade Approval

The council approved the closure of streets for the 2023 Agricultural Parade on July 11, 2023. This approval is subject to the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park obtaining necessary PennDOT permits. A letter of approval will be attached to the permit.

Attorney Fees Resolution

The council adopted Resolution No. 2023-0403-01, which adopts a schedule of attorney’s fees for the entry of municipal liens and execution thereon, pursuant to 53 P. S. §7106.

Public Safety Reminders

• Liens: Attorney Nathan Karn explained the standard fees and phases for handling liens.
• Traffic Safety: Councilman Charles Kensinger reminded citizens to slow down as more children will be on bicycles and motorcycles with the onset of nice weather.

Community Updates & Events

• Thank You: A thank you was received from Susan Rea of the Hollidaysburg Ambulance.
• Park Allocation: Thank yous were received from the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park for a 2023 allocation totaling $1,500 from the Borough.
• Fire Company Event: Manager Brantner reported that the fire company Chicken Barbeque will be held on Saturday, April 15th.

June/July 2023 Activities Schedule

• June 16 & 17: Fire Company Ox Roast
• July 3: Council Meeting
• July 7: Bargain Days
• July 11-15: Cove Carnival
• July 11: Agricultural Parade
• July ? : Fireworks
• July 15: Boosters Chicken BBQ
• July 20: Martinsburg Municipal Authority meeting

The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p. m. on a motion by Ed Bennett, seconded by Darin Meck.