Martinsburg

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Martinsburg Borough Council Minutes

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Meeting Overview

The regular meeting of the Martinsburg Borough Council was held on Monday, March 6, 2023, at the municipal building. The session began at 7:00 p. m. with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Elected Officials Present:

  • Mayor Richard A. Brantner (President)
  • 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, representatives from Hollidaysburg Ambulance, and members of the Morrisons Cove Herald.

Key Reports and Updates

Hollidaysburg Ambulance

Jacob Reilly, Chairman of Public Relations for Hollidaysburg Ambulance, provided an update on services.

  • Service: 24-hour service providing both Advanced Life Support (paramedic) and Basic Life Support (emergency medical transport).
  • Stations: Three total stations—two in Hollidaysburg (Scotch Valley and American Legion) and one in Martinsburg.
  • Contract: The Borough has a contract with them signed until 2025.

Financial Reports

  • Minutes: The minutes from the February 6, 2023 meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Financials: Secretary/Treasurer Jane Staily presented the Financial and Treasurer’s Reports for February 2023.
  • Bills: The List of Bills for February 2023 (checks 10967-10986) totaling $40,026. 10 was approved. This amount included a transfer of $28,000. 00 to the Reserve Fund.

Police Department

Chief Kerry Hoover presented the police report:

  • Recruitment: No employment applications have been received yet for part-time or full-time officer positions.
  • Academy Costs: Police academy tuition is approximately $800. Some municipalities pay this plus wages for cadets. MPOETC can reimburse 70% of the cost back to the department.
  • New Cruiser: A new cruiser arrived and was being detailed at Jack White’s.
  • RMS System: Training sessions are scheduled for the new RMS System, with a planned go-live date of April 1.

Borough Manager Report (Rich Brantner)

  • Notification System: The borough is switching from SwiftReach to RAVE for resident notifications. This is required by the DEP for emergency notification of the water system.
  • Equipment Fund: Council authorized moving the Equipment Fund account from First National Bank to PLGIT to secure a better interest rate (approx. 4. 35% vs 0. 65%).
  • February Activity Log:
    • Feb 8: Curryville interconnect tie-in complete (not yet in use).
    • Feb 9: Borough crew cut down a mostly dead tree behind the ambulance building.
    • Feb 22: Received $58,228 in Highway Liquid Fuels money from the State.
    • Feb 23: Martinsburg Fire Company and eight other departments responded to a large barn fire at Metzler Farm. The barn and equipment were lost, but there were no injuries or animal losses.
    • Feb 28: Crew fixed a broken pipe in a tank at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
    • Mar 2: Cove Shoe had sewer problems due to a broken pipe; the line was dug up.
    • Mar 2: Started advertising a 2006 Dump Truck for sale on social media and in the local newspaper. Bids are due April 3rd.

Council Actions and Ordinances

  • Ordinance No. 2023-645 (No Well Drilling): Attorney Nathan Karn presented the advertisement for this ordinance. It allows thermal wells but prohibits wells for consumption. The motion to adopt the ordinance passed unanimously.
  • Act 151 of 2022: Information regarding personal information notification was passed to IT Tech Chris Brooks.
  • Zoning Hearing Board: Council officially approved Mark Gartland to the Zoning Hearing Board.
  • Water Usage: Manager Brantner reported that 150,000 gallons of water were used from Henry’s Pond to fight the barn fire mentioned in the manager's report.
  • State Police Vehicles: Chief Hoover noted that State Police vehicles have changed from white to gray, similar to Martinsburg cruisers. The main difference is the light bars; State Police have outside light bars, while Martinsburg’s are inside.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p. m. on a motion by Ed Bennett, seconded by Darin Meck. The motion passed unanimously.

Minutes of the January 9 and February 13, 2023 meetings of the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company were included in the agenda packet.

Submitted by: M. Jane Staily, Borough Secretary

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