SHIPPENSBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL
May 23, 2013
7:00PM
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: 7:04 PM
Attendees:
Andrea Lage
Kathy Coy
Steve Brenize
Kerri Burrows
Earl Parshall
Joe Hockersmith
INVOCATION - Mayor Bruce Hockersmith
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Council
Public Comment
Kathy Coy: I would like to thank everybody coming tonight. It is great to see a crowd. What we
will do is allow those that want to speak tonight for 3 minutes and then when they are finished
they will exit and allow the others to enter and speak. When you begin, please give your name
and address.
Mayor Bruce Hockersmith: I think the precedent is that we allow 5 minutes per person.
Sam Wiser: If there is a spokesperson for the group would be good to allow everyone to voice
their opinion.
Kathy Coy: Okay, so you have 4 speakers.
Gloria Hudock – Good evening I am at 138 Cottage Rd, Shippensburg. I would like to tell you a
little bit about myself and that I am a member of the Senior Center at Cleversburg. My husband
and I moved to Shippensburg in 1999 when he retired and we had seven good years together
and he died in 2005 and I was a basket case. Didn’t want to do anything just stay in the house.
My sons asked me to get out and do things. One of my friends said, why don’t you go to the
Senior Center they need volunteers. Well, alright I will try it. At that time they were at the
Health Care Center. They said, yes we need volunteers. I signed up and did that and then we
moved to where we are now. Cleversburg. I got into the activities; there is so much to do at the
Senior Center. We have line dancing which is really great for the seniors. We have so much
fun doing that. We have chair exercises. We have step and sneakers and we have men doing
that along with the ball and stretch band. We have Bingo, Card, Dominos and puzzles. There
are so many people like myself that need the Senior Center. When I get to the Senior Center I
feel so much better when I see all the friendly faces. We socialize and have a hot meal. We
are here to ask you to please help us to get a Senior Center in Shippensburg. We do need a
Senior Center here in Shippensburg. I am asking you to help us.
Diana Strayer: I live at 237 West King St. I too am like Gloria. My daughter got me into the
Senior Center. I was depressed and they have helped me through a lot. It has helped seniors a
lot. We would like to have a building of our own so we don’t get kicked out again. If we have to
a dollar a year for 99 years for the rent, that would be fantastic! We would like a big building,
not a little box. It is like the Mayor, you said that we don’t have a Senior Center, but we need a
Senior Center and we would like to have it town so we could walk to the Center if they want. It
will keep the seniors active.
Ilene Robinson: They call me Liz. I am the secretary at the senior center. I am at 3 Ian Court.
Ann gave me a couple of pointers. Last year we served about 10,000 meals at the center. We
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had approximately 16,000 participants and programs at our center last year. Just in visits alone
we have had 3, 300 people. This is just people to come in. People need that just to sit and talk
and then they leave. It is really important for seniors to stay active. In the long run it helps with
the insurance when you stay healthy and active. We have an exercise class every day. I talked
to Alex Pettyjohn from the Dept. of Agriculture. The building next door here meets the specs.
WE are still waiting from word from the Assembly of God. They were supposed to have a
meeting last week and Ann was going to go but they didn’t have that meeting. At this point in
time we have no where to go. We have a little over 30 days and we are done. I understand that
if we don’t have a place or sponsor by July 1, there will be no Senior Center, ever ever ever in
Shippensburg!
Joe Hockersmith: Where did that come from?
Liz Robinson: Terry Barley. If July 1 comes and we have no place to be and no sponsor they
will pull the funding.
Joe Hockersmith: I talked to Commissioner Hurtzler and he did not indicate any like that to me.
Liz Robinson: I talked to him also. He said that he wasn’t aware of that either. It did come from
Terry Hurtzler. The Assembly of God can only handle between 50 and 55 people. Ann talked
to Rob Kauffman and he feel like we should have a building of our own also. We would like to
take the building next door.
Kathy Coy: Okay, thank you all for coming out and if you can exit through the backdoor so the
new group can enter. We are allowing 5 minutes for the speakers.
Marie McCardell: I live at 6 Willow Dr in Shippensburg. I am your Steppin Sneakers teacher. I
have been teaching the class and I have been the instructor. My class is like 37 people. It has
been such an uplift for my girls. We have also had 6 or 7 from the Senior Center come into our
class and they love it. We are losing a lot. Of all the things that I have done in my life, this is by
far my favorite job. Working with the seniors. They look out for each other and we need that
and a place.
Gordon Thomas: I live at 626 Charles St since 1997. I am president of the Board of the Senior
Center. It is my understanding that if we do not have a sponsor and a building the county will
NOT start another Senior Center. This one will cease as of June 30 if we do not have a place.
There are a lot of people that depend on the center for food, entertainment and fellowship and
pleasure. They have a lot of help with the legal people, training, etc. They need that place to
meet. This was a perfect place but we got kicked out so that the youth could take over. We
ended up at Cleversburg and that place was dedicated to us and now we are kicked out of
there. Looks like people do not like the seniors too much around here. I don’t think that is right.
If we can’t have it here there is no place else for us to go. We can’t go to Franklin County
because Cumberland County will not allow that. As Liz mentioned there was a doctor that wrote
a very long letter with all the benefits that the center does. There are many other people and
not only seniors.
Rachel McKinney: I live at 343 E Burd St, Apt C. I moved to Shippensburg in 2008 after having
spent 40 years in California. I left California because I am on a fixed income and I couldn’t
afford to stay there anymore and I have family here in Shippensburg. I never realized what a
perfect place is for seniors. You can walk to so much and it is just wonderful. I said to my sister
after I moved to my place in Burd St. There is no bad area in Shippensburg. She said, we do
have one bad area. I said, where is it and she said where you live. I was shocked that the
Senior Center is in Cleversburg. They can’t walk there. Seniors are your resources. Habitat for
humanity shows up to help people. Who are they, seniors! Right now as you know we need a
temporary fix because at the end of June it stops. We really need a permanent solution. They
will give more to Shippensburg than it ever takes away.
Helen Wiser Hutchinson: My children went to school here and my sister was involved with the
original senior center. I object to all the senior housing, if you want us to shut the door and die
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we are not willing to do that. I live at 400 South Penn St. People do go and they need the
meals and the activities! Thank you.
Glenn Reed: I live at 208 Senior Dr. My involvement with the Senior Center came with my wife.
We moved to the Cottages. She was having leg trouble and she would talk from where the
Subway is to over there and she decided to help out and guess what happened. The whole
thing got left for her to do. The couple leaders were bad news. My wife took over and then they
got kicked out and there were a lot of people there who were involved. Ray Robinson would
help out. They were kicked out of there and then they went to the health care center and then
Cleversburg. What I really want to say is that the leadership that they have now is so good and
people who really care. Shippensburg is a special place because it is at the end of Franklin
County and then at the end of Cumberland County. Please don’t let this thing die now is such
ashame. What the Borough can do and others would be appreciated.
Liz Robinson: We are not asking for sponsorship we are just asking to continue what we have
been doing. Sometimes we are the only people that they talk to in a day’s time.
Steve Brenize: I was at the meeting you had at the Premier Events. Having your own building
there will be additional expenses. You guys know that you will have to raise an additional
$15,000.00 a year for that.
Liz Robinson: We have over 200 members now. That is members, not just the people who
come.
Joe Moyer: I am at 88 Lantern Lane. I came from a sparsely populated area in Fulton County.
They have maybe 40 people that belong to the Senior Center. One a good day, they get 13- 14
people out. How would you utilize that building?
Earl Parshall: We do not know, that is not our building.
Judy Stevens: 122 Meadow Dr. I used to run Episcopal Square. I was the first manager there
for 13 years. I knew how important the Community was then and I know how important it is
now. Also, I have been praying for this. These people need it. I couldn’t wait until I retired so I
could join and now we don’t even know where we are going. I know that Shippensburg cares.
The important thing is the people. It makes you feel like you are wanted and needed and you
are not sitting in your house and you are healthier for it. I don’t understand why we aren’t in
Shippensburg. I know that when that building was built it was for the seniors.
Kerri Burrows: I want to thank everyone. The facility is not a borough owned facility.
Kathy Coy: Alright if this group is done with this speaking we will allow for the others to come
through. Sorry you had to wait so long. You have 5 minutes and your name and address.
Keith Hess: 45 Colonial Court I never thought that I would need a place to go. My wife
developed altztimers and the next thing you know she is in a home. I started to lose weight and
though I need to do something. I went to the Senior Center and they have helped and have
activities going on. The meals are what I needed and I am going out several days a week. We
need a center of this nature; you are going to get old someday. I expected to live the rest of my
life with my wife but she doesn’t even know me. I have got to find a different life now. It has
been a God send and it really did help me. It would be ashame to lose that organization.
Blair McKin: 7 Courtney Dr. I moved back here in 2000 and got involved with the Senior
Center. I teach 3 exercises classes there a week.
Nancy Muich: I live in Newburg. I am not native to this area, I came by chance from the state of
Washington and my husband came from Johnstown. Shippensburg is our home. I went to the
Senior Center activity and I liked it so much and I felt so welcome that we have been going
regularly for 2 years now. I also want to put on my professional hat as a social worker I spent
most of my career working with Senior citizens and I can’t stress enough how valuable the
center has been. I want to continue to be a part of the center. You have something very
valuable here and I hate to see it go away.
Ken Kreiger: I live at 120 Cottage Rd. I know this evening there has been quite a few from the
Cottages. My wife and I are members. Organization they have that. Cottages, you have the
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facilities and the community center but it isn’t the same. How many different senior
communities are there in the area? Have they been contacted?
Liz Robinson: We have a lot of people that live there.
Ken Kreiger: Have you reached out to the Cottages for funding? Three locations in ten years?
What was the reason that you were kicked out?
Earl Parshall: It was not the borough it was the Park and Rec system.
Ken Kreiger: The building is usable?
Liz Robinson: The department of Ag does say it is okay.
Ken Kreiger: But it does not meet occupancy.
Earl Parshall: Let me interject something. The community center is not available. It is leased
right now to another entity. It is flat-out not available.
Ken Kreiger: Okay, so then it is off the table.
Kerri Burrows: Right now.
Ken Kreiger: No church will step up? What is out at the fairgrounds? What is upstairs at
Beistle?
Liz Robinson: We can’t be on the second story.
Ken Kreiger: So you are being very picky. If the borough would come up with a place for the
seniors? What is your line of thinking for the use?
Steve Brenize: The County gives so much money to the organization that runs it. The
organization could go to Green Township and ask for money.
Joe Hockersmith: It shouldn’t have happened this time and it shouldn’t have happened last
time. All the municipalities kicked in an amount of money according to the percentage involved.
I do believe that government has a role here in creating a space. That is why we have
supported where you are at now with our dollars. We do not know the reason you are being
asked to leave. I would like to see some powers higher than Shippensburg go and get you an
extension. We want to help you. There has to be a place that works. This old building right
now just does not work. I would much rather have you as tenants than what we have now.
Liz Robinson: Do you have a lease with them now?
Earl Parshall: It does not have an end. It has a termination. 60 or 90 days. It is not
immediately available.
Joe Hockersmith: We would like to make this happen. I will call the County Commissioner.
Bruce Hockersmith: I had a rather lengthy discussion today with Terry Barley today, the
Cumberland County office of Aging. We are going to try; it may or may not work. We are going
to try to find someplace temporarily. Your County Office of Aging is trying to find a place.
Liz Robinson: We are the biggest and best in Franklin County too. There was some talk about
trying to put us into Franklin County somewhere and have Cumberland County pay for the
meals. They said that they will never do that.
Bruce Hockersmith: Terry related to me that they would rather not go into Franklin County.
Kathy Coy: They have a stage floor set up so it really wouldn’t work.
Kerri Burrows: I haven’t been in there since it was the community center.
Kathy Coy: I think we have one more person back there.
Richard Stouffer: 7 Wyrick Ave. I was born and raised in Shippensburg. I would like to say that
I am proud of Shippensburg. If I use the word you it isn’t one particular person. We take pride
in our school and do everything possible for the children. In the school and the ball fields and
once the children grow up they are adults and then they become seniors. Here we are seniors
and I think over their lifetime have put a lot into Shippensburg, They support everything. I think
that you should find a way with the townships and the borough to have a building in the
borough. We all need the support from you all.
Liz Robinson: I just want to thank you all for listening and caring. I know you will all do the best
for us.
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Erwin Howland: 312 Walnut St. Property owner for 27 years and a rental property owner also.
Vegetation police out a couple of weeks ago. .66 cents postage for this. They can’t even spell
my name right. Edwin… it is Erwin. Also, residents of Shippensburg deserve to live in a clean
healthful environment and we hope that you will cooperate in making Shippensburg a pleasant
place in which to work and live. Threaten me with legal action if I didn’t cut this one pine branch
and forsythia that happens to be sticking out over the sidewalk. Right here in front of your
Borough hall you have vegetation crowding the sidewalk. You can’t even see where the
sidewalk ends. The police department has a big maple tree over there has limbs hanging lower
than 6 feet over that sidewalk. The drive through window has stuff too. How many years have
we been after a 4-way stop sign at Walnut and Washington? You all painted curb lines, we
have people who park right there and you can’t even see up the street to pull out. There are no
yellow curb lines that say they can’t park there. We don’t have any parking spaces put in. There
are no crosswalks there. I have no handy-cap ramp at the end of my sidewalk. I put some
asphalt in there and I am getting ready to get a lift and a power chair so that I can move about
more. So does that mean that I have to put my own ramp in there so that I can up out of the
driveway to the front of my house? You have handy-cap ramps up at the end but coming out
there should be a ramp there because Davidson Alley comes out there on Walnut St. It doesn’t
affect my driveway because according to your new borough map it quits right there. Now,
Kauffman Ave has an exit coming out on Walnut St but you can’t use it because there is a travel
trailer parked there. Where is the permit for Gretchen Wyricks property down there? They tore
down that shed and rebuilt it but there is no pink sticker in the window. Diane and Terry
Kennedy send their complements too. They still own the house on the corner of Walnut and
Washington and she had to borrow my ladder. Who is this Donna Sommerville? What is this
letterhead?
Kathy Coy: What was your address again please?
Erwin Howland: 312 Walnut St and we also own 316 Walnut St right next door. Everything is
paid for. We owe nothing. Never late with taxes and bills and for how many years have we
been trying to get stuff done for the street? We have more new families living there with
younger kids. They don’t use the crosswalk at Washington and Walnut, we want curb lines and
speed limit signs and we have nothing. I have been up there for 27 years and this is the worse
it has ever gotten. I realize how dangerous the flowers are, they will reach right out and trip you
and make you go blind and all that stuff. If you can’t even enforce your own house, how the hell
do you expect us to keep up with ours? That is all I have to say.
Kathy Coy: Thank you. Anybody else for Public Comment this evening?
Ken Kreiger: I have a couple of questions. The streets in there are they controlled by the
borough?
Earl Parshall: They are not our streets.
Ken Kreiger: Okay. If there is an accident will the police come?
Earl Parshall: I don’t know.
Sam Wiser: There is a provision but there is a process that has to take place before that will
happen.
Ken Kreiger: If there is an accident and I need a police report who will give me the report?
Sam Wiser: Do you need a police report?
Ken Kreiger: You might.
Sam Wiser: If there was a police report the police would have it.
Ken Kreiger: If there was an accident and there is damage? Would the police come?
Sam Wiser: There is a process and we would have to look into that.
Steve Brenize: If there was an accident in the Sheetz parking lot the police would come. If it is
reportable. It is in the borough it is just not a borough street.
Kerri Burrows: Does that answer your question.
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Ken Kreiger: He is saying that I have to follow a procedure. Okay, somebody comes up off of
the curb and my car is sitting outside the garage and a car comes around and hits my car.
Sam Wiser: If it is a reportable incident the police will come.
Ken Kreiger: One of the vehicles has to be non-operable or significantly damaged.
Kerri Burrows: There has to be injury involved. It is very hard to give you answers to these
questions. More than likely if you call the police to come they will come. They may not take a
report.
Kathy Coy: Okay we are going to move on to our reports now.
MAYOR
Mayor: I would just want to say, from my vacation away and out of the country in Europe I
noticed that many of the small communities that we went through had skate board parks. I
didn’t see a parking meter during this time. All in all government in that area is pretty much the
same as ours. I did see some interesting sights and facts. I did have a conversation with Terry
Barley today. It is a responsibility of the governing body of this borough to do what they can to
provide what they can for the youth and the seniors as well.
Amy Pensinger: I am here with two scouts from troop #120 from Memorial Lutheran Church
and they are working on their communication merit badge and this is part of their requirement to
attend a meeting where several points are discussed. They will take the information that they
heard tonight back to their merit badge counselor and discuss it with him.
Earl Parshall: I spent many years in the Boy Scouts and if you need any more information
please let me know.
COMMITTEES
Finance and Budget – N/A
Employee Relations – N/A
Transportation – N/A
Public Works/Property –
Kathy Coy: We have a meeting Tuesday evening and we are in process for working with the
advisory board.
Kerri Burrows: Back to public works, I did contact a representative from AYSO this evening.
They are not coming Tuesday night. Just to get more specifics.
Planning and Zoning – N/A
Park and Rec Advisory Board – N/A
SHIPPENSBURG AREA EMS – N/A
SOLICITOR – N/A
POLICE CHIEF – N/A
BOROUGH MANAGEREarl Parshall: To finish up the seniors, one of the places that we have been looking at for
temporary is Katie’s Place. There is an issue there with the sprinkler system. I have a meeting
and a tour to getting that place occupied other than putting in a new sprinkler system.
Steve Brenize: Someway around the square footage.
Earl Parshall: It is expensive to do a new sprinkler system. That is one of the places that they
can get occupancy.
Kerri Burrows: Who owns that, the Lutheran Church?
Earl Parshall: Yes, if they can get occupancy. We have to solve this sprinkler thing or
otherwise that is not an immediate source either.
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Earl Parshall: Last month Don Levine and Chuck were here and told you that we are going to
be having some fun at the Waste Water Treatment Plant this year. 9:00 pm last night that fun
started. We will be watching that very closely the rest of the summer. We have been doing well
the last 3 weeks out there.
The pedestrian walkway by the post office we have been waiting on environmental clearances.
The engineer to sign the contract. Sam has been busy; we do have a deed of easement from
the owners of the Post Office property. We just need the same deed from Mellon Bank and
then we will be able to wrap up and get a clear ownership title to that piece of land there.
Steve Brenize: Citizens Bank.
Earl Parshall: No, it is Mellon, it is a trust.
Sam Wiser: The bank is the trustee.
Earl Parshall: We have had an issue at the Lions Pavilion at the park with birds. We have
boxed in the ceiling so that the birds do not have any place to perch. There are still a couple of
holes outside. The pool open house is the free day that you wanted. It has been advertised for
this Monday with the rain date for June 15th. I know that the kids on the bus were talking about
and they are anxious for it to open.
Channel 8 talked to a person who worked for the Lancaster Water Authority who said that the
Service Line insurance was a scam and that they only had one break in the last 100 years.
They only looked at one section and one thing and each water and sewer system is constructed
and very different. Our lines happen to be older and we have a lot more breaks in the sewer
and water lines than they apparently get in that particular part of Lancaster. You may remember
that we had requests from residents asking for insurance. We found one that was
recommended and they are reputable so we signed them up. We sponsored them in the hopes
that people know it is not a scam. It is an individual choice and it depends on the age and
condition of the lines. I purchased this insurance. I have some neighbors who put in a brand
new line so they probably do not need this insurance. I just wanted to say that I have had some
calls on this again.
Joe Hockersmith: They just went out again.
Earl Parshall: There are several other companies that are sending out the same type of
solicitation and I know nothing about them. There is one that has fine print and it is not good for
Shippensburg. The other thing is we are not forcing people to take this it is voluntary.
Bruce Hockersmith: My daughter’s line broke and they paid for it. One the other hand my line I
thought was plugged. My line wasn’t plugged. They came with the camera and looked and it
was fine. I had to pay for that.
CFJMA has asked us in accordance to the Water Services Act to help them with their delinquent
account collections by turning off the water to some of their delinquents. They are going to start
with some of the worst accounts and that would be people that haven’t paid in 5 or 6 years or
more. This Act does not allow us any choice. We must comply and turn off water for them. To
make it a little bit easier they will be doing the bulk of the work and they will do a letter and I will
review that letter and then charge whatever they want for those letters and postings. All that we
will do is the actual turn off of the water. We do charge for that and CFJMA is aware that they
will be paying us for that service to turn that water off. I wanted to let you know. We have
already started working with them.
Steve Brenize: So, as of now anybody who has been a part of CFJMA they have never turned
their water off?
Earl Parshall: No, now we are talking about their sewer bill. You can’t turn sewer off. When we
have delinquents and we do have the water, the bill is one of the same. We have very few turn
offs. We work with them and it is very few. Maybe one or two a quarter, we make every effort
to not turn it off. They do not have that luxury. We will comply and work with them to make it as
easy as possible.
Kathy Coy: Will that condemn the building.
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Earl Parshall: That will be up to the municipality. When we have to turn off water we follow up
with the turn off person and our building code inspector representative will follow up and post
the house. It is a health code violation.
Joe Hockersmith: Will we be compensated for our employee’s time in this?
Earl Parshall: Yes. I said for the turn off. That will be about all the labor we will have. They
must reimburse us for that.
Bruce Hockersmith: Sam, I would like to know what that act is.
Sam Wiser: I believe it is the Water Services Act.
Bruce Hockersmith: Just recently passed?
Sam Wiser: No, it has been around for a while and I think it was enacted in response to some
of the private water companies. I can find it for you.
Earl Parshall: I did meet with all of our employees this morning and congratulated them for
keeping the costs down. Monday is a holiday so the revised trash schedule. Last Friday’s
paper gets delivered and we put a notice in to try to get the word out that the trash days have
changed. The late breaking one that is not on here, I was in Harrisburg at DCED this afternoon
doing a pre-application briefing to DCED for a Penn Works Grant that we will be trying to get to
help develop a new source of water for the area.
Sam Wiser: The water service act was enacted in 1949 and it is very clear in saying that the
owner/occupant of premises served by water utility neglects or fails to pay for a period of 30
days from the due date the rental rate or charge for the sewer , sewage or sewage treatment
services imposed by the municipality or authority the water utilities shall at the request of
Municipality, City or Borough and Township shall shut off the supply of water to the premises
until all rental, rates, charges and associated penalties and interest are paid. It is a
requirement.
Earl Parshall: The hope is that once this gets out it may encourage people to pay their bill
before we have to turn off their water.
Kerri Burrows: The majority of the water turn offs that happen in the Borough are for
foreclosures? Vacant houses?
Earl Parshall: No, they are just people who haven’t paid their bill.
Kerri Burrows: How long do you usually let them go. I know that the house across the street
across from me has been vacant for 9 months and there was a water shut off notice two months
ago. An extended amount of time had passed and I knew for a fact that no one was paying that
bill. I know for a fact that no one was paying the bill.
Earl Parshall: Well, we bill quarterly. Well, the process is this. The bill stage is that you have
30 days to pay the bill and if it is not paid at the end of the 30 days we send the reminder notice
and then 2 weeks after that we send a certified notice that is past due and they need to come in
and talk to us or pay the bill or we will proceed with the process. We then wait another 2 weeks
and we then do a posting on the door. So, from the time that they do not pay after the 30 days it
will probably take another 30 to 45 days before we can get to the point of posting and that is if it
not a rental. If it is a rental there is an extra 45 days tacked in there because of the landlord
tenant act. We have to the give the landlord that we are going to post the property and then the
tenants have 30 days before we can turn the water off.
Kerri Burrows: Okay,
Earl Parshall: We do have a payment plan that we allow people to set up.
Kathy Coy: Randy, do you have anything that you would like to report this evening.
Randy O’Donnell: On the 10th of June we are going to have ISO in Shippensburg that is going
to review the water systems, the fire department responses, operational plans and so forth.
Hopefully right now, we are rated a 5 and we are hoping that we will be able to drop that down.
If not, we will develop a plan to be able to do that in the next couple of years. We are working
on that. We are doing recruitment retention. We applied for a grant and the programs for
recruitment. I will tell you that the first impact you will see will be the fire police. We are losing
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them and that will have a big impact on the community and the things that we do. We start the
program, the recruitment program and this year it will be on June 9th at the Vigilant Hose
Company in the new building. I would encourage you to come out. We have 21 participants
this year. The significance on the lower the ISO rating is the lower your insurance rates will be.
Bruce Hockersmith: Randy would you relay to the West End Fire Company that the movement
of the voting poll from the Middle School to the West End Building went very well and that the
election board was more than pleased with the cooperation that they received from the fire
department. Thank you.
Kathy Coy: Okay, on to business
BUSINESS
CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 2 AND APRIL 16 MEETING
Bruce Mayor: Just one correction. In the minutes I am not listed as being in attendance. It has
been taken care of.
Joe Hockersmith: Motion to approve
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: Any further discussion. Motion carries 4-0.
CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE STREET CLOSING FOR A HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PARADE ON JUNE 22, 2013
Joe Hockersmith: What time is this parade?
Kathy Coy: 7 pm I believe.
Joe Hockersmith: Motion to approve
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE STREE CLOSING FOR A FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION
CONVENTION PARADE ON SATURDAY AUGUST 3, 2013
Kathy Coy: Any discussion?
Bruce Hockersmith: What is that, Randy Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen Association?
Does that cover 5 states?
Randy O’Donnell: Yes, it is 5 states.
Kathy Coy: It looks like it will be a two hour parade.
Joe Hockersmith: Motion.
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
CONSIDERATION TO ADVERTISE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 144 ENTITLED
“VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC”, SECTION 144-25 ENTITILED PARKING PROHIBITED AT ALL
TIMES
Earl Parshall: This is putting the parking back on East Fort St.
Steven Brenize: Motion.
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
CONSIDERATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SIGNATURE OF HIGHWAY
OCCUPANCY PERMIT (HOP) DOCUMENTS
Earl Parshall: We are getting a HOP document because we are going to be putting a new storm
drain up at North Morris St near the Big Dog Storage Sheds. This is a requirement of Penn Dot.
We have to say that the officers are allowed to sign the permit documents.
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Joe Hockersmith: What is necessitated this storm drain? Is that an area that there is a
problem?
Earl Parshall: I have reported to you on this. Yes, it has been a huge problem up there.
Joe Hockersmith: This is what drains down to the railroad tracks, right?
Earl Parshall: Yes, it comes under Randy’s house and then the retention pond there that drains
that whole area. When they put that in the drain should have been made bigger because it was
not big enough to handle all the storm water. So, what has happened the water has backed up
Morris St. toward Lurgan and we have had flooding there at Reading Rd on the corner so we
had Penn Dot out last summer and they brought out equipment.
Joe Hockersmith: Okay, then this is a Penn Dot project.
Earl Parshall: This is a Borough project. This is storm water which Penn Dot did one of those
unfunded mandates, any storm water facilities on a State Highway is our responsibility. So that
is what this is to put in a bigger storm drain pipe under North Morris St so that we get that
flooding out of there.
Joe Hockersmith: Motion to approve the new storm water drain on Orrstown Rd.
Kerri Hockersmith: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 5-0.
CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE
HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD (HARB)
Approve replacement window shutters at 100 N Earl St.
Joe Hockersmith: I will move to approve.
Steve Brenize: Second
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
Approve design/materials of business sign at 34 W. King St.
Steve Brenize: So moved.
Joe Hockersmith: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
Approve vinyl picket fence at 427 E. King St.
Steve Brenize: Motion to approve
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: Motion carries 4-0.
CONSIDERATION TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION WITH REGRET OF WEST WARD
COUNCIL MEMBER
Joe Hockersmith: I make the motion to accept it and I am disappointed that she has to leave us
so quickly and I don’t understand the reasoning behind it.
Kerri Burrows: Second.
Kathy Coy: We accept the resignation with regret. Motion carries.
EXECUTIVE SESSION – N/A
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Kathy Coy: Going around the table.
Mayor: Nothing
Steve Brenize: Neff and Gettle Ave. Somebody asked me about issues with stop signs and
one way streets. Similar issues to the whole Walnut St situation. People driving faster. Can we
clarify to make sure that the signs that are supposed to be up are up and if there are signs that
we can put up we do that. Signs do disappear sometimes.
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Kerri Burrows: I have a lot. The first thing is a Donna issue. There is a vacant house that has
been vacant for several years at the corner or Prospect and Clifton. The grass is approaching
about 3 ½ feet high and I know it is not the Borough’s responsibility to mow but at this point I am
concerned about ticks.
Earl Parshall: The corner of Prospect and Clifton?
Kerri Burrows: The grass is almost as tall as the house. I was told by a resident that lives in
Rine Village that the Franklin Clothing Company has been the subject of criminal mischief in
such a way that windows are getting broken out and apparently a very large flock of birds has
taken residence in the facility and attacking the residents for food. They wanted to know if there
is anything that can be done.
Earl Parshall: I don’t know if there is anything that we can do about the birds but we can contact
the owner of the building and have them fix the broken windows.
Kerri Burrows: I drove over there to see how many windows are broken. I didn’t realize what
they are talking about but they are on the back side of the building.
Bruce Hockersmith: I also received that complaint.
Earl Parshall: We will check it and I will check about the birds also.
Kerri Burrows: Chairs at the concert at the park which is June 16th it appears as though until we
can better explain to the advisory committee, we want to make sure that this concert is a
success. Maybe we ( Council ) could contact the band. The Shippensburg Town Band.
Earl Parshall: Give me a name and number? E-mail me with it.
Kerri Burrows: I don’t have a problem doing it either. He lives in my ward.
The painting of curbs on Walnut St., is that something that we can do?
Bruce Hockersmith: The curb painting doesn’t mean anything anymore. 20 feet from any
intersection is what it is supposed to be parking. We have to have it properly signed.
Joe Hockersmith: Do we even paint curbs anymore?
Earl Parshall: No, we don’t.
Sam Wiser: I can tell you that there is a no parking sign from here to the corner. There is an
individual that lives in the building on the corner of Washington and Walnut that habitually
violates.
Kerri Burrows: Do you think he would violate if he got one or two parking tickets?
Sam Wiser: I do not know.
Kerri Burrows: We can’t boot cars anymore.
Earl Parshall: I will make sure that we have the signs. I think that they are.
Sam Wiser: I think that they are too.
Kerri Burrows: Earl is there a way AYSO would like to expand using the Borough’s fields on top
of what they already do. They are trying to consolidate their games. I was under the
impression that you got the email? I have a contact for AYSO.
Kathy Coy: I would ask that she contacts Earl.
Earl Parshall: We will have to talk later. I do not want to get into this right now. The Township
has put in electric, etc.
Kerry Burrows: I will ask them to get in touch directly with you then. I would like to see us do as
much as we can for the kids at least sit down and talk to them.
Kathy Coy: I have a few. The Hoffman Mills building on Seneca St.; the front of that building is
really deteriorating terribly. I have pictures that I took. This is at the end of my driveway. Part
of the building is falling off in sheets. It looks like we have had some kids on the roof that
maybe spray painted. They do come around and spray for the weeds. The building itself is
really becoming an eyesore. #2 is the bowling alley. The weeds are really high. The storage
shed on the side is not secure. #3 If you could look down on Orange St on the road, in front of
the new Fire House. They had that water leak and they fixed it and the road is buckled and
crumbling.
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Earl Parshall: It is from a combination of things. The blacktop patch that the gas company did
wasn’t done properly so when the water break happened it was able to get into places where it
wasn’t sealed. We are aware; it is on the list to fix.
Kathy Coy: Okay, that is all I had.
Joe Hockersmith: The street light in front of 38 South Penn is blinking. I know this isn’t the time
and we can’t do anything about it but I do want a committee for the local seniors. Not only
finding them a temporary place but finding them a permanent place and assuring them
somehow that this won’t happen to them again. We have to be able to. Our seniors are
important and if we can’t take care of our seniors then we may as well…. Well we don’t fund our
schools well anymore and we don’t care of anything. It is a damn shame and I don’t want to
hear we can’t.
Earl Parshall: What I am saying Joe is that we can’t make that assurance. There has been a
lot of us looking for a place.
Joe Hockersmith: They are looking for a commitment from us. I got this from talking to the
commissioners that when the sponsorship with Southampton/Cumberland ends, technically
Ann’s job ends. That is a real concern. We wouldn’t want the seniors to lose Ann. She is the
one that made that program. This council has to step up to the plate somehow.
Kathy Coy: I truly believe that this town, the town needs a community building where seniors
and or children could be combined into one building and make use of the building and make it
run. We have youth that have nothing to do; ever since I have been on this board I feel that we
have a duty to the kids in this town that do not have a place to go. Some do, but there is an age
group that is not included.
Joe Hockersmith: The other thing is that if we need county support we are a Borough that is 2/3
in one county and 1/3 in another county. We have to get those two counties to operate a county
program and it shouldn’t matter what side of the line it is being operated on.
Earl Parshall: I am not sure that is correct. It is currently operating; both counties are currently
operating together on the senior center. They are both contributing. One is not contributing as
much but then they do not have as much participation. The other one is providing meals to
Franklin County residents. They know that they are.
Joe Hockersmith: So then that should be a mood point.
Kerri Burrows: I can tell you Joe that you have my commitment and I thought that they always
deserve a place. It is unfortunate that they have to leave. Anything I can do.
Kathy Coy: I think everybody on this Council feels that same way. We are just struggling with
it.
Joe Hockersmith: What is the term that we pay to Southampton Township?
Earl Parshall: We pay it annually.
Joe Hockersmith: Ahead or behind? What I am asking is, if we paid it are we going to get 6
months back come June 30th?
Earl Parshall: I am not sure that we actually paid it yet.
Bruce Hockersmith: I think that the fiscal year ends June 30th.
Earl Parshall: Well, the fiscal year ends on June 30th but Tom has always given me something
in the fall to put into our budget.
Joe Hockersmith: We should be able to look back and figure it out. I don’t understand what
was driving this and it irritates me.
Bruce Hockersmith: This is a perfect opportunity for a private partnership if we could encourage
a building contractor or a building firm to build a building for the seniors in Shippensburg and
arrange a lease to buy program over the years. I think there are all sorts of opportunities.
Joe Hockersmith: That is long term.
Steve Brenize: You want to have a facility that would be theirs.
Kerri Burrows: Here is the question. They want a building and we have the money to refurbish
and run it but we don’t have the money to buy or build.
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Bruce Hockersmith: There is money out there.
Kerri Burrows: What do we need to do to get this done?
Eagle Scout: I could probably get some boys, or this could be my project could come out and
help you clean up. This would be the community building.
Kerri Burrows: There is no heat in that building.
Steve Brenize: Correct me if I am wrong Earl, but there is land out at Dykeman that we can only
use for something like this.
Earl Parshall: I would have to go and look at the easement that we did. It was dedicated to
open space park land as the match for the County grant that did all the trail work and things.
Joe Hockersmith: No, no, no. We set aside acreage, when we did the county thing we set
aside acreage because I requested it for a future recreation facility.
Earl Parshall: Yes, but I think that is where we put the new road through.
Joe Hockersmith: All, that is nice.
Earl Parshall: I will have to look Joe.
Steve Brenize: At the end of the day, it is an opportunity for the community to come together
and find a solution.
Earl Parshall: But, the whole problem is what I have been concentrating on. They need a
temporary place first. Right now, I don’t think we have a temporary.
Kathy Coy: Yes, we need to focus there and then move on to the permanent.
Earl Parshall: There is no way we are going to have a permanent one in a month.
Kerri Burrows: I agree.
Earl Parshall: Temporary might mean 6 – 9 months.
Kathy Coy: We have gentlemen that would like to ask another question.
Glenn Reed: I am here because of the Senior Citizen thing. I have a question to ask. How
should the seniors or what could the seniors do to set up an organization that they could control
and not be kicked out and like you were saying. I understood that years ago that building was
donated to the borough for public service. I would like to see the older people have a place and
the young. The problem is that they could not get along together. The older people were too
fussy and the younger people didn’t have the respect that they should. What happened that
Southampton just cut us off, they just left us know two months.
Kathy Coy: I think you have a great administration that is trying to work with it. I think what you
are doing is good. Getting help and getting noticed. I really do believe that once we can get a
temporary place the outpour from the rest of the community will help
Glenn Reed: What should we do?
Steve Brenize: Keep working with Ann and support her. She said, this could be an opportunity.
Earl has talked to people, I have talked to people. Our goal is to find a temporary place first.
Joe Hockersmith: The County has to have somebody sponsor to get the funds?
Earl Parshall: I am not sure. Newville is totally private.
Steve Brenize: Yes, but there is somebody who gets the money from the county. That is how
Ann described it.
Joe Hockersmith: My understanding is that sponsor had to be somebody that could do the
payroll for the employees.
Earl Parshall: I will double check.
Bruce Hockersmith: I don’t think that the sponsor is the problem from the conversation I have
had.
Joe Hockersmith: Somebody has to go to the county.
Mayor: I think that the county may already have a sponsor already.
Kathy Coy: So, to answer your question. Continue to support Ann and anybody that you talk
with on Council.
Glenn Reed: The seniors can’t set up anything?
Kathy Coy: Ann is working on that.
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Earl Parshall: Ann has the same list that I got from the community and the municipalities and
there is probably something like 15 of them. I know that she has contacted some of them
already.
Kerri Burrows: Somebody let me know if there is something that I can do.
Joe Hockersmith: Motion to adjourn.
Steve Brenize: Second.
Kathy Coy: Thank you everyone. Meeting adjourned at 9:27 pm
___________________________________
Secretary
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