RUTLEDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL MINUTES
September 16, 2024
7:30 PM Council Meeting
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call Jody Roberts, Sue Hunt, Heidi Sentivan, Ken Torres-Zickler, Andrea Juarez, Sean Sheehan, Vaughn Johnson, Mayor Gamal Sherif, Solicitor Carl Ewald – Excused, Borough Secretary Janet DiIorio.
Approval of Agenda
Motion Andrea, Vaughn Second. All in favor.
Public Comment: none
Tax Collector’s Report: none
Mayor’s Report:
∙ Swarthmore Police Department Report – Report reviewed, one question to confirm timing of motion detection.
∙ Swarthmore PD Training, Sunday 9/15 – A Thank you to Borough Council for allowing use of lower hall. Training was focused on proper use of force, cuffing techniques, etc. to ensure safety of both the officers and suspects. Training was offered to other local PDs as well.
Approval of Minutes:
∙ Action: 2024.09.03 Meeting Minutes
Heidi Motion, Sean Second. All Approved.
Activities:
∙ Game Night this Wednesday 9/18/24
o 6:30PM.
∙ Next Activities meeting is 9/25/24
∙ Happy Hour Art Show interest 10/18 5:30-7:30PM
∙ Grow and Glow on 10/27 w/ small prizes
∙ Halloween with the Mayor 10/31
∙ Luminaries will be delivered this week
∙ 2024 Donation letter thank you will be delivered soon
∙ Donations to the activities committee and volunteers to help with events always needed
Parks & Property:
Phase 3 Gather Space Project:
- Discuss: Update on ZHB meeting and next steps
- Variances for front yard setbacks for shed, shade structure, and wall at basketball court.
- ZHB approved for wall and shade structure
- Shed required continuance. Set for Tuesday October 8th at 7:30PM. More info requested for height and distance from the sidewalk. Design team is reviewing options for shifting the shed slightly.
- Discuss: Pricing and scope update for bidding
- Phase 3 Gather Space – 3rd Party Cost estimate came in at almost double the expectation/budget.
- HS in reviewing options with the design team to bring it back in budget. This will include a reduced scope and some items moving to later phases, or purchased outside of the grant. The goal is to be able to provide all of the infrastructure components, including pavement, underground stormwater, electric and plumbing.
- Goal is still to have out to bid by mid-October.
- Stormwater project for baseball field is target for Mid-2025
Personnel: none
Public Safety: none
Sewer: none
Streets:
- Crosswalk Painting Recap
- 2 Crosswalks, 3hrs 15 minutes. 4 adults, 6 children, ~3 gallons of paint, 2.5 rolls of tape. Savings of ~$1,300 for the borough.
- Lessons learned: Need paint thinner, small brushes for cracks.
- Question: Linden resurfacing—confirmed complete.
Building:
- Discuss: Progress on amendments to our adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code, move from 2018 to 2024 version
- Addition of an Appeals Board in the newest version.
- Highlighted Red is language added to existing language, full block sections are amendments added by Building.
- Council is invited to review and provide feedback.
- Aim to get advertised and reviewed before end of year; ideally can be distributed with end of year documentation.
Communications:
- Preliminary 2025 Calendar
- Discuss with your commissions and committees what your meeting timings will be for 2025
- Consider Borough Council Meeting – Time of Day potential?
Finance:
- Action: Approval of Bills and Distribution
- Sue Motion, Heidi second. All in favor.
- Budget Schedule – Submit budget requests in October to Finance Committee. Nov 4th will be draft budget discussion.
Ordinance:
- Discuss: Proposal for temporary part-time assistance for Recodification/Code Hosting work
- Estimated 50 Hours of work, targeting completion of 3 months. GeneralCode allows four months.
- Vote: Approval of proposal for temporary assistance.
- Vaughn Motion, Sean second. All in favor.
- Vaughn Motion, Sean second. All in favor.
Trash & Recycling:
- RFPs for Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste and Recycling Disposition are advertised and available on the borough website. Second advertisement planned for 9/27.
- Prebid meeting 10/8 at noon. Opening on 10/14 at noon.
- Discuss: PRC Traveling Glass Bin and Costs. Share info from Haverford Twp.
- Vote: Approval of 3-month initial term for PRC Traveling Glass Bin in partnership with Swarthmore
- Sue Motion, Andrea second. All in favor.
- E Waste event rescheduled for Saturday, 10/12/24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Yard Waste Contamination Fee of $50 due to trash/litter mixed in.
- Next Yard Waste is October 4th.
- We did reach out to Swarthmore regarding potential curbside leaf collection partnership, but Swarthmore declined due to manpower/capacity limitations.
- We did reach out to Swarthmore regarding potential curbside leaf collection partnership, but Swarthmore declined due to manpower/capacity limitations.
Borough Commissions:
1. Shade Tree
∙ Next Meeting postponed to Thursday the 19th at 7:30PM.
∙ Tree purchases for Nov. 16 currently listed at 6.
∙ No current update on progress of Crape Myrtle relocation in front of Borough Hall.
2. Planning Commission
Public Comment:
∙ Lights are out in front of borough hall
o Borough Secretary advised the repair request has been submitted to public works employees.
Old Business/New Business:
o Old Business: Community Engagement session pushed from 9/23 to October. Date Pending
o Old Business: Advertising open Planning Commission seat—open to residents of greater than one year residency in Rutledge.
o New Business: Resident question around who checks curbs for maintenance. Communications requested to add to the eNews regarding responsibility of homeowner to maintain curb. Catania can deliver door knockers rather than citations.
Adjournment
Heidi motion, Sean Second. All Approved.