Regular Council Meeting

CITY COUNCIL

Meeting Agenda

REGULAR MEETING                             MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

HYBRID MEETING                                                              7 pm

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RULES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

The Administrative Code, Section § 5-209 defines public participation at Council meetings. 

1. Citizens who wish to make public comment must pre-register following the instructions in Agenda #3 Public Comment on this agenda.
2. Citizens attending Council meetings are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner that does not disrupt the meeting. 
3. Those wishing to have conversations should do so in the hall outside Council Chambers in a low speaking voice.
4. Public comment will occur only during the Public Comment period listed on the agenda. Comment must be directed to Council as a body and not to any individual Council member or public or elected official in attendance. Clapping, calling out, and/or cheering when a speaker finishes his comments is not permitted.
5. Citizens may not approach the Council tables at any time during the meeting.
6. Any person making threats of any type, personally offensive or impertinent remarks or any person becoming unruly while addressing Council may be called to order by the Presiding Officer and may be barred from speaking, removed from Council Chambers and/or cited.
7. Failure to abide by these regulations could result in your removal from Council Chambers and/or a citation. These regulations are meant to avoid disruptions at the meeting and they are not meant to interfere with public participation.

1. OPENING MATTERS

A. CALL TO ORDER

B.  INVOCATION: Nancy Lennert, Transformative Solutions Network

C.  PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

D. ROLL CALL

E.  EXECUTIVE SESSIONS:

2. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

3. PUBLIC COMMENT – AGENDA MATTERS:

Public Comment Instructions:

• To comment at a Regular Business Meeting, citizens can register by calling or emailing the City Clerk's Office by noon on the day of the regular meeting. Instructions to access the virtual meeting app or dial-in will be provided upon registration. Call 610-655-6205 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Public comment for Regular Business meetings will also be accepted in writing by 4pm on the day of the meeting through an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The message must clearly be marked as Public Comment. The comment received in writing will be read into the record at the Regular Meeting.
• Those wishing to provide in-person comment at a Regular Meeting in the Penn Room must register with the City Clerk no later than 4 pm on the day of the meeting by calling 610-655-6204 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  The procedure to register to comment by signing a registration sheet before the start of the regular meeting will be suspended until the meetings are fully opened with everyone gathering in Council Chambers.
• Public speaking rules adopted by Council allow those speaking on agenda matters to speak for 5 minutes and 3 minutes for non-agenda matters.
• Comments posted in Zoom Chat and on Facebook are not considered public comment and a response may not occur.

All remarks must be directed to Council as a body and not to any individual Council member or public or elected official in attendance. Any comment that is personally offensive or impertinent will not be read into the record. Comments on agenda matters are limited to 5 minutes in length and comments on non-agenda matters are limited to 3 minutes in length.

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA & MINUTES

A. AGENDA:  Meeting of June 27, 2022

B. MINUTES:  June 13 Regular meeting and the summations of discussion from the June 13 and 21 COW meetings and the June 21 Nominations and Appointments Committee meeting

5. Consent Agenda Legislation

The Consent Agenda is designed to provide efficient approval of non-controversial legislation that does not require discussion/debate by giving approval via acclimation when the meeting agenda is approved.  The President of Council will call Council’s attention to the list of Consent Agenda legislation at the meeting before action is taken, which allows Council to remove a piece of legislation for separate consideration. 

A. Award of Contract –

A. Resolution – authorizing the city solicitor to execute the acknowledgement sheets

to APPROVE the Repository Bids in the 800 blk of Hampden Blvd and 526 S 9^th St.

6. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Attached

7. REPORT FROM OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR

Attached

8. REPORT FROM DEPT. DIRECTORS, BOARDS, AUTHORITIES, & COMMISSIONS

9. ORDINANCES FOR FINAL PASSAGE

Pending Legislation

Bill No. 49-2022 – increasing the salary of the Finance Director by $15,000 to $120,000 due to the expansion on that role as Deputy Managing Director Introduced at the May 23 regular meeting; Tabled at the June 13 regular meeting

Bill No. 50-2022 – amending the Charter Board Ordinance by making various alterations such as eliminating Advisory Opinions, creating an administrative body, eliminates the confidentiality of complaints, etc. to establish reasonable guidelines on Charter Board spending Introduced at the May 23 regular meeting; Tabled at the June 13 regular meeting

A. Bill 52-2022 - amending City Code Chapter 496 Part 2 Solid Waste by adding definitions of Container, Cart/Toter, Trash Can, Trash Bag and clarifying the set out of trash Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

B. Bill 53-2022 – directing the Berks County Board of Elections to place a referendum question before city voters on the 2022 General Election Ballot which would amend the Home Rule Charter by allowing the capital budget public hearing to be held on the same date as the operating budget public hearing Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

C. Bill 54-2022 – directing the Berks County Board of Elections to place a referendum question before city voters on the 2022 General Election Ballot which would amend the Home Rule Charter Sections 1102 through 1109 to replace the current Referendum & Initiative with the procedure in the Third Class City Code Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

D. Bill 55-2022 – directing the Berks County Board of Elections to place a referendum question before city voters on the 2022 General Election Ballot which would amend the Home Rule Charter Section 404 (a) - (b) – requiring Council approval for the termination of the Managing Director Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

E. Bill 56-2022 – amending the City Code Chapter 180, Part 7, Section 702.8 Licensing by adding the annual licensing fees at their current rate: Master $90, Journeyman $50, Appliance Installer $50, Reciprocal $100 plus the fee for classification being reciprocated Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

F. Bill 57-2022 – amending the 2022 Fund 47 ARP Fund Budget to provide the funds needed for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Initiative Program expenditures.  The funds will be made available by a budget appropriation in the City’s 2022 ARP Fund budget Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

G. Bill 58-2022 – authorizing the conveyance of 513 S. 14 ½ Street to the RPA to be used as Residential Parking Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

H. Bill 59-2022 – authorizing the execution of a lease agreement to convey 924 – 932 Penn Street to the RPA to be used as Residential Parking Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

I. Bill 60-2022 – authorizing a budget transfer in the amount of $250,000 to cover expenses related to the settlement of numerous matters in litigation Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

J.  Bill 61-2022 – authorizing the Council Solicitor and City Solicitor to accept as full and final payment for all outstanding City related to the property located at 148 North Fourth Street loans by J & A Court in the amount of $375,000, payable no later than July 25, 2022 and deposited by the administration into the City’s General Fund Reserve Introduced at the June 13 regular meeting

10. INTRODUCTION OF NEW ORDINANCES

A. Ordinance – authorizing residential permit parking from 8 am to 8 pm with a 2 hour period for non-permit holders Zones in the 100 block of Schiller Street, the 100 block of North 8^th Street and the 200 block of Reed Street, in accordance with City Code Chapter 576 Vehicles and Traffic, Part 4 Stopping and Parking, A – Regulations, Section 576-417 Residential Permit Parking, as recommended by the Reading Parking Authority

B. Ordinance – amending City Code Chapter 396, Part 3 Park Use by providing additional authority for law enforcement agencies to act when responding to calls for service at public park properties as defined herein and allowing responding law enforcement agencies to seize devices that are in violation of this ordinance for possible forfeiture and destruction. 

C. Ordinance – amending City Code Chapter 387 Noise by adding references to Chapter 396, Part 3 Park Use regarding noise at City and City agency owned properties

D. Ordinance – directing the Berks County Board of Elections to place a referendum question before city voters on the 2022 General Election Ballot which would amend the Home Rule Charter Section 603 (a) - (b) – requiring Council approval for the termination of the Department Directors

E. Ordinance – authorizing the conveyance of 140 Schiller Street Berks County Parcel I.D. No.  06530765523615 from the Reading Redevelopment Authority and execution of the agreement of sale of the property for nominal consideration as per the agreement of sale

F. Ordinance – transferring $10,100,000 of ARPA funds from Fund 47 to the Capital Projects account Fund 34

G. Ordinance – amending City Code Chapter 62 Pension, Part 1 New Officers And Employees Pension Fund and Part 2 Officers And Employees Retirement System by clarifying the criteria for qualifying for a disability pension benefit

H. Ordinance – amending the City Code Chapter 5 Administrative Code, Part 2 Council Organization and Procedure by creating a new Section 5-216 relating to the evaluation of council staff in accordance with the Charter amendment approved by the electorate at the June 2020 Primary Election

11. RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution – appointing Steven Symons to the HVAC Board

B. Resolution – appointing Steven Symons as an alternate to the Fire/Building Code Board of Appeals

C. Resolution – appointing Chad Milligan to the HVAC Board

11. RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution – appointing Steven Symons to the HVAC Board

B. Resolution – appointing Steven Symons as an alternate to the Fire/Building Code Board of Appeals

C. Resolution – appointing Chad Milligan to the HVAC Board

D. Resolution – appointing __________________ as Council President

12. PUBLIC COMMENT – GENERAL MATTERS

Please see public speaking rules on second page

13. COUNCIL BUSINESS/COMMENTS

14. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

Monday, June 27

Committee of the Whole – 5 pm

Regular Meeting – 7 pm

Monday, July 4

**City Hall closed - Independence Day Holiday**

Tuesday, July 5

Nominations & Appointments Committee – 4 pm

Committee of the Whole – 5 pm

Monday, July 11

Committee of the Whole – 5 pm

Regular Meeting – 7 pm

Wednesday, July 13

Conditional Use Hearing re banquet hall at 46 S 5^th St – 5 pm