Calendar of Events

Regular Council Meeting

Description

CITY COUNCIL

Meeting Agenda

REGULAR MEETING                             MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 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:  Reading Police Chaplain Nick Camacho

C.  PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

D. ROLL CALL

E.  EXECUTIVE SESSIONS: There was 1 executive session on personnel prior to the start of the Nov 28th COW and after the Dec 5th COW and Regular meetings on personnel and litigation

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 4 pm on the day of the regular meeting. Instructions to access the virtual meeting app or dial-in will be provided upon registration if required. Call 610-655-6205 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Written public comment for Regular Business meetings will also be accepted 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.
  • Citizens may also register by printing their name, address and the subject matter to be discussed on a sign-up sheet found on the podium in Council Chambers between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the day of the scheduled meeting.
  • 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 December 19, 2022

B. MINUTES:  The minutes from the November 28th, December 5th Regular Meetings, December 12th Special Meeting and the summations of discussion from the December 5th and 12th COW meetings and December 12th Nominations 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 – for the Sewer Rate Analysis and Reconciliation Project to Raftelis, Latham, NY, in the amount of $98,477.00 through the RFP process to assess and evaluate the existing wastewater rates, fees, and charges and to provide a fair and reasonable rate structure that will ensure the financial viability of the City’s wastewater system

 

B. Resolution – authorizing the disposal of the disposal of Graffiti Removal Work Order Forms (city wide) ranging from 2000 to 2005 for Property Maintenance

C. Resolution – regretfully accepting the resignation of Terry Withers from the Electricians Board

 

D. Award of Contract – for the purchase of [MDR] Managed Detection and Response

Service through COSTARS at an annual cost of $52,400. MDR is a managed threat detection

service that monitors our network security 24x7, providing a Security Operations

Center without the additional staffing. 

 

E. Award of Contract – for Comcast fiber expansion to replace services lost under the Franchise/Municipal Agreement at a cost of $170,576 annually under a GSA contract.

The current Comcast municipal agreement is under negotiation and Comcast will no longer provide “free” municipal internet coverage under the new agreement. The new coverage will apply to City Hall and all of our satellite sites including Public Works, WWTP, Fire Stations, etc. This five-year fiber coverage plan is through a GSA contract that allows the City to exit at any time, this is helpful provided whatever comes in the eventual new municipal agreement.

F. Award of Contract – authorizing the purchase of two (2) F350 Crew Cab Pick-Ups 8ft Bed for the Public Works Parks Division from Manderbach Ford TOTALING $109,680.00 in 2021 Capital through CO-STARS

G. Award of Contract – authorizing the purchase of 1 2023 F350 4X4 Reg Cab 8 Ft Bed, Plow-Hopper Spreader for the Public Works Streets Division from Manderbach Ford in the amount of $77,953.00 from 2021 Capital through CO-STARS

 

H. Resolution – authorizing conditional offers of employment for the hiring of the following as probationary patrol officers effective January 16, 2022:

1. Enrique Gonzalez   2. Cesar Arias

3. Sabdiel Diaz            4. Freddy Rosado-Velez

5. Alexus Perez           6. Jonathan Henne

 

I. Resolution – amending the Employment Agreement with the Council Solicitor by requiring attendance at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings and increasing the annual salary from $35,000 to $45,000 accordingly

J. Resolution – authorizing the donation of 20 used portable radio microphones to the Kutztown University Police Department, as these radios are no longer compliant with the system used by the Fire Department

6. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

To be distributed

7. REPORT FROM OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR

Attached

 

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

9. ORDINANCES FOR FINAL PASSAGE

 

A. Bill 135-2022 – 2023 Position Ordinance Introduced at the October 3 special meeting; tabled at the Dec 5th Regular and 12th Special meetings

 

B. Bill 139-2022 - authorizing a budget amendment in the amount of $12,000 in remaining recycling disposal fees for the Public Works, Solid Waste fund for the remainder of 2022 Introduced at the Dec  5th Regular Meeting

C. Bill 140-2022 - setting the salary of the HR Director at $98,000 per annum Introduced at the Dec 5th Regular Meeting

D. Bill 141-2022 - amending the salary of the Auditor in the Position Ordinance from $63,000 in January 2020 to $78,750 in January 2024 continuing annually for each year after

E. Bill 142-2022 - amending the salary of the Mayor from $72,600 to $90,750 in January 2024 continuing annually for each year after Introduced at the Dec 5th Regular Meeting

F. Bill 143-2022 - amending the City Purchasing Policy to include a new Responsible Contractors section establishing certain procedures related to the solicitation and award of public contracts re within the city and providing for certification requirements for public contractors Introduced at the Dec 5th Regular Meeting

G. Bill 144-2022  - making an ARPA appropriation in the amount of $750,000, for the Super Natural Foods Project at 4th and Elm Streets contingent  upon the project receiving County funding in an equal amount and the execution of a Grant Agreement with the City in form and substance satisfactory to the City  Introduced at the Dec 5th regular meeting

 

H. Bill 145-2022 - amending the salary of the Council President from $5,000 to

$6,875 and the salary of the District Councilors from Districts 1, 2, 3 and 6 from $5,000 to

$6,250 beginning the 1st Tuesday in January 2024. Note the salary increase will not apply

to the District 4 and 5 seats until 2026; Introduced at the Dec 5th Regular

Meeting

 

10. INTRODUCTION OF NEW ORDINANCES

 

A. Ordinance – authorizing a budget transfer from Public Works to Fire Suppression in the amount of $65,000 for unanticipated fuel costs in the Fire Budget

B. Ordinance – authorizing a budget transfer from Public Works Contracted Services to Fire EMS in the amount of $35,000 for unanticipated fuel costs in the Fire Budget

 

C. Ordinance – authorizing a budget transfer from Public Works Retail Sewer Carryover to Gasoline in the amount of $20,000

D. Ordinance – Amending City Code Chapter 576-207 by making Cotton St one-way westbound between S 19th and S 9th Streets with parking on both sides of the street and by making South St one-way eastbound between S 9th and S 13th Streets, continuing parking on both sides

E. Ordinance – authorizing Residential Parking Permit Zones in following three neighborhoods in compliance with City Code Section 576-417 Residential Permit Parking  as there were no objections expressed at the Public Hearings held by the Parking Authority:

1.   South side of the 400 block of Douglass Street (from N 4th to Madison) - from 8 am to 8 pm with a 2 hour period for non-permit holders

2. 900 block of Locust Street – from 8 am to 8 pm with a 2 hour period for non-permit holders

3. 600 block of Linden Street - from 8 am to 8 pm with a 2 hour period for non-permit holders

 

F. Ordinance – authorizing the revision of the City topographical map showing the new curb locations at the 800 blk North 9th Street, 800 blk Moss Street, 900 blk Douglass Street and 900 blk Windsor Street, 900 block

G. Ordinance – amending the Charter Board ordinance by retaining the Charter Board enforcement powers, continuing to allow residents to submit Charter violations, eliminating the costly advisory opinion process, creating a more streamlined and less drawn-out process to allow for Charter disputes to be resolved in a more timely fashion and setting reasonable guidelines on Charter Board spending

 

11. RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution – reappointing Craig Weisman to the HVAC Board

B. Resolution – reappointing Salvador Sepulveda to the Reading Public Library Board

 

C. Resolution – reappointing Sandy Graffius to the Audit Committee

 

D. Resolution – ratifying the collective bargaining agreement with the IAFF 1803

 

E. Resolution – rescinding Resolution 171-2022 that approved the sewage planning module for the Reading School District project for a new school in the 800 block of N 9th St

 

F. Resolution – replacing the sewage planning module rescinded with the version herein for the Reading School District school project in the 800 blk of N 9th St

 

G. Resolution – ratifying the FOP Lodge 9 collective bargaining agreement – To be distributed Monday

 

H. Resolution – appointing Marcelino Colon Jr. as HR Director

 

12. PUBLIC COMMENT – GENERAL MATTERS

Please see public speaking rules on second page

 

13. COUNCIL BUSINESS/COMMENTS

 

14. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

Friday, December 23

***City Hall Closed

 

Monday, December 26

***City Hall Closed

 

Monday, January 2

***City Hall Closed

 

Tuesday, January 3

Nominations & Appointments Committee – 4 pm

Committee of the Whole – 5:00 pm

 

Monday, January 9

Committee of the Whole – 5:00 pm

Regular Meeting – 7 pm

 

Monday, January 16

***City Hall Closed Martin Luther King Holiday***

 

Tuesday, January 17

Nominations & Appointments Committee – 4 pm

Committee of the Whole – 5:00 pm