Calendar of Events

Regular Council Meeting

Description

CITY COUNCIL

Meeting Agenda

REGULAR MEETING                             MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023

HYBRID MEETING                                                              7 pm

 

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RULES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

Public comment at all meetings of the City Council of the City of Reading shall be governed by the following:

  • Residents and/or taxpayers of the City who wish to make or submit public comment must pre-register utilizing one of three (3) following options:

1.     By calling (610-655-6205) or emailing (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) the City Clerk's Office by 4 pm on the day of the meeting with your name, address and the subject matter or topic to be discussed. If you are not able to attend in-person, instructions to access the virtual meeting app or dial-in telephone number will be provided.

2.     By submitting written public comment to be read into the record at the meeting by submitting an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 4pm on the day of the meeting. The email message must clearly be marked as Public Comment.

3.     By registering in-person at the Council Chambers on the 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, with your name, address and the subject matter or topic to be discussed.

  • No person shall be permitted to speak who is not a resident or taxpayer of the City, except upon permission of the President of Council or a majority of City Council.
  • Public comment will occur only during the Public Comment period listed on the meeting agenda at which time the Presiding Officer will recognize speakers and written comment that properly registered in the order received.
  • All public comment shall be delivered from the podium and speakers may not approach the Council tables at any time.
  • Those individuals registered to speak on agenda matters will be allotted no more than 5 minutes and those individuals registered to speak on non-agenda matters will be allotted no more than 3 minutes.       The City Clerk will control a timer to monitor these time periods. When the alarm rings, a speaker must immediately end their comment. If a speaker refuses to comply, the microphone at the podium will be turned off and the next speaker will be given the floor. These time periods also apply to written comments that are being read into the record such that any written comment may only be read into the record for a 5-minute period for agenda items and a 3-minute period for non-agenda items. The President of Council or a majority of Council may grant an additional period of time in their discretion.      
  • If anyone is present in a group or association, each such group should designate a spokesperson to address the City Council on the group’s collective behalf in order to avoid repetitive public comments.
  • Comments posted in Zoom Chat and on Facebook are not considered public comment and will not be read into the record of the meeting or addressed by City Council.

 

1. OPENING MATTERS

A. CALL TO ORDER

B. INVOCATION: Melvin Padilla, Santuario de Oasis

C. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

D. ROLL CALL

E. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS: There were executive sessions on potential litigation at the conclusion of the February 27th COW, on litigation and personnel at the conclusion of the March 6th Strategic Planning Committee Meeting and on personnel at the conclusion of the March 13th COW

2. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

  • Commendations in honor of Women’s History Month to Crystal Gilmore Harris, Tonya Butler and Carissa Johnson

3. PUBLIC COMMENT – AGENDA MATTERS:

  • Those individuals registered to speak on agenda matters will be allotted no more than 5 minutes and those individuals registered to speak on non-agenda matters will be allotted no more than 3 minutes. The City Clerk will control a timer to monitor these time periods. When the alarm rings, a speaker must immediately end their comment. If a speaker refuses to comply, the microphone at the podium will be turned off and the next speaker will be given the floor. These time periods also apply to written comments that are being read into the record such that any written comment may only be read into the record for a 5-minute period for agenda items and a 3-minute period for non-agenda items. The President of Council or a majority of Council may grant an additional period of time in their discretion.
  • All public comment must be directed to Council as a body and not to any individual Council member or public or elected official in attendance. Public comment is an opportunity to make a statement only. It is not designed for questioning and there is no guarantee or requirement for a question presented during public comment to be answered or responded to.
  • Each speaker shall speak clearly and slowly.
  • No speaker shall register or speak more than once at a meeting.
  • A speaker shall not comment in a manner that is disruptive, scandalous, impertinent, redundant, rude, unruly, personally offensive, irrelevant to the registered topic, done for the purpose of preventing the conduct of the business of the meeting or promotion of candidates at an upcoming election, or otherwise in disregard to the rules of order or decorum.       Any such comment will not be accepted or included in the record.
  • In the event that a speaker or written comment violates any of these rules, that speaker or written comment will be deemed to have forfeited their right to public comment and the President of Council or a majority of City Council may direct the City Clerk to turn off the microphone or cease reading the comment into the record, have the individual removed from Council Chambers and/or cited.
  • All persons in attendance are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner that does not disrupt the meeting. Clapping, calling out, cheering or interrupting speakers or the discussions of City Council during or after a public comment is not permitted.       Those wishing to have conversations should do so in the hall outside Council Chambers in a low speaking voice.

 

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA & MINUTES

A. AGENDA: Meeting of March 27, 2023

B. MINUTES: The minutes from the March 13th Regular Meeting and the summations of discussion from the March 13th COW meeting along with the summary from the March 20th Standards of Living and Finance Committee meetings.

 

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 Skate Park Project to Land-Tech Enterprises, Inc., Warrington, PA for a total price of $744,890.00 with $90,000 from a DCED grant and the remainder from the Capital Fund. The bid was for the Construction of Phase 1 and 2 of the City of Reading Skate Park Project. The Project includes various skate park features, parking and erosion controls.

B. Award of Contract – for the Willow Creek Dam Removal Project to Flyway Excavating, Mt. Joy, PA in the amount of $64,700.00 from the Capital Fund. Willow Creek is a bygone era of the Berks County Grist Mills and Farming impoundments. The dam is unpermitted through the regulatory agencies, such as PaDEP and the Fish and Boat Commission, and poses a threat of a collapse. The regulatory bodies have requested the City remove the dam.

C. Award of Contract – for the Plum and Franklin Firehouse HVAC Project to The Warko Group, Reading, PA is to provide the replacement of the HVAC system and upgrade the indoor air quality in the amount of $340,331.00 from ARPA.

 

6. ORDINANCES FOR FINAL PASSAGE

 

Pending Legislation

Bill 4-2023 – 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 Introduced at the December 18 regular meeting; Tabled at the Jan 9th regular meeting

Bill 27-2023 –establishing a No-Parking Zone to be located on Lackawanna

Street near the two driveway entrances for the proposed Holy Trinity Church of God

located on Lackawanna Street. The zone shall be posted as shown on the attached

plan labeled “Exhibit A”. The zone is depicted as requested by the Holy Trinity Church

of God for the purpose of improving the vehicle and pedestrian traffic safety conditions

on Lackawanna Street at the driveway entrances. Introduced at the February 27 regular meeting; Tabled at the March 13th regular meeting pending a presentation from the developer

A. Bill 31-2023 – authorizing a 2023 budget amendment to transfer $100,000 within

Public Works Solid Waste to assist property owners with the expense of dumpster

screening as approved in Bill 4-2022 Introduced at the March 13 regular meeting

B. Bill 32-2023 – authorizing a budget appropriation in the amount of $650,000 to fund the purchase of the purchase of Police Department tablets through a PCCD Grant Introduced at the March 13 regular meeting

C. Bill 33-2023 – amending the Administrative Code Section 5-701 Health Officer pertaining to the appointment and function of the Health Officer, as attached in Exhibit A Introduced at the March 13 regular meeting

D. Bill 34-2023 – authorizing a budget appropriation of the 2023 ARPA fund budget to increase the budgeted expenditure amount for awards of $2,000,000 each to Alvernia University, Albright College and Reading Area Community College, $750,000 to Super Natural Foods Introduced at the March 13 regular meeting

7. INTRODUCTION OF NEW ORDINANCES

 

A. Ordinance – authorizing the transfer of $15,000 from the Agency Fund Grants and Gifts to the Fire Suppression Division Contracted Services for the purchase of a fit testing machine with a grant from the PA Fire Commissioner

B. Ordinance – amending the City Code Chapter 212 Fee Schedule by increasing the

daily parking permit fee in metered and non-metered areas by $9 to $25

C. Ordinance – amending the Position Ordinance by changing the position of Public Works Division Manager to Deputy Director of Public Works and to reflect an increase in the base salary of the Deputy Director of Public Works position to $97,000.00 per annum.

8. RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution – appointing Kaitlin Daley to the Reading Public Library Board

B. Resolution –hereby declaring Council’s intent and mandate that the remaining ARP Act funding be appropriated only to the City’s capital needs at City-owned buildings and infrastructure as approved by the enactment of future Council ordinance(s).

C. Resolution – confirming the appointment of Tim Krall, P.E., as the Acting Public Works Director for the City of Reading and naming Kyle Zeiber Acting Deputy Public Works Director And Operations Manager

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

 

10. COUNCIL REPORT

 

11. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Attached

12. REPORT FROM OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR

Attached

 

13. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

 

Monday, April 3

Nominations & Appointments Committee – Penn Room – 4 pm

Strategic Planning Committee – Council Chambers - 5 pm

 

Monday, April 10

Committee of the Whole – Council Chambers - 5 pm

Regular Meeting – Council Chambers - 7 pm

 

Monday, April 17

Nominations & Appointments Committee – Penn Room - 4 pm

Zoning Public Hearing re Telecommunications amendment – Council Chambers – 5 pm

Standards of Living – Council Chambers– 5:30 pm

Finance –– Penn Room - 5:30 pm

 

15. ADJOURN