6.16.2025 Council
City renews 5yr Police contract w/ FELL
Listen to the full meeting here:
No Lackawanna Community Relations Report this month.
Monthly Finance Report was approved.
Invoices for Month were approved.
Report of Departments:
Police Department (approved)
Code Enforcement Office (approved)
DPW (approved)
Fire Department (approved)
Department of Parks and Recreation (approved)
Parking Meter Enforcement (approved)
Petitions and Communications to Council
The YMCA is requesting use of Russell Park for Kiddies Day on August 16th. Mrs. Nepa is from the YMCA Board of directors. In case you have any questions as well on the opinion issue. The new contact there right now or interim CEO is Craig Pinzon, if you will. So we would, um, like to have the YMCA benefit from it as well. There's not a rainy day. It is rain or shine. Hopefully it's not going to rain. And the insurance is in the process right now.
Resolutions
Resolution of Council No 12 2025, authorizing the submission of the grant of greenways, trails and Recreation program. So the city has the project going on behind the ben mar with the amphitheater. It's a $1.4 million project. So we have these next two resolutions on the agenda for council to review and action to be able to submit those two applications. Bill one is for 250, and the other one is acknowledging the fact that we're submitting it and that the signatures are on the wall. We need a motion. Yes, sir. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Do we get the motion up here? Yes. Okay. Introduced by Mayor Michelle Bannon and manager for the City of Pennsylvania. Resolution of the Council on 12 2025. Resolution. Be it resolved that the City of Carbondale of Lackawanna County hereby request the greenways, trails and Recreation Program grant for $250,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, be used for the implementation of the Racket Brook Park Master Plan and related parking improvements. Be it further resolved that the applicant does hereby designate Michelle Bannon Mayor as the official to execute. All documents and agreements between the City of Carbondale and the Commonwealth Financing Authority to facilitate and assist in obtaining the requested grant.
“I'm Melissa Kelly, newly qualified city clerk of the City of Carbondale and Lackawanna County D.A. hereby certify that the court filing is a true and correct copy of the resolution, newly adopted by a majority of the Carbondale City Council at regular meeting held June 16th, 2025, and said resolution has been recorded in the minutes of the city of Carbondale and remains in effect as of this date. In witness thereof, I take my hand and attach the seal of the city of Carbondale”
Resolution of the Council No. 13 2025. Resolution of the City of Carbondale authorizing the submission of the grant to the People's Park People, Parks and Community Foundation. Whereas the City of Carbondale hereby authorizes the submission of an application to the People Parks Community Foundation, be it resolved that the City of Carbondale is an eligible applicant for the People Parks Community Foundation. It further resolved that the City of Carbondale authorizes Michelle and John and as the official signatory on all related documents. Be it further resolved, the city, the Council for the City of Kerrville approve the submission of this application at regular meeting conducted on this, the 16th day of June, 2025.
Ordinances
File of council No. 03 2025. Introduced by the mayor of the City of Carbondale, Pennsylvania. An ordinance amending file of the Council No. 11- 1996 and file of the Council No. 4- 2012. Increasing fees to be imposed for the administration. Of emergency services by the City of Carbondale Fire Department. Authorizing the administration and enforcement of set fees and describing penalties for violation. Whereas the City of Carbondale Bureau of Fire is the sole designated provider for emergency services, including, but not limited to fire suppression extrication from vehicles within the city of Carbondale. And Whereas said services are possible through the use of emergency vehicles and Whereas, the governing body of the City of Carbondale recognizes the continuing increase in the cost of providing such emergency services, and Whereas, in order to better protect the public health, safety and welfare, and to protect and preserve the public funds and tax dollars, it is necessary to adopt a policy of reimbursement for expenses incurred and said vehicles respond to emergency incidents, not therefore, be it ordained by the Council of the City of Carbondale, and it is hereby ordained by and with the authority of the same as follows. Section 1: Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to permit the City of Carbondale Fire Department to implement a fair and equitable process for public service costs incurred in responding to emergency and non-emergency incidents, in order to maintain a high level of quality of emergency and. Emergency service capability throughout the times of consistently increasing service demands. We are maintaining an effective response by the fire Department, decreases the cost of incidents to insurance carriers, businesses and individuals through timely and effective management of emergency situations, saving lives, and reducing property and environmental damage. Section 2: Cost Recovery Established. The Council of the City of Carbondale shall determined by resolution from time to time. Fire cost recovery rates for for the delivery of emergency and non emergency services by the Fire Department for personnel, supplies and equipment to the scene of emergency and non-emergency emergency incidents. The cost recovery rate shall be based on actual cost of services and that is usually customary and reasonable, and which may include any services, personnel, supplies and equipment and baselines established by the City Council. Section three claims a claim shall be proud to the responsible party through his or her Insurance carrier. Section 4 Rules and Regulations. The City of Council, by resolution, may. Make rules or regulations, and from time to time they amend, revoke or add rules and regulations. Consistency consistent with this chapter, as it may deem necessary or expedient in respect to billing for these cost recovery rates for the collection thereof. Section 5 reads: A rate schedule of reasonable costs for the aforementioned pools, equipment, materials, and hourly. Hourly rates for personnel shall be set forth by City Council and reviewed, updated from time to time, and shall only be applied to recovery costs arising out of incidents of incidents that occur subsequent to the setting of the rate schedule. A copy of the rate schedule shall be on file for review at the business offices of the city. Be the reasonable cost outlined above may be recovered from any identified insurance carrier only. Any insurance carrier. Or shall be liable for the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred by the city, as outlined in this article. Apparatus. Engine $350 per hour. Aerial ladder. Ladder. $400 per hour. Squad rescue $300 per hour. Scuba $50 each. Personnel hours $30 per staff. Gas Co detector $50 per use. Hydraulic rescue tools $200 each. Portable toilets $30. Fire department debris cleanup $250 per hour. Scene lighting $75 per hour. Oil absorbent sheet $10 each. Power tools $50 each. Section six remedies to collect the unpaid balance of companies of any value to the City of Carbondale. Rendering emergency services. The city shall have the right to proceed in a manner provided by law for the collection of municipal claim, or at the sole option of the city of Carbondale. The City of Carbondale shall have the right to proceed against a person or persons responsible for the unpaid balance, plus penalties of such billing by filing a civil action lawsuit. Section seven violations. It will be a violation of this ordinance for any person or persons to interfere with, either directly or indirectly, or to impede or direct, either directly or indirectly, the collection of fees for emergency services rendered by the City of Carbondale. Section eight penalties for any person violating or assisting in the violation of this ordinance, or any regulation or requirement pursuant hereto an authorized hereby shall, upon conviction thereof, be ordered to pay a fine not more than $600, and in default of the payment of such fines, and of the course of the prosecutor, shall be in prison for a period of not more than 90 days. Each day's violations shall constitute a separate offense. Section nine severability. The provisions of this ordinance are severable and if any section, sentence, clause or vision part or other portion here of. Shall be unconstitutional, illegal, invalid or otherwise ineffective, the validity of the remaining provisions shall be unaffected. Thereby, it is the intention of the Council of the City of Carbondale that this ordinance would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal, invalid or otherwise ineffective section, sentence clause or provision inconsistent with this ordinance is hereby repealed. (This is the first reading for the second reading scheduled for next month.)
New Business:
implementation of the texting the residents of the city by Icon technologies. So a constant concern that we have for residents is that they just they're not aware of what's going on. They need to know things that are going on. They don't have access to the Facebook page or to our for for our web page. So we did a lot of research over the past year and a half. And our current system that we have with icon, our phone system has the ability to send out texts. So we sent out we asked Melissa Kelly, to submit a plan where we can people can sign up and get the text and we send them out. There'll be road closures, garbage delays. They're saying if there's events going on in town that'll be on that. It'll be it'll we're looking to do it for a 12 month period to see how it works out, to see how effective it is. And it would be $182 a month. I would need a couple of operation authorization to to do that. (No bid service contract was then approved by council to Icon Technologies for this express purpose.)
An authorization to enter into an agreement with Fell Township with three services. The Chief of Police spoke “I, we, did the city, both chief of staff, myself and the township supervisors and staff met last week. Very productive meeting. We met with all the supervisors as well as the Secretary and the code enforcement officer. really productive meeting and everything went very well that they were pleased. On my end I suggested to the mayor and, uh, Fell Township, uh, 1 or 2 different ideas. I had to streamline everything. Um, have a one point of contact between us and them. So when they need anything from us reports and whatnot, uh, especially pertaining to their code enforcement, which is a big thing for, you know, for everyone. Uh, that was just one for one point of contact, uh, to get reports and whatnot. Uh, and yet they, they, they're, they're, you know, everybody's very pleased in that very good meeting. Thank you. Thank you.
And then an offshoot of that meeting was, um, our our contract with, uh, five year contract with Fell expired on December 31st, 2024. We requested that we extend that contract until the end of this year. December. 21st, 2025. With all the same terms and conditions defined therein, with the exception of the date change and a sum of $1 and other goods for the valuable consideration of the contract. I would we would need counsel to adopt or to approve that contract this evening, to move forward for the remainder of the year and then negotiate with them for ongoing years.”
(Council approved extension of contract with Fell for next five years.)
An authorization to sell the 1992 Simon Duplex. Yes, sir. So, if you'll notice, we do. You know, fire trucks are very temperamental and very costly. And we've been spending a lot of money in the past couple months on the ladder truck with the budget on it. Chief actually came to me with an idea on Friday, and I'd like to hand it off to him for you to explain it. Thank you. Madam mayor, members of council as a mayor said our ladder truck, which is the. The trunk of the bucket sits in the middle of it. You know, it roughly served us for 15 years when it was in service. Key word when it was, it was a game changer. The problem with it, it's been consistently inconsistent through the years. Uh, we've been throwing good money after bad to include a blown motor, numerous electrical issues. Uh, latest thing was fixed. Uh, we had it from the community hospital, and the make it work seem to work. Okay. The, uh, members followed up with additional training the next day. The boom would not retract. It was very slow. Mechanic came up and pretty much told us that he's uncertain what the problem is, but he knows what. Take a ton of money. And he said he would not use it. So he politely told us that it's. It's time. Um, so right now we have, uh, another ladder truck over there which sits in the left bay, if you will, if you're facing a building that's designated engine 51, which has a 75 foot, uh, aerial ladder on it, as opposed to a 100 foot bucket. So what we're going to do is our neighbors from Uniondale are gracious enough to let us borrow a fire engine. They have a reserve engine. So we're going to bring that down with your blessing. And, uh, again, these issues as long as you want, so no services will change. We're going to move that 75 foot stick over to our ladder. Um, and then we'll have two engines that are capable of pumping water into a hose on it. And we'll have a ladder that will sit there. So again, um, it'll buy us time. I know, ma'am, Mayor and Mr. Devine has been, um, pursuing actively pursuing grants. So that will buy us some time to, um, to get grants while our services won't, uh, won't. Um, supper. So it was recommended by the mechanic and the members as well that we just we sell our 1992 bucket truck for our country. You guys been where we feel the story. So thank you. You're very welcome. Thank you. Thank you chief. So my request. So giving us authorization to to figure out how this will work with Jim Conway, our convoy. He's the, um, he's a certified fire truck dealer. See when the best route is there and see where we can fetch his money.
