Regular City Council Meeting on July 11, 2022

By Press release submission

Jul 7, 2022

Regular City Council Meeting

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Description

CITY COUNCIL

Meeting Agenda

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

HYBRID MEETING

7 pm

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

The Regular Meetings of City Council are filmed and can be viewed LIVE while the meeting is taking place via the attached Zoom link, on Facebook and on BCTV MAC Channel 99 or at your convenience at https://www.readingpa.gov/content/city-council-video.

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RULES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

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

Citizens who wish to make public comment must pre-register following the instructions in Agenda #3 Public Comment on this agenda.
Citizens attending Council meetings are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner that does not disrupt the meeting.
Those wishing to have conversations should do so in the hall outside Council Chambers in a low speaking voice.
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.
Citizens may not approach the Council tables at any time during the meeting.
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.
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: Daniel Myers, Community Evangelical Church

C. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

D. ROLL CALL

E. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS: There was an executive session on a personnel matter on Thursday, June 30th at 5 pm

2. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Oath of Office to:

Council President Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz

Oath of office to:

2nd Deputy Chief Michael R. Glore to 1st Deputy Fire Chief
Fire Suppression Lieutenant David C. Williams to 2nd Deputy Fire Chief
Firefighter Steven E. Ginder to Fire Suppression Lieutenant

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 council@readingpa.gov
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 council@readingpa.gov. 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 council@readingpa.gov. 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 July 11, 2022

B. MINUTES: June 27 Regular meeting and the summations of discussion from the June 27 and July 5 COW meetings and the July 5 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 – to STV for the Pagoda Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and

Structural Contract at a cost not to exceed $180,400, which includes $174,400 for

professional services and $6,000 for a Comprehensive Drone Survey and Photo

Documentation

B. Award of Contract – to the Abel Fence LLC, Wrightsville, PA, in the amount of

$73,620.00 for the replacement of the western perimeter fencing at 11th and Pike Playground

(eastern perimeter already replaced)

C. Award of Contract – for a Co-Stars Equipment supply and repair purchase to

Degler-Whiting in the amount of $94,345 for playground equipment and repairs needed in Keifer Park, 3rd and Spring, 2nd and Oley, Front and Shiller, Barbey’s, and Baer Park. The final NE quadrant is currently being scheduled for review.

D. Resolution – authorizing the promotion of Patrol Officer Stephen Butler to the rank of Sergeant

E. Resolution – accepting the resignation of Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz from the District 6 Council seat, effective June 27th.

F. Resolution – authorize conditional offers of employment to Mocha Baldwin, Evan Cook, Brayden Lewis, Christian Lynch, Zachary Rivera, Zachary Shenk, Mohamed Solimani-Hussein, and Drew Zebertavage as probationary officers for the Reading Police Department.

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 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; Tabled at the June 27 regular meeting

B. Bill 62-2022 – 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 8th 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 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

C. Bill 63-2022 – 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. Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

D. Bill 64-2022 – 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 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

E. Bill 65-2022 – 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 603 (a) - (b) – requiring Council approval for the termination of the Department Directors Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

F. Bill 66-2022 – 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 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

G. Bill 67-2022 – transferring $10,100,000 of ARPA funds from Fund 47 to the Capital Projects account Fund 34 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

H. Bill 68-2022 – 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 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

I. Bill 69-2022 – 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 Introduced at the June 27 regular meeting

10. INTRODUCTION OF NEW ORDINANCES

A. Ordinance – amending the Solid Waste Budget by increasing the budget line item

for Machinery and Equipment in the amount of $347,235, and Grants and Gifts

in the same amount due to the receipt of the PA DEP 902 Recycling Grant

B. Ordinance – authorizing the Mayor to Execute an MOU and Intergovernmental Agreement to Join the other Berks Municipalities on the Berks County Emergency Response Team (BCERT) – To be distributed

11. RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution – forgiving in its entirety the $1,475,000.00 loan originally extended to the previous owner of River Oak Apartments and assumed by River Oak Development LLC aka Reading Housing Authority by that certain Assignment of Amended and Restated Promissory Note and Mortgage dated September 17, 2008 and to release the mortgage securing said loan

B. Resolution – authorizing the filing and executing of all documents related to the application for RACP funds in the amount of $1,000,000 for the Alvernia University CollegeTown Infrastructure and Renovation II Project.

C. Resolution – appointing the following to the Reading Redevelopment Authority:

1. ______________________

2.______________________

3.______________________

4.______________________

12. PUBLIC COMMENT – GENERAL MATTERS

Please see public speaking rules on second page

13. COUNCIL BUSINESS/COMMENTS

14. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

Wednesday, July 13

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

Monday, July 18