Borough Meeting Minutes - Jan 12 2023

Borough Council Meeting Minutes Summary

Date: Thursday, January 12, 2023
Location: Council Chambers, Hollidaysburg Borough

Attendance

• Present: President Joseph A. Pompa, Council Members Brady Leahey, Michele Baker, James Mielnik, Jeffrey Ketner, and Sean Burke.
• Absent: Councilman Walter Kalista, III.
• Participating by Phone: Mayor Dodson.
• Other Attendees: Borough Manager James Gehret, Secretary Patricia J. Duron, Building Code Official Gerald Harbison, Solicitor Nathan W. Karn, Sr., Director of Community Relations Melanie Ramsey, and Fire Marshal Amy Hazlett.

Key Decisions & Resolutions

Liquor License Transfer Approval The Council approved the intermunicipal transfer of a restaurant liquor license (No. R-10305) from the Phoenix Restaurant in Altoona to 312 Allegheny Street in Hollidaysburg.

• Applicant: The Reserve at Hollidaysburg LLC.
• Current Licensee: Pennsylvania Pipe and Steel Corp.
• Public Hearing: Held on January 12, 2023. One resident, Richard Latker, addressed the Council regarding parking and restaurant saturation concerns but ultimately supported the transfer.
• Outcome: Resolution No. 2023-4 was adopted unanimously (6 votes in favor).

Appointments & Personnel

• Government Advisory Committee: Joseph A. Pompa was appointed to the Government Advisory Committee for 2023.
• Shade Tree Commission: Randy Manning was appointed to the Hollidaysburg Shade Tree Commission for a term expiring December 31, 2026.
• Hazard Mitigation Committee: Chief Christopher Storm was appointed as a member of the Hazard Mitigation Committee.
• New Hires:
  • Tami Zaluaga was approved for hire as a part-time Public Safety Clerk.
  • Staff was authorized to advertise for a part-time Parking Meter Enforcement Officer.

Reports & Updates

• Manager’s Report: Borough Manager James Gehret discussed a cooperative grant application to upgrade traffic signals within the Borough and other municipalities. No financial reports were presented as the audit is not yet complete.
• Community Relations: Melanie Ramsey announced the Annual Cruise In for May 26, 2023. She is currently working on acquiring grants for summer events and noted that Mr. Snyder of the Blair Genealogical Society is working on a veterans’ photo album project.
• Fire Marshal Report: Fire Marshal Amy Hazlett and Mark Slonaker (PVFD) presented their monthly reports.
• Mayor’s Report: Mayor Dodson sent a thank you to the police department via telephone.

Meeting Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM by President Pompa.