Barry Abbott

The meeting began with an executive session to discuss legal matters. During public comments, there were no discussions regarding agenda items. The council approved minutes from several prior meetings, including the organizational meeting, a work session, and a special meeting. Fiscal reports for the City of Dubois, Sandy Township, and the Sandy Township Municipal Authority for the 2025 year-end were reviewed and motions were passed. Department reports were filed. Key discussions included the status of road salt inventory due to winter weather and an update on pension audits, including underbilling for uniform police officers and correspondence from Treasure Lake regarding service provision. The council then discussed the formation of an Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) following a request from the former beautification committee, reviewing research on EAC scope and composition, and subsequently passed a motion to advertise a public hearing for March 4th regarding the creation of the EAC. Finally, the council addressed the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Credit (LERA), with a motion approved to continue drafting a significant overhaul of the existing LERA ordinance to potentially encompass the entire municipal boundary, including residential development incentives.

The meeting commenced with announcements regarding new procedures for public speakers, limiting comments to three minutes per topic. Key administrative discussions included vacancies on several city boards (Zoning Board, Building Code Board of Appeals, Property Maintenance Board of Appeals, Recreation Authority, and Parking Authority). The council voted to dissolve the Parking Authority and transfer its asset, while indicating support to formalize and advertise for the Recreation Authority. The Fire Chief presented requests for permission to sell three aging apparatus vehicles, with expected proceeds to offset the purchase of two new crew cab chief vehicles funded from the fire department's capital reserve. Further correspondence covered the presentation of a PenSafe agreement for disclosure and a request to revert tax collection hours back to four days per week (Monday through Thursday) to allow for necessary reconciliations and deposits, rather than being open five days as previously directed. The board also reviewed information regarding an ALERT application submitted by new owners of the old cola block plant property seeking a ten-year economic revitalization tax break.

The joint board meeting addressed several critical items related to the consolidation process between the city and township entities. Key discussions included the approval of final bills, claims, and disbursements, specifically addressing a $20,000 disbursement to the downtown group, confirming that matching requirements and accreditation grading (receiving 96%) were satisfied. The board also focused heavily on procedural resolutions for the upcoming consolidation. These involved the assignment and assumption of assets and liabilities between the current and future city entities, the continuity of operations resolution concerning the transfer of custody for existing legal liabilities, and the bill of sale for physical assets. Furthermore, a record destruction and custody resolution was discussed, ensuring the new city assumes responsibility for maintaining historical documents of both former entities.

The session included several key discussions and presentations. The City Council received a special presentation from the Executive Director of the Greater Duboice Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, who detailed the chamber's activities, funding structure, and relationship with local municipalities, and also presented recognitions to the City following its consolidation with Sandy Township. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the policy regarding the addition of fluoride to the public water supply, following a request from a member at the previous meeting. The council discussed the process for removing fluoride, noting the associated administrative steps and potential cost savings, and ultimately voted to authorize the administration to proceed with the removal process. Finally, the Council addressed the Request for Proposal (RFP) for City Engineer professional services, reviewing the six received proposals and forming an ad hoc committee of council members, the manager, public works director, and engineer tech to interview the top candidates before making a final selection.

The meeting resumed following a reconciliation event at Wright's Theater, with thanks extended to the venue and newly sworn-in council members. A significant portion of the meeting involved numerous appointments and approvals for various municipal roles and entities. Key appointments included the General Solicitor, Special Counsel, Police Chief, Agency Open Records Officer, Local Emergency Management Coordinator, Vacancy Chair, Flood Plane Administrator, Building Code Officer, Uniform Construction Code Inspector (authorizing the manager to enter into an agreement with Pensafe), Sewage Enforcement Officers (authorizing the manager to enter into an agreement with Hessen Fischer Engineers), Pension Plan Chief Administrator, and members for the Borough Redevelopment Authority, Governance Committee, and Hospital Authority Board. The council also addressed the appointment of bank depositories and signers, agreeing to keep legacy accounts open temporarily. A motion was approved to postpone the appointment of the city engineer until February 11th. Further actions included affirming Lisa Culver and Dave Ruper for the Tax Collection Committee Representative role and temporarily appointing the Mayor as the Pennsylvania Municipal League Voting Delegate.