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1 SCRANTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING
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5 HELD:
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7 Thursday, April 12, 2006
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9 LOCATION:
10 Council Chambers
11 Scranton City Hall
12 340 North Washington Avenue
13 Scranton, Pennsylvania
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CATHENE S. NARDOZZI- COURT REPORTER
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2 CITY OF SCRANTON COUNCIL:
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MS. JUDY GATELLI, PRESIDENT
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6 MS. JANET E. EVANS
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MS. SHERRY FANUCCI
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9 MR. ROBERT MCGOFF
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MR. WILLIAM COURTRIGHT
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12 MS. KAY GARVEY, CITY CLERK
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MR. NEIL COOLICAN, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
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15 MR. AMIL MINORA, SOLICITOR
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1 (Pledge of Allegiance recited and moment of
2 prayer observed.)
3 MS. GATELLI: Roll call, Neil.
4 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Evans.
5 MS. EVANS: Here.
6 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Fanucci.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Here.
8 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. McGoff.
9 MR. MCGOFF: Here.
10 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. Courtright.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Here.
12 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Gatelli.
13 MS. GATELLI: Here. Dispense with
14 the reading of the minutes.
15 MS. GARVEY: THIRD ORDER, 3-A,
16 MINUTE OF THE FIREMEN'S PENSION COMMISSION
17 MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 28, 2007.
18 MS. GATELLI: Are there any
19 comments? If not, received and filed.
20 MS. GARVEY: 3-B, MINUTES OF THE
21 POLICE PENSION COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON
22 FEBRUARY 28, 2007.
23 MS. GATELLI: Are there any comments?
24 If not, received and filed.
25 MS. GARVEY: That's all I have for
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1 the third order.
2 MS. GATELLI: Before we start with
3 the speakers on agenda items I just have a
4 few announcements. First of all, I'd like
5 everyone to wish the chairman of the junior
6 city council a happy birthday. It's
7 Douglas' birthday today. Happy birthday,
8 Douglas.
9 If anyone saw the paper this week
10 there was a nice article on Katrina Organ,
11 one of other junior council members and she
12 is in the play at her school Footloose
13 tomorrow and Saturday night at 7:00 and also
14 tonight and they did a nice article on her
15 on the students page and we'd like to
16 congratulate her for a job well done.
17 The Tour D'Scranton gave me this
18 poster, I'm going to ask Kay if see would
19 hang it in city hall, and it's a bike race
20 and this year they are also going to have a
21 walking around the Memorial Stadium so if
22 you don't ride a bike you can walk in it.
23 Two very special friends of mine, Tom and
24 Betty Morgan's daughter, had died several
25 years ago from a drug overdose and they
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1 wanted to do something positive about that
2 so they started a fund in her memory to help
3 kids that have addictions. So, this is the
4 fourth year for the race. It's on April 22
5 and it starts at Memorial Stadium and goes
6 through Dunmore and I believe all of the
7 information is at city council's office if
8 anyone is interested.
9 Tomorrow evening at Lackawanna
10 Junior College the Scranton School District
11 Special Olympic cocktail party will be held.
12 It benefits the special ed students at the
13 Scranton School District. It starts at 7:00
14 and it's $35.
15 On May 20, 2007, at St. Peter and
16 Paul Church in west side there will be a
17 benefit for a student who happens to be a
18 student at West Scranton High School who was
19 hurt in a bicycle accident that left him
20 paralyzed. His name is Jonathan Clauss and
21 they are accepting donations for baskets.
22 Monetary donations can be made to Citizens
23 Save's Association, 156 South Main Avenue in
24 care of Jonathan Clauss Benefit Fund and
25 anyone who has any donations can contact
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1 Mary Ann at 343-8872, and I think that's all
2 I have. Anyone else?
3 MS. EVANS: Yes. The first annual
4 Joe Duffy Hearing Awareness Golf Tournament
5 will be held on Monday, July 23, 2007, so
6 book the date now. Registration opens at
7 12:00 p.m. and the tournament begins at 1:00
8 at Woodlock Pine's Resort, Hawley, PA.
9 Fifty percent of the proceeds will go
10 directly to the Starkey Hearing Foundation
11 and the remaining 50 percent will be used to
12 fit college students and recent graduates
13 with the best hearing aid technology
14 available today.
15 And the event is named for Mr. Duffy
16 who has worked tirelessly on this event. As
17 a child he suffered from cancer and that
18 illness robbed him of 80 percent of his
19 hearing and that is why he has taken up this
20 cause which is so close to his heart and I'm
21 hoping that all of you golfers will please
22 consider this in July.
23 MS. GATELLI: Is that all, Mrs.
24 Evans?
25 MS. EVANS: Yes.
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1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Mrs. Gatelli, if I
2 may?
3 MS. GATELLI: Yes.
4 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't normally
5 mention when somebody passes away and the
6 reason I don't is because I'm fearful that
7 somewhere down the road I would be miss
8 somebody and offend somebody and so that's
9 why I don't do it, but a gentleman, I think
10 that anybody that's run for office in the
11 City of Scranton knows, his name is Frank
12 Giombrone, helpful to many of us up here and
13 I'm sure many before us, his wife passed
14 away this past week so I'd just like to send
15 my condolences to Mr. Giombrone's family and
16 that's all I have.
17 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else? We'll
18 get to the -- Douglas.
19 MR. MILLER: Doug Miller. Mrs.
20 Gatelli, if you don't mind. We do have a
21 problem this evening regarding the junior
22 council. This evening around 5:30 junior
23 council made it's way here to city hall to
24 get ready for it's weekly 5:30 caucus and as
25 we made our way to the door and were just
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1 about to walk into the door a police officer
2 told us to step outside and get in the back
3 of the line. I explained to the officer
4 that we are the junior council and we are
5 here weekly to conduct our 5:30 caucus and
6 it was never an issue before. Supposedly
7 Mr. Courtright told the officer to tell us
8 to go back outside. Like I said, there was
9 never an issue with this before so,
10 Mrs. Gatelli, I'd ask what is the protocol
11 for the council?
12 MS. GATELLI: We are going to be
13 addressing that. Council is aware of some
14 problems and we are going to have Attorney
15 Minora look at it.
16 MR. MILLER: Last meeting we were
17 able to get in, there was no problem. All
18 of a sudden tonight now, you know, I don't
19 know if it's, you know, if you don't want us
20 here anymore or what, but I just --
21 MS. GATELLI: No, that's not the
22 issue.
23 MR. MILLER: It's sort of an insult.
24 MS. GATELLI: Okay. Thank you.
25 MR. MILLER: So I think something
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1 needs to be done. Thank you.
2 MS. GATELLI: We'll take care of it.
3 Agenda items, Andy Sbaraglia.
4 MR. SBARAGLIA: Andy Sbaraglia,
5 citizen of Scranton, fellow Scrantonians,
6 Agenda Item 5-I authorizing a loan for
7 250,000. Tell me, why is that loan being
8 forgiven after three years with four
9 employees? Is this common for the City to
10 give $250,000 away and then forget about it
11 because the good old boys? I wish you would
12 vote that down or strike that provision out
13 of it. Forgiveness loans should not be
14 anywhere in one of those agreements.
15 Now, let's go to the 6-A. This is
16 the proof and penalty and interest fee
17 schedule. Let me read some of the numbers:
18 A: $25. B: $160. C: $35. D:$175. F:
19 $175. G: $30. H: $275. J: $800. We get
20 down through "I" $175. M: $30. O: $50.
21 P: $25. Q: $400. R: $30. S: $100. T:
22 $50. U: $225. People who go delinquent on
23 their taxes I guess a year and three months
24 and then they could be sold out from
25 underneath them. This I'm telling to all of
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1 the elderly in Scranton, people who can't
2 really think they might not be able to make
3 their taxes, go and get a reverse mortgage
4 on your house and then they can't do it.
5 Other than that, you are going to lose your
6 house too fast and you are not going to know
7 what happened.
8 This is a grab all because he needs
9 $2,800,000. He would sell his soul and the
10 people's soul in the city for that type of
11 money. This is wrong. Never in my life
12 have I seen a worse set of agreements. You
13 can't do this to people of Scranton. We
14 have an elderly crowd in this city. They
15 have more trouble paying their bills, never
16 mind adding all of these costs on the
17 mortgages and then to lose your house
18 because you can't pay it for being one year
19 and 3 months late. That's criminal and if
20 you vote for this thing you are just as
21 criminal as the people who drew it up.
22 Thank you.
23 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Spindler.
24 MR. SPINDLER: Les Spindler, city
25 resident, and I also want to talk about F-I,
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1 $250,000 loan to Alexander's Day Spa that if
2 they hire four people in three years they
3 don't have to pay the loan back? That's
4 ridiculous. They could hire three family
5 members and not have to pay the city back
6 and the city losses more than $1 million. I
7 mean, it's the most ridiculous thing I ever
8 heard of so I hope you vote this down
9 tonight. Thank you.
10 MS. GATELLI: Sam Patilla.
11 MR. PATILLA: Sam Patilla, city
12 resident, homeowner, taxpayer. I, too, want
13 to comment on 5-I. You know, this is why
14 for the last two or three weeks I have been
15 so vehement about allowing Mayor Doherty to
16 have anything to do with a loan, be it make
17 loans, be it receive loans, all right? This
18 is just as crooked as crooked can be. How
19 can you loan out a quarter of a million
20 dollars when the city is basically broke.
21 You know, it goes right along with 6-A,
22 you know. In the beginning I was for this,
23 but after looking at all of the fees, all
24 right, you are opening the door to take
25 people's homes, you know, people that have
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1 lived in these houses for 25, 35, 50, 60,
2 years, you know, it's just not right and
3 that ties in with why I say that he
4 shouldn't be allowed to appoint anybody to
5 an office because sooner or later, you know,
6 the taxpayers, the people will have control
7 of city council. We will have control of
8 the city clerk. We will have control of the
9 treasurer, you know, and you just cannot
10 allow this man to do this to the people of
11 Scranton any longer, you know, that $250,000
12 is criminal, the $150 for the coffee shop is
13 criminal, these hidden feels on the
14 delinquent taxes is criminal.
15 This just it has to stop. Please.
16 Just put an end to it. You tell that man,
17 no. Tell him use his own money. Tell him
18 to go in his own pocket, oh, I forgot, he
19 doesn't have any money because he just
20 borrowed $560,000 from somebody else
21 hisself. All right? He can't use our money
22 anymore. Let him go to one of his friends,
23 Louie, or whoever owns the bank, let him get
24 the money from them. You are just driving
25 deeper and further into this hole and it
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1 really has to stop.
2 You know, come back. Come back.
3 You were one of us. Come back on over here,
4 we forgive you, we open our arms, come home.
5 It's okay. Don't let this man do this to us
6 anymore.
7 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
8 MR. HUBBARD: Good evening, Council.
9 Two points on the agenda, first I'd like to
10 address 5-I. I'm sorry, yeah, 5-I. I can't
11 see how Alexander's can't afford to expand
12 the business themselves. It's probably one
13 of the most successful small businesses in
14 downtown Scranton. It's definitely the most
15 expensive spa in the county, they shouldn't
16 need a loan from Scranton. Not to mention
17 the fact that if we go by what the newspaper
18 said that the footprint for the $9 million
19 parking garage that we can't afford either
20 is going to be right where Alexander's is
21 because they said that's going to take up
22 the corner of North Washington and
23 Lackawanna, so the Woolworth building will
24 go and we'll lose the companies that are in
25 there and Alexander's will go because if
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1 they give up that space for the parking
2 garage they will move out of the city,
3 probably have to go to Clarks Summit. So we
4 should give them a quarter of a million
5 dollars now and then in two years they can
6 hire four people so they don't have to pay
7 it back and then when the mayor gets all of
8 the parking authority appointees that he
9 needs in there to guarantee that he can get
10 is 5 million to get his new garage,
11 Alexander's will get $250,000 to walk and
12 they'll get the money for the building as
13 well, so I guess they all make out and we
14 lose. I don't think we can afford to give
15 anybody any money period right now.
16 Garages, spas, nobody.
17 I'd like to address also 5-G. Would
18 somebody please explain to me why Director
19 Hayes would act as an agent for the city for
20 emergency disaster relief pursuant to the
21 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
22 Emergency Assistance Act, explanation on
23 that? What would his job be? Anybody have
24 an answer?
25 MS. EVANS: No, but perhaps Mr.
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1 Courtright would have information.
2 MR. HUBBARD: Because I'd like to
3 know what the Stafford Disaster Relief and
4 Emergency Assistance Act is and then I'd
5 like to know what Mr. Hayes' role would be
6 as an agent for the city during obviously
7 emergency disaster relief since I previously
8 have been the only emergency disaster
9 neighborhood in Scranton I'd like to know
10 what he is going to do when we get flooded.
11 MS. GATELLI: I think, if I'm
12 correct, I think that the city has to have
13 one.
14 MR. HUBBARD: We don't have one now?
15 MS. GATELLI: To file all of the
16 paperwork with PEMA.
17 MR HUBBARD: Who does it now?
18 MS. GATELLI: I'm not sure.
19 MR. HUBBARD: Who did it before we
20 had the Department of Public Safety?
21 MS. GATELLI: I don't know.
22 MR. HUBBARD: Somebody did? I mean,
23 it's not the first -- I mean, there was
24 years we didn't have the Department of
25 Public Safety when the Plot got flooded and
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1 lower Greenridge got flooded when somebody
2 filed that paperwork. So, I mean, we
3 created a new department and now we have to
4 appoint somebody in that department to do
5 the job that somebody else was already
6 doing. It's kind of redundant.
7 Mr. Courtright?
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: Oh, I'm sorry.
9 MR. HUBBARD: That's okay.
10 Everybody seems to think you might have an
11 answer for me in regards to -- -
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: What was the
13 question, I apologize?
14 MR. HUBBARD: 5-G.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: All right, I was
16 asking Mr. Minora a question.
17 MR. HUBBARD: That's okay. I'd just
18 like to know what the Stafford Disaster
19 Relief Emergency Assistance Act is and what
20 Mr. Hayes role as an agent for the City of
21 Scranton would be involving that Act?
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: I couldn't explain
23 the Act to you, but I know when we have a
24 disaster he is the point person for the City
25 of Scranton.
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1 MR. HUBBARD: I know, and somebody
2 said that and I said, well, what did we do
3 before we had the Department of Public
4 Safety, who was the point man?
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: I believe it was
6 either the police chief or the fire chief to
7 control.
8 MR. HUBBARD: So they handled it well
9 previously to the Greenridge --
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: We had one, then we
11 didn't have one, now we have one again, so
12 in the interim I believe it was Chief Klee
13 that handled everything, if I'm not
14 mistaken.
15 MS. GATELLI: I think it was.
16 MR. HUBBARD: I'd just like to know.
17 Thank you.
18 MS. GATELLI: Liz Hubbard?
19 MRS. HUBBARD: Good evening, Council,
20 Liz Hubbard, Scranton resident. I also have
21 a question on 5-I on the agenda, it says
22 that the loan is to assist an eligible
23 project. Could anybody tell me what the
24 project is?
25 MS. FANUCCI: I actually have the
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1 whole entire explanation, but I was going to
2 wit until motions, but I will give it to
3 you, it's pretty long and what they're going
4 to do and what's going to happen.
5 MRS. HUBBARD: Well, if you were
6 going to do it in motions you don't need to
7 do it now.
8 MS. FANUCCI: That's what I'm
9 saying.
10 MRS. HUBBARD: I can wait. Thanks.
11 That was all.
12 MS. GATELLI: Thank you. Nancy
13 Krake.
14 MS. KRAKE: I listened to the
15 presentation from municipal claims and
16 municipal revenue services that is that
17 interested in giving us money up front for
18 something that we already do and we do it in
19 a way that was meant to save people's homes.
20 It's called the Pittsburg Plan. I would
21 hope that each and every councilperson would
22 familiarize themselves with it before they
23 inflict these fees which just a quick
24 calculation right now, an average tax of
25 $650 would turn into a minimum of $3,150
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1 after all of these fees were applied.
2 This is simply another scheme, money
3 scheme. The mayor has already had two that
4 crashed and burned. To recall Mayor
5 Ganakan, "We are about to pay through the
6 nose for that."
7 Pension managers that were brought
8 in gave us money upfront, we will be paying
9 for that for a long time and now municipal
10 revenue services. There is no way that
11 anyone in this community can afford this.
12 If the mayor wants to impose this on someone
13 and truly wants to redevelop something why
14 doesn't he turn it back on his businessman
15 friends? Why don't you take a good look at
16 their contract and a good hard look at these
17 fees and do something about the downtown
18 that he is always screaming about. You want
19 to do something for the homeowners? Offer
20 them amnesty. The city will still be taking
21 in the same amount of money. I think anyone
22 that votes for this should truly be ashamed
23 of themselves. Thank you.
24 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Jacowitz?
25 MR. JACOWITZ: Bill Jacowitz, South
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1 Scranton resident, speaking on agenda items
2 for 12 April '07 from the citizens' hall of
3 Scranton, Pennsylvania, this is the
4 citizens' hall.
5 First of all I'd like to make
6 mention that City Council table all of the
7 agenda items this evening until they can
8 answer the questions that are being asked by
9 the citizens because I'm not sure if you are
10 aware of everything that's on the agenda
11 tonight because so far no questions have
12 been answered.
13 Okay, the Electric City Roasting
14 Company, $150,000, I still do not see where
15 this loan will Benefit the taxpaying
16 citizens of the Scranton. What I see is a
17 great benefit to the owners of the company.
18 According to Councilperson Fanucci, they
19 already have a very large client list in the
20 city and outside of the City of Scranton.
21 Five employees in my opinion is not
22 justification for a $150,000. A commercial
23 loan or a business loan would be more
24 beneficial to the taxpayers, that's what
25 most companies do when they need money, they
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1 go and get a commercial or business loan.
2 They don't borrow the money from the
3 taxpayers in the city they work at. The
4 Scranton Today Plan has failed. I speak
5 about that every week. It has failed,
6 failed, failed. The Alexander's Beauty
7 Salon is hot. Where in Scranton is this
8 business currently located? It's located in
9 the same area where you are going to build a
10 new parking garage, so why are we going to
11 give these people $250,000 and all they have
12 to do is higher four employees in two years
13 or three years and then the loan is
14 terminated. They don't have to pay it back.
15 Why? Can you loan me $250,000 and tell me
16 that I can sell five Legion of Doom shirts
17 and I don't have to pay it back? Can you do
18 that for me, city council, please because
19 you are doing it for everybody else in the
20 city.
21 MS. GATELLI: Mrs. Shumaker.
22 MS. SHUMAKER: Marie Shumaker. I'd
23 like to ask questions on two items, the
24 first again is 5-I. There have been a lot
25 of loans made recently from this commercial
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1 industrial revolving loan program, can
2 anybody tell me what the balance will be
3 left in this account for other eligible
4 projects after this is -- if this loan is
5 approved? I take the silence as a, no.
6 And also 6-A, I was just made away
7 of it when I came in tonight and I agree, I
8 think it's totally immoral and I'm
9 wondering, because I didn't have a chance to
10 read through the entire ordinance, is there
11 any provision in there for credit counseling
12 for the affected homeowners? Does anybody
13 know or have an answer for that? I would
14 like answers to those questions. That's all
15 I have.
16 MS. GATELLI: I answered that last
17 one. I said, I don't believe so.
18 MS. SHUMAKER: Oh, I'm sorry. I
19 didn't hear you.
20 MS. GATELLI: I don't think there is.
21 MS. SHUMAKER: Well, I certainly
22 think that there should be some -- first of
23 all, I don't think you should go along with
24 it at all, but if there is ever anything of
25 this nature I think the homeowners are going
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1 to pay taxes for a long time and have a
2 problem there should certainly be a
3 provision for credit counseling in there.
4 MS. GATELLI: Thank you. Lee Morgan.
5 MR. MORGAN: Good evening, Council.
6 I only want to speak on the one issue here
7 that's probably vital to most residents in
8 this city and council probably knows that
9 that happens to be 6-A, and I think it's
10 important for all of the residents in the
11 city to realize that this council has an
12 obligation to protect homeowners, not sell
13 their properties out from underneath them.
14 When you start looking at this you got a 10
15 percent fee per annum, you've got massive
16 fees everywhere for consultants, for filing,
17 for review, I think that the residents of
18 this city have to do themselves a favor and
19 realize that, you know, council has no
20 answers and this mayor is just leading a
21 agenda of complete destruction of the city.
22 I mean, Nancy Krake spoke about a couple of
23 things about the pension plan, about the
24 sewer authority deal, about, you know, all
25 of this stuff that's going on and, you know,
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1 it's a shame that we borrow money through
2 the sewer authority and now we are going to
3 borrow $8 million more and I just find that
4 the residents and the property owners get
5 exactly what they deserve, okay? They have
6 all stayed home, they have all allowed you
7 politicians to play your games and now it's
8 come home to roost so there is nobody else
9 to go after for money because it's all gone.
10 You have borrowed all of can borrow, you
11 sold everything you can sell including a
12 city park and now the plan is, well, we are
13 going to condemn as many houses as we can
14 and we are going to rip them down and bring
15 the population base in line with the housing
16 stock and now we are going to go and we're
17 going to put fees on everybody houses that
18 can't pay their taxes and why? Because this
19 city's government has been mismanaged for
20 about 50 hours years, no employers want to
21 come here. You know, Mr. Popil who spoke at
22 the taxpayers group recently and he made a
23 statement where, well, we know people
24 haven't moved very far, they have moved to
25 Dunmore and they've moved to Moosic and they
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1 have moved to Dickson City, of course they
2 have, and now what we got left here is all
3 of the people who couldn't sell their homes
4 who are stakeholders in this community and
5 bought homes and invested here and they
6 can't sell them and get their money out so
7 now they are stuck here. They are either at
8 low wage jobs or social security or
9 disability and now what we are going to do
10 is we're going to leverage their property
11 with fees and we're going to either sell it
12 or whatever. I mean, I don't know what the
13 plan is concerning that we have so many
14 vacant units in this city, but, you know, we
15 had no problem with closing council chambers
16 for that, we had no problems with removing
17 the cameras, we had no problems with a lot
18 of things and I just think this, anybody who
19 votes on this council for this, two are up
20 of this year, they should be voted out no
21 matter what happens, okay, because you don't
22 keep penalizing the people that are
23 investors here that are living here and
24 doing the right thing and the next election
25 remove anyone of the other three that vote
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1 for this, that's what I think needs to be
2 done.
3 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else here to
4 speak on agenda items? Mr. Ancherani?
5 MR. ANCHERANI: Nelson Ancherani. I
6 wasn't really going to speak on anything
7 here about the agenda, but seeing 6-A I just
8 want to remind everybody that we have
9 25 percent tax increase this year, we are
10 going to get two more in the next two years,
11 we have a 56.5 percent rate increase from
12 the Sewer Authority, and more coming, and we
13 are going to have -- we have a $300 million
14 debt. People aren't going to be able to
15 keep their homes, they are going to end up
16 losing them to taxes. People are going to
17 be eating dog food or cat food. I think you
18 should think about this before you vote on
19 it. Thank you.
20 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
21 MS. FRANAS: Fay Franas. I'd simply
22 just like to say the same thing Nelson is
23 saying and Nancy and everybody that the 6-AA
24 thing, if people are having trouble paying
25 their taxes I wouldn't think you would want
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1 to punish them by giving them all of these
2 fees that they wouldn't be able to -- if
3 they can't pay their taxes how could they
4 possibly pay these fees? If anything you
5 should be trying to help them with their
6 taxes not make it worse so that they
7 definitely would lose their homes, so I
8 would just hope that you would not even
9 consider it because -- I can't even
10 comprehend how come it's even on here. How
11 would any rationale person say that they
12 want to fine all of people that don't pay
13 their taxes. You think you would want to be
14 giving them a hand to help them not say you
15 have to pay this, this and this and make it
16 worse for them. I mean, any senior citizen
17 or even a young person with a family, when
18 they say they can't pay their taxes they are
19 upset as it is and then burden them with
20 this. Please don't do this.
21 See my hat, "Dogs Rule."
22 I think that's better than what Mayor
23 Doherty is doing. Please think about this
24 and don't vote for it, okay. Thank you.
25 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
.
28
1 MS. GARVEY: 5-A, motions.
2 MS. EVANS: Good evening. The last
3 several days have seen the passing of three
4 wonderful people and I, too, ask your
5 prayers for them and for their dear
6 families. Mrs. Rose Giombroni, Mrs.
7 Katherine Dickerson and Mr. Paul Turrey.
8 Over the last two weeks I have
9 received countless e-mails and numerous at
10 my home much who are extremely upset by the
11 Draconian measures instituted for public
12 attendance at city council. Ladies and
13 gentlemen, each and everyday hundreds of
14 people enter city hall through the front
15 doors, they are not screened by metal
16 detectors or supervised by police officers.
17 I firmly believe that making citizens,
18 especially senior citizens and the disabled,
19 stand in line for hours in an alley and
20 screening them with metal detectors is an
21 attempt to discourage them from attending
22 council meetings. In effect, it's a form of
23 intimidation. This situation has become so
24 petty that the taxpayers' organization was
25 not allowed to conduct their meetings in
.
29
1 council chambers. Consequently, I move that
2 metal detectors and outdoor lines for
3 admission to city council meetings be
4 eliminate effective Monday, April 16, 2007.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'll second that.
6 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: On the question,
8 I'm not -- it's not that I'm not in favor of
9 security in this building I certainly am,
10 but I think until the time that we could put
11 a security system in the front of the
12 building where everybody comes in and out or
13 at the very least, the very least that every
14 meeting, planning commission or planning,
15 zoning, that those people also lose their
16 security because I just think it looks like
17 we are selectively scanning people and I
18 don't think that's right. Am I in favor of
19 putting a security system in this building,
20 I absolutely am. I mean, every building has
21 it anymore, but I think we shot from the hip
22 on this one. I think we've got to take a
23 step back and take a look at what kind of
24 security measures we are going to do and if
25 we are going to impose security not just on
.
30
1 this meeting, whatever other meetings there
2 are, and I had asked, it goes hand-in-hand
3 with this, I had asked our solicitor to look
4 and see if could find in writing for me who
5 actually controls this room here, the
6 council chambers. I'm pretty sure that the
7 mayor controls the building, but I'm not
8 sure who controls the council chambers and
9 he's going to try to get that in writing for
10 me. So, again, I'm certainly in favor of
11 some type of security here, but not
12 selective security.
13 MS. EVANS: If I might add to what
14 Mr. Courtright said, I, too, agree with
15 security in public buildings, and it is my
16 understanding that at some point in the
17 future metal detectors will be purchased by
18 the city for placement in city hall and it's
19 my hope that those detectors are placed
20 inside of the front doors of this building
21 and are in operation from the moment the
22 building opens in the morning until it
23 closes in the afternoon. But I also wanted
24 to add that the mayor has gone on record
25 stating that he abides by the will of
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31
1 council, so this council has only to pass
2 this motion in order to once again
3 accommodate the people of Scranton,
4 particularly the elderly and the disabled.
5 I also feel that the motion will help
6 to restore order and mollify bad feelings in
7 council.
8 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
9 MR. MCGOFF: The mayor has also said
10 that -- he's said the opposite as well, and
11 to vote on a motion over which we have no
12 authority if it is, in fact, the mayor's
13 building to allow people in and out and what
14 security measures are taken, then no matter
15 what measures we take are moot. They, you
16 know, they have no effect, so voting on the
17 motion really if we do not have authority --
18 the authority to allow people in and out of
19 the building then we have no reason to vote
20 on the motion. It has no -- it's going to
21 have no effect.
22 I would prefer to find out from
23 Attorney Minora or whoever, you know, where
24 the authority lies and, in fact, we do have
25 authority to do that then we will change it.
.
32
1 If we don't, then perhaps we need to find
2 some other venue through the mayor's office
3 through the administration to make that
4 changes.
5 MS. EVANS: Well, I can certainly
6 understand and respect what by colleague is
7 saying, however, I am taking the mayor at
8 his word, after all, it appears that on his
9 word cameras were removed, on his word
10 cameras were returned, and all in order to
11 comply with the will of city council. After
12 all, a motion was passed at the last meeting
13 concerning the cameras and the mayor did,
14 indeed, acquiesce and just as my colleague
15 was very anxious to pursue a motion to
16 provide a much needed siren for Lower
17 Greenridge without knowing how the funding
18 could be obtained, if indeed there were any
19 funding available at the time, I do believe
20 the wisest, most prudent course of action
21 right now is for us to take the steps and
22 let the mayor know this is the feeling of
23 city council and then we shall see, indeed,
24 if he will keep his word.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: I've got to jump in
.
33
1 again, I'm sorry. If I'm incorrect in
2 saying this I would ask Mrs. Fanucci and
3 Mrs. Gatelli to correct me, I believe that
4 maybe Mrs. Gatelli and possibly Mrs. Fanucci
5 don't feel safe, and if that's the case I
6 don't want anybody not to feel safe, but I
7 would say this, until what time that we can
8 do this across the board fair for all
9 concerned is that we have been having two
10 and three police officers here, maybe and I
11 would ask the public not to chastise you for
12 this, maybe you could be escorted in and
13 escorted out to make you feel safe until
14 what time we were to get an apparatus in the
15 front of the building and everybody would go
16 through and get scanned. I just -- I don't
17 even want to say that I'm profiling, but I
18 think we are selectively scrutinizing people
19 and it just seems to be at this meeting and
20 I think it's created for bad blood, all
21 right? And now you've got people I think
22 coming to this meeting just because they are
23 mad about what's happening. I'm just trying
24 to come up with a solution that I think will
25 be fair to all and will stop some of the
.
34
1 controversy that we have having here at this
2 meeting. I don't know if that's a viable
3 solution or not just a suggestion.
4 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
5 MR. MCGOFF: I'll jump back in. I
6 would like -- I personally would like to see
7 the security measures stay in place. What I
8 would like to see is a uniform policy
9 established so that everyone knows what that
10 policy is going to be, you know, when the
11 doors will be open, at what point in time
12 people can enter the building, what exactly
13 will be -- what security will be taken at
14 that point in time and I think if that's
15 done, if there is a uniform policy for the
16 meeting, you know for entry for meetings I
17 think that that should be, you know, that
18 that should be established.
19 MS. EVANS: If I might just add
20 though or perhaps ask, Mr. McGoff, do you
21 believe we can set that or are we asking the
22 mayor to set that policy?
23 MR. MCGOFF: Again, I don't know. I
24 think until we -- until there is some
25 determination as to when who has the
.
35
1 authority to act, or let's put it this way,
2 we need to find out who has the authority to
3 act before action is taken and I think that
4 should be done prior to the next meeting.
5 It should be done in time to alert people as
6 to what actions will be taken, whether if we
7 will go back to the former policy or whether
8 we are going to continue with the current
9 policy or whether there is going to be an
10 alteration in the policy, but I think we
11 need to do that prior to the next meeting.
12 MS. EVANS: I would agree with you,
13 but if I might add, I don't believe there is
14 a policy at this point. I don't believe
15 there exists any policy that covers what's
16 being done to the citizens of Scranton and I
17 know just from my own point of view I was
18 very disturbed coming in this evening and
19 seeing all of these individuals standing in
20 line in the cold outside and I'm given
21 privilege to pass by each and every one of
22 you and enter the building.
23 I asked, as the officer can attest,
24 I volunteered to be examined by a metal
25 detector because I don't feel what's being
.
36
1 done to you shouldn't be done to me, too.
2 This really is most improper and if nothing
3 else I think, you know, from a humanistic or
4 a moral standpoint I think council should
5 show it's respect to the people it serves
6 and pass this motion.
7 MS. GATELLI: All in favor?
8 MS. EVANS: Aye.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
10 MS. GATELLI: Opposed?
11 MR. MCGOFF: No.
12 MS. FANUCCI: No.
13 MS. GATELLI: No?
14 MS. EVANS: I'm not finished. Thank
15 you. I further move that Scranton City
16 Council allow the Taxpayers' Association to
17 continue to conduct it's meetings in council
18 chambers.
19 MR. COUTRIGTH: I'll second it.
20 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: On the question,
22 I'll second it, but I have to go back to
23 what Mr. McGoff said on the other issue, do
24 we have the authority. I think that's what
25 we got to find out. What authority do we
.
37
1 have or do we not have over this room.
2 MS. EVANS: I think we do we have
3 the authority though to express our opinion
4 to the mayor that this is where we stand on
5 this, this is our will and is he going to
6 abide by his statements and respect that.
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: I absolutely agree
8 that we have the right to express our
9 opinion. I hope very expeditiously we find
10 out where we stand as far as this room goes
11 so we can put this aside and find out do we
12 or do we not have say what goes on in this
13 room and I say "we", I mean, city council,
14 or does the mayor, and take it from there.
15 MS. FANUCCI: I did inquire today and
16 the response I received was that it is the
17 mayor's call and that the mayor said that
18 they will not be in this room. That
19 was what I received today.
20 MR. COURTRIGHT: And if that's the
21 case, again, I asked our solicitor to do
22 that before, to get that for me in writing
23 and if that's the rule then I abide by the
24 rules, and I'd like to see it in writing.
25 MS. FANUCCI: Bill, I did ask one
.
38
1 step further and I said, "Why? What is the
2 reasoning," and he said everyone else who
3 meets in this room are appointed or elected.
4 They are not appointed nor elected. Either
5 we have agreed to appoint someone or they
6 are elected to office and that's who can use
7 the meetings in this room. That was the
8 answer I received today.
9 MS. EVANS: That's a good answer, but
10 the problem is not all of the these
11 authorities and boards and commissions
12 indeed hold their meetings in this room and
13 that needs correction because it was my
14 understanding that that was to be the case
15 and yet many do not. I know zoning does, I
16 know planning does, pension, but recreation
17 authority does not, for example. The
18 redevelopment authority I don't believe.
19 MS. FANUCCI: Well, I didn't ask him
20 who was supposed to be here, so I don't know
21 who is supposed to be here --
22 MS. EVANS: Well, I can understand
23 why --
24 MS. FANUCCI: But he said that they
25 were not an elected body or appointed so
.
39
1 that was the only answer I received. That's
2 all I know.
3 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else? All in
4 favor.
5 MS. EVANS: Aye.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
7 MR. MCGOFF: No.
8 MS. FANUCCI: No.
9 MS. GATELLI: No.
10 MS. EVANS: Council is currently in
11 the process of developing new revenue
12 sources some of which were originally
13 contained in My 2007 budget. One item is an
14 amusement tax and I believe it is crucial
15 that council jointly and meticulously
16 examine the language of such an ordinance in
17 order to be specific about what is being
18 taxed and who will oversee it's collections
19 and delinquencies, therefore, Scranton City
20 Council will conduct a public caucus on
21 Thursday, April 19 at 5:45 to develop an
22 appropriate legislation for an amusement
23 tax.
24 I'm also currently researching the
25 feasibility of a hotel tax in Scranton. The
.
40
1 purpose of generating several new sources of
2 revenue is to prevent future property tax
3 increases and to try to stop the financial
4 bleeding caused by fiscal mismanagement and
5 the Doherty debt.
6 On April 10 I received responses to
7 two financial questions moved by council and
8 I will report the responses received. In
9 response to question one, there is
10 $19,8550,287.59 in the reserve account trust
11 as of March 30, 2007.
12 In response to Question five, the
13 realty transfer tax for the sale of Montage
14 sky resort to Sno Mountain was received in
15 November 2006. The city's share was
16 $112,200.
17 We have received the responses to
18 two more questions today and I await the
19 remainder by our next meeting. At this time
20 I move that the administration respond to
21 the following questions on or about May 2,
22 2007: Is the reserve fund overfunded or
23 underfunded, what is the dollar amount of
24 the overfunding or underfunding.
25 MS. FANUCCI: I'll second that.
.
41
1 MS. GATELLI: All in favor?
2 MS. EVANS: Aye.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
4 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
5 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
6 MS. GATELLI: Aye. Opposed? The
7 ayes have it and so moved.
8 MS. EVANS: I further move that the
9 administration provide revenues and
10 reimbursement on company letterheads for all
11 sources of other revenue listed in the 2006
12 and 2007 operating budgets on or about May
13 2, 2007.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
15 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
16 in favor? Aye.
17 MS. EVANS: Aye.
18 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
20 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
21 MS. GATELLI: The ayes have it and so
22 moved.
23 MS. EVANS: I further move that the
24 administration provide the following
25 information on or before May 2, 2007: The
.
42
1 names, costs and duties and responsibilities
2 of all consultants currently employed by the
3 City of Scranton, provide expenses and
4 revenues on company letter heads for each
5 consultant hired and currently employed by
6 the City of Scranton.
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
8 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
9 MR. MCGOFF: Are you asking -- I
10 just -- maybe I misunderstood, are you
11 asking the consultants to provide that or
12 the City to provide that?
13 MS. EVANS: The city can provide it,
14 but I would like the figures on company
15 letterhead each firm that the consultant is
16 employed by and representing.
17 MS. GATELLI: I just have one
18 question, can we get any of that from
19 Roseanne's office, any of that information?
20 MS. EVANS: I don't believe all of it
21 is possible.
22 MS. FANUCCI: She has to pay them.
23 MS. GATELLI: Yeah, she has to pay
24 them all.
25 MS. EVANS: Well, actually, no she
.
43
1 wouldn't be paying OECD.
2 MS. GATELLI: Yeah, she approves
3 those vouchers, too.
4 MS. EVANS: We were told she
5 doesn't.
6 MS. GATELLI: She did when I was
7 here. She approved all of them. Amil, do
8 you know?
9 MR. MINORA: Beg your pardon?
10 MS. GATELLI: Do you know that, if
11 Roseanne approves OECD's bills?
12 MR. MINORA: I believe she approves
13 all bills and signs all of the checks.
14 MS. EVANS: Well, I would -- I'm not
15 withdrawing the motion.
16 MS. GATELLI: All in favor?
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: Ayes.
18 MS. EVANS: Aye.
19 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
20 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
21 MS. GATELLI: Aye. Opposed? The
22 ayes have it and so moved.
23 MS. EVANS: Finally, I move that the
24 administration show the numbers for all
25 insurance premiums on or before May 2, 2007.
.
44
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
2 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
3 MS. EVANS: Yes. The responses to
4 these questions will certainly shed light on
5 the numbers inserted into the
6 administration's record $77 million
7 operating budget.
8 The location of the much anticipated
9 medical school has been raised once again.
10 This school would provide a significant
11 economic boom for our city particularly in
12 light of Scranton's bleak financial state.
13 The mayor is fighting the good fight in this
14 front and even critics of the mayor need to
15 support his efforts. The hardworking people
16 of Scranton don't need to be teased.
17 MS. GATELLI: Mrs. Evans, I don't
18 mean to interrupt you, but we didn't vote on
19 the motion.
20 MS. EVANS: Oh, I'm sorry.
21 MS. GATELLI: I thought this was
22 going to be like part of your --
23 MS. EVANS: I'm so sorry.
24 MS. GATELLI: I think we moved it and
25 we seconded it and we were on the question
.
45
1 and anyone else on the question? All in
2 favor?
3 MS. EVANS: Aye.
4 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
7 MS. GATELLI: Aye. Opposed? The
8 ayes have it and so moved. I'm sorry for
9 interrupting you.
10 MS. EVANS: No, thank you. I'll just
11 pick up where I left off. The hardworking
12 people of Scranton don't need to be teased,
13 they need to be helped by our state
14 officials, therefore, I encourage everyone
15 to call Senator Mellow's office at 346-5721
16 and let him know that you want this medical
17 school in Scranton and that by virtue of our
18 three hospitals, one preeminent in the
19 treatment of heart disease, another who
20 offers a trauma center, three colleges and a
21 central location between New York and
22 Philadelphia, Scranton is the best, the most
23 logical location for this great institution.
24 I wish to applaud Mr. Howard Ufberg for
25 his letter to council and to the editor of
.
46
1 the Times Tribune. I agree with his
2 statements and support his solutions for
3 downtown development particularly as we face
4 the development of the Shoppes at Montage
5 and the expansion at the Viewmont Mall and
6 the Crossings.
7 I also wish to thank Ms. Krechfer
8 for notifying me about a problem in Morth
9 Scranton and I'm very pleased that the house
10 has been demolished for the benefit of all
11 of it's neighbors.
12 I have also received several calls
13 from struggling senior citizens who have
14 been unfairly hit by the EMS tax. In
15 addition, I am aware that Mr. Munchak has
16 received similar calls for help.
17 Mr. Munchak has forwarded letters to all of
18 our state representatives and Senator Mellow
19 requesting that the language of this state
20 law be amended to state: "W-2 income only."
21 In response to the seniors who have
22 contacted me I vigorously support a change
23 in the law and this council in the past had
24 already sent letters to the state requesting
25 such changes. The governor and the state
.
47
1 legislature has pledged to make changes in
2 2007 that will take effect in January 2008.
3 I know that doesn't nothing for you at this
4 time, but I believe if we continue to hold
5 the state's feet to the fire we will see a
6 change for next year.
7 Although I have not received a
8 response from Comcast, I have learned that
9 Comcast pays Scranton a franchise fee of
10 approximately $600,000. I'm asking council
11 to consider dedicating $25,000 annually to
12 Channel 61 Scranton Today. Council has the
13 power to amend the operating budget to
14 include a line item expenditure for this
15 purpose in order to guarantee uncensored
16 public broadcasting of all the local
17 government meetings and election services
18 provided by the League of Women Voters, I
19 ask my honorable colleagues to consider
20 supporting this idea. I also hope that my
21 colleagues will respect and reward Scranton
22 Today for their dedicated and generous
23 service to our community by supporting their
24 continued management of Channel 61. That's
25 it.
.
48
1 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
2 Mrs. Fanucci?
3 MS. FANUCCI: I talked to Lori Reed
4 in OECD about Alexander's Salon and Day Spa.
5 They currently staff 50 employees and they
6 offer a full spa and salon service to both
7 men and women. Their loan is to purchase
8 new machinery and equipment. It's a
9 commercial industrial loan for $250,000 for
10 20 years. The required number of employees
11 is not set by the city, it is eight
12 full-time equivalent positions created and
13 that's set through HUD. These will include
14 customer service reps, stylists, nail techs,
15 fitness trainers, aestheticians and massage
16 therapists. But they claim, and here's
17 what's happening, they are actually
18 expanding to two floors, the first and
19 second floor and the third floor. They
20 believe a more realistic number of positions
21 that will be created will be 15 and that
22 would be in the first year. These positions
23 will result in additional professionals,
24 staff meetings -- I'm sorry, needed for a
25 medical spa. What they are going to do the
.
49
1 first floor will be the salon, second floor
2 will be a new fitness center, third floor is
3 going to be a medical spa. They are going
4 to have doctors, nurses, and also they are
5 putting in an outdoor seating cafe on the
6 first floor.
7 All of their collateral will be the
8 new equipment. The new equipment costs an
9 absolute fortune, I guess the list when they
10 read it to me was a lot of money and that
11 would be the collateral for the city, so
12 they are going to be employing a lot more
13 people. They, again, are going to put in a
14 wellness center and a medical spa and also
15 have physicians on staff. There is a
16 physician moving back to the area to run the
17 third floor.
18 They wanted everyone to know that
19 there is going to be steam rooms, pools,
20 relaxation rooms and things of that nature
21 to make them a full service spa and they
22 also want everyone to know that during this
23 time they are going to maintain still
24 working and still having their regular salon
25 running during the renovation period, and
.
50
1 that is all I have on that.
2 I'm going to speak for about four
3 seconds on the reason that I voted no for
4 the fact that I -- about people being waived
5 and the wands being given outside to help
6 with the safety. I don't believe that
7 safety is a bad issue under any
8 circumstances, it doesn't matter. I mean,
9 to me why would that hurt anyone. You are
10 as safe as everyone else is safe in here.
11 It shouldn't matter what the problem is as
12 long as we know that once people come in
13 here they are in a safe environment. The
14 first day when we made the decision, when
15 the decision was made to have security, we
16 were supposed to have I believe 15 seniors
17 from the high school here. At that time
18 there was a lot of strange accusations going
19 on and we have had a number of kids going to
20 be in this room. Whether or not you like it
21 or don't like it, there is no way to argue
22 with more safety. You can't. You can be
23 upset about it, maybe it's a little bit
24 inconvenient, but in the long run it can
25 only help.
.
51
1 I'm sorry that people feel offended,
2 but I don't understand how safety should
3 make anyone offended. I do agree with the
4 waiting outside that that's a problem. I
5 don't like the fact that people have to
6 stand out there to wait to get in the
7 meeting, so I definitely agree that that is
8 something we need to look into. I do
9 believe until we have the right equipment
10 here for everyone I believe this whole
11 entire building should be safe and I do
12 agree with that, also. I do believe that
13 the other meetings maybe they should be
14 worried about safety also, I don't know, but
15 at this rate and this time of our lives I
16 don't believe this is something that we can
17 fool around with. And the good thing is
18 that you don't have to feel threatened when
19 you walk in here. You don't have to feel
20 like it bothers you or upset or offended and
21 neither do we. We are just here to conduct
22 a meeting and if a little bit more safety
23 has to be given then so be it. It's not
24 going to stop us from conducting business
25 and it's certainly not going to stop us from
.
52
1 listening to the citizens and it's not going
2 to stop us from doing our jobs so,
3 therefore, I don't see how it can inhibit
4 anyone from wanting to come here. In fact,
5 I believe that it might make people want to
6 come here more so now you don't have to
7 worry.
8 I also want to speak on the medical
9 school. Obviously, I mean, nobody disagrees
10 with Mrs. Evans on the medical school. It
11 is something that we had actually sent a
12 letter months ago claiming that this is
13 something we need to do. This is something
14 as a city we need to pull together and make
15 sure that we are where this medical school
16 lands. A thousand medical jobs, hundreds of
17 new opportunities, this is what we need.
18 This is how we can actually get ourselves
19 back where we need to be, so it is something
20 that everyone needs to work together on and
21 I just want to say I lend my support on
22 everything that Mrs. Evans had said tonight
23 and do go out and make sure your voice is
24 heard on this matter because this is
25 probably the most important thing that we
.
53
1 have going on at this moment, and that is
2 all.
3 MS. GATELLI: Thank you. Mr. McGoff?
4 MR. MCGOFF: I'd just like to comment
5 on what Mrs. Fanucci just said about the
6 security measures. While I do advocate
7 security measures I really do think that
8 they have been implemented poorly. There
9 has been no direction, no unified direction
10 for how they are going to be implemented,
11 how it's going to be done, what procedures
12 are going to be used. If, in fact, the
13 mayor does have authority over this building
14 then I think it's incumbent upon the mayor
15 or someone in public safety or whoever is in
16 charge of implementing the security measures
17 to delineate what that process is going to
18 be, make it public so that people do know
19 what they need to do in order to gain access
20 to the building.
21 The waiting outside is really an
22 unnecessary inconvenience. If there were
23 some plan in place that people knew about
24 then that would not occur because people
25 would not need to, you know, come before a
.
54
1 time that the doors would be open, so I
2 think that what we really need to do is
3 request from the mayor what his procedures
4 are going to be for the entrance to the
5 building and make those public prior to the
6 next meeting.
7 Also, the question of use of council
8 chambers, I'm not opposed to any group using
9 council chambers, but if it's not within our
10 authority to grant the privilege to use it
11 then I think it's, again, the groups that
12 request to use it need to go to the mayor
13 and petition the mayor and the
14 administration for it's use and find out why
15 perhaps they are not being allowed to use
16 it, perhaps find out what measures could be
17 taken to allow groups to use council
18 chambers if there are things that they need
19 to do in order to use the building.
20 If it is within our purview then I
21 would be more than happy to entertain a
22 request of any group to use it if proper
23 measures are followed to, you know, for the
24 utilization of the building, and that's all.
25 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
.
55
1 Mr. Courtright?
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes. I'd just like
3 to say that the residents over in West
4 Scranton are very pleased that Joe Foley is
5 back on our beat over there and pretty soon
6 Melissa is going to be back, they were
7 missed and their presence, when we are
8 talking about safety, really makes the
9 residents over there feel safe so we are
10 happy to see Joe back and we are waiting to
11 see Melissa.
12 I need to thank Officer Tom Lee
13 again. We got the major depression we had
14 in the road repaired on Forest Glen and in
15 the way there is a huge, huge pothole if
16 that's what you want to call it on that
17 road, he said they are supposedly going to
18 fix sooner.
19 Just one last item, when I came into
20 the building this evening I was alerted that
21 the gentlemen that were supposed to come to
22 the caucuses weren't being allowed into the
23 building, so when I walked inside the police
24 officers let me in and when I walked inside
25 I had asked the sergeant there if you could
.
56
1 let the two people in because we needed them
2 to come in for the caucus, he did not not
3 want to let the junior council in, that's
4 total incorrect. He thought Mr. Miller was
5 one of the guys that were coming into our
6 caucus, I said, "No, he is not one of those
7 gentlemen."
8 The reason I was told they weren't
9 allowing them in is because we needed to
10 have someone from the fire department here,
11 they were doing the headcount, so that's
12 what happened there and Mr. Miller had a
13 suit on and I said the two guys with the
14 suits, the officer thought Mr. Miller was
15 one of the guys that were coming into our
16 caucus, so a misunderstanding due to and do
17 tore as Mr. McGoff said, and that's all I
18 have. Thank you.
19 MS. GATELLI: Thank you. Mrs.
20 Garvey?
21 MS. GARVEY: 5-B. FOR INTRODUCTION -
22 AN ORDINANCE - ACCEPTING OWNERSHIP AND
23 MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A TRAFFIC
24 SIGNAL DEVICE AT STATE ROUTE 3011 (KEYSER
25 AVENUE) AS REQUIRED BY THE COMMONWEALTH,
.
57
1 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE HIGHWAY
2 OCCUPANCY PERMIT OF THE KEYSER TERRACE
3 SUBDIVISION.
4 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
5 entertain a motion that 5-B be introduced.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
8 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
9 those in favor? Aye.
10 MS. EVANS: Aye.
11 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
12 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
13 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
14 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
15 it and so moved.
16 MS. GARVEY: 5-C - FOR INTRODUCTION
17 - AN ORDINANCE - RESTRICTING PARKING ON THE
18 WESTERN SIDE OF THE 1100 BLOCK OF LUZERNE
19 STREET AND THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE 400
20 BLOCK OF SOUTH MAIN AVENUE TO COMPLY WITH
21 THE HIGHWAY OCCUPANCY PERMIT RESTRICTIONS OF
22 THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT
23 OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A
24 BANK BRANCH AT THAT INTERSECTION.
25 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
.
58
1 entertain a motion that 5-C be introduced.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
4 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
5 those in favor? Aye.
6 MS. EVANS: Aye.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
10 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
11 it and so moved.
12 MR. MINORA: Before Mrs. Garvey reads
13 5-D and E I'd like to suggest that you
14 consider tabling that. I received a phone
15 call from Attorney Mike Savitsky, counsel
16 for the pension board, and he called me
17 after our agenda was prepared to tell me
18 that both police and firemen, both
19 firehouses, I'm sorry, there needs to be a
20 consideration by the firefighters themselves
21 for appointments, that didn't happen yet and
22 so we ought to table this until that's done
23 and then he'll inform us when we have it
24 headed back. He had no problem with the
25 individuals themselves, but the procedure
.
59
1 hadn't be followed properly.
2 MS. EVANS: I move to table Items 5-D
3 and 5-E.
4 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
5 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
6 those in favor? Aye.
7 MS. EVANS: Aye.
8 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
9 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
11 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
12 it and so moved.
13 MS. GARVEY: 5-F - FOR INTRODUCTION -
14 A RESOLUTION - APPOINTMENT OF DOUGLAS HEIN,
15 1204 MOLTKE AVENUE, SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA,
16 18505, TO THE POSITION OF CITY TREASURER FOR
17 THE CITY OF SCRANTON. MR. HEIN WILL BE
18 REPLACING KATHY RUANE WHO RESIGNED.
19 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
20 entertain a motion that 5-F be introduced.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
22 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
23 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
24 those in favor? Aye.
25 MS. EVANS: Aye.
.
60
1 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
2 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
4 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
5 it and so moved.
6 MS. GARVEY: 5-G. FOR INTRODUCTION -
7 A RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF
8 PUBLIC SAFETY TO ACT AS AGENT FOR THE CITY
9 OF SCRANTON FOR EMERGENCY AND DISASTER
10 RELIEF PURSUANT TO THE ROBERT T. STAFFORD
11 DISASTER RELIEF AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
12 ACT.
13 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
14 entertain a motion that 5-G be introduced.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
16 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
17 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
18 MS. EVANS: Would passage of this
19 automatically tie this title to the position
20 of public safety director? In other words,
21 if at some future point the city wished to
22 eliminate that particular position would
23 this cause a problem?
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: I would think if
25 they eliminated the position we would have
.
61
1 to reappoint someone else.
2 MS. EVANS: Well, obviously, yes,
3 but what I'm saying is would that be in any
4 way grounds for retaining a public safety
5 director?
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't know, we'd
7 have to ask Mr. Minora that one.
8 MS. EVANS: Can we perhaps get an
9 answer to that? We are not tabling it, just
10 to get an answer.
11 MR. MINORA: I'm not -- this is on
12 5-F?
13 MS. EVANS: "G."
14 MR. MINORA: I'm sorry, I was
15 writing something else when you were asking
16 that question.
17 MS. EVANS: I'll tell you after the
18 meeting.
19 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else on the
20 question? All in favor? Aye.
21 MS. EVANS: Aye.
22 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
25 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
.
62
1 it and so moved.
2 MS. GARVEY: 5-H. FOR INTRODUCTION -
3 A RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND
4 OTHER APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO
5 DESIGNATE GREENMAN-PEDERSEN, INC. TO
6 CONTINUE AS CITY BRIDGE ENGINEER FOR THE
7 BRIDGE INSPECTION CYCLE OF 207 THROUGH 2009.
8 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'LL
9 entertain a motion that 5-H be introduced.
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
11 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
12 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
13 those in favor? Aye.
14 MS. EVANS: Aye.
15 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
18 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
19 it and so moved.
20 MS. GARVEY: 5-I. FOR INTRODUCTION -
21 A RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND
22 OTHER APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS FOR THE
23 CITY OF SCRANTON TO ENTER INTO A LOAN
24 AGREEMENT AND MAKE A LOAN FROM THE
25 COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM
.
63
1 PROJECT NO. 150.9 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED
2 $250,000 TO ALEXANDER'S SALON & SPA, INC. TO
3 ASSIST IN ELIGIBLE PROJECT.
4 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
5 entertain a motion that 5-I be introduced.
6 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
7 MR. MCGOFF: Second.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: On the question,
9 I'm going to be voting, no, on this and one
10 of the reasons that I am is because it
11 appears, and I asked, earlier on I asked
12 Mr. Minora if he would look into it further,
13 it appears that the loan is forgiven after
14 three years if they meet the requirements
15 and --
16 MR. MINORA: I'd like to read that
17 more carefully, but it does seem to say that
18 on it's face.
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: Right, and I don't
20 agree with that, so I'll be voting, no, on
21 this for that reason.
22 MR. MINORA: And I think I'd like to
23 find out if that was a misprint. On it's
24 face, it does say that.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: That's what I was
.
64
1 asking when Mr. Hubbard was --
2 MS. EVANS: Might we table this until
3 we get your opinion?
4 MR. MINORA: That wouldn't be a bad
5 idea.
6 MS. GARVEY: There's already a
7 motion.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: I make a motion that
9 we --
10 MS. GATELLI: Withdraw that motion
11 and second it.
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: Withdrawn.
13 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: I make a motion that
15 we table 5-I.
16 MS. EVANS: Second.
17 MS. GARVEY: On the question? All
18 in favor. Aye.
19 MS. EVANS: Aye.
20 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
21 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
23 MS. GATELLI: Opposed? The ayes have
24 it and so moved.
25 MS. GARVEY: 5-J. FOR INTRODUCTION -
.
65
1 A RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND
2 OTHER APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO EXECUTE
3 AND ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL
4 SERVICES WITH EXCALIBUR INSURANCE MANAGEMENT
5 SERVICES, INC. FOR THE THIRD PARTY
6 ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY'S WORKERS'
7 COMPENSATION CLAIMS.
8 MS. GATELLI: At this time I'll
9 entertain a motion that 5-J be introduced.
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
11 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
12 MS. GATELLI: On the question? All
13 those in favor? Aye.
14 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
15 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
16 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
17 MS. GATELLI: Opposed?
18 MS. EVANS: No.
19 MS. GATELLI: The ayes have it and so
20 moved with one negative.
21 MS. GARVEY: SIXTH ORDER. 6-A.
22 READING BY TITLE - FILE OF COUNCIL NO. 82,
23 2007 - AN ORDINANCE - APPROVING PENALTY,
24 INTEREST AND FEE SCHEDULE FOR COLLECTION OF
25 DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE TAXES.
.
66
1 MS. GATELLI: For reading of Item 6-A
2 what is your pleasure?
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: I move that Item 6-A
4 pass reading by title.
5 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Second.
7 MS. GATELLI: On the question?
8 MS. EVANS: I am very concerned about
9 the cost and the fees and the penalties that
10 will be attached to the dollar amount owed
11 by the delinquent taxpayer to particularly
12 NCC. I certainly do want the city to
13 collect it's delinquencies, but I don't
14 believe that we need to so harshly punish
15 those individuals who were financially
16 unable to meet their commitments and in so
17 doing prevent them from meeting their
18 commitments. If, indeed, you were unable to
19 make a $600 payme