Regular meeting April 13, 2020
By Marty OToole
The meeting was called to order and minutes of the March meeting were approved.
Representatives from the Harshman Group, a civil engineering firm, were asked to present their thoughts on the Angora road subsidence issue. A site visit suggested that the road was not originally two lanes but was widened by simply dropping fill over the hillside. To maintain this width, a full retaining wall would be required where as an alternate and less costly option is to narrow the road back to one lane and reinforce the hillside to that width. Additional testing will be completed with Harshman on site and a more complete plan established to stabilize the hillside.
The boro may qualify for a state grant for the Edgecliff walking path repairs as that protects a community asset and not just a road. Resolutions were approved regarding the destruction of bank records and invoices that are more than 7 years old.
A citizen spoke about council approval to build a horseshoe pit in the park adjacent to the bocce courts. Once plans have been submitted to the boro and approved, solicitation of funds and materials can proceed.
There have been numerous new ordinances and updates this past year. eCode 360 is the company which complies these updates and provides the online version for the boro. A bid was received to update the online version but was tabled since links to these changes are available from the same web page. Go to: https://www.rosslynfarmspa.gov then locate the link for “Government” then go to “Boro Ordinances…”. This will redirect you to eCode 360 from which along the left side is a link to “New Laws”.
Mayor Stover reported that the boro has the authority to directly bill a driver’s insurance company for any damage to boro property resulting from a motor vehicle accident.
Community Center rentals have been cancelled until the state permits reopening and provides guidance regarding cleaning for public halls. A fire suppression system for the community center and the boro building will be forth coming.
Life guards for the swimming pool will be pre-qualified for employment but the actual date of hiring is on hold until community pools are permitted to be open. Tennis court maintenance required but several years over due will be scheduled.
Residents are reminded that no yard waste is to be dumped over the hillside along the boro roadways. Brad and Charlie will continue to work individually so it may take a few extra days to get yard waste collected. Thanks to those residents who bag their dog waste and carry it to a trash can.
A decrease is anticipated in the 2020 earned income tax amount collected by the boro. This value is used for 2020 budgeting purposes. The budget committee will perform an ongoing review of Income and Expenses and make adjustments as necessary.
Special meeting April 27, 2020
By Marty OToole
Angora Road testing confirmed the expected level of virgin soil. The concrete gravity wall repair option was approved. Because this is considered an emergency repair, the usual threshold required for competitive bids is increased and no advertising was required. Work will begin as soon as possible.
Citizen’s Forum : one resident spoke regarding communication between council activities and the resident population as a whole. It was noted that the official boro website is the source of all information and the Last Word and Facebook page could reinforce this. www.rosslynfarms.gov
Solicitor’s Report: a provision was written defining the term “solid waste” to now include yard debris and grass clippings. The provision specifically prohibits dumping of yard waste onto any boro property including the hillsides. the remainder of the provision will be studied by council prior to acceptance.
Finance Committee: did a recent analysis of the 2020 budget and concluded that the impact of a projected reduced earned income tax would not adversely affect any scheduled projects but they will continue to monitor this.
Edgecliff repairs continue to move forward regarding the boro’s right to make repairs on the affected properties. This step is necessary before any grants or repair work can be completed. The street crew will again be working on the same days but will keep a safe distance both inside and out including using different vehicles.