A facade improvement grant and lease agreements were among the business items Bradford City Council addressed at a quiet mid-summer meeting Tuesday evening.
Council approved an award of a $5,000 facade improvement grant to Main Street Office Solutions, located at 125 Main St. — the Hooker Fulton Building. The grant will be used to replace windows in the third and eighth floors. Main Street Office Solutions leases space at the historic building.
Also at the meeting, council authorized a memorandum of understanding between the police department and Bradford Area School District for the continued physical security services by the police at Bradford’s schools.
Council gave approval for lease agreements for space at the Robert P. Habgood Jr. Business Development Center for two entities: LabelPack Automation Inc. and the Northern Tier Community Action Corp. Head Start Program.
City officials appointed the director of accounts and finance council member as certifying officer to the Auditor General’s Office to certify documents related to the city’s pension trust funds. Councilman Brad Mangel was appointed council’s director of accounts & finance at the January meeting.
Council authorized a tax-exempt purchase agreement with Laurel Capital Corp. for a Dodge Charger police vehicle for $40,671.090. The city will make semi-annual payments of $4,476.
One resident spoke during the “hear visitors” portion of the meeting.
James McDonald started by telling council he appreciated how quickly Chip Comilla, the city’s director of public works, fixed a hole on Sanford Street. McDonald approached council in June about the road issue.
McDonald then asked about how ordinances are put into place. He said he previously emailed city administrator Teri Cannon, who explained that council members are sent tentative agendas on Fridays so they have a few days to raise questions or concerns before Tuesday council meetings. He then asked council how concerns are addressed between Friday and Tuesday.
Mayor Tom Riel explained council members can stop at city hall or email or call to get answers to any questions they have. He noted that ordinances have to be advertised then passed twice before they become law.
McDonald referred to the Office of Open Records website, which states that when government bodies deliberate, it must be in a public meeting. He brought up that he rarely sees dissenting votes when council votes.
Riel said items are sometimes taken off the agenda if council members have concerns and brought up instances where they did not all agree on a matter.
Solicitor Mark Hollenbeck noted the prohibition on deliberation refers to times when a quorum is present.
