Rejected Referrals, Approved Donations – Chambersburg City Council Summary

CHAMBERSBURG – Monday evening’s City Council meeting, April 23, 2024, began with a period of public comment during which Scott McNew, president of the Greater Chambersburg Area Paid Fire Fighters Association, invited elected officials to attend their Fire Ops 101 program. This program allows officials to see what the fire brigade does on a daily basis. It also gives them the opportunity to participate personally by donning the equipment and performing activities such as putting out a real fire and cutting apart cars. Civil servants must register by May 10 and the program itself will take place on June 1.

The consent agenda was approved unanimously, except for two items that were deleted for separate discussion. The first involved a possible referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a request by Berg Brewing Company to rename the Borough-owned alley known as Roy-Pitz Avenue to MillSo Avenue. Vice President Thomas Newcomer expressed disapproval of the name change, a sentiment shared by President Allen Coffman due to the fact that such a change would force the alley’s residents to change their addresses. Although Councilor Stacy Short agreed that they would likely have to wait until the named residents had left the property, she and several other council members were not opposed to the referral as the name change provided a memorial to deceased family members. This prompted Councilor John Huber to express concerns that such commemorations, despite the good intentions behind them, would lead to similar requests in the future. Three members of the Council supported the referral, while five members opposed it, ultimately resulting in its rejection.

The second topic discussed also involved a reference to planning and zoning, this time regarding a request by Bethel Assembly of God for the Borough-owned alley, known as Swan Court, along their properties on Miller Street, Garber Street and evacuate Glen Street. Members of the church, including lead pastor Aaron Lawrence, were on hand to discuss the reasoning behind this. They claimed that their community had recently experienced substantial growth in numbers and influence, and that they were interested in undertaking long-term master planning to best utilize the facilities they have. They also emphasized that they had no intention of closing the north side of Swan Court, with the caveat that if they ultimately closed the alley, they would plan to build a private thoroughfare to provide access to Glen and Garber.

Several residents who live near the alley expressed concerns about the church’s request. Lewis Cross of 214 Glen Street pointed out that this could impact waste collection and key maintenance currently being carried out by the Borough such as snow removal. Moreover, he was disturbed by the idea that the church would completely close the alley. Short pushed back against these concerns by reminding Cross that the church had no intention of closing the alley and that every other property on Garber Street already had trash collection available. The Council also determined that even if the Borough relinquished control of the alley, the residents’ private right to access it would continue until the church either obtained the consent of all adjacent properties or a court order issued an order revoking that private right. Councilman Bill Everly suggested that the Council continue the discussion until the church presented a concrete expansion plan. This suggestion was ultimately approved, with six in favor and two against. The matter was not referred to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Council approved a donation from the Sons of the American Legion to the Chambersburg Police Department in the amount of $17,425. This money will go toward the purchase and training of a new K-9 unit. Following this, the Council authorized the establishment of an accounting method for the distribution of costs associated with and expenses attributable to the city budget related to the Campus Public Works Project, assuming it has construction permission. The proposed campus was measured and the project costs were divided among multiple departments and utilities. According to Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill, this means no fee or tax will have a major impact. As of now, the estimated impact on taxes will be $1.5 million, or approximately $26.24 per single-family home per year. There will also be small increases in water, sewer and gas rates, as well as a larger increase in waste rates. The meeting concluded with the Council sanctioning the appropriate officials to carry out the purchase of up to five Block Energy products, with prices not to exceed $55.85/MWh, $71.05/MWh, $61 respectively .20/MWh, $60.50/MWh and $45.00/MWh each. the upcoming request for proposal for live pricing.