ebook img

Chapter 6: Community Amenities & Recreation PDF

36 Pages·2008·5.6 MB·English
by  
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Chapter 6: Community Amenities & Recreation

Chapter 6 – Community Amenities Background Studies CCHHAAPPTTEERR 66 CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY AAMMEENNIITTIIEESS BBAACCKKGGRROOUUNNDD SSTTUUDDIIEESS Community amenities cover a wide variety of subjects, from municipal services, such as public safety, to parks and recreation to public utilities, such as water and sewer. Therefore, this section is divided into three main topics: 1. Community Facilities and Services – includes facilities such as libraries, schools, hospitals, public buildings and facilities; public safety services such as police, fire, ambulance, etc.; code enforcement, and intergovernmental cooperation. Strategies focus on improving existing services to meet the current and future needs of residents. 2. Parks and Recreation – consists of an inventory and analysis of existing parks and recreation in Monongahela and New Eagle. Recommendations are offered to ensure that the recreational needs of residents of all ages are being met. 3. Water & Sewer Infrastructure – examines the water supply and distribution, public water service and sewerage and waste treatment. The objectives of this section are to provide for a reliable supply of water, considering current and future water resources availability, uses and limitations, including provisions adequate to protect water supply sources. COMMUNITYFACILITIES AND SERVICES Governmental Structure There are four general types of municipalities in Pennsylvania: counties, cities, boroughs and townships. Municipalities and school districts are classified according to population and based upon its 2000 population; Washington County is considered a county of the fourth-class. There are 67 municipalities located within the County, including two third class cities, 32 townships and 33 boroughs. Under Pennsylvania law, local governments are responsible for the administration of their municipality including such actions as tax levying and budgeting for the cost of municipal services. Page 6-1 City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough Joint Comprehensive Plan Each class of municipality operates under its own code of laws, which dictates the governmental structure as well as the powers of the local government. The municipal code is the most important source of legislative powers granted to a municipal governing body, which include the County Code, Third Class City Code, Borough Code, First Class Township Code, Second Class Township Code and Public School Code. There is also extensive general legislation applying to local governments. Some examples of legislative provisions outside the local government codes are real property assessment, local non-property taxation, municipal borrowing, real estate tax collection, intergovernmental cooperation, municipal employees’ retirement, solid waste management, sewage facilities and planning and zoning. Significant general laws affecting local governments both grant powers and impose restrictions. (cid:131) The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code empowers municipalities to plan their development and adopt zoning, subdivision and land development ordinances. (cid:131) The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act regulates community and individual sewage disposal systems. (cid:131) The Solid Waste Management Act provides for solid waste collection and disposal. (cid:131) The Local Government Unit Debt Act establishes debt limits for local government units based on municipal revenues. (cid:131) The Municipal Police Education and Training Act mandates training of all municipal police officers. (cid:131) The Sunshine Law requires public agencies to discuss and act upon agency business only at meetings open to the public. The main areas of local services include police and fire protection, maintenance of local roads and streets, water supply, sewage collection and treatment, parking and traffic control, local planning and zoning, parks and recreation, garbage collection, health services, libraries, licensing of businesses and code enforcement. Table 6-1: Municipal Information (page 4) lists important information for both the City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough. Page 6-2 Chapter 6 – Community Amenities Background Studies City of Monongahela Monongahela is a City of the Third Class. Under this form, the mayor and four other members comprise city council, which is the governing body of the city. The mayor is a member of council and serves as president. Each council member is in charge of one of the five major departments. These officials and the controller and treasurer are elected at large by the voters to four-year (overlapping) terms. Council appoints all other officers and employees. Monongahela City Hall is located at 449 West Main Street and houses the council Monongahela City Hall chambers, administrative offices, the Monongahela Police Department, and the Monongahela Fire Department, as shown onMap 6.1: Community Facilities. City Hall was most recently renovated in 1999 to become handicap accessible. There are no current plans for renovations or major improvements for the shared complex. New Eagle Borough New Eagle operates as a Borough. Boroughs are governed under the weak mayor form with a strong and dominant council and other elected officers with powers independent of the council. Borough Council, along with the tax collector, tax assessor and the auditors are also elected. Many other officials are appointed by borough council. The mayor is elected to a four-year term; the five council members are elected for four-year overlapping terms. The powers of council are broad and extensive, covering virtually the whole range of urban municipal New Eagle Borough Building functions. The New Eagle Borough Municipal Building is located at 157 Main Street and houses the administrative offices and council chambers, as shown on Map 6.1: Community Facilities. The aged building is too small to efficiently house the administrative offices Page 6-3 City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough Joint Comprehensive Plan of the Borough. The Borough would like to construct a new borough complex that would also house the New Eagle Volunteer Fire Department, which is located a few blocks away. Table 6-1: Municipal Information City of Monongahela Borough of New Eagle 449 West Main Street 157 Main Street Monongahela, PA 15063 New Eagle, PA 15067 Contact (724) 258-5500 (724) 258-5254 [email protected] [email protected] Website N/A N/A Hours of Operation M-F 9am-4pm M-F 9am-12pm; 1pm-5pm Council Meetings 2nd Wednesday at 7:00pm in the 1st Tuesday at 7:30pm in the Date & Time Council Chambers Borough Building Planning Commission Yes – meets as needed Yes – meets as needed Zoning Hearing Board Yes – meets as needed N/A Code Enforcement Yes No Officer 2007 Millage Rate 30 30 2006-2007 Ringgold SD 107 107 Millage Rate 2007 Revenue $2,503,019 $544,716 2007 Expenditures $2,502,243 $547,916 Planning Commission The City of Monongahela Planning Commission is comprised of five members whom are appointed by City Council and meet as needed. The planning commission reviews subdivision plans submitted to the City (approximately three to four per year) and provides recommendation for acceptance to City Council. The planning commission does not have bylaws and currently does not meet to review land development plans. New Eagle Borough Council appointed a three-member planning commission in 2006 to oversee the development of the comprehensive plan. Without a subdivision and land development ordinance, the planning commission currently has no other responsibilities. Page 6-4 Chapter 6 – Community Amenities Background Studies Zoning Enforcement As discussed in Chapter 3 – Land Use, the City of Monongahela enacted a zoning ordinance in 1993, which was most recently amended in 1995. The enforcement of the zoning ordinance is provided through a zoning officer and a zoning hearing board. Zoning Officer Currently, the acting zoning officer is the City’s code enforcement officer / parks maintenance director and receives assistance from the assessor and the municipal engineer. Residents who wish to meet with the zoning officer must call for an appointment and any zoning complaints are forwarded to the engineer. Issues with regard to enforcement include the cost of zoning hearings is not covered by the fees paid and no one is currently issuing permits for change in occupancy or change of use. Zoning Hearing Board The Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) meets by request only, typically two or three times per year. The typical challenges presented at zoning hearings are in regards to setback requirements and garages. In discussions with the ZHB, members feel that there is not enough structure, appointed members are not formally trained and there is no format for hearings. New Eagle Borough does not have a zoning ordinance enacted at this time. Code Enforcement The City maintains a full-time code enforcement officer, who also serves as the parks maintenance director and acting zoning officer. The majority of the officer’s time is spent addressing issues related to the property maintenance code. All records of code infractions are kept in paper form. The zoning officer does not receive annual training. The City does have a residency inspection that costs $5.00 and residential units are inspected both each time an owner / tenant moves out and prior to a new owner / tenant moving in. New Eagle Borough does not employ a code enforcement officer. Property maintenance inspections are performed by the Street Department. When a violation is witnessed, the Borough Secretary notifies the property owner by written notification through the mail and maintains paper Page 6-5 City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough Joint Comprehensive Plan records. The Borough charges a $5.00 fee for occupancy / residency permit. Public Works The Monongahela Public Works Department is located at 449 West Main Street and is responsible for the maintenance and general repairs of 28 miles or roadways owned by the City of Monongahela and five miles of state roadways. Public Works equipment consists of the following: (cid:131) 2006 – F-550 Dump Truck (cid:131) 1998 –850 GMC Dump Truck (cid:131) 1995 – CAT Front Loader (cid:131) 1993 – IR Roller (cid:131) 1993 – Bandit Chipper (cid:131) 1993 – F-350 Dump Truck (cid:131) 1991 – F-800 Dump Truck (cid:131) 1991 – Ford Bucket Truck (cid:131) 1986 – Case Tractor (cid:131) 1986 – Power Xing Tractor (cid:131) 1985 – Chevrolet Pick Up Truck (cid:131) 1985 – Chevrolet Flatbed Truck (cid:131) 1979 – F-600 Leaf Truck (cid:131) 1979 – John Deere Backhoe The City does not have a capital improvements plan in place for acquiring new equipment or a road maintenance plan. Future road improvement projects consist of repaving eight City streets with funds received from the Washington County Redevelopment Authority. Areas of concern within the City include Meade Street and Lincoln Street, both of which need to be milled and repaved. The New Eagle Public Works Department is located at 187 Main Street and is responsible for 10.81 miles of roadways. New Eagle employs two full-time positions in the Public Works Department and owns the following equipment: (cid:131) 1994 – Chevrolet 4x4 one-ton Pick Up Truck (fair) (cid:131) 2000 – 10-ton 4x4 Dump Truck (excellent) (cid:131) 1998 – 41LC Cat Extendahoe (cid:131) 1998 – IT24F Front End Loader with Crane & Bucket (excellent) (cid:131) 1994 – Lincoln Welder Portable (excellent) (cid:131) 2000 – Gas and Diesel Generator – 5,500 watts & 8,000 watts (cid:131) 2006 – Portable Pump (excellent) (cid:131) 2006 – Portable Compressor (excellent) (cid:131) 2006 – Stihel 25-inch chain saw (excellent) Page 6-6 Chapter 6 – Community Amenities Background Studies New Eagle does not have a capital improvements plan for acquiring new equipment. While they do not have an official road maintenance plan in place, they re-pave and fix any Stormwater problems on approximately three streets per year. The biggest concern facing the Public Works Department is directing the Stormwater to the Monongahela River. Intergovernmental Cooperation The Intergovernmental Cooperation Act permits two or more municipalities to cooperate jointly in the exercise of any governmental functions and allows municipalities to delegate powers to other local units. In addition, the Washington County Comprehensive Plan (2005) advocates and encourages land use planning across political boundaries. By agreeing to work together for the development of this joint comprehensive plan, the City of Monongahela and the Borough of New Eagle recognized the need to work cooperatively towards common goals. The comprehensive planning process helps to identify areas where the two municipalities can and should partner together for implementation strategies and funding opportunities. During the comprehensive planning process, a unique partnership opportunity arose through a grant offered by the Pennsylvania Local Government Academy (LGA). In March of 2006, Monongahela and New Eagle agreed to partner and hire an intern to further implementation strategies for the comprehensive plan. Monongahela and New Eagle are also partnering together in an Early Intervention Program (EIP) project. The EIP will be conducted in conjunction with the comprehensive plan and is a multi-year financial management plan to address fiscal difficulties, to enhance the financial capacity of the municipalities to implement strategies, programs, and improvements recommended in the joint comprehensive plan. The purpose of the Early Intervention Program is to establish short-term and long-term financial and managerial objectives that strengthen fiscal capacity, and to propose in coordination with the multi-municipal comprehensive plan long-term community and economic development strategies that strengthen the tax base of the City and Borough. Page 6-7 City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough Joint Comprehensive Plan Police The Monongahela City Police Department has a service area of four square miles and provides full-time police services for the City of Monongahela, New Eagle Borough, and Finleyville Borough. Figure 6-1 depicts the communities that are under the jurisdiction of the Monongahela City Police. Until about 10 years ago, New Eagle had its own police department. Forced to close due to monetary concerns, New Eagle began contracting services from the Monongahela City Police Department. The Department is located at 451 West Main Street in the City of Monongahela, as shown on Map 6.1: Community Facilities. The facility is part of City Hall and includes four holding cells, two administrator offices, one offers’ office, a locker room, and a large evidence room. As of 2007, the Department staffs eight full-time officers and four part-time officers. The City has a mandatory training program for all officers in addition to a residency requirement. Figure 6-1: Monongahela Police Department Service Area Page 6-8 Chapter 6 – Community Amenities Background Studies The yearly budget for the Monongahela City Police is roughly $1,000,000, where 80 percent is funded by the City, 17 percent is funded by New Eagle, and the remaining three percent is funded by Finleyville Borough. New Eagle Borough is in the fourth year of a 10-year contract and faces a two-percent increases for each of the next six years. The previous contract covered five years. New Eagle began exploring the possibility to develop a regional police force with neighboring communities to save money, however nothing has come of it to date. New Eagle cannot form a regional force with Monongahela because it is a third class city, however the borough could participate in regional efforts with boroughs and townships. New Eagle must give Monongahela a 12-month notice before it can terminate the police agreement. Additionally, New Eagle is not entitled to state and federal grants or incentive programs while under a service contract with another municipality. Between August of 2006 to February of 2007, the Department responded to 1,667 total calls. The largest number of calls per type are as follows: (cid:131) Traffic related (warning, arrest, DUI, etc.) – 204 (cid:131) Assist other agencies (police, fire / EMS, etc.) – 136 (cid:131) Accidents (non-reportable, reportable, etc.) – 124 (cid:131) Theft (credit card, vehicle, etc.) – 118 (cid:131) Alarm (fire, residential, etc.) – 112 (cid:131) Disturbance (noise, etc.) – 109 (cid:131) Suspicious activity (person, vehicle, etc.) - 102 The Department sponsors community programs, including Visions 2001, School Finger Printing, and the Officer Phil Program. The department supports Community Oriented Policing, which empowers residents to form Neighborhood Watch Groups. Equipment owned by the department consists of the following: (cid:131) Three 2004 Crown Victoria Marked Vehicles (good condition) (cid:131) Ford Taurus Unmarked Vehicle (fair condition) (cid:131) 1998 Crown Victoria Unmarked Vehicle (fair condition) (cid:131) 1996 Ford Explorer Marked Vehicle (fair condition) The biggest threats noted that face the Department is officer safety due to personnel shortage and the need to upgrade equipment. An increase of personnel would allow the Department to hire specialized staff to address criminal investigations, accident reconstruction, and paid training for specific fields. Page 6-9 City of Monongahela and New Eagle Borough Joint Comprehensive Plan Fire Protection Both the City of Monongahela and the Borough of New Eagle have their own volunteer fire departments. Calls are dispatched through Washington County 911 Center and a mutual aid agreement exists between Station 14- New Eagle, Station 24-Elrama, Station 26-Finleyville, Station 46-Valley Inn, Station 62-Monongahela, Station 63 Carroll Twp, and Station 75- Gallatin Sunnyside. The Monongahela Fire Department, Inc. provides fire protection, vehicle rescue, EMS assistance, and public services. Established in 1883, the department is located at 451 West Main Street in the City of Monongahela, as shown onMap 6.1: Community Facilities, and has a service area of approximately two square miles. A third class city has the option to have a paid department but Monongahela chose to maintain a volunteer company. Funding for the Monongahela Fire Department – City Hall department comes from auxiliary cash and gun bashes and monthly ticket fundraisers. There are 34 volunteers, of which 25 are active, and responded to 146 calls in 2006. Equipment owned by the department includes the following: (cid:131) 1998 – International Summit 18’ Walkin Rescue (cid:131) 1997 – 18’ Jet Boat (cid:131) 1988 – Int FMC Pumper (1250 gpm) (cid:131) 1980 – Int FMC Pumper (750 gpm) (cid:131) 1970 – CF 600 Mack Pumper (1000 gpm) An equipment maintenance plan is in place along with a plan for acquiring new equipment, funding dependent. Current plans include painting the facility, ongoing maintenance, and enlarging the truck room. Concerns facing the department include the junk yards on East Main Street and the lack of hydrants on Ridge and Nelson roads. Page 6-10

Description:
public water service and sewerage and waste treatment. Social Hall, which is owned by the VFD and located at 156 Chess Street. Equipment F150 Truck (1992) – fair condition . Memorial Hospital of Monongahela in 1972.
See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.