Expected coronavirus impact prompts Latrobe to table storm water fee, staffing move

Expected economic hardship related to coronavirus-driven business closures has prompted Latrobe Council to delay action on proposed storm water management staffing moves and a related annual fee for property owners.

Council had planned at a special meeting Monday to create a city department and managerial post to oversee state-mandated efforts to minimize the impact of storm water runoff.

But council tabled action on a related ordinance until its regular April 13 meeting, after several members balked at including a fee meant to help cover costs of the program. Property owners would have to pay an annual fee of $90 per equivalent residential unit.

“Given the circumstances in our environment, the last thing I will do is vote to add a fee to our residents for this year,” said councilman Ralph Jenko. “There is no reason for moving forward at this time until we can understand more clearly what our environment is and is going to be over the next few months.

“We certainly don’t want to go forward and create any new type of structure or environment that’s going to add cost to the community, because our community is not going to be able to pay the taxes and fees that we currently impose on them over the next few months.”

Jenko referred to Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their doors to limit gatherings of people and to curb the spread of coronavirus infections.

“We are in a new world, and (storm water regulation) is so far down on the priority list of our residents compared to finding money, when they’re unemployed, to pay for rent and food for their families,” Jenko said. “There’s no reason to rush into this and do anything at this time.”

Mayor Rosie Wolford suggested moving forward with establishing the storm water department while holding off on collection of the fee. “I don’t want to lose time in getting things done that need to get done in getting ready for this,” she said of state storm water regulations.

Eventually, council voted 6-1 to table the ordinance, with Robert Forish the lone dissenter.

“I can do with dropping the fee, but we need to keep on track with this,” Forish said of the storm water program. “Things are going to go on. (State environmental officials) are still going to make us do this, no matter what.”

Council also tabled proposals to appoint the city’s zoning and code enforcement officer, Ann Powell, to the additional role of storm water management director and to contract with Muni-Link to provide software needed to manage billing for the proposed fee.

City manager Michael Gray said he would continue to meet with a company that has expressed interest in eventually taking over code and zoning enforcement duties from Powell.

Monday was the first day for enforcement of Wolf’s business-closure directive, with Latrobe police handling that task in the city.

Police Chief John Sleasman told council no violations of the directive were found during daytime patrols on Monday. He said officers will take complaints about businesses that may be ignoring the closure and will create a report that could be used if action is taken against violators.

Gray said city administrators have not had to make use of emergency purchasing or other powers provided for in the city’s coronavirus-prompted emergency declaration, which was extended through April 13. The municipal building will be closed to the public until further notice, to minimize the threat of the virus, with administrative offices still available by phone.

Responding to the virus threat and the need for social distancing, Forish and Deputy Mayor Gerald Baldonieri were the only council members physically present at Monday’s meeting. Others, as well as some citizens, participated via a web link.