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Record of Proceedings

Dormont Borough Council Voting Session – June 2, 2025

Borough Council & Boards — Monday, June 2, 2025
BodyDormont, Pennsylvania
SessionBorough Council & Boards
DateMonday, June 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:13:47

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:02

Hello.

0:03

So the first thing on our agenda tonight is a public hearing for our comprehensive plan.

0:08

So I'm going to call the public hearing to order.

0:10

And then can we please have a roll call for the hearing?

Speaker 2

0:14

Absolutely.

0:15

Mayor Walsh.

0:16

Councilman Rieger?

0:18

Here.

0:18

Councilman Bedford.

0:20

Here.

0:20

Councilwoman Mazak.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Councilman Kip here.

0:25

Councilwoman Favis.

0:26

Here.

0:26

Councilwoman Downs.

0:27

Here.

0:28

And Councilwoman Ventriska, I believe, is on.

Speaker 1

0:32

Here.

Speaker 2

0:32

Yep.

0:33

There we are.

Speaker 1

0:34

Here.

Speaker 2

0:34

All or counted and present.

Speaker 1

0:36

Thank

Unassigned speaker

0:37

you.

Speaker 1

0:37

So welcome to the public hearing.

0:40

This is for our 10-year comprehensive plan.

0:42

We really appreciate all of you for attending, although I know you're not all here for that, but you're here, which is great.

0:47

And we had overwhelming public participation throughout this plan, which was really exciting.

0:52

The process began about a year ago, and this is the last step tonight.

0:56

And today we have uh Jim Pashick from Pashic MTR, which is the consulting firm that we worked with to do the comprehensive plan, who's going to give us a brief overview of how the public hearing will work, and then we'll work into public comment.

1:09

Go ahead.

Speaker 3

1:10

Thank you very much.

1:11

Yes, I'm not Jenny Easton.

1:13

I'm Jim Pashick for those of you that have been working with Jenny.

1:18

Back in April, um, we took the draft plan and sent it to uh the school district.

1:24

We sent it to the adjacent municipalities, and um and uh we asked people to take a look at the plan, and they we were asked for them to respond in 45 days.

1:37

That's the time required by the municipality planning code, and that deadline was May 24th.

1:43

Uh, we received some minor comments, some from the county,

Unassigned speaker

1:47

uh,

Speaker 3

1:48

some from residents through document by design, doormont by design.

1:52

Can't read my own writing.

1:54

And um

Unassigned speaker

1:55

uh

Speaker 3

1:55

after the deadline, we received a few comments from the city of Pittsburgh.

2:00

And most of these comments are either ideas on how to implement things or um very minor change.

2:07

There was some page numbering that we had to correct, as well as one reference to funding source that uh is not appropriate anymore.

Unassigned speaker

2:15

Um

Speaker 3

2:16

the planning commission received the plan and has voted to recommend has voted

Unassigned speaker

2:20

or

Speaker 3

2:20

recommended council to that they would adopt the plan.

2:22

So that's been through the process.

2:25

And um the municipalities planning code requires that a comprehensive plan before being adopted, um, the council holds a public hearing.

2:33

So that's the purpose.

2:34

We've been going through all these other review steps, but now we're to that point of a public hearing, and uh it gives residents and people who attend an opportunity to offer comments on the plan as

Unassigned speaker

2:46

well.

Speaker 3

2:47

And then when they the hearing is closed, then it would be up to council to decide what they'd like to proceed

Unassigned speaker

2:53

with.

Unassigned speaker

2:54

So

Speaker 3

2:54

are there any questions?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████19%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Public Works███████7%
Arts And Culture███████7%
Public Safety██████6%
Youth Programs████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Dormont Borough Council Voting Session – June 2, 2025

The Dormont Borough Council held a voting session on June 2, 2025, beginning with a public hearing on the 10-year comprehensive plan "Dormont by Design." The regular meeting followed, featuring presentations, committee reports, and unanimous approval of numerous resolutions, appointments, and contracts. Key outcomes included adoption of the comprehensive plan, appointment of a new solicitor, and support for regional transit funding.

Public Hearing: Dormont Comprehensive Plan

  • The public hearing was held for the "Dormont by Design" comprehensive plan, a year-long process. Consultant Jim Pashick from Pashick MTR reviewed the plan’s review period (45 days ending May 24, 2025) and noted minor comments from the county, residents, and the City of Pittsburgh. The Planning Commission recommended adoption.
  • Resident Jenny Major (Green Mont) spoke, not against the plan but seeking clarification on the $1.6 million budget for the playground/castle project. She expressed concern about the castle being a landmark in disrepair and encouraged a comprehensive fundraising plan.
  • No other public comments were offered. The hearing was closed unanimously.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously: May 2025 minutes; April 2025 expense, police, animal control, building/code enforcement reports; May 2025 engineer and sewer engineer reports.
  • Appointments approved: Rosa Ellenberger to Human Relations Commission (term through Jan 1, 2030); Bill Gordon, Lisa Spaziani, and Cory Breegle to Planning Commission; Jezreel Konstantinos to Recreation Board (all terms through Jan 1, 2030).
  • Approved: Summer employees and rates of pay as recommended by Community Manager Beth Bachman.

Presentations

  • Troops 238 and 9238 presented a flag retirement box for the borough lobby, built by scouts as a service project. Flags no longer usable may be deposited for official decommissioning.

Action Items

  • Appointment of Borough Solicitor (unanimous): Daniel Conlon and the law firm Tucker Arensberg, PC were appointed after an RFP process with over 10 applicants. Council praised the vetting.
  • Proclamation 4, 2025 – Dormont Public Library Day (unanimous): June 21, 2025 designated Dormont Public Library Day. Council members and library director Cindy spoke about the library’s importance (founded 1936, incorporated 1946).
  • Resolution 10, 2025 – Letter of Support to Pittsburgh Regional Transit (unanimous): Council expressed support for preserving bus and rail service, noting potential loss of all bus service and 25% of rail service. Council urged residents to attend PRT hearings by June 12 and emphasized state budget advocacy.
  • Resolution 11, 2025 – Destruction of Specific Electronics (unanimous): Authorized disposal of outdated, taxpayer-funded electronics.
  • Resolution 12, 2025 – Adoption of Dormont by Design Comprehensive Plan (unanimous): Adopted as the borough’s guide for the next 10 years.
  • Resolution 13, 2025 – LGBTQ+ Pride Month Proclamation (unanimous): Proclaimed June 2025 as Pride Month. Resident Rosa Ellenberger spoke in support, expressing the importance of visible community support.
  • Settlement with Officer George Dailey (unanimous): Approved without public disclosure of terms, cited as a personnel matter.
  • Collaborative Art Installation (unanimous): Accepted proposal from Dormont Arts and Joshua Ruffing for a metal art installation in Hillsdale Park.
  • Sanitary Sewer O&M Contract (unanimous): Accepted proposal from Robinson Pipe Cleaning Company for $72,830 for 2025 operations.
  • Traffic Signal Improvements Pay Application (unanimous): Ratified pay request of $304,604.20 for the Green Light Go project at Dell Ave and McFarland Road (pedestrian rapid-flash beacon). Costs are largely reimbursed via a $301,000 grant due May 31, 2025.
  • Energy Rates Contract (unanimous): Authorized Borough Manager to contract with KeyTex Energy to lock electricity rates ($0.108–0.1135/kWh) and natural gas rates ($4.40–4.65/MMBtu) for 2–3 years.
  • Tree Cleanup Contract (unanimous): Authorized contract with Davey Tree Expert Company for $16,800 to remove storm-damaged trees in Dormont Park from the April 29, 2025 storm.
  • Tabled – Expenditure of Public Good Funds (unanimous): Motion to authorize $47.50 for Christmas in July pavilion rental was tabled because the event planning meeting was not advertised properly under the Sunshine Act. It will be re-presented in July.

Discussion Items

  • Human Relations Commission Update: Council member Kate Abel-Fabus read updates on three initiatives:
    1. Fair Housing Landlord Training (June 20, 1-4 PM at borough building).
    2. Participation in Dormont Pride (June 29) with a festive booth.
    3. August Porch Crawl campaign promoting community connection, culminating in a community-wide porch crawl.
  • Pool Opening: Council thanked staff for opening the pool; noted it only opens when ambient temperature is above 69°F for safety. A rainy-day partnership with Ascend South Side (rock climbing) provides free shoes and discounts when the pool is closed.

Key Outcomes

  • All votes on action items were unanimous (8-0) with all council members present.
  • The comprehensive plan was adopted after the public hearing.
  • The motion to appoint a new solicitor passed.
  • The Christmas in July pavilion expenditure was tabled for procedural reasons.
  • Council entered executive session for bargaining and legal issues; no action was taken afterward.

Meeting Transcript

Hello. So the first thing on our agenda tonight is a public hearing for our comprehensive plan. So I'm going to call the public hearing to order. And then can we please have a roll call for the hearing? Absolutely. Mayor Walsh. Councilman Rieger? Here. Councilman Bedford. Here. Councilwoman Mazak. Here. Councilman Kip here. Councilwoman Favis. Here. Councilwoman Downs. Here. And Councilwoman Ventriska, I believe, is on. Here. Yep. There we are. Here. All or counted and present. Thank you. So welcome to the public hearing. This is for our 10-year comprehensive plan. We really appreciate all of you for attending, although I know you're not all here for that, but you're here, which is great. And we had overwhelming public participation throughout this plan, which was really exciting. The process began about a year ago, and this is the last step tonight. And today we have uh Jim Pashick from Pashic MTR, which is the consulting firm that we worked with to do the comprehensive plan, who's going to give us a brief overview of how the public hearing will work, and then we'll work into public comment. Go ahead. Thank you very much. Yes, I'm not Jenny Easton. I'm Jim Pashick for those of you that have been working with Jenny. Back in April, um, we took the draft plan and sent it to uh the school district. We sent it to the adjacent municipalities, and um and uh we asked people to take a look at the plan, and they we were asked for them to respond in 45 days. That's the time required by the municipality planning code, and that deadline was May 24th. Uh, we received some minor comments, some from the county, uh, some from residents through document by design, doormont by design. Can't read my own writing. And um uh after the deadline, we received a few comments from the city of Pittsburgh. And most of these comments are either ideas on how to implement things or um very minor change. There was some page numbering that we had to correct, as well as one reference to funding source that uh is not appropriate anymore. Um the planning commission received the plan and has voted to recommend has voted or

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