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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - November 21, 2025

City Council — Friday, November 21, 2025

BodyErie, Pennsylvania

SessionCity Council

DateFriday, November 21, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:05:24

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

0:04

Good evening, everyone.

0:05

We are actually on page 60 of the budget.

0:12

And this is the original book that we originally got for then as well, right?

0:16

That's correct.

0:27

And so if you look at the budget, um, there's not a a lot of change.

0:33

And from what was um requested last year.

0:37

But I guess if you go and you look on page 61 where the salaries are the project coordinator, that was actually the burn grant, and that grant has actually finished it, expired on September 30th of 2025.

0:53

So that salary would not be part of this budget right here.

1:01

This year the community development specialist has been in the budget before.

1:04

We are looking to hire that person this year.

1:06

And if you see that the salary is at $55,000, um, when we had the preliminary meetings, but actually requested the assistant grant administrator's salary be raised to $57,000, and that was actually because the community development specialist would be coming in new.

1:25

Our assistant grant administrator person is someone who has been on a job for a year and a half.

1:32

Uh she came in actually with experience, and so to actually bring a new person in at $55,000.

1:39

I just didn't think that was fair.

1:41

So I am requesting that change later on the budget.

1:50

So if you remove the So the project coordinator, the funding for that is done after this year.

1:57

So is that to be done?

1:59

It was done on September 30th of 2025, and that was actually the brand grant, and so none of that money actually came out of the general fund.

2:06

It was a grant that we have from the Department of Justice.

2:09

But that person is still with us, right?

2:11

No, that's okay.

2:12

That's a vacant.

2:14

So the position's going to continue now, even now that the grant is over.

2:19

For the burn grant?

2:21

Or no, okay.

2:22

So the assistant grant administrator is actually a person that is in the office.

2:26

And so what I was saying is that the community development specialist, which was in the budget last year, we didn't hire that individual, but we look to hire that individual this year at a salary of $55,000.

2:39

And so our assistant grant administrator salary is listed at $55,000.

2:46

That's on our so I'm sorry.

2:47

But what which position is the burn grant?

2:50

The project coordinator.

2:51

Are we eliminating that?

2:53

That's what we need to know.

2:54

Okay.

2:55

Yes.

2:55

So that's not in the budget anymore.

2:57

No, that was part of the uh DOJ budget.

3:00

All right.

3:01

So this will be amended by the time we vote on it then to remove that $55,000?

3:06

And add and adding $2,000.

3:11

Okay.

3:16

See, it's actually in the miscellaneous frame rate first.

3:26

I'm not sure.

3:27

I know that the um DLJ grant for the burn grant is complete, so that funding's done.

3:32

So as far as the miscellaneous grant, um being listed.

3:39

Okay, we don't have any new programs or grants that you know of.

3:43

Not for DOJ.

3:44

Okay.

3:47

So it's eliminated.

3:48

Yeah, at this point.

3:50

I think there's some confusion.

3:52

I'm seeing some confusion in high screen.

3:57

That this position would potentially be into another department.

4:00

No, it's gonna stay in that department.

4:02

Well, it's not uh CEG for firm grant funds, it's gonna be from another grant.

4:12

For which, I guess for which grant was understanding this lineage.

4:16

So isn't it miscellaneous?

4:17

I don't remember which one was.

4:19

I know it's in our miscellaneous reimbursement grants.

4:23

Okay, well, can we get some clarification?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Budget Equity Analysis████████████████████████████████████████40%

Personnel Matters█████████████████17%

Risk Management███████████11%

Technology and Innovation██████████10%

Employee Health█████████9%

Zoning Code███████7%

Historic Preservation███3%

Public Safety██2%

Pending Litigation█1%

Summary of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - November 21, 2025

The City Council convened on November 21, 2025, to review and deliberate on the proposed municipal budget. The meeting focused on the Community Development, Planning, Human Resources, Risk Management, and General Fund Revenue departments. Key discussions included the restructuring of community development staffing following the expiration of a DOJ burn grant, the status of the newly formed Planning Department as a standalone entity, updates on employee health insurance costs, and revenue projections influenced by legal challenges to amusement taxes and declining cable franchise revenues.

Consent Calendar

No specific consent calendar items were explicitly listed as a separate category in the transcript; routine approvals were discussed within departmental presentations.

Public Comments & Testimony

While the transcript contains questions from council members regarding data access and staffing, no public testimony from external community members is recorded in this session.

Discussion Items

Community Development Budget

Grant Status and Staffing Changes: The council discussed the expiration of the Department of Justice (DOJ) "Burn Grant" on September 30, 2025, which previously funded the Project Coordinator salary. The council confirmed this position is now vacant and will be eliminated from the general budget, though funding for a similar role may be sourced from other grants (e.g., the $1 million "Encouraging Innovation" grant).
Salary Adjustments: A staff member proposed raising the Community Development Specialist salary from $55,000 to $57,000 to ensure equity with the current Assistant Grant Administrator, who has been in the role for 1.5 years. The council agreed to keep the $55,000 position in the budget as a placeholder, noting it is a vacant position that does not currently incur an expense, and that future funding for the role would come from grant match requirements.
Funding Sources: Council members inquired about the source of funding for the Community Development Specialist. It was clarified that while the specific grant has expired, the department holds grants requiring implementation project management (property acquisition, asbestos remediation), which are expected to cover the position costs via matching funds.

Planning Department Budget

Departmental Status: The Planning Department confirmed it is operating as a distinct department with seven full-time staff, though they noted the ordinance formally separating it from Code Enforcement has not yet been passed.
GIS and Data Access: A council member raised concerns regarding the lack of public-facing data dashboards despite the investment in GIS. Department staff explained that while internal mapping is active, public dashboards are not yet live due to data availability and integration issues with the CityWorks system. It was noted that the GIS Administrator performs citywide duties for Public Works and other departments.
Unfilled Positions: The Data Analyst position remains unfilled. The department opted to hire a third-party change management specialist from Timmins to manage the CityWorks transition rather than filling the vacant Data Analyst role immediately.

Human Resources and Civil Service

Staffing Levels: HR reported 805 active employees with only two open positions, describing the staffing level as high. A new HR Assistant was noted to start in December.
Contract Negotiations: The council confirmed negotiations for the AFSCME contract are ongoing and expected to conclude by year's end. Firefighters and Teamsters contracts do not expire until 2027.
Civil Service: The Civil Service budget was updated to reflect an increase in firefighter application fees from $50 to $80, which is projected to cover a significant portion of the budget.

Risk Management

Health Insurance Strategy: Risk Management presented a significant increase in health insurance costs. A proposal was made to launch an educational project involving unions to improve cost management and reduce claims, though this will not be discussed until after current contracts are settled.
Pharmacy Changes: Staff noted that a 2023 switch to a new pharmacy benefit manager (True Rx) generated $1.2 million in rebates, though some employee groups experienced friction due to prior authorization processes.
Stop-Loss Mitigation: The department highlighted a successful negotiation with an insurance broker that reduced a projected 60% stop-loss cost increase to 28% by adjusting coverage limits and switching carriers.
Liability Coverage: The budget includes coverage for various liabilities, including a specific liquor license policy for the city's golf course and claims related to vehicle damage and lawsuits.

General Fund Revenues

Tax and Revenue Projections: The council reviewed revenue sources, noting that taxes constitute 78% of the fund. Property tax collections are stable, while income tax revenues follow a quarterly cycle.
Amusement Tax Uncertainty: Revenue projections for amusement licenses (skill games) were reduced due to an ongoing Pennsylvania Supreme Court hearing regarding whether these constitute gambling. If they are deemed illegal, revenue streams could cease entirely.
Declining Income Sources: A significant drop in Cable TV franchise revenue was attributed to the shift toward streaming services. Conversely, plumbing inspection fees are projected to rise due to lead pipe replacement initiatives.
Parking Fines: Parking fine revenue is projected to drop, a trend attributed to the removal of meters on State Street and users adapting to the payment app, with council members noting increased app usage.
Grant Reimbursements: The council discussed the reliance on grant reimbursements ($2.5 million from ARP for police, plus DECD and CDBG reimbursements). Staff emphasized that these funds are tied to specific hired staff hours, and federal funding sustainability remains a concern for future budgeting cycles.

Key Outcomes

Budget Amendments: The community development budget will be amended to remove the Project Coordinator salary line (previously funded by the expired DOJ Burn Grant) and retain the Community Development Specialist line as a vacant placeholder ($55,000) pending grant funding allocation.
Departmental Recognition: The council acknowledged the operational separation of the Planning Department, though a formal ordinance amendment remains pending.
Risk Management Action: Council members expressed strong support for the proposed educational project to manage health insurance costs and praised the department's success in mitigating stop-loss rate increases.
Revenue Caution: Council members noted the uncertainty surrounding amusement tax revenue and the long-term trend of declining cable franchise fees, requiring careful monitoring of the general fund balance.
No Immediate Votes: The transcript indicates the meeting concluded with general appreciation and no formal roll-call votes on the budget items discussed, suggesting the budget is moving forward for further refinement or a future vote.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. We are actually on page 60 of the budget. And this is the original book that we originally got for then as well, right? That's correct. And so if you look at the budget, um, there's not a a lot of change. And from what was um requested last year. But I guess if you go and you look on page 61 where the salaries are the project coordinator, that was actually the burn grant, and that grant has actually finished it, expired on September 30th of 2025. So that salary would not be part of this budget right here. This year the community development specialist has been in the budget before. We are looking to hire that person this year. And if you see that the salary is at $55,000, um, when we had the preliminary meetings, but actually requested the assistant grant administrator's salary be raised to $57,000, and that was actually because the community development specialist would be coming in new. Our assistant grant administrator person is someone who has been on a job for a year and a half. Uh she came in actually with experience, and so to actually bring a new person in at $55,000. I just didn't think that was fair. So I am requesting that change later on the budget. So if you remove the So the project coordinator, the funding for that is done after this year. So is that to be done? It was done on September 30th of 2025, and that was actually the brand grant, and so none of that money actually came out of the general fund. It was a grant that we have from the Department of Justice. But that person is still with us, right? No, that's okay. That's a vacant. So the position's going to continue now, even now that the grant is over. For the burn grant? Or no, okay. So the assistant grant administrator is actually a person that is in the office. And so what I was saying is that the community development specialist, which was in the budget last year, we didn't hire that individual, but we look to hire that individual this year at a salary of $55,000. And so our assistant grant administrator salary is listed at $55,000. That's on our so I'm sorry. But what which position is the burn grant? The project coordinator. Are we eliminating that? That's what we need to know. Okay. Yes. So that's not in the budget anymore. No, that was part of the uh DOJ budget. All right. So this will be amended by the time we vote on it then to remove that $55,000? And add and adding $2,000. Okay. See, it's actually in the miscellaneous frame rate first. I'm not sure. I know that the um DLJ grant for the burn grant is complete, so that funding's done. So as far as the miscellaneous grant, um being listed. Okay, we don't have any new programs or grants that you know of. Not for DOJ. Okay. So it's eliminated. Yeah, at this point.

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