No millage hike expected in Derry

DERRY -- Property taxes are not expected to rise in Derry Borough next year.

At Monday's regular meeting, council members indicated they have formulated a proposed budget that is balanced and should not include a tax increase.

But council delayed voting on a tentative 2009 budget to allow for more discussion of the spending plan.

That vote is expected to occur at a special council meeting set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18. It will immediately follow a budget committee meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The meetings will take place on the second floor of the municipal building. Any handicapped residents who want to attend the meeting and require special needs should contact the borough beforehand at 724-694-2030.

Also Monday, the council indicated it is considering a crackdown on burning and trash dumping in the borough.

Several council members said they have seen borough residents burning such items as plastic, household furniture and rubber.

"They're burning anything that can melt," council president Allen Skopp said.

Skopp added that he's even seen people trying to burn metal cans.

Skopp said he recently reviewed the borough's burning ordinance and thinks it is too permissive.

"I was shocked at what you were allowed to burn," he said.

Council members were surprised to learn that burning household trash is allowable under the ordinance.

The focus of the discussion was more on limiting what people could burn rather than when. Currently, burning is allowed on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and the second and fourth Saturdays.

"I'm not in favor of burning at all in the borough," council vice president Curtis Robbins said, "but I know there's a lot of people in town who feel very strongly about being able to burn. I just think we need to limit what people should burn."

Robbins added that burning "is not a substitute for trash service."

Borough solicitor Rachel Riedel is expected to review the current ordinance, and council will look at possible revisions to make it more difficult to burn certain items.

Council also discussed cracking down on trash dumping that has occurred for some time on private property along Keeling Avenue near Coles Cemetery.

Council decided to alert the borough police department about the dumping and noted fines may be levied against the property owner. The borough also may ask the state Department of Environment Protection to intervene.

Riedel also updated council and the borough residents in attendance about the effort to clean up Porcelain Park.

Riedel said that DEP is giving property owner Marlborough Holdings until about the end of November to construct a plan for an environmental cleanup of the facility.

"It's not going to be done tomorrow, but they are working towards it," Riedel said.

She said DEP had hoped the cleanup would begin by Thanksgiving, but Riedel said that is probably too optimistic.

Borough resident Chuck Derito asked the council to consider making additional repairs to the alley between Clifton and Oak streets. The borough has tried temporary fixes before, but Derito said there is a hump in the road that is dangerous and could cause damage to vehicles. Council indicated that borough employees would be sent out to look at the problem to determine a way of fixing it.

Council voted to advertise a new zoning ordinance by a 6-0 vote. Councilman Todd Krehlik was absent from the meeting. Skopp said the new ordinance will be friendlier to small businesses that work out of homes.

Council voted to advertise a tax anticipation loan in the amount of $115,000.

Lori Latta was appointed the open records officer for Derry Borough.

Council also voted to advertise for positions on various borough boards that will become open at the end of the year:

• A five-year term on the municipal authority board of directors.

• A five-year term and a one-year term on the zoning hearing board.

• A four-year term on the planning commission.