February 16, 2026 Meeting Minutes

RIVERSIDE BOROUGH COUNCIL
 
The Riverside Borough Council met in the Municipal Building, 415 Dewart Street, Riverside on Monday, February 16, 2026 at 7:00pm.  Meeting was called to order by President, Stephen Wagner.
 
Council members present: 
Barb Kriner, Ken Gardner, Mike Steimling Sr., Rob Rickard and Rebekah Lenig.
Also present was Mayor Todd Oberdorf and Secretary Lisa Fritz
 
Absent:
Peter Fleming
 
Citizens present:
J.W. Snyder
 
Pledge of Allegiance
 
Citizens to be Heard: 
None spoke
Approval of Meeting Minutes

• January 19th Minutes:
  • Corrections were made regarding an $80,000 transfer from the sewer fund to the general fund for 2026. The budgeted amount is $108,000, and an additional $28,000 transfer will be made.
  • Other fund source descriptions were corrected: $460,000 from Platinum ID 47, $708,000 from General Fund ID 40, and $300,000 from sewer fund ID 41.
  • Typos in building work quotes were fixed: "$81,000 for the chimney" to "$8,100" and "$51,000 exterior" to "$5,100."
  • A CD maturing on February 20th for $125,800 is also to be allocated to the sewer fund.
  • Barb made a Motion to approve the 1/19/2026 meeting minutes with the changes suggested. Rob seconded. All in Favor.
• February 2nd Minutes:
  • The new transcription software was praised, but a correction was needed for the "West End Sewer Project" heading, which should be "East End Sewer Project."
  • To improve speaker identification in future minutes, speakers will state their names, and the chair will verbally confirm who makes and seconds motions.
  • Mike made a Motion to accept the 2/2/2026 meeting minutes with changes suggested by Ken. Ken seconded. All in Favor.

Borough Building Renovations and Funding

• Renovations:
  • A motion was passed to approve $6,245 for the replacement of five windows by Window World.
  • The cost to repair the chimney is $8,100, and exterior brickwork repair is $5,100.
  • The council discussed pouring concrete in two dirt-floor areas of the basement to create an evidence room, which would free up another room for a kitchen.
  • The cost to apply spray-on insulation to the basement walls is $4,744.
  • A motion was passed to proceed with the chimney, exterior, concrete, and insulation work, with one member opposing the insulation. Barb made a Motion to approve the Chimney, Brick work and concrete work, taking funds out of the General Account. Rob Seconded. Ken opposed. Motion passed.
• Funding:
  • The total approved cost for renovations is $31,000, which will be taken from the general fund.

Sewer System Issues and Projects

• Water Infiltration on the West Side:
  • An ongoing issue of water infiltration from illegally connected downspouts and sump pumps undermines a recent $1.4 million project to reduce groundwater in the sewer.
  • Solutions discussed included smoke detection ($10,000), point-of-sale inspections, and direct enforcement.
  • The most favored approach is to enforce inspections and fixes when homes are sold. An alternative is to have the sewer department check clean-outs during rainstorms.
  • Speaker 1 will consult with Attorney Machete for legal advice on the matter.
• PAC-1 Paving Project Punch List:
  • The bond for the project expires in June, and the work must be finished by then.
  • A second punch list is being created to address remaining issues like a "lip in the gully."
  • Ken believes Pact One has been fully paid. The engineering firm should be holding remaining funds until the punch list is completed. Speaker 1 is confident a letter will be sent to PAC-1.
• East End Sewer Project:
  • The project will use $187,000 in leftover grant funds, matched by another $187,000, for a total of approximately $375,000.
  • This initial phase covers manhole covers, internal rings, and cleaning the line from Hillside Estates.
  • The total project cost is estimated at around $3 million, requiring a new grant and a PennVest loan to reline the pipe and manholes.

Financial Investments (PLGIT)

• General and Reserve Funds:
  • Barb made a Motion to move funds from three accounts into a high-yield 'PLGIT' account earning over 4% interest. Rob seconded. All in Favor.
    • Platinum account: $490,460.
    • General account: $540,000.
    • Capital reserve account: $27,900.
• Sewer Funds:
  • Mike made a Motion to move money from Service 1st accounts. Barb seconded. All in Favor.
  • $125,000 from a 12-month sewer certificate into a separate PLGIT reserve account.
  • $326,269.57 from Sewer CD before maturity (even with a penalty) and move it to the PLGIT reserve account.
  • $200,000 from the general sewer fund into the PLGIT reserve account.
  • The West End sewer account, with $186,000 in grant money, was discussed for transfer, pending clarification on grant rules.

 
Ordinances and Other Borough Business

• Solar Panels and Wind Turbines Ordinance:
  • A new ordinance is being drafted for the March meeting.
  • Key discussion points include council control over land use changes, removing the "solar grazing" section, stormwater management, and ensuring a decommissioning bond.
  • Concerns were raised about chemicals in some panels and potential hazmat situations.
• Feral Cat Management Program:
  • The council discussed a potential service to manage feral cats on a per-cat basis (~$45-$55).
  • Concerns were raised about distinguishing between feral and owned pets. Further information will be gathered on the organization's methods, including microchip scanning.
• Airport Neighbor Complaint:
  • A past issue regarding an airport neighbor's complaint was mentioned. The council agreed it is a legal issue between the neighbor and the airport, not the Borough.

Next Arrangements

• Transfer an additional $28,000 from the sewer fund to the general fund.
• Make a decision on the "PLGIT" this week.
• Proceed with the approved chimney, exterior, concrete, and insulation work, funded by $31,000 from the general fund.
• Contact the window contractor to proceed with the window replacements.
• Larson Design Group must send a letter to PAC-1 regarding the paving project punch list.
• Follow up on the PAC-1 paving project to ensure completion before the bond expires in June.
• Speaker 1 will meet with Attorney Michetti this week to finalize the solar and wind turbine ordinance and get legal advice on the west side water infiltration issue.
• Council members to send comments on the solar ordinance draft.
• Gather further information from the cat management organization, including a contract and clarification on identifying pets.
• Mike will contact Justin Skavery to confirm if the West End sewer grant money ($186,000) can be moved into a money market account.
• Lisa will attempt to negotiate the withdrawal of the capital reserve fund (account 52) despite the missed notification window.
• Ask the street department to work with Danville Sewer to check the difference in flow during rainy vs. dry periods.
• Barb will get the Borough Life Committee report from April and email it to Lisa.

1. A final decision on the exact amount to transfer from the general fund to the PLGIT investment was not reached. The discussion ranged from $540,000 to $720,000, but no consensus was achieved.

1. A definitive strategy for addressing the illegal downspout and sump pump connections on the west side has not been established, pending legal advice from Attorney Michetti.

1. The financial approvals for the chimney repair ($8,100) and exterior brickwork ($5,100) were discussed but not formally voted on in the provided transcript. The source of funding also needed to be addressed.

1. The decision on whether to move the West End sewer account funds ($186,000) is pending clarification on grant money regulations.

1. While a new loan and grant were mentioned as necessary for the East End sewer project, no concrete steps were assigned to initiate this process.

1. There was an unresolved question about whether PAC-1 had been fully paid, with the bond being the only leverage.

1. The status of "Andy working part-time" and a related "hold harmless" agreement was mentioned but not discussed further.

1. A decision on the "PLGIT" was mentioned as needing to happen "this week," but no specific details or action plan were discussed.

 
Respectfully Submitted:
Lisa Fritz
Secretary