Williamsport council approves legal, IT and equipment measures; appointments confirmed

Williamsport City Council on Jan. 30 approved a slate of routine and consequential items ranging from legal engagements to equipment purchases and appointments.

Key votes and actions (all taken by roll call or voice vote during the Jan. 30 meeting):

• Engagement of outside counsel for Federal Transit Administration matter — approved, 5-0. Council adopted a resolution to retain outside legal counsel to represent the city in an FTA demand. The solicitor described the resolution as representation in the matter; the resolution had previously been discussed with council members. (Agenda item 6)

• Payment of attorney fees related to Center for Independent Living ADA litigation — approved, 5-0. The city agreed to authorize payment of $41,397 to resolve attorneys’ fees accrued from 2021 to the present under a consent-decree matter related to ADA compliance, subject to finalization of a release agreement and incorporation of notice and dispute-resolution language for future fee disputes.

• Fire Bureau purchases and tool mounting — approved, 5-0. The council authorized two related purchases for the Williamsport Bureau of Fire: a purchase of 10 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) with cylinders, 10 facepieces and 10 spare cylinders for $93,500; and tool mounting for two new engines from Glick Fire Equipment for $48,720.01. The administration said proceeds from the sale of the 2016 engine (reported sale price $350,000) and capital-project funds will cover these purchases; the mayor reported $102,000 of the sale went into the general fund with the remainder earmarked for fire equipment and other items.

• Use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds noted — discussion only. Administration said fire apparatus and related equipment can be eligible CDBG expenditures in limited circumstances and that leftover HUD funds were used to fund part of this purchase in this instance.

• Appointments — approved, 5-0. Rachel Potter was reappointed to a five-year term on the Veterans Memorial Park committee and Chuck Cruz was reappointed to the RVTA board.

• Contract with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott (outside counsel) for FTA matter — approved, 5-0. (Note: transcript spelling varied; the firm retained for representation was identified in the meeting materials and by the solicitor.)

• IT server migration and Microsoft 365 licensing — approved, 5-0. The council authorized contracting Global Data Consultants LLC to migrate the city’s Exchange email server to Microsoft’s cloud service; the one-time migration cost cited was $10,855. Administration said the migration will take approximately six weeks. Council also authorized Microsoft 365 licensing, quoted at $2,353.45 per month (about $28,241 annually) for roughly 165 mailboxes with 10 full Office-suite licenses; administration stated ongoing licensing would be paid from the IT software budget.

• Resolution authorizing payment of attorney fees tied to a consent decree (ADA) — approved, 5-0. The attorneys’ demand of $41,397 was reported as compromised to that total and would be paid contingent on a release agreement.

• Certificate of appropriateness approvals — approved, 4–0 with 1 abstention. The council considered and approved certificates of appropriateness for several West Fourth Street properties; one council member abstained because of a potential conflict.

Procedural notes: Most motions were moved and seconded on the floor with votes recorded as “yes” by the five present council members (Missus Frank, Mister Allison, Mister Mackey, Missus Katz and Miss Meeley) unless otherwise noted. One item on certificates of appropriateness passed with one abstention.

Why it matters: The actions authorize legal representation and settlement payments, restore and upgrade firefighter safety equipment, move the city’s email infrastructure to Microsoft’s cloud service, and confirm citizen volunteers on advisory boards. Several expenditures are drawn from capital-projects funds or proceeds from the sale of a retired engine.

Where to find details: Supporting documents and the specific resolutions are part of the city’s meeting packet and were reviewed by the solicitor and the finance committee where indicated.