Council approves grant applications, contracts, zoning and multiple routine measures

The Borough of Carlisle Council on July 10 adopted a series of routine and substantive measures, including the borough's 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget, a multimodal grant application for Wagner's Gap Road, selection of a consultant for the Wagner's Gap shared-use path design, zoning text amendments to add artisan and industry uses and minimum bicycle-parking requirements, and several subdivision and procurement actions.

Why it matters: The package of actions advances near-term infrastructure and planning work (design and procurement for the Wagner's Gap pedestrian/bike improvements), clarifies zoning to allow artisan-manufacturing uses in certain districts, funds community services through CDBG and disposes of surplus borough equipment as authorized by council.

Key council actions and outcomes (sorted roughly by agenda grouping): • CDBG program year 2025 budget — Approved. Council heard a public hearing and then approved the proposed program year 2025 CDBG budget as presented. Staff said allocations are “pretty similar to prior years” with two noted changes: lighting for Littore Park, and partial CDBG support for elements of the borough's co-responder program. Staff estimated the total budget is $670 less than the prior year. (Action: approval; see provenance.)

• Letter opposing SB 780 — Approved. Council voted to send a letter to Representative Gleim and Governor Shapiro urging opposition to Senate Bill 780 (described in council comment as legislation addressing homeless encampments, private right-of-action within 1,600 feet, and waiving municipal immunity in some circumstances). (Action: approval; notes: council described the bill as treating unhoused people as nuisances.)

• Letter supporting increase to Local Services Tax cap — Approved. Council approved sending a letter requesting support for increasing the Local Services Tax cap to $156 and joining a bipartisan cosponsorship memo. Staff outlined background on the LST, its original $52 cap (2004), and the $12,000 exemption level. (Action: approval.)

• Resolution: return of asset to service and sale/disposition of equipment — Approved. Council adopted a resolution to return one asset to service and authorize sale/disposition of listed vehicles and equipment (exhibit A) by auction. (Action: approval.)

• Ordinance amend Chapter 212 (solid waste & recyclables) — Approved. Council enacted an ordinance amending Chapter 212 to add definitions for “community activities” and “third-party collector” and to delete references to licensed haulers. (Action: enacted; roll call recorded.)

• Contract: Gregory W. Myers Masonry LLC — Approved. Council approved a contract, not to exceed $25,000, for masonry repairs to the stone wall at the Old Graveyard (Mully Pitcher Cemetery). (Action: approval.)

• Purchase: replacement spur gear drives for wastewater clarifiers — Approved. Council authorized purchase and installation of two replacement spur gear drives for secondary clarifiers at the wastewater treatment plant from Blooming Glen Contractors Inc., $148,000, procured through the Commonwealth cooperative purchasing program (CoStars #016-E23-281). (Action: approval.)

• Grant application: Commonwealth multimodal grant (Wagner's Gap) — Approved. Council authorized staff to apply to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for up to $3,000,000 in multimodal grant funds for construction of a shared-use path and safety improvements along Wagner's Gap Road (PA 74). (Action: approval.)

• Consultant selection: Dawood Engineering Inc. (Wagner's Gap design) — Approved. Council approved selection of Dawood Engineering Inc. to provide design services for the Wagner's Gap shared-use path project, directed staff to issue a notice of intent to award, and authorized execution of a negotiated contract acceptable to the borough manager and solicitor. Councilors clarified that item 5 (design contract) funds were already budgeted and that item 4 (grant application) would fund construction, not design. (Action: approval.)

• Ordinance: zoning chapter amendments (artisan/industry use, bicycle parking, massage therapy cleanup) — Approved. Following a public hearing earlier in the evening, council enacted zoning text amendments to allow artisan and industry uses (up to 10,000 square feet of manufacturing space) in commercial, industrial and urban mixed-use zoning districts, to establish minimum bicycle parking requirements for lots with more than 10 spaces, and to update massage therapy/parlor language to comply with state certification. (Action: enacted; roll call recorded.)

• Property maintenance ordinance (demolition procedures, urban mixed-use district) — Re-advertised/Delayed. Council withdrew the immediate ordinance vote and instead voted to advertise consideration of an amendment to Chapter 183 (property maintenance) governing demolition procedures; the advertised hearing will be considered at the October 9, 2025 council meeting at the applicant's request to allow time for environmental due diligence by the site's owner. (Action: delay for October 9, 2025 consideration.)

• Subdivisions/land development approvals — Approved. Council approved multiple subdivision and land development items, including Hidden Meadows Phase 2 (H Street and Northwest Street), Lot 9 Carlisle Auto Industries subdivision (former IAC site) final plan, and a minor subdivision for 101 and 120 G Street. Council also denied a requested waiver from Chapter 197 (sewers) referenced in the agenda and approved the minor subdivision for 808 Walnut Lane, subject to applicant acceptance and resolution of listed conditions. (Action: approvals/denial as stated.)

Procedural notes: Several items were approved by voice vote or roll call; where the meeting recorded a roll call it was noted in the agenda minutes. Individual vote tallies were not consistently reported in the public transcript. For legislative or regulatory references, council referenced state statute and borough code chapters as they appeared on the agenda.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with contract negotiation and notice-of-award steps for the Dawood Engineering contract, file the multimodal grant application, implement the CDBG program as adopted, and move forward with the listed subdivisions and procurements; the property-maintenance ordinance will be re-advertised for an October hearing per council direction.