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Votes at a glance: Connellsville council actions July 15 include grant application, police hiring authorization and shade tree rule change
Summary
Connellsville’s City Council approved a package of administrative and operational items at its July 15 meeting, including a Local Share Account grant application for a salt shed, acceptance of a police resignation and authorization to advertise a police position without an Act 120 requirement, introduction of a bill to relax residency rules for the Shade Tree Commission, and the contingent acceptance of a vendor quote for an ADA-compliant fishing dock at Yacht River Park.
Connellsville’s City Council conducted a series of formal votes at its July 15 meeting. Key outcomes included authorization for grant application, personnel actions, administrative policy adoptions and several event permits. Below is a concise list of the formal actions recorded at the meeting and the outcomes as taken on the record.
Votes and formal actions (selected):
- Local Share Account grant application: The council voted to authorize the city clerk to apply for a countywide Local Share Account grant for 2025; staff said the request would seek funds for a new salt shed for Public Works. Vote recorded as approved.
- Police resignation and hiring authorization: The council accepted the resignation of Samuel Fisher from the Connellsville Police Department effective Aug. 10, 2025. The council also authorized advertising a full-time police officer position and to establish an eligibility list; the motion specified Act 120 certification would not be a hiring requirement (candidates hired without certification would need academy attendance paid by the city). Council discussion noted academy timing and potential academy costs (estimated by staff at about $4,000) and the need to negotiate any necessary memoranda of understanding with the police association if hires are made under those terms. Both the resignation acceptance and the advertising action were approved.
- Shade Tree Commission residency rule: Council introduced Bill No. 2 of 2025 to amend ordinances (referenced in the record as ordinances 11-31 and 12-80, codified at 1-463) by removing the residency requirement for Shade Tree Commission members to allow interested nonresident volunteers to participate. Introduction was approved.
- Accept vendor quote for fishing dock (contingent): Council accepted a quote of $53,061.97 from Anchor Marine Group to install an ADA-compliant fishing dock at Yacht River Park, contingent on obtaining funds for equipment and removal/transport; see separate article for details.
- Approve application to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission grant and CoStars purchase process: Council recorded that grant funds and CoStars purchasing would fund the anchor marine quote; council approved the related actions in the dock motion.
- Grant of use and alcohol authorization for events: Council granted use of Yacht River Park and allowed alcohol for specified club events requested by General Braddock’s Fish Club (dates in late September). Permits and utilization forms remained subject to review by police, fire and public works.
- Contract/operations: Council moved and approved termination of the concession contract with James Cox (Yacht Park concession) effective immediately; staff reported a 10-day cure letter had been sent with no remedy.
- Administrative and personnel policy adoptions: The council approved adoption of a check-processing software (Verify) to modernize check processing and also adopted a heart-and-lung (Line-of-Duty) policy for covered personnel under Pennsylvania law; both resolutions passed on recorded votes.
- Other approvals: Council approved minutes from the June 17, 2025 meeting and waived the four-day resolution rule to allow late-submitted items to be considered (items marked with an asterisk). Several smaller civic requests were approved (block party road closure for August 15; General Braddock’s Fish Club use of Yacht River Park for youth fishing day and club picnic) while a request from the Polish Club to borrow chairs/tents/table inventory died for lack of a second.
Several items sent to staff for follow-up included bids and procurement process questions for the mural repair project, and enforcement work on nuisance properties reported during public comment. Staff were directed to report back to the council on the public-works, procurement, and licensing items as appropriate.
Vote records: The meeting minutes show roll-call votes for each item; the clerk recorded individual council member votes on the record for most motions (see council minutes for the verbatim roll-call entries).
