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Assembly finance committee reviews $122,000 appropriation to prepare Pearl Creek Elementary after district turnover
Summary
The committee heard staff explain a proposed $122,000 amendment to the FY26 budget to cover utilities ($82,000) and Digital Services ($40,000) as Pearl Creek Elementary is turned over to the borough on Dec. 1. Staff said utility estimates are based on five years of usage and that cameras will be recorded, not actively monitored.
The Assembly Finance Committee on Nov. 6 heard a staff request to appropriate $122,000 from the general fund balance to prepare Pearl Creek Elementary School for borough control after the school district’s planned turnover on Dec. 1.
David Bradley, director of Public Works, said the ordinance would cover $82,000 for utilities — roughly $12,000 a month based on the previous five years of utility usage and cost — and $40,000 for the Department of Digital Services to install connectivity and camera infrastructure. "On December 1 the school district will be turning over Pearl Creek Elementary School to the borough," Bradley said, adding the utility portion "is approximately $12,000 per month."
Blake Moore, Director of Digital Services, told the Assembly the $40,000 request "equips the Pearl Creek Building with essential infrastructure for Public Works to monitor security cameras and manage the building controls," listing network switches, firewalls (with licensing), wireless gear, backup power and camera equipment. Moore said the request includes a contingency "in case we run into something unexpected."
Mayor Hopkins and staff said the budget initially included higher costs, primarily for exterior security hardware, but negotiations with the district preserved some existing equipment and reduced the final appropriation. Hopkins thanked district staff and borough workers for coordination to make the transition "smooth."
Assembly members pressed staff on condition, monitoring and maintenance. Bradley said staff performed cursory walkthroughs and requested months of work orders and inspection reports under the memorandum of agreement to assess the building more fully after handoff. He said the borough will not plywood windows but will perform limited winterization — draining nonessential pipes to reduce freeze risk — and retain existing cameras where practical.
On monitoring, Bradley said recorded footage will be available for review: "When it gets turned over to us, no, there won't be any active monitoring. It'll be more, if something happens, we'll be able to see what may have happened," he said. Committee members asked about driveway plowing for emergency access and potential loss of trailhead parking; staff said they plan minimal plowing to maintain one access for emergency personnel and will provide the Assembly a map of nearby trail access points for the next meeting.
The staff report framed the appropriation as an administrative budget amendment that allows the borough to pay utilities, perform basic maintenance and deploy IT/security equipment at Pearl Creek after the district closes the facility. The transcript does not record a committee vote on the ordinance during this meeting.
