Council approves five‑year lease for PerryWeather lightning detection after debate over bids and coverage

The Borough Council voted to accept a five‑year lease for a PerryWeather lightning‑detection system covering three borough locations after pulling the item from the consent agenda for separate consideration. The motion passed in a roll‑call vote with multiple yes votes and one no from Councilman Marty, who said he would have preferred to see other proposals before committing.

Council members debated procurement and coverage. A council member noted that the system is proprietary and that the company does not offer a purchase option; the lease will require the vendor to maintain equipment for the five‑year term. "If it breaks it's theirs. So it's like leasing a car," a council member said during the discussion. Members also asked the vendor to provide range/coverage information so the borough can map audible horn coverage for community areas such as Chestnut and the golf course.

The council narrowed proposed detector locations to three sites—Stone Point, Chestnut and the golf course—after schools elected to procure their own system. Mayor Gallagher and several council members said they favored moving forward now with the option to add units later. Councilman Marty cast the lone recorded vote against the lease, saying he would have liked to see competing proposals.

Next steps: the borough will finalize the lease documents and monitor system performance; council members said they could add detectors later if coverage gaps are identified.