Strasburg Borough Council

March 14, 2023 Municipal Brief

At the March 14, 2023 Strasburg Borough Council meeting, Mayor Ryder read a proclamation honoring Charles “Charlie” Book for volunteering with the Strasburg Playground Association since 1946 and proclaimed May 24, 2023 to be Charles “Charlie” Book Day in Strasburg, which will be his 91^st birthday. 

At that meeting, Borough Council also approved a stormwater management bond reduction for Ridgewall, LLC/1533 Village Road Bond Reduction and discussed the possibility of enacting an Act 172 ordinance which would provide a tax credit to active volunteers of fire companies and nonprofit EMS Agencies.  Borough Council also heard citizens’ concerns regarding the ad-hoc committee who has met to look at updating the Historical Architectural Review Board Ordinance and creating historic guidelines.  President Chiodo stated that the Borough plans to apply for a PHMC grant for the project and the committee’s reports will be provided at Borough Council meetings.  The goal is to provide a more practical application and streamlined process, and the legislative process (which will provide an opportunity for public input when appropriate) is being followed for the ordinance update that will probably take a year. 

The Borough Manager reported that 1) The staff has almost completed the application package for the historic marker to honor Judge Herbert Millen, who was raised in Strasburg and was the first black judge on the Pennsylvania bench.  However, it was just learned that the PA Museum Commission has placed an indefinite stay on new applications because of supply chain and sign manufacturing issues.  The staff will complete the application package and submit it for pre-approval.  He is seeking suggestions for where the marker should be placed to obtain the best visibility; 2) $310.00 of unused office equipment was sold on Municibid this past month; 3) The Authority continues its deliberation on the potential sale of the sewer system and continues to work with DEP and the SRBC on water capacity issues due to the loss of the Old Springs water source; 4) We are still waiting receipt of the Lancaster County grant; 5) There is no new update on the stormwater project or LGH; 6) He read on the Lampeter-Strasburg School District website that that Benchmark Real Estate LLC has entered into an agreement with the School District for the sale of the old Strasburg Elementary School; 7) He requested Borough Council’s direction on how to proceed with the chicken zoning issue.  It was the consensus, after looking at the legal advice provided by the Solicitor, that chickens are considered an agricultural use unless the owner declares the chickens to be pets, but if the owner declares the chickens to be pets they cannot be used for an agricultural use such as selling the eggs or eating the chickens; 8) He commended the Public Works Department for completing the crack sealing on all Borough roads. 

The Police Chief reported for the month of February 2023, the Police Department had 327 calls for service.  There was one criminal arrests, 18 speeding arrests, 32 other traffic arrests, no parking tickets, 19 traffic warnings, and three accidents.  The Strasburg Borough Police Department also had three officers donate their time to help at the Strasburg Fire Company annual mud sale and had a very successful first “Coffee with a Cop” at Agape on February 28, 2023. 

Consent agenda items were payment of the bills, accepting the Historical Architectural Review Board Annual Report, approving Strasburg Fire Company Fire Police to assist at the Robert Fulton Mud Sale on April 1 2023, and approving the Historical Architectural Review Board Certificates of Appropriateness for 4 South Decatur Street, 211 Miller Street, and 148 East Main Street. 

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For additional information on this press release, please contact Borough Manager Steve Echternach at 717-687-7732 or echterns@strasburgboro.org