Lebanon City Council needed fewer than 30 minutes to dispose of a short agenda at its July 22 monthly meeting.
Mayor Sherry Capello told council that the city’s year-to-date finances are on track. Through June 30, halfway through the city’s fiscal year, revenue received and expenditures were at 68% and 39%, respectively, of 2024 budget projections. The city’s 2024 budget is $17,371,636.
Capello also reported that she has made two appointments to city positions.
As of July 2, Recycling Coordinator Constance Bretz is the city’s new representative on the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority. Bretz will represent the city on both the authority’s board and executive committee.
The mayor has reappointed Wayne Tarvin to the city’s Zoning Hearing Board, for a five year term starting on July 15. Tarvin is a retired architect. He served as a board alternate until appointed as a regular member in March, 2024 to fill a vacancy created by the death of ZHB member Michael Barrett.
As required by law, council unanimously confirmed Tarvin’s appointment.
Other business before City Council
- Council approved the appointment of the Harrisburg office of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott as the city’s attorneys. Attorneys from the Pittsburgh-based law firm have been handling the city’s legal matters since former city solicitor Donna Long-Brightbill became a county judge in January.
- Council approved request for proposal specifications for professional auditing services for the year ending December 31, 2024, with options to extend auditing contracts through the end of 2026.
- Council gave final approval to a small amendment to the definitions in the city’s recycling ordinance. When passed in 2006, the definition of “high grade office paper” was not included. A recent review by the state Department of Environmental Protection noted the oversight.
Chief describes camera registry plans
City police are collaborating with Crimewatch to establish a citywide surveillance camera registry. Chief Bret Fisher hopes that a standing list of residential and business surveillance camera locations throughout the city will speed up investigations by reducing or eliminating the need to go door-to-door to locate cameras that might provide video of crime scenes.
Speaking to LebTown before last Thursday’s pre-council planning meeting, Fisher said that “investigators will be able to check the registry, see if there’s someone with a camera in the area, and then call or email them.”
“It’s discreet. A registry removes the need to have police standing on someone’s front porch. In some neighborhoods, depending on what has happened, people can be reluctant to publicly come forward.”
How many outdoor cameras are there in Lebanon? “I do not have an estimate for the city,” Fisher said, “but nationally about 15% of households have surveillance cameras.”
Registering one’s camera requires filling out an online form at Crimewatch. That may have something to do with the response so far, which “unfortunately hasn’t been great,” according to Fisher. He attributes the slow response, at least in part, to the natural tendency to wait until an incident actually happens before reaching out to police.
Fisher added that the police will not have the right to compel citizens to release video or to seize video. Instead, the police can only ask residents to turn over video from their cameras.
You can sign up for the City Camera Registry here.
Next Lebanon City Council meetings
City Council’s next pre-council planning meeting will be on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 4:45 p.m. The next regular monthly council meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m.
City Council meetings are open to the public. They are held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon.
Meetings are also streamed live on YouTube, here.
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