BY STACI WILSON
After an audience member made it known that she planned to videotape the Monday night Montrose borough meeting, council members walked out.
Prior to the start of the meeting, Vera Scroggins told Council President Tom Lamont that she intended to videotape. Lamont said he needed to check with legal counsel to see if that was allowed.
Borough resident Lynn Senick provided Lamont with a copy of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law.
Section 711 of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act states: “a person attending a meeting of an agency shall have the right to use recording devices to record all the proceedings.”
After the meeting was called to order and a committee work session regarding a DCED grant application set, Lamont announced the meeting would be recorded “audibly and videotaped” and said, “If anyone has objections on religious, ethical or moral grounds, now would be the time to leave.”
With that borough council members began walking out of the meeting. Council members present at that time, in addition to Lamont, included Todd Chamberlain, Sean Granahan, Craig Reimel, Tony Pickett, Randy Schuster and Julanne Skinner.
Following the exodus of council, Mayor John Wilson declared the meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum.
On the meeting agenda, item number three listed under “Discussion Items” was “Jessup Street, water hydrant.”
About one dozen people were in the audience and many came to hear council’s discussion on the hydrant.
A hydrant has been placed by Pennsylvania American Water Company and is being used as a tap to fill a small water truck. Craig Stevens, ofSilverLakeTwp., said he purchased a truck and a driver was hired to deliver water to Dimock residents who allege their water wells were contaminated by nearby natural gas drilling but are not receiving water deliveries from the EPA.
Council members exited the meeting before any bills were paid or reports given.
Other items on the agenda listed under the header “Action Items” not addressed by council at the meeting included the appointment of Zoning Hearing Board members; adoption of a resolution for United Fire Co. Special Fire Police; moving funds to the Police Pension Account; and the PA One-Call System.
The next regularly scheduled borough meeting is Monday, Feb. 20 at7:30 p.m.
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