New Hire, Raises Highlight Martinsburg Borough Meeting

After an closed-door session during its November meeting, Martinsburg Borough Council voted to hire Amy Hockenberry as a full-time clerk for the borough at $19 an hour for 90 days. After this probationary period, the salary will be bumped to $20 an hour.

This conversation led to discussing raises for the part-time patrolmen and part-time laborer.

“The full-time employees had a raise in the middle of the year,” Police Chief Kerry Hoover said. “We don’t expect another one. I don’t want to overlook him [the part-time patrolman].”

The council agreed that a raise to from $20 to $25 an hour was appropriate, as the part-time patrolman works sporadically.

Lieutenant Justin Davis is the part-time laborer.

“He helps us out very rarely,” Borough Manager Rich Brantner Jr. said. “Sometimes he helps us direct traffic or plow snow.”

The council agreed that the position was due for a $1 raise.

Many motions were made and carried to advertise upcoming ordinances and meetings:

• 2024 Budget for 10-day inspection

• 2024 Tax Ordinances (no tax increases)

• The January Reorganizational Meeting (Tuesday, Jan. 2)

• 2024 Meeting Dates (all the first Monday of the month, except January — Jan. 2 — and September — Sept. 3 — both of which are Tuesdays.)

Motions were also made and carried for the annual $500 donation to Cove Christmas Love and to renew the Huston Township Police Agreement. This two-year agreement will raise hourly rates from $42.50 in 2023 to $47.50 in 2024 and $48.50 in 2025.

Concerns brought to table

Council member Janet Blattenberger questioned Hoover on the legality of having political signs that obscure a driver’s view. The council decided to revisit this issue leading up to the next election.

Blattenberger also brought Ordinance 2006-563, Sec. 2; Item 12 to the table. This motor vehicle nuisance ordinance says the following:

“A motor vehicle nuisance shall also include openly storing more than two antique motor vehicles for restoration or storage or openly accumulating more than two vehicles in a non-serviceable condition or without inspection or registration.”

Blattenberger said that Roaring Spring doesn’t allow any cars without inspection on properties and that she would like Martinsburg to do the same.

Solicitor Nathan Karn informed the council that referencing these vehicles as a nuisance would not be relevant in court.

“If the car is a harbinger of animals or insects or has broken glass around it, that’s a nuisance,” Karn said. “You have to drill down to what the actual nuisance is.”

According to Karn, the council could look into zoning laws to see if antique cars could be managed this way. The council tabled this discussion.

Ordinance review

The council started a new monthly review of important ordinances. This month’s focused on animal noises and pets.

Animals that make noise (dogs, birds, roosters) are allowed to make consistent noise for 10 minutes. If it’s longer than 10 minutes or intermittently for a half hour, the owner will be cited.

“We don’t get too many calls about this,” Hoover said.

Hoover also emphasized that pet owners have to clean up after their pets on their own properties, other people’s properties and on the streets.

He also brought dangerous animals up for discussion: those with dangerous animals, such as constrictive snakes or poisonous animals, have to register the animal with the police department and post that they have a dangerous animal clearly on their property. This is for the safety of the police or fire department.