Borough Council Meetings
Regular meetings of the Shickshinny Borough Council are held on the First Thursday of each month, unless noted otherwise below, and begin promptly at 6:00 PM.
July 11, 2024August 1, 2024September 5, 2024October 3,2024November 7, 2024December 5, 2024
Work Sessions for the Borough Council are held the last Thursday of the month.
July 25, 2024August 29, 2024September 26, 2024October 31, 2024November 28, 2024December 26, 2024
Meetings begin at the Borough Council Meeting Room of the Borough Building, 35 W. Union Street. Shickshinny, PA 18655 unless stated otherwise.
For further information or if you need special accommodations, please call the Borough Secretary at 570-542-2178.
Work Sessions
Definition: Work sessions are the planning and communication meetings held prior to the Council meetings. NO business is voted on during work sessions since this is the time set aside for council members to discuss, dispute, negotiate and plan for the business which will be voted on during the upcoming council meeting. It is most effective when Council members conduct all business at the work session so the Council meeting can follow an effective and timely agenda. Public MAY attend work sessions, but CAN NOT comment- only listen/ observe. During work sessions, the public should listen to the discussions and understand the issues at hand, without prejudice, then observe how each council member addresses the topic at hand. This helps the public understand which Council members have a better understanding of the issues at large and in turn represent the citizens of the borough at large, without prejudice.
Council Meetings
Definition: Council Meetings are Public and the citizens are encouraged to attend with their questions, comments, complaints or to bring up new business at the appropriate time deemed by council. Typically public comments are held on the record and are made after council business is concluded and prior to end of the meeting. The work session dictates what items are ready to be brought up for a vote at the council meeting. Work session items that are ready to be voted on are added to the agenda and discussed in turn. Council moves quickly through items and with minimal discussion, places their individual vote for the issue "on the table" which is the agenda item being voted on. Any council member may make a motion to vote on an agenda item, followed by any second member who also wants to bolster interest in voting on an item. If there is no second motion, the agenda item " dies on the table" and the issue is passed over without voting or taking any action on the issue. If the issue is moved to a vote through a second motion, then each voting member casts their own public vote: Roll call is taken and votes are made:
- Yes/affirmative - supports the vote
- No/Decline - is not in agreement or is against the proposed issue
- Abstain - any member who may personally benefit or is not perceived to be able to make an unbiased vote abstains - and does not vote.
Attending both the work session and the Council meeting gives the public a closer look at the issues in the borough and how they are addressed prior to vote. Minutes from the council meeting are public knowledge and may be given to anyone who asks for them. Some issues like personnel issues are discussed in private, outside of public involvement.