Borough Council Meetings

The monthly Borough Council meetings are scheduled for the Tuesday evening that follows the first Monday of every month... (I.e. When a month begins on Tuesday 1st, then the meeting will be on the 8th because it follows Monday the 7th which is the first Monday of the month.

Work Sessions for the Borough Council are held the last Thursday of the month.

Schedule Exceptions:
November work session: Tuesday, November 24
December work session: Tuesday, December 29
First Borough Council meeting of 2021: Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Budget Meetings will occur on October 15 and November 19

Meetings begin at 6 PM and are held 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.