Monthly Business Meeting
Executive session held 6:32 PM to 6:47 PM — Litigation
Summary
The Halifax Township Board of Supervisors held their monthly business meeting on July 8, 2013, with all five supervisors present: Kenneth Bechtel (Chairman), Brad Bruner, Ken Hoover, Randy Paul, and Gary Shultz. The nearly three-hour meeting covered a full agenda spanning road paving, property nuisance enforcement, stormwater management approvals, and emerging questions about fireworks sales regulation. A brief executive session on litigation preceded the public meeting.
- Paving contract awarded to Meckley's Limestone, Inc. for $49,708.00, the lower of two bids received (Eastern Industries bid $51,680.00). The work includes Taylor School Road, with line painting to follow on all recently paved roads.
- PennDOT Winter Maintenance contract signed, under which the township will receive $4,197.06 for snow removal on state roads within the township.
- Bechtel Stormwater Management Plan approved with conditions: the applicant must provide supplemental documentation, sign and execute the O&M Agreement, have it recorded, and pay all fees. The board also granted technical waivers for seven of nine items flagged in Engineer Tom Wilson's May 31 review.
- Two nuisance letters authorized: one to a North River Road property owner regarding an abandoned trailer, and one to a property owner named Masser for tall grass. The board declined to pursue a separate complaint about an unlicensed truck on the Masser property, concluding it may be used in his business.
- Roadmaster authorized to begin hiring two part-time employees by reviewing existing applications with the hiring committee, after losing two current workers.
- Solicitor directed to research fireworks sales permitting after a vendor asked the township to acknowledge fireworks sales — the township currently has no permit process or ordinance covering this.
- Township authorized a support letter for the Sewer and Water Authority's grant application to fund expansion, repair, and replacement of utility lines. A related motion to appoint a watershed upgrade representative was tabled until August.
- Financial security released for the Fulkroad/Flight Source development, contingent on all outstanding fees being paid, following an engineer site visit.
During public comment, Flo Mallonee urged the board to keep any forthcoming noise ordinance simple and cautioned against crafting rules targeting a single individual. Chairman Kenneth Bechtel also reported that Norfolk Southern Railroad has acknowledged a stormwater runoff problem affecting the Tourist Park area and intends to address it, following a complaint from resident Tracy Cooper.
Who was there
Kenneth Bechtel (Supervisor, Chairman) · Brad Bruner (Supervisor) · Ken Hoover (Supervisor) · Randy Paul (Supervisor) · Gary Shultz (Supervisor) · Bruce Warshawsky (Solicitor) · Tom Wilson (Engineer) · Corey Stazewski (Roadmaster) · Carolyn Nye (Secretary/Treasurer)
Public comments
Meeting business
PAVING BIDS
Bids were received from Meckley's Limestone Inc. at $49,708.00 and Eastern Industries at $51,680.00. Roadmaster Corey Stazewski was asked to review the bids and report back later in the meeting.
SECRETARY/TREASURER REPORT
Interim and current bills were approved for payment (5-0). Minutes from the June 10, 2013 meeting were approved with corrections to the Sycamore Tree Ordinance (p. 3) and Ag Security Area (p. 4), and the June 17 special meeting minutes were approved as written (5-0). Melinda Warfel asked about scrap metal revenue from the May cleanup day; Corey Stazewski estimated approximately $1,400.00 was received from Coleman's.
PARK COMMITTEE REPORT
Supervisor Shultz reported on seven items including proposed trail construction, Ft. Halifax Park sign improvements, park spraying certification, trimming and clean-up, a building envelope drawing, corncrib threshold construction, and park mowing. The Board approved the sign change and location (5-0) and agreed to allow modest trail improvements.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Chairperson Flo Mallonee reported the Planning Commission recommended approval of the Bechtel SWM Plan, contingent on responding to Tom Wilson's comments #1 and #8 from his May 31, 2013 review, recording the O&M Agreement, and completing the application with fees paid. Waivers for items 2-7 and 9 were recommended for approval. The Commission also recommended the Board draft a letter supporting the Sewer and Water Authority's pursuit of a grant for improvements and expansion.
ENGINEER REPORT
Tom Wilson read his report dated July 2, 2013; no action was taken. Wilson noted he would be on vacation the second week of August and Adam Davis would attend the supervisors' meeting in his place.
SOLICITOR REPORT
Bruce Warshawsky reported on several matters: Lenker Estates expects modified plans within two weeks for township engineer review per a new agreement with Lenker and Sweigard. The Farhat Lot's subdivision conditions bind any subsequent purchaser, who may attend a Planning Commission meeting with advance notice. The Kline nuisance cleanup is slowly progressing. Regarding the Tracy Cooper stormwater complaint near Tourist Park, Chairman Bechtel contacted Gregg Rainey of Norfolk Southern Railroad, who indicated the railroad plans to work on alleviating the stormwater runoff problem.
ROADMASTER REPORT
Corey Stazewski reported on multiple items. The Board voted 5-0 to send a nuisance letter regarding a trailer on North River Road. Alex Acres residents were asked to photograph runoff issues. Line painting will occur on recently paved roads after Taylor School Road is paved. A complaint about Dusty Trail Road brush was declined as it is a private road. The Board authorized Corey to review applications for two part-time employees (5-0). A nuisance letter was approved for the Masser property regarding tall grass (5-0), though the Board chose not to pursue the unlicensed truck issue. A sample snow removal policy was referred to the solicitor for review (5-0).
ADMINISTRATIVE
The Board authorized Chairman Bechtel to sign a PennDOT winter maintenance contract paying the township $4,197.06 (5-0). Supervisor Bruner presented the Audit Committee Report, and the Board authorized the secretary to send it to the auditors (5-0).
OLD BUSINESS
The Board accepted Meckley's Limestone Inc.'s paving bid of $49,708.00 (5-0). The solicitor will prepare a Noise Ordinance for the Board. Waivers for items 2-7 and 9 of Tom Wilson's May 31 review were granted for the Bechtel SWM Plan (5-0), and the plan was approved with conditions requiring supplemental documentation, a signed application, and a recorded O&M Agreement with fees paid (5-0). The Board authorized release of the Fulkroad/Flight Source financial security contingent upon all outstanding fees being paid (5-0).
NEW BUSINESS
Regarding a fireworks sales inquiry, the Board authorized the solicitor to research whether the township is obligated to permit fireworks sales (5-0). The Board authorized the solicitor to draft a letter supporting the Sewer and Water Authority's grant application for line improvements, expansion, repair, and replacement (5-0). The Water Shed Upgrade representative issue was tabled until the August meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Supervisor Bruner made a motion to adjourn at 9:50 p.m., seconded by Supervisor Hoover, motion carried 5-0.
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