PALMER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING

AUGUST 15, 2005

 

A regular meeting of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors was held on Monday, August 15, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Palmer Library with all Supervisors in attendance.  Also present were the Township Manager, Director of Public Services, Solicitor, and Police Chief.  Joe Nixon from the Morning Call represented the news media.  Colver convened the meeting and led those present in the Pledge to the Flag.

 

2.   APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS – AUGUST 15, 2005

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The reports will be provided at the meeting.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Mitchell, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the disbursement of funds for August 15, 2005.

     

3.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST 1, 2005

 

      DISCUSSION

     

      On motion by Lammi, seconded by Mitchell, and agreed by all, the Board approved the minutes of August 1, 2005 as presented.

 

4.   JOSEPH ASSISE EAGLE SCOUT PROCLAMATION

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The Board of Supervisors will present Joseph Assise his Eagle Scout proclamation.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Chairman Colver presented Joseph Assise a proclamation in recognition of his attainment of Eagle Scout.  Joseph Assise explained the project he completed to the Board.

 

5.   CHAIN DAM ROAD TRAFFIC DISCUSSION

 

      INFORMATION

 

      See email regarding Andrew Skrzenski’s comments on Chain Dam Road traffic issues and recommendation from the traffic committee.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Adams said a resident on Chain Dam Road has requested three items:  a no dumping sign, an additional speed limit sign and road markings on the bike path.  Adams said the traffic committee agrees another no dumping sign should be posted.  Adams said there are already four speed limit signs posted at locations recommended by the police department.  Adams said therefore an additional speed limit sign is not needed.  Adams said the resident’s third request for road markings will be added to the roadway.  Adams said there were road markings before and they will be repainted.

     

6.   DEED OF DEDICATION AND RESOLUTION FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR PALMER BUSINESS PARK SOUTH

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The Board needs to approve/disapprove the Chairman to sign the resolution and deed of dedication.

     

      DISCUSSION

 

      Bruno said the Township Engineer recommended this deed of dedication and he prepared it and forwarded it to Mr. Chrin for his signature.  Bruno said it is regarding the property owned by Mr. Chrin at Hartley Avenue.  

 

      On motion by Mitchell, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board authorized the Chairman to sign the resolution and deed of dedication.

 

      Anckaitis questioned the school district’s use of that intersection.  Colver said technically it has been Mr. Chrin’s road and he’s allowed the school district to use it in the past and now it will be turned over to the township.  Anckaitis said his concern was the township would be letting the school district use the roadway and there still isn’t a traffic signal at the intersection.

     

7.   PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF CABLE PROVIDER ORDINANCE

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The Board needs to approve/disapprove the ordinance.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Colver said this has been before us for some time now for consideration.  Bruno said a case was recently in the newspaper regarding this issue and this ordinance is consistent with that case.  Bruno said the ordinance has been advertised as an amendment to the SALDO which requires a public hearing.

 

      Bruno asked if anyone was in attendance that would like to comment tonight regarding this ordinance.  There were no comments from anyone in attendance.

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the Cable Provider ordinance.

 

8.   DISCUSSION REGARDING EXTENSION OF THE TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY PERMIT FOR THE EASTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The Board needs to approve/disapprove extending the certificate of occupancy permit.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Colver said we’ve given the Easton Area School District previous extensions and the final pieces of their project that need to be completed are the 25th Street signal and the Milford Street road work.  Colver said the school district has acquired their highway occupancy permit and he believes the work will start this week at the 25th Street entrance.

 

      Bruno said the current certificate of occupancy permit will expire August 31, 2005.  Colver asked Bruno if he had a request for an extension date from the school district. Bruno said there have been some meetings between the school district and township officials regarding their project status, but he had not received anything in writing requesting an extension.

 

      Colver said Joe Kish from the school district was supposed to attend tonight and he was under the assumption that it was a six month extension they would be requesting.

 

      The Board agreed to table this action until the end of the meeting in case Mr. Kish would show up late.      

 

      Adams said the change order for the 25th Street project has an end date of December 19, 2005.  Lammi said that is for the work at Milford Street, not the 25th Street project.  Adams said he understands they are starting on 25th Street initially.  Lammi said December 31 may be the best deadline to use for the extension.

 

      Adams said the intersection at Hartley and William Penn Highway is permitted as being a signalized intersection and now it’s just a stop sign.  Adams said isn’t there a risk that the township would be taking on to allow the buses to use this intersection before the signal is put in.  Bruno said in the past we’ve attached conditions with the certificate of occupancy permits.  Bruno said this is the same issue the Township Manager brought up earlier and maybe that could be listed as a condition of the certificate of occupancy permit.  Bruno said he understands the concern with buses using the intersection without a signal. 

 

      Anckaitis said when the 25th Street intersection is closed the school district will be using the Milford Street intersection more frequently.  Colver said we won’t be able to monitor the use of the intersection.  Chief Fretz said at the meeting held with the school district there was so much up in the air at that time but we were told we would get a timeline for the project.  Adams said he hasn’t seen anything.  Fretz said the school district has no clue when and how the buses are going to go in and out of the campus.  Fretz said the school district said that this was going to be decided two days before school starts.  Fretz said the only issue is when 25th Street closes they are going to have to use the Hartley/Milford intersection.  Fretz said there is so much up in the air, but at some point, they will need to use Hartley and Milford 100% of the time.  Fretz said we can put a condition that a police officer needs to be at the intersections, including 25th Street, because there will still be pedestrian traffic even when the road is closed.

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved extending the school districts temporary certificate of occupancy permit until December 31, 2005, with the condition that police protection be provided for all vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic at both intersections of the high school campus, and the cost for the police protection be paid by the school district.

 

      Colver said there is another issue to discuss regarding the school district.  Colver said it was previously agreed that the school district would contribute $110,000 toward the road work project for the Milford Street traffic signalization, a portion would be paid by Chrin for improvements for his portion of the property, and there is approximately $100,000 of work left over.  Colver said the township has $48,000 from the Dunn and Noble account that was designated for traffic improvements in this project.  Colver said this is the township’s portion of the project and we need to have approval of how much we can put toward the project and put it in writing to the school district.  Bruno recommended a not to exceed number.  Bruno said another concern is we need to ensure that the project was publicly bid.  Bruno said it should be a condition if we’re putting funds toward it. 

 

On motion by Colver, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board authorized the Solicitor to draft a letter to the school district, for the Township Manager’s signature, that the township will agree to contribute funds up to $104,000 for intersection improvements for the Milford Street and Greenwood Avenue traffic signalization project, conditioned upon the project being publicly bid by the school district.

 

      Joe Kish from the school district entered the meeting.  Colver updated him on the discussions and motions.

 

9.   STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

 

      INFORMATION

 

      Revisions were made to the agreement and it has been signed by Dan Koplish.  The Board needs to approve/disapprove the Chairman signing the agreement.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Colver said this was discussed and approved two weeks ago.  Bruno said this item was previously approved conditioned upon review of the agreement by him.  Bruno said now he just needs the Chairman to sign the agreement.

 

10. PUBLIC COMMENT

 

      None

 

11. REPORTS

 

Manager

·        One personnel item for executive session.

 

Public Services Director

·        Adams said he received change order #4 from Mark Harman of the Pidcock Company, for the 25th Street signalization project at the school district property requesting the contract be extended to December 15, 2005.  Adams said it includes the radio control system for William Penn Highway and Greenwood Avenue and the traffic signal at Hartley and Wm Penn Highway that will provide antennas and repeaters to coordinate with the rest of the signals.  Adams said the cost is $11,150.  Lammi asked if the left turn arrow going southbound on Greenwood Avenue onto William Penn Highway could be included.  Lammi said he continues to not understand why they say this is not warranted. 

 

      On motion by Lammi, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board authorized the Chairman to sign change order #4 for the signalization project.

 

Police Chief

·        Fretz said Officer Siegfried went back on patrol duty and will be replaced by Officer DiBiasi.

·        Fretz said the summer intern worked well through the summer and continues to pursue his education in criminal justice.

·        Fretz said this past week the department changed dispatch procedures to zone dispatch.  Fretz said they divided the township into four zones, as agreed with County, which gives us more effective radio traffic and managing of the officers and officer response.  Fretz said we now need to switch zones less frequently and it’s a more efficient way of doing things.  Fretz said it’s been working well for over a week now.  Smith asked if the shift commander will just roam now.  Fretz explained the process of who gets the calls and how they would be dispatched. 

 

Supervisors

·        Smith said football season started tonight and he has volunteered to help install the new sound system next weekend.  Smith said cheering started last week.

·        Smith said he is submitting a letter requesting he participate in the township healthcare benefits.  On motion by Panella, seconded by Mitchell, and agreed by four, Smith abstaining, the Board approved Supervisor Smith’s participation in the township healthcare benefits.

·        Colver said he received a letter from the firemen’s relief association regarding the two trucks we recently sold.  Colver said there was equipment on the trucks that was purchased by the relief association years ago.  Colver said the equipment is worth $2,000.  Colver said we sold the trucks for a total of $20,000.  Lammi said that equipment was owned by the association not by the township so when the state does their audit they have to see the money returned to the association. Lammi asked if the $2,000 was the purchase value or the depreciated value, stating he would think it should be depreciated.  Colver read the letter to the Board.  On motion by Lammi, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board authorized reimbursement of $2,000 to the Firemen’s Relief Association for the cost of equipment owned by the association from the two fire vehicles that were recently sold.

·        Colver had one personnel item for executive session.

·        Panella reminded everyone that community weekend begins this week.

 

On motion by Panella, seconded by Mitchell, and agreed by all, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. with two personnel items for executive session.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Robert G. Anckaitis

Township Manager