PALMER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

 

      A general business meeting of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors was held on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Palmer Library with four Supervisors in attendance:  Dave Colver, Bob Lammi, Ann-Marie Panella and Bob Smith.  Mike Mitchell was absent.  Also in attendance were the Township Manager, Public Services Director, Police Chief and Township Solicitor.  Chairman Colver convened the meeting and led those present in the Pledge to the Flag. 

 

2.   APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS NOVEMBER 16, 2009

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The report will be provided at the meeting.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the disbursement of funds for November 16, 2009.

 

3.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES – NOVEMBER 2, 2009

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Lammi, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board approved the minutes of November 2, 2009.

                 

4.   TOWER ONE PROPOSED LOCATIONS AND AGREEMENT APPROVAL

 

      INFORMATION       

 

      The Board needs to approve/disapprove the proposed tower locations and agreement.

     

      DISCUSSION

     

      Larry Romanowski, Principal and Nicholas Pullen, Partner of Tower One were in attendance.  Colver reviewed that they were before the Board a few meetings ago and we reviewed their proposal and asked them to return with the proposed sites for the towers.

 

      Romanowski thanked Tom Adams, the township Public Services Director, for giving them a tour of the township.  Romanowski said they identified five sites within the township:  the municipal complex, community center, recycling center, fire station #2 and the yard waste center above Riverview Park.  Romanowski said they are very interested in the community center or recycling center on Harelty Avenue.  He said either of those sites would serve the Route 22 corridor and from a construction standpoint it would be easy construction.  Colver asked if it is one or the other of those two locations.  Romanowski said yes.  The Board agreed they would prefer to use the recycling center site.  Romanowski said they would like to pursue the recycling center and market it.  Pullen said the recycling center is a half mile from an existing tower where the community center is one mile from an existing tower.  Colver asked where it would be located at the community center.  Adams said by the property line between the Palmer athletic complex and the center complex.  Romanowski said fire station #2 is a very tight site and it is only a quarter mile from an existing tower.  Romanowski said the yard waste center above Riverview Park is also a great site.  Romanowski said the municipal complex is another good area.  Romanowski said they prefer the following three locations; the yard waste center at the end of Berks Street, the recycling center or community center, and by Fire Station #1 in the open field near the fire station.  Lammi said he’s seen huge flag poles as cell towers and asked if that would be a possibility.  Romanowski said it is possible but with flag poles they are limited on the number of providers you can put on them.  Romanowski said he knows Verizon won’t go on a flag pole.  Colver said the yard waste and public works sites are good options with the community center not too bad of an option either.  Colver asked that the solicitor review the agreement and asked the other Board members to visit the locations being proposed.  Bruno asked the Tower One representatives to put together specific locations of the proposed areas and noted he would like a copy of the Exhibit B Ground Lease that was noted in their September 15th letter.  Colver asked that the item be put on the agenda for the December 7th meeting.

 

      Frank Farraina asked the board why they are wasting time putting something on public land.  Colver reviewed the prior meeting discussions where it will allow the township to control where the towers get placed and it will also generate revenue for the township.  Ferraina said he doesn’t believe the Board should let public land be used for private use.

 

5.   LOCAL SERVICES TAX ORDINANCE AMENDMENT

 

      INFORMATION       

 

      The Board needs to approve/disapprove the local services tax ordinance amendment.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Panella, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board approved the amendment to the Local Services Tax ordinance. 

 

6.      STREET LIGHT RESOLUTION

 

      INFORMATION       

 

      The obsolete and malfunctioning 250 watt mercury vapor street light at the corner of Kendon Drive and Schaeffer Avenue was replaced by a more efficient 150 watt high pressure sodium vapor light.  The Board needs to approve/disapprove the street light resolution.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Lammi, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board approved the street light resolution for upgrade to the light at Kendon Drive and Schaeffer Avenue.

 

7.      FIRE TRUCK BID AWARD

 

      INFORMATION       

 

      Bid information will be distributed to the Board at the meeting.  The Board needs to approve/disapprove the bid awards.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      Colver said a few months ago we discussed the bidding process for a new fire truck.  Final payment for the latest truck we purchased was made in 2009 and with changes coming related to new engines in 2010 the Board agreed to allow the department to go out to bid in 2009.  Colver said a single bid was received on Friday from Pierce Manufacturing in the amount of $559,479.00.  Lammi asked what we will be replacing.  Delmar Grube, Fire Commissioner, said it was a 1989 Ford.  Colver said $475,000 is the number that would be paid by the township and the fireman’s relief association will cover the rest of the cost.  Colver said he looked into a loan for that amount and it comes to an approximate $78,000 annual payment.  Colver said there is also a credit of $7,000 for making a large payment up front that is worth considering.  Bruno recommended the bid be awarded conditioned upon the approval of the purchase of the new fire truck in the 2010 budget. 

 

On motion by Colver, seconded by Lammi, and agreed by all, the Board awarded the bid to the sole bidder, Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., in the amount of $559,479.00, contingent upon the Board approving the new fire truck purchase in the 2010 budget.

 

8.   PUBLIC COMMENT

 

      Frank Ferraina, 1 Brentwood Avenue, said with the economy in the state it is in, retirees are not going to receive social security increases in 2010.  Ferraina said Easton Suburban Water Authority increased their fees for minimal usage and the utility controls in Pennsylvania go off January 1st that will result in a minimum 30 to 40% increase on what we pay now.  Ferraina asked the Board to start thinking about this now and not give each department everything they need.  Ferraina recommended the township consider freezing hiring or eliminating jobs if not needed.  Colver said last year we did not replace five positions and this year we did not fill them again.  Ferraina said it’s not so much for 2010 but you should look into the next five years.  Colver said the Township Manager and his staff have done a great job with budget reductions.  Ferraina said the school district and county are looking at increases.  Lammi said we’ve been thinking about this since the downturn in the economy started.  Lammi said the township staff has done a super job in watching their spending.  Ferraina added there are no overhead signs at the intersection at Northwood Extension and Route 248 heading west on the Northwood Extension.

 

      Carol-Lee Parr, 3510 Nazareth Road, said when Gary Strausser wanted the land across from her home to be rezoned we formed a committee against him.  Parr said she was the secretary of that group and at that time the land was rezoned residential/commercial.   Parr said at the zoning hearing board meeting they said it is zoned business/commercial.  Parr said it is not.  Lammi said those two options couldn’t combine together.  The Board at that time voted to change it from business to commercial but we never combine commercial with residential.  Colver said your side of the street is zoned residential and at a later date there was an overlay district put into effect for Route 248.  Colver said, for example, if you sold your home to a doctor they could go through a process to change your home to an office use.  The change on the other side of the street was to change the zoning from industrial to commercial use.  Parr asked if this Board would allow a Sheetz, CVS, etc. on that property. Colver said those uses are allowed in that zoning district.  Parr asked who on this Board will approve this proposal.  Colver said Mr. Strausser has to submit plans on the project and this Board cannot make any kind of decision without reviewing a plan and working out a lot of issues.  Colver said the process also needs to get through zoning and then the Planning Commission before it gets to the Board of Supervisors.  Parr said she doesn’t understand why they want to face the signs on their property toward our homes.  Lammi said they rejected the sign on the canopy banner that is usually at a Sheetz location.  Lammi recommended Ms. Parr attend the Planning Commission meetings to express her concerns.  Parr said the Morning Call talked about three proposals – one indicated a turn around loop.  Parr asked if the Board knew if they wanted to take their homes.  Lammi said he saw a sketch plan but nothing included any kind of loop.  Parr said she would like to see Mr. Strausser build this across from his home.  Colver suggested Ms. Parr call the township Planning Director and make an appointment to review the sketch plan for the project.       

 

9.   REPORTS

       

Solicitor

·        Bruno had one real estate item for executive session.

     

Public Services Director

·        Adams distributed a memo to the Board regarding a piece of property the township owns by the Children’s Home.  Adams said Wilson Borough is interested in purchasing the property.  Adams said he wondered if back in 1986 when the property was purchased if there was any intention of the bike path being continued through to Iron Street.  Colver said he didn’t believe we would have any use for it.  Colver asked the Solicitor to look into the possibility of turning it over to Wilson.

     

Supervisors

·        Smith said the football season ended and the varsity team won the championship.  Smith added basketball practice has started.

·        Lammi said he put graphs showing comparisons from 2008 vs. 2009 on how we are doing with township recycling on the website.  We are running about the same as we have in the past for waste recycling.  Lammi said from a curbside recycling standpoint we are doing terribly.  The recycling center is doing better but it doesn’t make up for the decline in curbside recycling.  Lammi said when we start to look forward to the next contract we need to do something to help these numbers.

·        Colver said a few years back we received a request from the Chrin Landfill for letters of support from users of the landfill.  Colver said he received another request from Chrin today because they are going through the process to renew their permit.  A public hearing is scheduled for December and they are asking local municipalities for letters of support.  The Board agreed to send a letter of support.  On motion by Colver, seconded by Lammi, and agreed by all, the Board agreed to have the Township Manager draft a letter of support for the Chairman’s signature.

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. with one real estate item for executive session.

     

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Robert G. Anckaitis

Township Manager