Regular Meeting November 13, 2013 The Regular Meeting of the Washington Township Board of Supervisors was held on November 12, 2013 at 7:00 pm in the Municipal Meeting Room. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Renaldo called the meeting to order at 7:02 pm. In addition to the Chairman, Vice Chairman Hess and Supervisor Crafa were present. Also present: Engineer Jeffrey Ott, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Putvinski and Zoning Officer Robert Scott. There were 6 people in the audience. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Recited. APPROVAL OF BILLS: General Fund # 13200-13247 $ 50,390.94 Garbage Fund # 1114 $ 32,360.90 Liquid Fuels Fund # 1018 1019 $ 19,103.00 Recreation Fund # 1387-1396 $ 29,883.57 Road Improvement Fund # 1009-1010 $ 364,203.13 Chairman Renaldo moved to approve the General Fund bills in the amount of $50,390.94 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve the Garbage Fund bills in the amount of $32,360.90, the Liquid Fuels Fund bills in the amount of $19,103.00, the Recreation Fund bills in the amount of $29,883.57 and the Road Improvement Fund bills in the amount of $364,203.13 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. All bills are on file in the Administration Building and can be viewed during regular business hours. TAX DUPLICATE CHANGES: Gail Putvinski There were four (4) real estate interim additions and one (1) garbage addition for the month of October 2013. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve four (4) real estate interim additions for the amount of $188.40 and one garbage addition at 200 Cedar Road for October 2013 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. TREASURER S REPORT: Gail Putvinski 1) Treasurer Gail Putvinski reviewed the account balances as of October 31, 2013. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1) Regular Meeting of October 9, 2013 Chairman Renaldo moved to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 9, 2013 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. 2) Special Meeting of October 16, 2013 Chairman Renaldo moved to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting of October 16, 2013 and Supervisor Crafa seconded the motion.
CORRESPONDENCE: 1) Pipeline Awareness Newsletter Fall 2013 2) The Miracle League of Northampton County Contribution Request 3) Northampton County Emergency Management Services NIM104 Training Opportunity 4) Northampton County Emergency Management Services 2013 PennDOT Winter Preparedness Meeting Information 5) County of Northampton Notice of Change F9 4A1, Name and/or Address Change 6) County of Northampton Notice of Change F9 8 15D, Name and/or Address Change 7) Pennsylvania American Water Announces Launch of New Customer Information System October 21 8) H.A. Thomson, Opportunity for Quote for Treasurer s Bond 9) Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Requesting Funding Support 10) Sustainable Energy Fund, Announcement of New Finance Program 11) County of Northampton, Total Assessed Value for Washington Township as of October 31, 2013 is $145,008,200.00 Chairman Renaldo noted that all correspondence was on file at the Township. 12) Blue Mountain Antique Gas & Steam Engine Association, Inc., Thank You Letter for Police Support During Jacktown Shows Chairman Renaldo read the letter expressing thanks for the support of the Police Department. PUBLIC COMMENT: 1) Jeffrey Kerr, 869 Franklin Hill Road Mr. Kerr raised concern regarding illegal dumping at various locations including Hahn Road and Mack Road. The dumping includes, but is not limited to, tires, furniture, and construction materials such as shingles. Mr. Kerr stated that the current waste collector is not taking these items and it is resulting in dumping. Gail Putvinski clarified that tires are not being collected by any contractors in the local area. Tire collection was removed from the current contract. In addition, the current contract provides for one bulk item, per week, per resident. Bulk items include couches, mattresses, and bookcases, but not large amounts of construction materials or electronics. A new law was implemented requiring the recycling of electronics. There are a number of locations available for drop off, but the items must be taken to the facility. Waste Management is the nearest facility to Washington Township. Mr. Kerr suggested that a clean-up plan be implemented that includes dumpsters at strategic locations. The Board of Supervisors agreed to research the concept. Supervisor Crafa raised concern that the dumping is most likely not Washington Township residents and dumpsters may not resolve the problem if the dumping is being done by outsiders. In addition, the Township will not be able to discard the items either, especially if they are comingled. It was also noted that the county offers a series of events for different needs such as prescription drugs, household hazardous wastes, and electronics. Chairman Renaldo agreed to follow-up. SUBDIVISION: 1) Walicki - Lot Line Adjustment Request for Final Approval of Lot Line Adjustment Applicant: Florence A. Walicki Address: 129 Blue Valley Drive (E9NW2-1-4)
Engineer: Robert Collura Approval Deadline: November 12, 2013 BOS Meeting November 13, 2013 Jeff Ott from Ott Consulting Inc. reviewed the letter addressed to the Board of Supervisors dated November 6, 2013. Basically, the applicant has submitted a revised plan for the lot line adjustment. The Township engineer supports granting conditional approval of the revised plan. Mr. Ott recommended that the waivers, which were approved in August, be re-approved at this meeting. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve the waivers 7.3.C.1 and 10.9.A.2 and Supervisor Crafa seconded the motion. Chairman Renaldo moved to grant conditional approval of the Walicki Lot Line Adjustment based on the recommendation of the Township Engineer, Ott Consulting, Inc., with the following conditions; compliance with the Zoning Officer s Review, compliance with all conditions in Township Engineer s letter of November 6, 2013, Unification Deed for Lot 2 with E9NW2-1-5,, payment of fees, evidence of recording the lot consolidation deed to the Township within 5 days of recording, and signature and notarization of plan, and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. Mr. Ott noted that there was no one at the meeting representing the applicant. He offered to send the document to the applicant for signature and then return it to the Township. Chairman Renaldo accepted the offer. 2) DT Development (Deer Track Estates) Location: South 4 th Street Applicant: Ken Snyder Engineer: Liberty Engineering Progress of Improvements Request for Letter of Credit Reduction Engineer Jeffrey Ott reviewed his letter dated November 1, 2013 supporting the release of $24,784.55 for improvements at DT Development. The improvements addressed the concrete sidewalk and street lights. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve Release #5 for DT Development in the amount of $24,784.55, retaining $138,928.39, as recommended in the letter from Ott Consulting, Inc. dated November 1, 2013, and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. 3) Calvary Church of the Nazarene Applicant: Brian Rasley Owner: Calvary Church of the Nazarene Engineer: Scott Policelli Approval Deadline: Request extension An extension was requested and granted on 9/11/13 until November 14, 2013 Chairman Renaldo moved to approve an extension for the Calvary Church of the Nazarene to February, 13, 2014 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion.
RECREATION: Gail Putvinski 1) Pole Building Water & Electric The installation of electric and water in the pole building has been completed and final inspection was performed by L&I. The payment for the work was approved as part of the Recreation Fund bills at the beginning of the meeting. It was noted that the water is not potable. 2) Playground Resurfacing Project The project is complete. 3) Meeting Date Change The Recreation Committee requested approval from the Board of Supervisors to change their meeting date from the second Tuesday of each month to the first Wednesday of each month. The Board of Supervisors had no opposition to the change. POLICE COMMISSIONER S REPORT: David Renaldo 1) Incident Report Chairman Renaldo reported that there were 120 incidents in October 2013. 2) Police Vehicle Mileage. The mileage for October 2013 was 6,215. The mileage per vehicle is as follows; 381 2,128, 382 1,241, 383 1,052 and 384 1,794. 3) Update The Township, like other surrounding municipalities, has experienced some burglaries. One arrest has been made. ZONING REPORT: Robert Scott 1) Update Mr. Scott shared that Nestle Water offered to flush the water system at the pole building and do a water test at no cost. ENGINEER S REPORT: Jeffrey Ott 1) 2013 Oil & Chip Project Complete Authorize Payment Engineer Jeff Ott shared that the oil & chip project is complete and the final invoice is $104,799.55, which is below the original estimate. Mr. Ott recommended payment on the conditions of approval from PennDOT, and implementation of a Change Order extending the completion date from September 13, 2013 to September 30, 2013. Mr. Ott shared that he confirmed that the final sweeping had been completed. Gail Putvinski stated that she did not believe PennDOT approval was required because it was a maintenance project and not a reconstruction project. PennDOT will be contacted for clarity. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve Change Order 1 extending the completion date of the oil and chip project from September 13, 2013 to September 30, 2013 and Supervisor Crafa seconded the motion. Chairman Renaldo moved to approve payment to Asphalt Paving System, Inc. for the oil & chip project in the amount of $104,799.80, upon approval from PennDOT, if needed, and Supervisor Crafa seconded the motion. 2) Sand Mound at 272 Washington Blvd. Chairman Renaldo read the letter from SEO Michael Waldron regarding the sand mound installed at 272 Washington Blvd. A resident raised concern regarding the appropriateness of this type of system at that specific location. The SEO stated that
the sand mound is an approved system, for 272 Washington Blvd. based on DEP guidelines. 3) MS4 Permit Work is progressing. Mr. Ott will schedule time with the road department in December to complete some of the required tasks. He will provide an update at the next BOS meeting. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: David Renaldo 1) PMRS Update Decisions are required to complete the data requirements for the updated agreement for the Non-Uniform Pension Plan managed through PMRS. The Board of Supervisors agreed to identify a date to discuss the pending issues in an executive session. PMRS is requesting the information by mid-december for implementation in January. 2) Discussion Regarding Slate Belt COG Participation for 2014 Chairman Renaldo requested that a representative of the COG be asked to attend the next BOS meeting and provide an update on the proposed changes and planned goals for the COG in 2014. 3) PEMA Close Out Report for Hurricane Irene Filed Report was filed. 4) Finalize and Approve 2012 Audit Gail Putvinski shared that the Board of Supervisors received a final draft copy of the 2012 Financial Statements in October, as prepared by the Auditor, Riley & Company. The draft content was reviewed earlier in the year. Receipt of the final draft document was delayed pending pension information from PMRS. Chairman Renaldo moved to accept the 2012 Financial Statements/Audit as prepared by Riley & Company, the auditing firm for the Township, and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. 5) Washington Township Elementary School Ownership No update available at this time. 6) Veterans Road Issue Signs were posted and Supervisor Crafa stated that there has been reduction in the amount of misdirected traffic. 7) Solid Waste and Recycling Calendar for 2014 and January/February 2015 The calendar was reviewed and approved for printing. It will be distributed to the residents with their tax bills in February. 8) 2013 Budget Revisions Gail Putvinski reviewed a series of changes to the 2013 General Fund budget. In addition, there were changes to the Liquid Fuels budget and the Road Improvement budget. Chairman Renaldo moved to adopt Resolution 13-2013 outlining a series of modifications to the 2013 General Fund budget, the 2013 Liquid Fuels budget and the 2013 Road Improvement budget and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. 9) 2014 Budget Update and Tentatively Adopt the 2014 Budget Gail Putvinski provided an overview of the budget process and the changes made since the last budget meeting on November 6, 2013. The proposed 2014 General Fund budget is $2,038,272.00.
Item 321.620 Contractor Licenses: The 2014 budget amount was increased from $5,000.00 to 6,000.00 based on actual data from 2013. Item 361.340 Zoning Hearing Fees: The 2014 budget amount was increased from $4,000.00 to 5,000.00 based on actual data from 2013. Item 399.010 Fund Balance Forward: The 2014 budget amount was increased from $0 to $317,701.00. This is the budget deficit. The Board of Supervisors agreed at their last meeting to address the deficit with the fund balance and not raise taxes. Total Income: On this view, estimated to be $2,038,272.00 (including the fund balance). Item 410.350 Police Insurance & Bonding: Increased from $11,000 to $13,000 based on 2013 actuals and input from the insurance broker. Item 486.354 Workers Comp. Ins. Increased from $83,000 to $87,000 based on 2013 actuals and input from the insurance broker. Total Expense: Estimated to be $2,032,272.00 A package was distributed to each Supervisor with the Draft budget message, the 2014 Draft General Fund Budget and the Draft budget for each sub-budget. The subbudgets will be scheduled for adoption at the December meeting. Chairman Renaldo moved to tentatively adopt and advertise the availability of the DRAFT 2014 General Fund budget in the amount of $2,038,272.00, with the same millage rate of 6, and Supervisor Crafa seconded the motion. Public Comment: Mrs. Keyser asked if the budget provided for additional road support, more specifically another member, considering that the department is currently at one fulltime member. Chairman Renaldo responded that he is hopeful Gerald will be back at the beginning of the year. He also stated that additional part-time support will be used to add resources. In addition, he is recommending that plans be put in place to add a third full-time member to the road department in 2015. Unfortunately, it was not feasible this year. Vote 3 0 10) Proposal for Sergeant Exam Progress is underway to plan for the exam for three members of the department in the early part of next year. 11) Additional Part-time Seasonal Road Employee The Township received resumes from individuals expressing interest in joining the road department as either part-time or full-time. Chairman Renaldo reviewed the resumes and recommended the Board consider hiring Joseph Lerch as a part-time, seasonal road department employee. Chairman Renaldo moved to hire Joseph Lerch as a part-time, seasonal road department member, at a rate of $18.72 per hour, effective November 18, 2013 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. 12) Letter of Resignation Submitted by Zoning Secretary Chairman Renaldo read a letter of resignation from Danielle Pirner Chairman Renaldo moved to accept the resignation of Danielle Pirner as Washington Township Zoning/Planning Secretary and Administrative Assistant, effective immediately and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. ROADMASTER S REPORT: David Renaldo
Chairman Renaldo stated that the Township received a complaint regarding the condition of Mack Road and the safety of children waiting for the bus and riding the bus, especially through the winter. The issue was discussed at the November 6, 2013 meeting. Chairman Renaldo stated at the November 6, 2013 meeting that patching of the most damaged section could be done for approximately $4,000.00, based on an estimate from Keiper Trucking & Paving. Gail Putvinski reported that the budget changes reviewed earlier included a provision of the $4,000.00 for this work. Chairman Renaldo moved to authorize Keiper Trucking & Paving to move forward with patching the most damaged section of Mack Road for a maximum of $4,000.00 and Vice Chairman Hess seconded the motion. SOLICITOR S REPORT: Planned Absence ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Renaldo moved, and Vice Chairman Hess seconded to adjourn at 8:02 pm. Respectfully submitted, Gail Putvinski Secretary/Treasurer Washington Township Board of Supervisors