MINUTES

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS                                         LOWER ALLEN TOWNSHIP

REGULAR MEETING                                                            OCTOBER 22, 2018

The following were in ATTENDANCE:

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS                                      TOWNSHIP PERSONNEL

Edward Black, President                                                   Thomas G. Vernau, Jr., Township Manager

Jack R. Simpson Jr.                                                               Erin G. Trone, Assistant Township Manager

Richard F. Schin                                                                    David Holl, Public Safety Director

Dean W. Villone                                                                    Dan Flint, Public Works Director

Carolyn Holtzman                                                                  Richard Grove, Finance Director       

                                                                                                Leon Crone, Police Captain

                                                                                               Steven P. Miner, Solicitor

                                                                                               Tina Thomas, Recording Secretary                                                                                    

 

President Black called the October 22, 2018 Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners to order at 7:00 pm followed by a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.  He announced that Proof of Publication was available for review. 

MEETING MINUTES

Commissioner VILLONE moved to approve the minutes of the October 1, 2018 Budget Meeting. Commissioner HOLTZMAN seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0, with Commissioner SCHIN abstaining due to absence.

Vice President SIMPSON moved to approve the minutes of the October 8, 2018 regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.  Commissioner SCHIN seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0, with Commissioner HOLTZMAN abstaining due to absence.

WSREC PRESENTATION: 

Mr. John Minito is present tonight representing the West Shore Recreation Commission which we contract with for recreational services. He is president of West Shore Rec and has been affiliated with it for 28 years. The Commission currently serves six municipalities including Lower Allen. Mr. Minito thanked Lower Allen Township for their loyalty and commitment to the program. Each municipality has a representative and ours is Mr. Peddrick Young. He also stated that they have been able to keep the cost at $2.50 per capita for the past five years. Mr. Minito introduced his assistants Eric Stauffer and Todd Miller, who are also present at tonight’s meeting. He thanked President Black for his many years of involvement.

Resolution 2018-R-40

President Black presented Mr. Eric Stauffer, Recreation Manager, with Resolution 2018-R-40 recognizing his service with the West Shore Recreation Commission. Commissioner SCHIN moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner VILLONE seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

Resolution 2018-R-41

President Black presented Mr. Todd Miller, Senior Program Coordinator, with Resolution 2018-R-41 recognizing his service with the West Shore Recreation Commission. Vice President SIMPSON moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner VILLONE seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

PRESENTATION:  POLICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS AND CITATIONS

Public Safety Director David Holl thanked the Board for hosting this presentation and stated that some officers are unable to attend due to vacation or being out on a call. The awards are for events dating back to 2016.

Corporal Jeremy Reed “For heads-up decision making and deployment of assets, including a K-9 track, that led to the apprehension of a local serial burglar.”  –Director’s Certificate

Corporal Jeremy Reed, Officer Kevin Cramer, Officer Curt Heckler, Detective Troy McNair, and Public Safety Specialist David Ickler “For the actions displayed by you and other officers with regards to the investigation of burglaries, culminating in the arrest of the suspect on 11/22/16.”  –Unit Citation

Public Safety Director David Holl, Captain Leon Crone, Lieutenant Gregory Thomas, Sergeant Doug Foltz, Corporal Detective DJ Sentman, Corporal Matthew Claeys, Detective Donald Coffey, Officer Michael Scarlato, Officer Laura Tamanosky, Officer Kenneth Stirling, Officer Katie Justh, Officer Bryan Rennie, Officer Alex Milletics, Officer Torrie Shiley, and Public Safety Specialist David Ickler “For your actions culminating on 1/27/17, along with other officers, an investigation into drug activity on Orchard Road.” – Unit Citation

Officer Alex Milletics, Officer Timothy Cox, Officer Thomas Gelnett “For actions displayed by you and other officers on 7/19/17. Your swift action in dealing with containment of a staircase fire and evacuation of the building surely saved both lives and property.” – Unit Citation

Corporal Jeremy Read, Officer Curt Heckler, Corporal Matthew Claeys, Officer Kevin Cramer, Corporal Edward Curtis, Officer Kenneth Stirling, Officer Michael Scarlato “For the actions displayed in responding on 7/20/17 to an active vehicle break-in in the lot of Homewood Suites. Your quick action in locating and apprehending the suspect and subsequent investigation cleared incidents in multiple jurisdictions and returned sever hundred dollars in stolen merchandise.” – Unit Citation

Officer Bryan Rennie and Officer Katie Justh “For actions displayed on 7/4/18. When responding to an active burglary call, you found yourselves in a fight for survival. Your resiliency, bravery, and will to win ensured that you prevailed that day. Your restraint ensured that the suspect survived the day as well – Meritorious Service Award / Officer Bryan Rennie, Officer Katie Justh, Officer Torie Shiley, Corporal Richard Tamanosky – Unit Citation

President Black spoke about being proud of our Police Department and Officers.

 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION:  There was no response.

CONSENT AGENDA

Vice President Simpson asked that any Commissioner, staff member or anyone in attendance who would like to have an item on the Consent Agenda removed for further discussion request so now.  There was no response. The following items were on the Consent Agenda:

1. Department reports for the month of September for Community Development, Fleet, Township Engineer, Public Works, and Public Safety.
2. Tax Collector’s September 2018 monthly report.
3. SLD Docket No. 2018-08: Lot Line Adjustment Plan for 1528 & 1540 Sheepford Road.

Commissioner SCHIN moved to accept the Consent Agenda and Vice President SIMPSON seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

PRESIDENT BLACK

CHECK REGISTER

Vice President SIMPSON moved to approve the Check Register of October 12, 2018 in the amount of $310,486.39. Commissioner VILLONE seconded it.  Motion carried 5-0. 

ORDINANCE 2018-05, LITTER

Commissioner VILLONE moved to approve Ordinance 2018-05, which adds Chapter 134, Litter, to the Codified Ordinances of Lower Allen Township. Commissioner Schin questioned if this was the final draft of the ordinance, due to there being a crossed out word.  President Black stated that the Board could still act on the Ordinance.  The typo will be corrected on the signed copy.

Roll Call Vote:            Commissioner Holtzman:  Aye

                                                    Commissioner Schin:  No

                                                    President Black:  Aye

                                                    Vice President Simpson: No

                                                    Commissioner Villone:  Aye

Ordinance 2018-05 passed by a 3-2 vote.

ORDINANCE 2018-10 STORMWATER AUTHORITY DUTIES

Commissioner SCHIN moved to pass an ordinance delegating certain duties related to stormwater to the Lower Allen Township Stormwater Authority.

Roll Call Vote:            Commissioner Holtzman:  Aye

                                                    Commissioner Schin:  Aye

                                                    President Black:  Aye

                                                    Vice President Simpson: Aye

                                                    Commissioner Villone:  Aye

Ordinance 2018-10 passed by a 5-0 vote.

ANY BUSINESS PERTINENT TO THE TOWNSHIP

 There was none.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Refurbish Bay Floors at Station #1

Director Holl spoke about the need to refurbish the fire bay floors at Station #1. The surface currently presents an issue involving slips and falls when wet, and has already resulted in one worker’s compensation case. He presented a quote from Durex Coverings that came in slightly under the 2018 budgeted amount at $29,950. If approved, work can begin in November. This should only take 2 to 3 days to complete.

Commissioner SCHIN moved to accept the motion and Commissioner HOLTZMAN seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

ENGINEER

Fence for Allendale Park

Mr. Dan Flint spoke about the need to replace the fence at Allendale Park, which is still the original fence. He would like to award the contract to Paramount Fence LLC, who offered the lowest bid at $11,000.00. The budgeted amount for the fence is $7,500 and there is $2,500 available in the Parks and Recreation capital which will go towards the cost. Commissioner VILLONE moved to award the contract to Paramount Fence LLC and Commissioner SCHIN seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

ASSISTANT MANAGER

Fun Fort Grant

The Township received a grant of $192,000 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for rehabilitation of the Fun Fort. We have a matching grant of $38,000 from the county for the Fun Fort. Mrs. Trone stated that she is hopeful that demolition work can be done over the winter with construction starting in early spring.

Stormwater Detention Basins

We have received two grants from the Department of Environmental Protection to be used for retrofitting stormwater detention basins in the Township. The $122,358 grant is for the larger basin in Sheepford and the $60,536 grant is for the Public Works Facility.  These two projects were on our Pollution Reduction Plan and these grants will reduce our MS4 costs.

Walkworks Grant

Mrs. Trone and Mr. Flint found a grant called Walkworks which could be used toward our Pedestrian Transportation Plan. If we were to receive it, the grant would total around $10,000. Mrs. Trone requested a motion to approve sending in the letter of commitment which is required to apply for the grant. Commissioner SCHIN moved to approve the letter and Vice President SIMPSON seconded it. Motion carried 5-0.

Bon Ton Update

Mrs. Trone gave an update to the Board of the status of the Bon Ton project. She stated that Lower Allen Township signed a sales agreement on September 21^st which began a 45-day due diligence period. We paid $810,000, or 10% down, with our sales agreement. This ends on November 5^th after which we cannot get our money back. This is the last Board Meeting prior to November 5^th. Consultants have been in and checked it out. Surveying still needs to be done. A review of the structural components of the building revealed that demolition will make the most financial sense. The Development Authority would like to get proposals for bank financing. Our closing date is January 18, 2019 and it would be best to have financing in place by then. We are hoping to receive a grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development for $3 million through the “Business in our Sites” program. We should hear back about this in mid-November. We anticipate having a builder buy us out or multiple builders in sections. There has already been interest expressed in the project. If we do not receive any funding, the Development Authority has determined that borrowing $15 million for five years will be adequate to cover acquisition and site work. They need backing from the Township on this loan. The bank loan will not involve a bond rating. A draft resolution and ordinance will be provided to the Board at the November 26^th BOC meeting. There will be a special meeting to accept the financing proposal before the closing date of January 18^th. At this time the Board will need to adopt the ordinance and resolution guaranteeing the $15 million loan. We anticipate receiving $250,000/year lease payments from the 3 restaurants on the property to help offset the taxes and maintenance costs for things like snow plowing and mowing.

Commissioner SCHIN moved to allow the Development Authority to authorize Concord Public Financing to seek bank Request for Proposals for $15 million. Vice President SIMPSON seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

MANAGER

Ordinance 2018-11 Defined Contribution Plan provisions.

Mr. Vernau stated that Ordinance 2018-11 is the last step needed to finalize the Defined Contribution plan for new Non-Uniformed employees. He requested permission to advertise the Ordinance for adoption at the second public meeting in November. Discussion ensued. Commissioner SCHIN moved to authorize advertisement of this Ordinance and Vice President SIMPSON seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Sample Ordinance from Cumberland County Tax Collection Committee

Mr. Vernau explained the memo we received from Cumberland County Tax Collection Committee outlining the state’s interest in statewide collection and distribution of income tax collection and distribution. Commissioner Villone has been our representative at these meetings. Most tax collection committees in the state, including CCTCC, are opposed to state collection and distribution, as it is believed to be less efficient. We have written to our Representative and our Senator opposing this potential legislation already. The sample resolution is a request for additional Township support by the CCTCC. Vice President SIMPSON moved to have this resolution introduced at the next public meeting and Commissioner VILLONE seconded. Motion carried 5-0. This will be on the next agenda for action.

Revised Pay Scales

Mr. Vernau provided proposed pay ranges for 2019, as determined by the 2017 salary study. He stated that this mostly affects new hires more than current employees, unless the current employees are below the minimum. When asked how the salary numbers affect the budget, Mr. Grove stated that these exact numbers have not been plugged into it yet, however there is 2.8% added into the budget for all non-uniform employees. The Commissioners are in favor of putting the new numbers into the budget to see how it looks.

Mr. Vernau stated that he, Vice President Simpson, and Mr. Grove will be interviewing potential pension investment companies and actuaries on Friday.

COMMISSIONERS REPORTS

Township Manager Tom Vernau spoke about a plaque that has been created in memory of Ken Rocuskie. It will be hung outside the Fleet Maintenance entrance of the Public Works building. They are accepting donations if anyone is interested.

Vice President Simpson stated that he had fun at the Grand Opening of Dave and Buster’s today and the food was good.

Commissioner Schin spoke about his desire to encourage transparency among the Board members.

Commissioner Holtzman inquired about the trees on Carlisle Road that are hanging out over the roadway.

Mr. Vernau stated that the residents have received their second letter. If nothing is done, the Township will eventually cut the trees down and send the property owners the bill.

Public Safety Director Holl spoke about the House and Senate passing House Bill 1013. This will hold patients responsible for an EMS call, even if they refuse transport when EMS is on the scene. It is awaiting signature by the Governor which is anticipated.

President Black also mentioned that he was impressed with the food and atmosphere at Dave & Busters.

RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION

The meeting was recessed to Executive Session at 8:48 pm. An appeal from May Department Stores/Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc. was discussed as well as a potential tax settlement for Orchard Apartments.

The Board reconvened at 9:06 pm and Vice President SIMPSON moved to authorize the Solicitor to intervene in the assessment appeal from May Department Stores/Macy’s. Commissioner HOLTZMAN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Vice President SIMPSON moved to authorize the Solicitor to settle the Orchard Park Apartments tax appeal for 4.436 million in assessed value. Commissioner HOLTZMAN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

ADJOURNMENT

The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners adjourned to Executive Session at 9:08 pm.