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Home»Board of Commissioners Minutes»Board of Commissioners
2-09-15 Minutes

Board of Commissioners
2-09-15 Minutes

MINUTES

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS                                       LOWER ALLEN TOWNSHIP

REGULAR MEETING                                      FEBRUARY 9, 2015

The following were in ATTENDANCE:

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS                                                 TOWNSHIP PERSONNEL
H. Edward Black, President                                                    Thomas G. Vernau Jr., Township Manager
Peddrick M. Young, Sr, Vice President                                   Erin Trone, Assistant Township Manager
John T. Titzel                                                                         Frank Williamson, Chief of Police
Richard F. Schin                                                                    Daniel Flint, Community Development
Lloyd W. Bucher                                                                    Richard Grove, Finance Director
                                                                                              Steven P. Miner, Solicitor
                                                                                              Julie Echterling, Recording Secretary

 
President Black called the February 9, 2015 Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners to order at 7:05 pm, followed by a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. He announced Proof of Publication was available for review.

APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Commissioner TITZEL moved to approve the minutes for the January 12, 2015 regular meeting. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0-1. Commissioner Schin abstained as he arrived during Executive Session.

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONS-Performance
President Black read letters of commendation for Mrs. Dianna Knisley, Public Safety, William Yeagley, Community Development, and Ms. Betz England, formerly of Administration. The letter thanked them for their work on the new website for the Township. The Board thanked them for their service.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW TOWNSHIP STAFF
Chief Williamson briefly introduced Ashley Krajcsik, EMT, who had to leave on an ambulance call. He then introduced Dave Ickler, who is working full-time as an Evidence Technician in the Public Safety Department. Finally, Williamson introduced Officer Brian Rennie who is currently in the police academy. He discussed the background of each of the new full-time employees. The Board welcomed them.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA
President Black inquired if anyone in the audience wished to address any item appearing on the agenda. There was no response.

CONSENT AGENDA
President Black advised that any Commissioner, Staff member, or anyone in attendance could request any item on the Consent Agenda be removed for further discussion and asked if there was such request. There was no response.

Commission TITZEL moved to approve the items on the Consent Agenda as submitted, those items being the following:

a. Department Reports for the month of December 2014 for Economic Development, Community Development, Township Engineer, Public Works, Fleet Maintenance and Public Safety.

b. An increase in Improvement Security for SLD Docket No. 2011-02, Final Land Development Plan for Juice and Java, 3702 Gettysburg Road, establishing a new amount of $56,847.01 and a new expiration date of January 26, 2016.

Commissioner SCHIN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

PRESIDENT BLACK
Approval of Check Register
Commissioner TITZEL made a motion to approve the Check Register of January 23, 2015 in the amount of $241,466.89. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to approve the Check Register of February 6, 2015 in the amount of $137,797.45. Commissioner SCHIN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Motion to approve or disapprove payment to Sponaugle Construction.
Vice President YOUNG made a motion to approve payment of Invoice No. 5 in the amount of $24,404.40 to Sponaugle Construction Services for General Construction on the Cedar Spring Run Park Project. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

ANY BUSINESS PERTINENT TO THE TOWNSHIP
There was no response.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
SLD Docket No. 2015-01, 2404 Gettysburg Road Building Expansion.
Mr. Flint discussed the proposed 42,961 square foot warehouse addition to the existing 124,901 square foot warehouse building at 2404 Gettysburg Road. He showed the Board the location of the warehouse. He stated there were a few changes since the Planning Commission meeting. He discussed the changes to the stormwater management, sewer line/service, and proposed easement for future trails in lieu of sidewalks. Discussion ensued. He stated the plan would be ready for action at the next meeting.

Authorizing staff to advertise for bids for the 2015 Street Paving Project.
Mr. Flint discussed his memo outlining the paving project for 2015. He spoke about the samples taken from streets and the results of the testing. He showed the Board the locations of the proposed repaving. He stated the repaving would take place in the summer. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner SCHIN made a motion to authorize staff to advertise for bids for the 2015 Street Paving Project. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Termination of agreement with Shiremanstown Borough.
Mr. Flint discussed the request from Shiremanstown Borough to terminate the agreement for providing plan review and inspection services to the Borough. He stated that Shiremanstown has hired a third party agency to provide all the UCC services and zoning code administration.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to terminate the Building Permit Application Plan Review and Inspection Service Agreement between the Shiremanstown Borough and Lower Allen Township effective immediately. Commissioner TITZEL seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Drainage Plan No. DP 2014-05, Deacon Industrial, 2410 Gettysburg Road.
Mr. Flint discussed the drainage plan for 2410 Gettysburg Road for Deacon Industrial. He stated Deacon Industrial will be constructing a stoned area on the site which will require a drainage plan. He stated they would be doing some testing when the weather is better. This item will appear on the 2/23 agenda.

Application for installation of five public hydrants related to the Highpoint development.
Mr. Flint discussed the application for Public Fire Hydrants that is required for the installation of five public hydrants for the Highpoint Development. He discussed the requirements for the process of the installation of the hydrants. He stated that the five requested hydrants are on public streets. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner SCHIN made a motion to approve the application for new public fire service for installation of five public hydrants related to the Highpoint development. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

PUBLIC SAFETY
Certified List of Eligible Candidates for the position of Corporal
Chief Williamson discussed his memo detailing the timing and process for the certified list of eligible candidates for the position of Corporal in the Police Department.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to accept and approve the list of certified candidates, as presented by the Lower Allen Township Civil Service Commission. Commissioner TITZEL seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Conditional offer to the one certified candidate.
Chief Williamson discussed Officer Claeys and the recommendation from the Lower Allen Township Civil Service Commission.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to make a conditional job offer to Officer Matthew Claeys to the rank of Corporal, contingent upon his successfully completing a physical and psychological examinations. Commissioner TITZEL seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Purchase of replacement radios for the EMS and Police Departments
Chief Williamson discussed the need to purchase replacement radios. He discussed his memo and the timeline for replacing the radios. President Black asked if these radios would be compatible with York County as the regionalization feasibility study continues. Chief Williamson said they would be compatible and provided additional background about the radios. Discussion ensued.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to authorize the purchase of five (5) Harris M7200 mobile radios with accessories in the amount of $43,656.50. Commissioner TITZEL seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Chief Williamson provided an update on the new MICU unit. From January 31, 2015 at 7pm through midnight last night (February 8) 34 calls were covered by the MICU unit. Discussion ensued.

FINANCE
2015 Equipment Purchases Financing
Mr. Grove discussed his memo regarding the 2015 Equipment Purchases and financing plan. He stated the requests for equipment match the budget. He stated 11 institutions were contacted and the best offer was from Centric Bank. He contacted SunTrust several times and never received a response. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner SCHIN made a motion to approve Resolution 2015-R-05, a lease reserve control agreement between Lower Allen Township and Centric Bank in the amount of $560,840.00. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

FLEET
Purchase of a Dump Truck and Mouse Ear Plow.
Mrs. Trone discussed her memo outlining the purchase of a dump truck. She stated the lowest price came in $13,632 under budget. Public Works is asking to use $9,128 of the savings to purchase a mouse ear plow attachment.

Commissioner BUCHER made a motion to authorize staff to purchase a dump truck and mouse ear plow. Commissioner SCHIN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Purchase of a Vehicle Lift.
Mrs. Trone discussed the vehicle lift that was budgeted for 2015. She stated three quotes were received and the lowest was at $16,127.00 which is $6,073 under budget. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner SCHIN made a motion to authorize staff to purchase the vehicle lift as outlined in Mrs. Trone’s memo for $16,127.00. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

MANAGER
Senate Bill 4, standards for tax-exempt status
Mr. Vernau discussed the letter sent to Senator Patricia Vance on January 26th. He discussed the reasons the Township opposed Senate Bill 4. Senate Bill 4 would allow the legislation to make the determination of who is a charitable institutions versus the courts. He discussed the background of the timing of this Bill. President Black stated he was on the Hill last Monday and discussed the concern with the Bill. He said Senator Vance thanked the Township for the letter. Discussion ensued.

Commissioner SCHIN made a motion to recognize Mr. Vernau’s forward thinking and appreciate the letter being sent to Senator Vance. Vice President YOUNG seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Value pay system for Public Works and Community Development.
Mr. Vernau discussed his memo about a value-added pay system. He discussed the background of the compensation system and the concern about those who perform the same work receiving different pay. He discussed the list of equipment and training levels for Public Works. He discussed the salary survey that was conducted that provided minimum and maximum salaries based on similar municipalities. He stated there are four employees in Public Works who qualify for an increase under this proposed system. The total financial impact of these four employees, retroactive January 1, 2015, would be $22,049 this year. He stated that this isn’t a budgeted item however there is enough money in the fund balance to cover this expenditure.

He discussed the certifications for the Community Development Inspectors. He stated that this saves the Township money by not hiring consultants to perform the inspections. The proposed plan would compensate the inspectors for their certifications. He stated based on the proposed plan, three employees would be eligible for an increase with a financial impact of $17,193 this year. Mr. Flint stated the state regulates the qualifications for the certifications. Mr. Flint stated that some certifications can take years to get additional certifications. He spoke about the residential versus commercial certifications and how it affects the plan review process for the Township.

President Black asked why do we need to do this and Mr. Vernau stated fairness was the main reason. President Black stated that two department would have a $39,242 impact to the budget this year. Commissioner Bucher stated he would like to table this for a future meeting, doesn’t see a need to make the increase retroactive and he agrees with equal pay for equal work.

The Board asked who pays for the certifications and Mr. Flint stated the Township pays for them with the inspectors studying on their own time. Commissioner Schin asked if the Township has a policy on paying for the certifications and an employee leaving for another job. Mr. Vernau stated there is a policy for college tuition reimbursements, but not certifications. Commissioner Schin and Vice President Young stated they would like to see a policy for when an employee obtains a certification and leaves the Township, they pay back the Township for the cost of the certifications. President Black would like to hear from staff on a policy for reasonable time frame for reimbursement for certifications/education if the employee leaves for another job.

Vice President Young stated he doesn’t want to see this die. He believes this is long overdue and has concerns about a municipality near our Township is paying more for the same job.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to table the Value pay system for Public Works and Community Development till the February 23rd meeting, at which time action will be taken. There was no second to the motion.

Commissioner Schin discussed his concern about dipping into the fund balance as there was an item taken out of the budget this past year that he was in favor of. He asked if there would be other departments that would have this issue and Mr. Vernau said no. Vice President Young asked why this study wasn’t done earlier. Mr. Vernau stated the need for the study arose was when a member of the Compensation Committee noted the differences in pay and he received a memo from an employee who asked about certifications and pay.

Commissioner Bucher asked about paying employees for what they know versus what they do in their job. Mr. Vernau discussed the costs of outside consultants coming in and doing the work that an employee can do at a lesser hourly rate. President Black would like to see this phased in versus $39,000 hit to the bottom line as this will be an ongoing budget item. Discussion ensued.

Vice President YOUNG made a motion to table the Value pay system for Public Works and Community Development till March 23rd meeting at which time action will be taken. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Appointing the Finance Director as the Township Treasurer.
Mr. Vernau discussed the requirements of the Township Treasurer for a First Class Township. He stated the requirements for the Treasurer are currently being completed by the Finance Director. He stated that Mr. Grove should be appointed as the Township Treasurer. He stated no action is necessary tonight. Discussion ensued.

Ordinance 2015-01, Police and Non-uniformed pension plans.
Mr. Vernau discussed the Ordinance that is necessary to restate the wording of the current pension plans due to changes in the law. He stated this Ordinance would not change the benefits of the pension plans.

Commissioner BUCHER made a motion to authorize staff to advertise Ordinance 2015-01, a restatement of the Police and Non-uniformed pension plans to incorporate changes required by the Pension Protection Act and the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Act. Commissioner SCHIN seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

Volunteer Firefighter Service Award Program survivor benefits.
Mr. Vernau stated if the firefighter dies before they turn 65, the surviving spouse receives the benefit for life. However, if the fire fighter passes away after 65, the surviving spouse receives the benefit for 10 years. Mr. Vernau asked the Board if they would like to make it a life benefit for the surviving spouses in either situation. Mr. Grove believes it would be fairer to have it the same with a lifetime benefit and discussed the possible increase in costs to the program. Mr. Grove stated a resolution from the actuary is necessary for the change. Discussion ensued. This will be a future agenda item.

COMMISSIONERS REPORTS
Mr. Vernau discussed a conference he will be attending at the end of this week. He spoke about the upcoming changes to Gorgas Hall to help resolve the sound issues.

RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION: PERSONNEL AND LEGAL
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners recessed at 9:18 pm. for the following personnel and legal discussions:

a. Disciplinary issue.
b. Spring Lake Colony quiet title action
c. Collective bargaining agreement.

RECONVENE REGULAR MEETING
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners reconvened at 10:04 pm.

Spring Lake Colony quiet title action
Vice President YOUNG made a motion to authorize the Solicitor to pursue a quiet title action to establish title in the name of Lower Allen Township for lots 33, 34, 46, and 47 in Spring Lake Colony. Commissioner BUCHER seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.

ADJOURN