The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, January 3 to hold a reorganization meeting and discuss MS4 projects, public works open positions, and various resolutions.
During the reorganization meeting, the following individuals and organizations were appointed for the 2023 year: Daniel Piorkowski will remain as Chairman for the Board of Supervisors and David Shaffer will remain as Vice Chairman, the Treasurer’s Bond was set at $1 million with traveler’s insurance, the Roadmasters will be all three supervisors, Daniel Piorkowski, David Shaffer, and Michael A. Tirrell Jr.
The Sewage Enforcement Officer will remain Chris Noll and Ian Stout as alternate. Glen Shoemaker was appointed as the Vacancy Board Chairman. The Township Solicitor will remain David M. Backenstoe and the Township Engineer will remain Kevin Horvath from Keystone Consulting Engineers. The board appointed BBD, LLP as the Township Auditor. The Earned Income Tax Collector and Local Services Tax Collector will remain Keystone Collections.
The Delegate to Northampton Tax Collection Committee, Open Records Officer, PSATS Voting Delegate, and the Township Manager, Secretary, and Treasurer will remain the position of Nicholas C. Steiner for a compensation of $85,995.
The Zoning and Building Officer will remain Jason Harhart with Chris Noll as alternate. Matthew DePuy was reappointed as Emergency Management Coordinator and Richard Gable was reappointed as representative to the First Regional Compost Authority.
The established junkyard permit rate was set at $500, solicitation permits will be $25, and animal boarding fees will be $25.
Zachary Zeitner was appointed a five-year term as a Zoning Hearing Board member with Tama Rigler and Matt Flower as alternates. Max Bauer and Trevor Errington were appointed as Planning Commission members for a four-year term and Stephen Konopka was appointed for a two-year term.
Ed Marshall was appointed as a Historical Commission member for a five-year term and the supervisors are still looking for one additional person to fill a vacancy on this commission. Lois Kerbacher, Thomas Roberts, and Peter Locke were appointed as Land and Environmental Protection Board members for four-year terms, but there are still two vacancies on the board that need to be filled.
Additionally, the regular monthly meetings will remain on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m., the deadlines and payments for invoices will be the last Monday of the month, the designated depository will be Embassy Bank and Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust, and the IRS mileage rate for 2023 will be $0.655 per mile.
The following employee non-contract wages for the year were also established: the Public Works Director’s salary will be $73,500, the Police Chief’s salary will be $96,452, the Police Secretary will make $21.38 per hour, the Zoning Officer will make $27.37 per hour, and part-time seasonal help will see a three percent increase.
In other business, Police Chief Gary West provided both the November and December monthly reports. In November, the Moore Township Police Department responded to 311 total incidents, which accounted for 11 written and verbal warnings issued, 39 traffic citations issued, two arrests for simple assault and terroristic threats, one non-traffic citation issued for trespassing, five reportable accidents, and one non-reportable accident. For the month of December there were 321 total incidents, which included eight written and verbal warnings, 48 traffic citations issued, three arrests for possession of controlled substances, criminal trespass, and receiving stolen property, and four non-traffic citations issued for harassment and burning ordinance violations.
Fire Police Captain Jason Harhart reported that the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co. responded to 39 fire calls for the month of November, which accounted for four fires, two motor vehicle accidents, one fire police, four automatic fire alarms, 12 ambulance assists, four wires down, four trees down, two carbon monoxide alarms, one gas leak, one police assist, two mutual aid calls with Bath for a motor vehicle accident and a fire, one mutual aid call with Lehigh Township for a fire, and one mutual aid call with Bushkill Township for a motor vehicle accident. The fire company also responded to a total of 64 ambulance calls for the month of November.
Next, Public Works Director Craig Hoffman reported that the Public Works Department is hiring for a municipal worker starting position and an assistant director. Individuals that are interested in applying for these positions should contact Township Manager Nicholas Steiner at 610-759-9449.
Township Engineer Kevin Horvath provided an update on the MS4 stormwater easement projects. Horvath and Township Solicitor David M. Backenstoe met with approximately six property owners and Horvath explained that they were all generally agreeable. Some of the property owners voiced concerns regarding administrative and language tweaks and one resident requested more information before he signs the agreement.
Currently, five of the easement agreements have been signed and the board unanimously voted for Horvath to move forward with the next step of the project, which will entail field surveys.
Next, supervisors unanimously approved resolutions for the Non-Uniformed Pension Plan rate at $4/hour, the Police Pension Plan Contribution Exoneration, and the Chief Administrative Officer of Pension Plans.
After a lengthy discussion that had been tabled from the last meeting for the Firmstone Deed of Dedication and Arthofer Rights-of-Way Deeds, the board unanimously approved resolutions for both after Lorin Arthofer agreed to sign the Deed of Dedication. Previously, he preferred to sign a Right-of-Way, but upon confirmation that the township cannot prevent him from accessing his property in the future, he agreed to sign.
Arthofer was also concerned about liability if there are any accidents on the property and explained that he did not want to get into battles with the township later on. Arthofer agreed to sign the Deed of Dedication for the land bordering his property on Buss Road to the township.
Any Moore Township residents that are interested in filling the vacant seats on the Historical Commission and the Land and Environmental Protection Board should contact Township Manager Nicholas Steiner at 610-759-9449 for more information.
The next Moore Township Board of Supervisors meeting meeting will be held Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 2491 Community Dr.
