The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, September 5 to discuss a waiver request, tank replacements for a mobile home park, the hire of two part-time police officers, basketball court resurfacing, MS4 updates, various upcoming events, electronic access for the municipal complex, resolutions, and reports.
First, the board unanimously approved a waiver request from the Whitetail Acres/Ashwood Construction major subdivision for relief of the township’s stormwater ordinance. The subdivision plan divides the lot into five smaller lots that slope steeply at the back of the property and stormwater runoff drains toward the roadway. Therefore, the applicant is placing a rain garden in that area to collect the stormwater runoff.
The stormwater ordinance establishes that a rain garden must be at least 40 feet from the property line, whereas the applicant was requesting to position the rain garden 20 feet from the property line.
Supervisors granted the waiver request, but only for 10 feet of relief, thus requiring the rain garden to be 30 feet from the property line.
Following, supervisors unanimously granted conditional approval for the Hickory Hills site plan based on conditional approval outlined in the August 15 Keystone Consulting Engineers letter. The site plan seeks to update the Hickory Hills mobile home park’s sewer treatment plan and requires the replacement of the property’s septic tanks.
Engineer Brad Yost from Hanover Engineering Associates explained that this would be a three-step process to replace the old tanks, which will be kept in place until the new ones are installed and will not result in any suspension of service to the residents.
In other business, supervisors unanimously approved a request from Police Chief Gary West for the hire of two new part-time police officers: Christian Surjan, who recently moved to the township and was previously employed by the Valley County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho, and John Milkovits, who is a federal police officer with the Department of Veteran Affairs and works part-time with the Portland Borough Police Department.
Chief West also reported that the police department had 319 total incidents for the month of August, including four written and verbal warnings issued, 17 traffic citations issued, two non-traffic citations issued for disorderly conduct and violation of the township ordinance regarding dumping at the waste site, four arrests were made for criminal assault/criminal mischief, DUI, fugitive from justice and possession of a controlled substance, and three reportable accidents.
Additionally, the Board of Supervisors and First Regional Compost Authority wish to thank the person that caught and alerted the township to the illegal dumping of fenceposts by an individual who was then cited for the violation with the help of the camera footage.
Fire Police Captain Jason Harhart reported that the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co. responded to 83 ambulance calls and 42 fire calls for the month of August, which included two fires, two motor vehicle accidents, three fire police, six automatic fire alarms, seven ambulance assists, five wires down, eight trees down, one assist, three spills, three smoke investigations, and five mutual aid calls for one fire, one fire alarm, one carbon monoxide alarm, and one motor vehicle accident with Bath and one fire with Lehigh Township.
Next, the board unanimously approved the resurfacing of the basketball courts and replacement of basketball poles, backstops and hoops for a combined cost of $21,700.
Township Engineer Kevin Horvath provided an update on the MS4 projects, which are moving along nicely, albeit two property owners who have yet to sign easement agreements. The township is currently at a standstill with one of the property owners who has ceased communication altogether.
If the resident refuses to come to an agreement, the township will have to file eminent domain.
Vice Chairman David Shaffer suggested sending a “strongly worded letter” to the property owner and Township Manager Nicholas C. Steiner asked Horvath if there were any viable alternatives to retrofit the basins.
Horvath said he would look into alternatives for the two properties that the township has not been able to procure a signed easement agreement from.
In other news, the board unanimously approved the signed contract with Bob Fedio of Fedio Construction for the Edelman Schoolhouse renovations, which will begin later this month.
The board also unanimously approved a 50-day extension for the Schiavone Farm agreement of sale in order to provide adequate time for the buyer to procure financing from the Farm Bureau.
In regard to installing electronic access for seven of the municipal complex doors, the township received four proposals and ultimately approved a motion to go with Eastern Time for a cost of $30,210 upfront and an annual fee of $576 for the cloud system.
Following, supervisors approved five resolutions for Manager Steiner to apply for LSA Gaming Grants for purchases such as $136,000 for police vehicles, an unknown amount for a Public Works truck, $74,500 for an asphalt roller, $18,524 for a speed trailer, and an unknown amount for a crack sealer.
Last, the following township events were approved: Trick-or-Treat will be held on Tuesday, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.; the budget workshop meeting will be held Wednesday, October 25 at 5 p.m.; and the date of the November Board of Supervisors meeting will be changed to Thursday, November 2 at 6 p.m. due to Election Day.
Additionally, the Community Days committee has the following events lined up to benefit Community Days: Saturday, September 30 is their annual Fall Yard Sale at the football field from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Housewares Bingo will be Sunday, October 8 at the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co., Trunk-or-Treat will be Saturday, October 21 at the Recreation Center and their Children’s Toy Bingo will be on Sunday, December 3 at the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co.
The next Moore Township Board of Supervisors meeting will be held Tuesday, October 3 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 2491 Community Dr.
