The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, October 3 with a busy agenda.
First, the board granted a one-year extension to Aqua Pa.-Evanwood to record their land development plan based on conditional approval granted back in September 2021.
The board also approved a request for a speed study for Lilly Hill Road due to PennDOT’s criteria for determining the speed limit being ambiguous. The applicant whose driveway is on Lilly Hill Road expressed that PennDOT’s classifications could set the speed limit from 35 to 55 miles per hour; however, the applicant stated that the road is a one-way dirt road that does not provide adequate sight distance for it to be marked as a 55-mph speed limit.
Supervisors directed the engineer to conduct the speed study consistent with what has been done in the past, which would also require the applicant to pay for the study.
Next, Police Chief Gary West was given the go ahead from the board to reserve an additional police vehicle from Koch 33, which will need to be added to the 2024 budget. Koch 33’s next shipment of vehicles will be coming in December, but the township will not see the vehicle until next spring. The reserve will allow the township to take advantage of a lower cost due to the vehicles’ price increasing by $4-6,000 next year and does not cost anything at this time.
Chief West reported that for the month of September, the police department had 290 total incidents with 12 written and verbal warnings issued, 40 traffic citations issued, seven arrests (three for DUI, one for criminal mischief, one for a PFA violation that resulted in possession of narcotics, and one other for possession of narcotics), one non-traffic citation for a dog running at large, three reportable accidents, and two non-reportable accidents.
Additionally, for the month of September, Fire Police Captain Jason Harhart reported that the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co. responded to 67 ambulance calls and 36 fire calls, which accounted for four fires, two motor vehicle accidents, two fire police, three automatic fire alarms, seven ambulance assists, three carbon monoxide alarms, three wires down, two trees down, one spill, seven mutual aid calls with Bath for three motor vehicle accidents, two fire alarms, one fire, and one fire police, one mutual aid call with Bushkill Township for a search and rescue, and one mutual aid call with Lehigh Township for a fire.
Following, the board approved direction for the manager to advertise a Public Works position available to hire a replacement for a current employee that is set to retire this month.
Public Works Director Craig Hoffman also announced that leaf collection will tentatively start on Tuesday, October 31 and will continue into December.
Supervisors also approved the Recreation Commission’s request for the baseball and softball teams to have a campfire at the park with the Klecknersville Rangers on site, pending insurance approval. Chairperson Jodi Hartzell assured the board that it will be a campfire rather than a bonfire, there will be no alcohol because it will be a kid’s event, and the baseball commissioner will be responsible for cleanup.
In other news, the board approved an open space appraisal on West Beersville Road at a value of $112,000 for a 9.3-acre parcel of land, which is higher than usual due to the land’s features.
Under Township Engineer Kevin Horvath’s report, he noted that he found alternate BMPs that would help with sediment erosion as part of the township’s MS4 projects. His suggestions included possibly widening and flattening the swale behind the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co. building and planting a vegetation mix at the Recreation Center that would reduce costs and maintenance.
Per the supervisor’s direction from last month’s meeting, Horvath also proposed solutions for the drainage issue on Delps Road, which will cost approximately $7,000 in materials to construct the improvements and the Public Works Department will perform the work. The board authorized Hoffman to acquire the materials for the repairs.
Next, Township Solicitor David M. Backenstoe presented a request from Chapman Borough to enter into an agreement that would allow the township’s zoning officer to provide services to the borough, similar to how the township also provides police and snow plowing services.
However, Chapman Borough Council chose to base their zoning ordinances off of Nazareth Borough instead of Moore Township, which would require the township’s zoning officer to learn an entirely new set of ordinances, and the supervisors felt that this was not feasible.
Chapman Borough Council prematurely adopted an ordinance identifying Moore Township’s zoning officer as their own without making a formal request and did not attend the meeting, thus prompting the board to deny the request.
Following, the board approved a motion for Backenstoe to draft a repeal of the township’s amusement tax that was adopted in 1995 due to its enforcement becoming burdensome for the township.
Supervisors also approved the recommendation from Township Manager Nicholas C. Steiner to put an additional $1.5 million in funds into an open space preservation CD at 1.35% for 12 months, which will be staggered from the township’s other two CDs.
Last, the board adopted an ordinance for the codification of all township ordinances, which has been an ongoing and tedious project. All ordinances are now available for the public to view online on the township’s website and in one central place. The board thanked everyone involved in the codification for their time and effort to update all of the township’s ordinances.
As a reminder, Moore Township’s Trunk-or-Treat will be held on Saturday, October 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Rec. Center and Trick-or-Treat will be on Tuesday, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The next Moore Township Board of Supervisors meeting will be held Thursday, November 2 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 2491 Community Dr.
