The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, May 7 with a busy agenda.
During the meeting, the Arthofer solar panel farm land development off Grouse and East Beersville Road was unanimously granted two waivers for the planting of two rows of evergreen trees 13 feet from the property line and the watershed area infiltration structure to allow a 2.5 acre and 5.7 acre berm while still maintaining existing water flow systems.
The Arthofer solar panel land development for the placement of 5,000 solar panels was also unanimously granted conditional final approval per the April 14 Keystone Consulting Engineers letter agreements that included repaving the roads surrounding the property.
During reports, Police Chief Gary West provided details for police activity during the month of April, which included 315 total incidents, 18 written and verbal warnings issued, 22 traffic citations issued, three arrests made for DUI, one arrest made for fleeing/evading arrest, one arrest made for simple assault, three reportable accidents and one non-reportable accident.
Fire Recorder Jason Harhart reported that the Klecknersville Rangers Volunteer Fire Company responded to 102 ambulance calls and 40 fire calls for the month of April, which consisted of one fire, three motor vehicle accidents, two automatic fire alarms, 17 ambulance assists, five trees down, one smoke/odor investigation, one pump detail, four mutual aid calls with Bath for a motor vehicle accident, fire, wires down, a carbon dioxide alarm, two mutual aid calls with Lehigh Township for a motor vehicle accident and fire, two mutual aid calls with Bushkill Township for a fire and gas leak, one mutual aid call with Hanover Township for a fire and one mutual aid call with Lehigh County for a fire.
In other news, the road surface treatment bid was awarded to Asphalt Maintenance Solutions for $233,548. The roads that will be oil and chipped this year during the month of August include Copella Road, Terry Road, Eagle View Drive and Yost Road between routes 946 and 512.
Supervisors also approved the title and pay promotions of Stephen Markley from municipal worker to equipment operator and Albert Hawk from municipal laborer to municipal worker.
Next, the board unanimously approved a partnership with Heritage Conservancy to replace and split the cost of preserved property signage for the purpose of making all signage uniform and directed the Land & Environmental Protection Board to contact Wildlands Conservancy to see if they would also be interested in getting uniform signage for preserved open space properties.
As requested by Community Days, the board unanimously approved obtaining small games of chance and bingo licensure under the township rather than under Community Days, which will allow other organizations to use the license within the township. The licenses cost between $125 and $150 each.
Following, Kevin Sidella from Hera Registry propositioned the board for foreclosure registry services that will put township staff in touch with the individuals accountable for issues regarding foreclosed properties, which has been a reoccurring issue.
Sidella added that the resource helps offset costs associated with the township going after banks to maintain foreclosed properties and the board unanimously granted approval of the program pending the township solicitor’s review of the agreement and proposed ordinance.
Township Manager Stephen Nowroski then presented supervisors with the GoGov Citizen notification and permitting software for their consideration, which would cost $10,500 per year, provide electronic cloud storage for permits that township staff could access while at the office or out in the field and take credit cards for permit fees based on a one-year contract.
Supervisors approved purchase of the software pending confirmation on whether the information obtained by the company remains private.
Next, the board unanimously approved a CD renewal at 5.25% for another year, as well as a lower electricity supplier rate for a 36-month contract that would lock in the new rate of 9.7 cents per kilowatt hour, which is almost 2 cents lower than the current 11.8 rate.
Supervisors also unanimously approved a motion to adopt the Solar Electric Facility (Decommissioning) Ordinance that will require solar farms to secure a bond for decommission that is reevaluated every five years to adhere to current decommissioning costs and determines that if a solar farm is not used for a year, then it is considered abandoned, and the owner/solar panel company must decommission it within six months.
The next Moore Township Board of Supervisors regular monthly meeting will be held Tuesday, June 4 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 2491 Community Dr.
