The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, Dec. 3.
During reports, Police Chief Gary West reported that the township had 281 total incidents for the month of November, which included three written and verbal warnings issued, 24 traffic citations issued, four arrests made for two DUIs, one assault and one Protection from Abuse violation, two non-traffic citations issued for burning ordinance violations, two reportable accidents and seven non-reportable accidents.
Fire Recorder Jason L. Harhart then provided the November report for the Klecknersville Rangers Vol. Fire Co., which included 83 ambulance calls and 35 fire calls, consisting of seven fires, five motor vehicle accidents, one fire police, two automatic fire alarms, three ambulance assists, three wires down, two trees down, two smoke/odor investigations, three mutual aid calls with Lehigh Township for fires, one mutual aid call with Bushkill Township for a motor vehicle accident and six mutual aid calls with Bath for three motor vehicle accidents, two fire alarms and one carbon monoxide alarm.
In other news, the township is looking into the Green Light – Go PennDOT grant to upgrade the township’s only traffic signal and intersection at routes 512 and 946. The upgrade will include a larger signal bulb and video or radar detection to make the intersection more efficient. The grant requires a 20% match, which will cost the township $20,000 if approved.
Township Engineer Kevin Horvath believes that the township has a very good chance of approval, so now that the pre-application has been filed, PennDOT will respond to the application by the end of January and the township will find out if the project is approved by the end of May.
After several residents complained about traffic safety at the Delps Road and North Mink Road intersection, Horvath determined the constraints to sight distance support warranting a three-way stop and a reduced speed limit to 25 mph, as well as advanced warning signs displayed on the road alerting for the three-way stop ahead.
However, the three-way stop would require a field study, which would cost the township approximately $2,500, so supervisors decided to hold off on the study for now. Instead, they opted to ask the property owner who resides at the intersection to cut back the vegetation on his property and see if this helps improve sight distance first.
Next, Horvath provided some possible stormwater management ordinance provisions related to existing ponds due to resident complaints about the flooding and degradation of North Mink Road, which is worsened by one property owner’s pond that overflows onto the road during heavy rain and washes the stone road away.
In response, the board unanimously authorized the township solicitor and zoning officer to ask the property owner to take some remedial measures or move forward with a citation if the property owner is unwilling to make improvements.
In other business, supervisors recognized the retirement of Sewage Enforcement Officer Chris Noll, stating that he has done a tremendous amount for the township and wished him well in his retirement. Alternate Ian Stoudt will take over the position in the new year.
A special meeting will be held on Friday, Dec. 27 at noon to approve the township’s 2025 budget. The proposed budget includes a tax increase of two mills, which will cost approximately $9 more per month for the average assessed homestead.
The township has issued the following statement in reference to the proposed tax increase:
“Since 2020, Moore Township has made significant strides in enhancing our community. We have maintained around-the-clock police coverage, upgraded our vehicles and equipment and implemented a road program that has resulted in nearly 14 miles of roads being paved over the past three years. During this period, we have also streamlined our staff and reduced costs, while still supporting our road program and police services. Additionally, while unfunded mandates such as MS4 have been imposed, the costs have been absorbed by the general fund, instead of implementing a stormwater fee.
“Through effective grant writing, we have secured $2,076,259 in funding to continue making improvements and easing the financial burden on our residents. However, rising costs for fuel, asphalt, vehicle maintenance, insurance and utilities have created a situation where our current revenues are insufficient to sustain our progress in improving services and infrastructure. Our municipal building is aging, and the ongoing maintenance costs are a growing concern. As we work to maintain the building and explore alternatives, these expenses continue to rise.
“To continue our progress, we must implement a tax increase of two mills. One mill of taxes equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Therefore, a property with an assessed value of $50,000 will see an increase in municipal real estate taxes of $100 per year. This increase will enable us to maintain our police coverage, boost our contribution to the fire company and continue paving our roads.”
The December meetings for the Recreation Commission, Historical Commission and Land & Environmental Protection Board are all canceled and will reconvene in January.
The Community Days Committee will host a toy bingo on Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Klecknersville Rangers firehouse, located at 2718 Mountain View Drive. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and bingo will start at 1 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring their children, as there will be prizes and games for all of them.
Residents should be advised that the last day for leaf collection is Friday, Dec. 13.
Supervisors also announced that the electronic recycling event has been officially scheduled for Saturday, July 26 from 9-11 a.m. at the football field parking lot.
The next Moore Township Board of Supervisors regular monthly/reorganization meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 2491 Community Drive.
