HERE IS A LINK TO THE AGENDA WITH DETAIL
All township BOC meetings are available on video online
You can also always watch all our board meetings live on Channel 66 RCN cable.
I apologize for missing the last few meetings. Life has been busy + busiest time of year for work and also a number of time consuming township issues of which I’ll do my best to keep folks updated. Here is your agenda preview for the Thursday Aug 4th township meeting.
Announcements & Presentations:
We will hear a presentation from Kirk Summa on the 2015 Audit. The Single Audit Act of 1984 established requirements for audits of States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments that administer Federal financial assistance programs. (While local gov’t reliance on federal assistance is not necessarily a good thing these audits are). The yearly audit consists of the following exercises:
1. An examination of the general-purpose financial statements and teh auditor opinion
2. A review of compliance based on an examination of the general-purpose financial statements in accordance with the standards issued by the United States General Accounting Office
3. A study and evaluation of internal controls (accounting and administrative)
Library board update. These are the library board members and description of duties. Thank you board members for your volunteerism!
Presentation on the future of the Lehigh County Regional Wastewater System. This is a very important presentation and update. In 2009, EPA issued an Administrative Order to all the municipalities served by the regional sewer systems (that includes us). The order requires all municipalities to make major improvements to sewer systems. Specifically, to eliminate overflows.
Here are some links to get you up to speed if you are not.
My blog on Infiltration and Inflow 101 – overview of the overflow issue/problem.
Why is this important now? The federal mandate.
What the township has already had to spend in an effort to reach compliance. This is a massively expensive problem. And will continue to be for the foreseeable future. So far we have done this without significant rate increases. From 2009 to now the quarter rate has only increased about 10 dollars. We struggle with the question on whether we will be able to continue with that. This will certainly be a topic of conversation Thursday.
2009: $650.000
2010: $1,000,000
2011: $300,000
2012: $700,000
2013: $400,000
2014: $250,000
2015: $ 250,000
2016 projected $250,000
Hearings and approvals.
Conditional Use Hearing – Salvador Galindo Veterinary Hospital
This is a fairly minor land development on Hamilton Boulevard. It’s an existing building that will be converted into a veterinary hospital. A good reuse project. Example of what we need more of as opposed to strip and box retail.
Lot Line Adjustments and Land Development Plan Approval for Trexler Business Center
We will be talking about this at committee today at 4:30. This meeting as always is open to the public. It is expected the applicant will be asking for a waiver of the traffic impact fee. I will post an update on this discussion on my FB page tonight. Aside from that outstanding (but major) issue, this is an ok project but with an outstanding anchor. That is in terms of fit and impact. Unfortunately, it is another project that by and large was grandfathered many years ago. For what it is I think the developer worked with us to improve it on many aspects. But it still is yet another large big box, strip and pad retail/commercial project.
Pre-Construction Agreement for Spring Creek Properties Lots 7 & 8 (Liberty at Spring Creek) This also will be talked about today at Committee. Public encouraged to attend. Will update on my facebook page tonight.
Communications
Chris Greb from the Macungie Ambulance corp is requesting the township consider a portion of the Kratzer farm for a new ambulance station. See letter below. I support exploring this as part of the Kratzer Farm master plan study. Where is the Kratzer Farm? The additional station was needed 6 years ago because of growth. The corp currently leases a small area at the Wescosville Fire Station. Problem is this arrangement was temporary with an understanding the LMFD would need this space at some point.