Board of Supervisors Agenda

MINUTES
Upper Saucon Township Board of Supervisors
Regular Meeting
Monday, July 9, 2007 - 6:00 p.m.
Township Municipal Building

Members Present:
Stephen C. Wagner, Vice Chairman
James H. White, Sr.
Joyce V. White
Joseph M. Horvath

Members Absent:
Miro A. Gutzmirtl

Staff Attending:
Thomas F. Beil, Township Manager
Robert E. Kassel, Jr., Asst. Township Manager
Thomas Dinkelacker, Township Solicitor
Dennis Harman, Township Engineer

CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chairman Wagner called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room of the Upper Saucon Township Municipal Building, 5500 Camp Meeting Road, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, PA.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Vice Chairman Wagner asked all in attendance to stand and recite the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

PUBLIC HEARINGS
None

PUBLIC COMMENT
Public Comment is summarized as follows:

George Thomas – 5777 Locust Valley Road – Mr. Thomas inquired about the appeal of the McGrath Homes decision, but was informed it would be addressed later in the agenda.

Anthony Caruso – 4971 Chestnut Hill Road – Mr. Caruso voiced his concern about how long it took the Township to get back to him regarding the fees associated with a logging permit. He felt that the Township was stringing him along because they did not want to issue a permit to remove trees for fear that neighbors would be unhappy. He also mentioned the Township’s initiative to protect natural resources, which was highlighted in a recent newsletter, as another reason they did not want to issue him a logging permit. Furthermore, he said he was convinced that the Township’s procedures were intended to make it hard for residents to do anything with their property. He suggested the Township find a happy medium where everyone’s interests could be taken into account.

SUBDIVISIONS AND LAND DEVELOPMENTS
None

PRESENTATIONS
None

MINUTES
Regular Meeting of October 24, 2006
A motion was made by Mr. Horvath and seconded by Mr. White to approve the minutes of the October 24, 2006 regular meeting of the Upper Saucon Township Board of Supervisors.

The vote was taken by roll call, and the results were as follows:

Chairman Wagner: Abstained
Mr. Horvath: Yes
Mr. White: Yes
Mrs. White: Yes

The motion carried by a vote of 3 to 0 with 1 abstention and Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
None

ORDINANCES
None

RESOLUTIONS
Resolution No. 2007-31 – Appointment of Special Fire Police
A motion was made by Mr. White and seconded by Mrs. White to reaffirm the adoption of Resolution No. 2007-31 appointing various individuals to serve as Special Fire Police for Upper Saucon Township.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

MOTIONS
Reaffirm Appointments to the Southern Lehigh Public Library Board of Directors
A motion was made by Mrs. White and seconded by Mr. Horvath to reaffirm the appointment of E. Jill Hirt, Charles Daniels, Penny Spugnardi, and Jerome T. Trexler to the Southern Lehigh Public Library Board of Directors each for a three year term ending June 30, 2010.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

Dedication of Waterline – Lots 13 & 14 of the Stabler Corporate Center (Dun & Bradstreet)
A motion was made by Mrs. White and seconded by Mr. White to accept the waterline located on Lots 13 and 14 of the Stabler Corporate Center as described in greater detail in the Bill of Sale executed by Rosewood Real Estate Enterprises, LP on March 27, 2007, and subject to receipt of the required maintenance bond in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

Authorization to Appeal the Decision by PADEP Concerning McGrath Private Request
Attorney Dinkelacker explained the purpose of the motion was to ratify a decision made during an executive session held the prior week. He then provided background on the matter saying DEP had made a decision regarding a private request made by McGrath Homes that the Township does not feel was appropriate. Once an appeal was filed, Attorney Dinkelacker said, a hearing would take place to examine all sides of the issue. He also informed Supervisors he had requested that the Environmental Hearing Board hear the McGrath appeal, as well as the matter involving Coopersburg Borough at the same time.

A motion was made by Mr. White and seconded by Mr. Horvath to authorize the Township Solicitor to appeal the June 15, 2007 Order of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to the Environmental Hearing Board in accordance with the Sewage Facilities Act and in connection therewith to fully prosecute the appeal on behalf of Upper Saucon Township, the Upper Saucon Sewage Treatment Authority, and the Upper Saucon Township Municipal Authority.

The vote was taken by roll call, and the results were as follows:

Chairman Wagner: Yes
Mr. Horvath: Yes
Mr. White: Yes
Mrs. White: Yes

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
Letter from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
Mr. Beil reviewed a letter from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry regarding certification renewal of the Workplace Safety Committee, which was included in the Board’s packets for informational purposes only.  The letter states that the Township’s workplace Safety Committee has been recertified and the Township is eligible for a 5% discount on Workers Compensation insurance.

Correspondence from Lehigh County Association of Township Officials
Mr. Beil briefly mentioned to the Board the correspondence from the Lehigh County Association of Township Officials included in their packets inviting them to attend the summer convention to be held Friday, August 3, 2007 at the Schnecksville Fire Company. He said anyone interested in attending should notify him.

DIRECTION / DISCUSSION ITEMS
Police Department Staffing Issues
Police Chief Robert Coyle was present to discuss two related police staffing issues. First, he informed the Board of the newly-created position of School Resource Officer established to address the increase in police calls from the high school. Placing an officer in the school, which would be paid by the District for the time spent at the school, would not only save the department time, it would increase safety at the school and open a line of communication between students and the police department. During the summer and when not needed otherwise at the school, the officer would be used in other ways by the department.

Mr. Horvath asked if the District would be paying its fair share of the officer’s salary, benefits, and vacation, to which Chief Coyle responded yes.
 
The second related staffing issue Chief Coyle addressed was hiring an additional police officer to replace the officer transferred to the School Resource Officer position.

A motion was made by Mr. White and seconded by Mr. Horvath to authorize the hiring of an additional officer to replace the officer being transferred to the School Resource Officer position.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

Zoning Hearing Board Agenda – July 16, 2007
Mr. Beil reviewed the one appeal on the Zoning Hearing Board Agenda for the July 16, 2007 meeting.
 
By consensus, Supervisors decided not to intervene in this matter.

BILLS, PAYROLLS, AND COMMISSIONS
Prepaid Invoice List #07092007 dated 07/06/2007………$95,246.49
Warrant List #07092007 dated 07/06/2007………………$259,413.85

A motion was made by Mr. Horvath and seconded by Mrs. White to authorize payment of the Prepaid Invoice List and Warrant List #07092007 dated 07/06/2007.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Atiyeh Billboard Decision
Attorney Dinkelacker provided the Board with a brief review of the situation surrounding the Atiyeh billboard decision. He said the matter had been sent back to the Zoning Hearing Board for additional findings with regards to the one-quarter mile regulations for signage and its relation to public safety.

COURTESY OF THE FLOOR
None

EXECUTIVE SESSION
None

ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Mr. White and seconded by Mrs. White to adjourn the meeting.

The motion carried by a vote of 4 to 0 with Chairman Gutzmirtl absent.

                                                                       
Secretary