WEST HANOVER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
7171 ALLENTOWN
BOULEVARD, HARRISBURG, PA 17112
MONDAY, JANUARY 7,
2002, 7 P.M.
REORGANIZATIONAL
MEETING
Chairman Zimmerman called the January 7, 2002 reorganizational meeting of the West Hanover Township Board of Supervisors to order at 7 p.m., followed by the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mrs. Zimmerman extended a welcome to new Board member, Robert Ziltz, and the new Codes and Zoning Administrator, Melissa Hauck.
Gloria J. Zimmerman, Chairman
Earl B. Hoffman, Sr., Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
Robert R. Jones
Stephen L. Millard
Robert Ziltz
Election of Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to elect Robert Jones as Chairman of the Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
Following his election, Mr. Jones took the Chairman’s seat and thanked Mrs. Zimmerman for her capable leadership in 2001.
Election of Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Jones, to elect Robert Ziltz as Vice Chairman of the Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
Appointment of Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Jones moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to appoint Stephen Millard as Secretary/Treasurer of the Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
Following the reorganization of the Board, Mr. Jones expressed thanks to Mr. Gross, who served as one of the supervisors, as well as to everyone else who served on the various boards. He asked Mr. Rimer to send a letter to Mr. Gross, as well as anyone else not returning to serve the Township in 2002, thanking them for their contribution of time and willingness to serve the Township. Mr. Rimer said he would do so.
Donald Steinmeier, 11 North Fairville Avenue. Mr. Steinmeier congratulated Mr. Ziltz upon his position as a new Board member. He also wished everyone a “Happy New Year.” Mr. Steinmeier also urged the Board to utilize the Township Newsletter in an effective way to keep the residents informed as to what is happening.
Mr. Steinmeier called the Board’s attention to House Bill 2062, which was currently in the hands of the House Appropriations Committee. The Bill spells out some new ways to appoint people to municipal authorities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and suggests that those people should be taxpayers, citizens of the Township, or owners of a business in the Township. He also suggested that the Board provide some input to Representative Marsico on the Bill.
Beth Carricato, 699 Knight Road. Mrs. Carricato congratulated the new officers of the Board. She added that she hoped 2002 would be the beginning of cooperation between all members of the Board so that the Township could move forward. She suggested that perhaps the Board should get serious about looking at the Comprehensive Plan and tightening up the ordinance in the Township. She said she believed that development rights should be given for sewer line rights.
Jim Zeiters, 204 Glenview Avenue. Mr. Zeiters reported that in regard to the Route 39 project, proposals from nine consultants were received and that the proposals encompassed a wide range of prices. Mr. Zeiters said he planned to attend the HATS Technical Committee meeting on January 11 to make a status report and that he would then attend the Coordinating Committee two weeks later to do the same. He said that the Route 39 Committee was advised that funding would be available.
Mr. Jones asked whether or not Derry Township was “on board.” Mr. Zeiters said that representatives from Derry Township had attended some of the meetings but that they had not actually signed the agreement, as had other municipalities. Mr. Zeiters added that the CEO of the Hershey Trust had expressed some interest but that it was unknown what would come of that interest.
Mr. Jones asked Mr. Ziltz whether or not he had been properly sworn in, to which Mr. Ziltz responded that he had been.
Earl Hoffman. Mr. Hoffman had no comments.
Bob Ziltz. Mr. Ziltz said he was glad to be present and looked forward to working with the other Board members.
Steve Millard. Mr. Millard said he was looking forward to 2002, as the past couple of years had been difficult given some personality differences that created polarizations to the extreme. He said he hoped that things would settle down and that the Township could be awakened to a new form of government. He said he was looking forward to the Township Manager “stepping up to the plate” and becoming the CEO of West Hanover Township that he was hired to be. Mr. Millard said he would fully support Mr. Rimer in that capacity.
Gloria Zimmerman. Mrs. Zimmerman had no comments.
Bob Jones. Mr. Jones read from some prepared remarks using the theme of “the best of times and the worst of times” relative to West Hanover Township.
No public hearings or meetings were scheduled for this meeting.
Citizenship Merit Badge Presentation – Boy Scout Troop 368. Mr. Rimer welcomed the Boy Scouts to the Township meeting and announced that they had completed their requirements for a Citizenship Merit Badge. Mr. Rimer then presented each scout with a Certificate.
Workshop Meeting – November 26, 2001. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to approve the Minutes of November 26, 2001. The motion was unanimously approved.
Regular Meeting – December 3, 2001. Mrs. Martin advised that she was not present at the December 3, 2001 meeting and was having difficulty in transcribing the Minutes from the tape due to a malfunction.
Regular Meeting – December 17, 2001. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to approve the Minutes of December 17, 2001. The motion was unanimously approved.
Special Budget Meeting – December 27, 2001. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to approve the Minutes of December 27, 2001. The motion was unanimously approved.
General Fund Balance as of December 14, 2001 $837,323.54
Liquid Fuels Balance as of December 14, 2001 $371,640.98
Deposit – December 5, 2001 $ 6,878.00
Deposit – December 7, 2001 $ 4,140.00
Deposit – December 14, 2001 $ 5,485.68
Deposit – December 18, 2001 $ 10,450.15
Deposit – December 26, 2001 $ 32,526.41
Total Manual Deposits for the Month of December $ 59,480.24
Total Automatic Deposit on CD Area Earned Income Tax $114,641.77
Deposit – January 3, 2002 $ 4,838.05
General Fund Balance as of January 3, 2002 $903,021.40
Liquid Fuels Balance as of January 3, 2002 $372,331.94
Less Payroll 12/28/01 Net: $16,166.99 Gross: $ 18,587.88
Less Vouchers to be approved 01/07/02 $438,920.16
Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to approve payroll. The motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to approve payment of the vouchers. The motion was unanimously approved.
#01.010, Vartan Bank, Clover Lane and Allentown Boulevard. Ms. Hauck reviewed her memorandum dated January 3, 2002 and advised the Board that this plan was not ready for action.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to table the Final Subdivision and Land Development Plan, #01.010 for Vartan National Bank submitted by Buonarroti Trust, Clover Lane and Allentown Boulevard, Tax Parcel #68-032-001 and 003, and acknowledge the letter of extension dated December 20, 2001 granting West Hanover Township an additional thirty (30) days for review, which will expire on February 8, 2002 to encourage the resolution of the currently outstanding issues as raised through the Zoning Officer’s and Township Engineer’s reports, both dated January 3, 2002. The motion was unanimously approved.
Sewer Connection Enforcement Activities (Actions). No report was given as Mr. Yost was not present at the meeting.
Township Public Property Committee Update. Mr. Jones said that he had reported on the Committee’s recommendations at the first meeting in December and that there was nothing new to report. He said the Committee would meet again on January 23, 2002.
Motion – Release of Security for Pilot Oil Corporation. Mr. Rimer said the Township was currently holding $134,550 in improvement guarantees and that Pilot was asking to have $102,100 of that amount released. The remaining balance would be $32,450.
Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to release the Pilot Oil Corporation security as requested. The motion was approved 4-1, with Mr. Jones voting nay.
Resolution 2002-1, Appointment of Township Solicitor. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to appoint Jon Yost of Yost and Davidson as the Township Solicitor. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-2, Appointment of Township Secretary/Treasurer. Mr. Millard was appointed Township Secretary/Treasurer during the reorganization of the Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-3, Appointment of Township Engineer. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to appoint Herbert, Rowland, and Grubic as the Township Engineer. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-4, Appointment of Township SEO. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to appoint Light-Heigel and Associates as the Township SEO. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-5, Appointment of Township Accountant. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mrs. Zimmerman, to appoint Wooten, Reed and Associates as the Township Accountant. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-6, Appointment of Township Auditor for 2001 Audit. Mr. Rimer asked the Board to table this appointment. He said that the advertisement for bids had been advertised but that the deadline for submission was after the January 7, 2002 meeting. He added that he would have that information available for the January 22 meeting.
Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to table Resolution 2002-6. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-7, Authorization for Payment of Expenses. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to adopt Resolution 2002-7. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-8, Authorization for Signatures. Mr. Rimer said this resolution would authorize Mr. Jones, Mr. Ziltz, and Mr. Millard as signatories for the bank accountants. He added that if the Board appointed an Assistant Secretary/Treasurer at some point, that person could also be added as a signatory.
Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to adopt Resolution 2002-8. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-9, Appointment of Depository. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to appoint Fulton Bank as the depository for Township funds. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-10, Establish Township Holidays. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to adopt Resolution 2002-10. The motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Jones said he had received a memorandum from the Public Works Department asking that in light of the happenings on September 11 that Veteran’s Day be added as a holiday for the Township. A brief discussion ensued, following which, by consensus, the Board agreed to discuss the matter at a future time.
Resolution 2002-11, Establish Mileage Reimbursement. Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to adopt Resolution 2002-11. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-12, Establish Township Meeting Times. Mr. Ziltz said there was a correction for the meetings held by the Park and Recreation Board. He said the meetings were held on the Wednesday prior to the third Thursday of each month.
Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to adopt Resolution 2002-12 as amended. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-13, Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor. A question was raised as to whether it was appropriate for the Board of Supervisors to appoint the solicitor for the Zoning Hearing Board or whether the Zoning Hearing Board should appoint its own solicitor.
Mr. Jones moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to table Resolution 2002-13 until such time as an answer to the question raised could be ascertained. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-14, Appointment of
Vacancy Board. Mr. Millard
moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to appoint Eric Bugaile to the Vacancy Board.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr.
Hoffman, to appoint Joseph Manmiller to the Vancancy Board.
The motion to appoint Eric Bugaile to the Vacancy Board was approved 3-2, with Mrs. Zimmerman and Mr. Hoffman voting nay.
Resolution 2002-15, Compensation for Zoning Hearing Board Members. Mr. Rimer said that the compensation currently was $25 per hearing. It was suggested that he check with neighboring townships to determine what they are paying their Zoning Hearing Board Members. Mr. Rimer agreed to do so.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to adopt Resolution 2002-15. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-16, Treasurer’s Bond Limit. Mr. Rimer said the Treasurer’s Bond was currently set at $300,000.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to adopt Resolution 2002-16. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-17, Township Manager’s Bond Limit. Mr. Rimer said his bond limit was also set at $300,000, as required by the Second Class Township Code.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to adopt Resolution 2002-17. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-18, Delegates to PSATS Convention. Mr. Rimer said that the resolution included the name of the voting delegate for the Township as well.
Mr. Jones moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to appoint Mr. Millard as the voting delegate at the PSATS Convention. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-19, Capital Tax Collection Bureau – 2002. Following a brief discussion, Mr. Jones directed Mr. Rimer to contact the Capital Tax Collection Bureau and arrange for someone to be present at the January 22, 2002 Board meeting to make a presentation.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to table Resolution 2002-19. The motion was unanimously approved.
Appointments to Boards and Commissions. The following resolutions were presented to the Board for approval:
· Resolution 2002-20, Zoning Hearing Board (2 vacancies – Seat #1 – N. Gruber and Seat #3 – Robert Burk with two years remaining on his term). Mr. Rimer said that he spoke with Mrs. Gruber and she indicated that she was interested in reappointment.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to reappoint Mrs. Gruber to the Zoning Hearing Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Jones asked Mr. Rimer whether or not he had a recommendation for an appointment to replace Mr. Burk. Mr. Millard said that the matter was to be discussed in Executive session.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to table the appointment to replace Mr. Burk. The motion was unanimously approved.
· Resolution 2002-21, Planning Commission. Mr. Rimer said that Earl Cassel had resigned thereby creating one vacancy and he also said that he received a letter of resignation written by Mrs. Green on behalf of Dr. Green. Dr. Green resigned for health reasons. Therefore, there would be two vacancies to fill on the Planning Commission. Mr. Rimer said that Seat #1 (held by Mr. Cassel) had a four-year term and that Seat #3 (held by Dr. Green) had one remaining year. Mr. Jones asked Mr. Rimer if there were recommendations for those positions. Mr. Millard said that appointments to Planning Commission would also be discussed during Executive session.
Mr. Jones that that many appointments in the past had been political in nature and that he hoped the Township would adopt the policy to appoint the most qualified candidates. He said that an advertisement was placed in the December Newsletter asking that anyone interested in volunteering for the Township submit a resume or a letter of interest to Mr. Rimer. Mr. Jones said that, in turn, he thought the Board should look to Mr. Rimer to interview and score the individuals, in the event there was more than one candidate and then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. At that time, the Board would make the determination whether to follow Mr. Rimer’s recommendations or not.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to table Resolution 2002-21. The motion was unanimously approved.
· Resolution 2002-22, Water and Sewer Authority (1 vacancy – Seat #1 – David Wingeard). Mr. Rimer said that Seat #1 was held by Mr. Wingeard. He further advised that he was unable to talk with Mr. Wingeard regarding his interest in being reappointed. Mr. Millard said that he would like to get three supervisors on the Water and Sewer Authority to try and get more control over the Authority and therefore was proposing that Robert Ziltz be appointed to the vacancy. Mr. Jones said he believed that the Authority should have more representation from the Board of Supervisors.
Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Jones, to appoint Robert Ziltz to the Water and Sewer Authority.
Mrs.
Zimmerman moved to appoint David Wingeard to the Water and Sewer Authority.
The motion to appoint Mr. Ziltz was approved 3-1, with Mrs. Zimmerman voting nay and Mr. Hoffman abstaining.
· Resolution 2002-23, Park and Recreation Board (1 vacancy – Seat #1 – Robert Stammel). Mr. Rimer said that Mr. Stammel indicated he was interested in being reappointed to the Park and Recreation Board.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mrs. Zimmerman, to reappoint Mr. Stammel to the Park and Recreation Board. The motion was unanimously approved.
· Resolution 2002-24, Environmental Advisory Council (3 vacancies – Seat #1 – Patti Estheimer, Seat #2 – Robert Garland, and Seat #3 – Eileen Smink). Mr. Rimer said he received letters from Mrs. Estheimer and Mr. Garland in being reappointed to the EAC. He said he had not heard from Mrs. Smink.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to reappoint Patti Estheimer, Robert Garland, and Eileen Smink to the EAC. The motion was unanimously approved.
Following the approval of appointments, Mr. Jones
asked Mr. Rimer to contact the people who were reappointed. Mr. Rimer said that he would do so.
Resolution 2002-25, 2001 Budget Transfers. Mr. Hoffman moved, seconded by Mrs. Zimmerman, to approve Resolution 2002-25. The motion was unanimously approved.
Motion – BOS Conference Attendance Authorization. Mr. Rimer asked the Board to approve attendance at three conferences. One conference (free of charge) would serve as a refresher training session for several members of the road crew relative to traffic signals. Mr. Rimer said that the building inspector would like to attend the other two conferences, one being an executive board meeting of PennBOC and the other being a program held by Region 5 of PennBOC wherein the International Residential Code would be the topic.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to approve attendance as requested. The motion was unanimously approved.
Motion – Schedule a BOS Workshop for January 14, 2002. Mr. Rimer said the three items for discussion would be (1) the invitation to become members of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, (2) Chris Navitsky of BL Companies would like to bring the Board up to date on the status of the Pilot project, and (3) Delta Development would like to bring the Board up to date on the Exit 77 project.
Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to set a workshop for January 14, 2002. The motion was unanimously approved.
Motion – Nominees for Section Representative to the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to table this matter until the Township Manager could obtain further information. The motion was unanimously approved.
Motion – Authorize Execution of the Dauphin County Planning Commission’s Municipal Planning Assistance Program Agreement for 2002. Mrs. Zimmerman moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to authorize execution of the Dauphin County Planning Commission’s Municipal Planning Assistance Program Agreement for 2002. The motion was unanimously approved.
Motion – Reopen the 2002 Township Budget (PA Second Class Township Code, Section 3202(d)). Mr. Rimer said that during an election year, the Second Class Township Code allows the newly-elected Board to reopen the budget, if they desire to do so. He added that all of the advertising requirements were met and that if the Board did not wish to reopen the budget, it was not required to do so. Mr. Rimer said that if the budget were reopened, any changes had to be advertised and changed prior to February 15, 2002. Mr. Jones said that he did not see a need to reopen the budget. Mr. Millard said that he did see a need but was not prepared to discuss it at the present time.
Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to reopen the 2002 Township Budget. The motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Rimer asked whether that item of business should be added to the workshop agenda. Mr. Jones said that it should be placed on the agenda and then he asked Mr. Millard to share his reasons for wanting to reopen the budget.
Motion – Authorize Execution of the Use of Fields Agreement with West Hanover Township and West Hanover Township Baseball Association, Inc. Mr. Rimer said that the Board reviewed the agreement during 2001 and that, since that review, the agreement had undergone some further revisions, and was before the Board for re-review. A brief discussion ensued during which Mr. Jones voiced concern over Item #12, Mrs. Zimmerman asked about Item #5, and Mr. Millard pointed out that Item #1 stated that the Township owned the fields but he added that he did not believe that was correct. In addition, Mr. Millard raised questions relative to Item #9 and Item #14. Mr. Rimer suggested that perhaps the Board might want to review the agreement and discuss it at a future meeting.
Mr. Ziltz moved, seconded by Mr. Millard, to table the Use of Fields Agreement. The motion was unanimously approved.
Resolution 2002-26, Authorize Park Facilities Application and Fee Schedule. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Hoffman, to adopt Resolution 2002-26. The motion was unanimously approved.
Mr. Rimer indicated the Board would be required to comment relative to the Sandy Hollow Road project named under #4. He said that Ms. Hauck would put something together for the Board’s review.
There was no other business brought before the Board.
Solicitor. Mr. Yost was not present at the meeting.
Engineer. Mr. Brulo stated that the Board had his written report.
Roadmaster. Mr. Harman was not present at the meeting.
Codes and Zoning Administrator. Ms. Hauck was not present to give a further report.
Park and Recreation Coordinator. Mrs. Fesig had no further report.
Manager. Mr. Rimer had no further report.
There was no further public comment.
Gloria Zimmerman. Mrs. Zimmerman said she would like to see the Board respect all the residents, not just select groups, and work for the good of everyone.
Steve Millard. Mr. Millard moved, seconded by Mr. Ziltz, to hold an Executive Session following the meeting. The motion was unanimously approved.
Bob Ziltz. Mr. Ziltz had no further comments.
Bob Jones. Mr. Jones had no further comments.
Mr. Jones thanked the Boy Scouts and leaders for attending the Board meeting.
A motion was made, seconded, and
unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:13 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gail A. Martin
Recording Secretary