Monthly Business Meeting
Executive session held 6:45 pm - 7:00 pm — litigation
Summary
The Halifax Township Board of Supervisors held its monthly business meeting on September 9, 2019, called to order at 7:12 p.m. by Chairman Kenneth Bechtel. All five supervisors were present: Kenneth Bechtel, Brad Bruner, Randy Paul, Steve Schreffler, and Scott McBurney. The board had met in executive session beforehand to discuss litigation, and also held a separate executive session on August 21 for personnel matters. The meeting covered several property nuisance enforcement actions, park use requests, a street renaming for public safety, and planning for the 2020 budget.
- Street renaming for public safety (5-0): Two homes on South Front Street were officially reassigned to "South Front Street Extended" following a county address review. The county will also notify other residents with incorrect street names or house numbers to improve emergency response accuracy.
- Nuisance enforcement — Geoffrey Brother (5-0): After pre-nuisance letters went unanswered, the board directed Solicitor Bruce Warshawsky to send a formal nuisance notice regarding an uncontrolled cat nuisance and an unregistered vehicle on the property.
- Nuisance enforcement — Buffalo Park Road (5-0): A formal nuisance letter was authorized for a property owner on Buffalo Park Road.
- SALDO violation — North Country Unlimited (5-0): The board voted to send a violation letter to North Country Unlimited for violating the township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, with the matter also placed on next month's agenda.
- Society for Creative Anachronism park use approved (4-1, Brad Bruner dissenting): The group was granted use of Fort Halifax Park by the river, subject to conditions including $1,000,000 liability insurance naming the township as additional insured, traffic control on Route 147 and at the private railroad crossing, lavatory facilities and trash removal, full site cleanup, and a $250 fee payable to Friends of Fort Halifax.
- Cub Scout Pack 156 rocket launch approved (5-0): The pack received permission to launch Estes model rockets on the upper field at Fort Halifax Park on September 28, 2019 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
- 2020 budget workshop dates set (5-0): Workshops scheduled for October 21 and October 28 at 7:00 p.m., and November 4 at 6:00 p.m.
- Deb Everly nominated to Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (5-0): The board nominated Deb Everly of Jefferson Township to serve on the regional planning commission.
Who was there
Kenneth Bechtel (Chairman/Supervisor) · Brad Bruner (Supervisor) · Randy Paul (Supervisor) · Steve Schreffler (Supervisor) · Scott McBurney (Supervisor) · Bruce Warshawsky (Solicitor) · Wendy Wentzel (Secretary) · Tim DeWire (Engineer) · Tim Belk (Roadmaster)
Meeting business
secretary-treasurer-report
The Board approved paid interim bills through September 9, 2019 (motion by McBurney, second by Paul, 5-0), unpaid bills through September 9, 2019 (motion by Schreffler, second by Paul, 5-0), and the August 12, 2019 meeting minutes (motion by Paul, second by Bruner, 5-0). The financial report was placed on file for audit.
emc-report
EMC Tim Neiter and Jeff Enders discussed road-naming issues. Two houses on South Front Street were given a new street name, South Front Street Extended, by the County; the Board voted 5-0 to accept the change (motion by Schreffler, second by Paul). The County is also reviewing the house numbering system and will send letters to residents with incorrect numbers and street names due to public safety concerns.
engineer-report
Engineer Tim DeWire submitted and provided an overview of K & W's report dated August 30, 2019 for services in August. The report was placed on record.
solicitor-report
Solicitor Bruce Warshawsky submitted his report dated September 6, 2019 for services during August. The Board voted 5-0 to send a formal nuisance letter to Geoffrey Brother regarding a cat nuisance and unregistered vehicle nuisance, as no response was received to prior pre-nuisance letters (motion by Schreffler, second by McBurney).
roadmaster-report
Roadmaster Tim Belk provided an overview of activities during August. He noted the T-Tag delivery date was changed to September 16th and stated that a portion of Ridge Road needs paved where it was tar and chipped over a dirt road.
administrative
The Board voted 5-0 to nominate Deb Everly of Jefferson Township to serve on the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (motion by Paul, second by McBurney). No action was taken on the PSATS Unemployment Compensation Group Trust or the Pennsylvania Townships Health Insurance Cooperative Trust trustee election ballots.
old-business
The Smokee Bros stormwater management application was deferred to next month. The Board voted 5-0 to send a formal nuisance letter to the Buffalo Park Road property owner (motion by Schreffler, second by Bruner). The Ziegler and Klinger nuisance properties are both showing progress. The Board voted 5-0 to send a letter to North Country Unlimited for violation of the SALDO Ordinance (motion by Bruner, second by Schreffler). Supervisors Bruner and Schreffler will represent the Board at the upcoming meeting with the Fire Department.
new-business
The Board granted Sharon Weaver a stormwater management exemption waiver (5-0, motion by Bruner, second by Paul). Budget workshop dates were set for October 21, October 28 at 7:00 pm, and November 4, 2019 at 6:00 pm (5-0). The Society for Creative Anachronism was approved to use Fort Halifax Park subject to insurance, traffic control, lavatory, cleanup, and a $250 fee to Friends of Fort Halifax (4-1, Bruner voting no). Cub Scout Pack 156 was permitted to use the upper field of Fort Halifax for model rocket launches on September 2, 2019 (5-0).
This page is an automated summary of official township records. For the authoritative version, always refer to the original document.