Township Approved Budget, No Tax Increase!
Township Approved Budget, No Tax Increase!
By Wayne Witkowski
The Pike County Dispatch - December 15, 2022
DINGMANS FERRY -- Delaware Township supervisors at their regular meeting on Wednesday last week unanimously approved, without discussion, a budget that will hold taxes for a sixth straight year.
But that wasn't the main issue attracting a dozen residents as they sat through the brief meeting of agenda items.
They were awaiting the Public Comment segment ending the meeting to express their concern about Met-Ed's conspicuous silence regarding the proposed Shawnee-Walker 69-kilovolt Transmission Line project. It's an auxiliary power line built on right-of-way next to many homes to improve electric service reliability for approximately 13,600 residents involved in Monroe and Pike counties and to mitigate power outages largely caused by adverse weather.
It would extend through Lehman Township but supervisors there have not voiced objection because the route traverses non-residential areas and along Bushkill Falls Road through state game lands.
Yvonne Tetta started the discussion when she said she had not heard anything about the project from Met-Ed since she was first notified in early summer. The notification said that Met-Ed would send representatives to homes to explain the project to homeowners affected.
"That's a dead issue," said Supervisor Jane Neufeld of the visits.
Tetta said the line runs on a right of way that would go next to her house. She said her research shows that living near the power line can lead to serious illness.
Tetta pressed the supervisors about their position.
"We're totally against this because it's going through Akenac (Park)," said Board of Supervisors Chairman John Henderson.
Another resident asked the supervisors if they (the township) are getting paid by Met-Ed for permission and Henderson said they are not.
He said the board had sent a letter to Met-Ed when the project was made public to request a meeting to discuss the project but did not get a response. He and his fellow supevisors agreed to send another letter requesting a meeting.
Supervisors also sent an email the following morning about the project to Mike Mrozinski, director of Pike County Office of Community Planning.
"They (Delaware Township) are trying to get a representative to Pike County to explain this; their (Met-Ed's) idea is to provide a website to walk you through the whole project and for people to comment on the website and not for them (Met-Ed reps) to e to Pike County," said Mrozinski to the Dispatch that day. "They don't want to confront these people."
Copies of the first supervisors' letter sent on July 20,which establishes Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission LLC commandeering the project, were distributed by township Administrator Krista Predmore to residents.
Part of the letter reads, "We believe this project will have a negative impact on property values, plants, animals and water resources, recreation and the overall rural character of our township. Additionally, there are health concerns that are directly linked to stray voltage and magnetic fields near the wire, which could affect property values and anyone visiting the township's park.
"It is the township's goal to conserve, maintain and enhance the historical, cultural and environmental resources in our township and the proposed project does not align with those goals."
A few residents, along with Tetta, expressed similar sentiments.
"You could hear the wires," said resident Gary Evans of the electromagnetic hum. He and other residents cautioned that the project would move forward even if residents object and those dissenters could be forced out by eminent domain.
"There are multiple people (objecting to the project). You have a lot more power than you think," said Henderson, who also cautioned, "We need to run on evidence, not rumor."
Township Solicitor Tom Farley assured the gathering that the project has to run through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which ensures reliable, safe, secure and economically efficient energy for consumers at a reasonable cost.
As for the earlier part of the meeting, Neufeld said during the workshop the 2023 township budget has "no change in revenue" from when it was unveiled on Nov. 16 but said there is "a matter of overestimations (of expenses). Expenses decreased by $35,000.
Neufeld said the latest Blue Ridge franchise agreement for cable TV (not Internet service) calls for $8,900 quarterly, $35,600 annually under the latest five-year agreement.
The 2023 township budget remains at 11.868 mills. The General Fund holds at 8.68 mills.The Recreation tax and Fire tax for the township Volunteer Fire Company both will stay at 1.5 mills, each drawing $153,000. The Park and Recreation budget is $167,155.00.
The estimated unallocated balance moved forward will be $38,500. State Liquid Fuels tax is $570,515.46
Motions were passed for the budget and for the resolution for levy of taxes for 2023.
Supervisors approved Kirk Summa & Co LLP management letter for the 2022 independent audit.
They approved advertising for a joint public hearing with the Planning Commission on the Iron Body Fitness Land Development and Conditional Use for 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 11. It's a $6,000-square-foot gym on the lot next to Dollar General on Route 739.
A 2023 lawn mowing contract to Wayne’s Lawn Care for $30,740 was awarded, a "slight increase" from the previous budget, said Neufeld.
A Dependable Cleaning Co., Inc.’s quote on the municipal hall tile floor for $600 was approved.
Delaware Township Bulk Days were set forth for 2023. They will be held on the first Fridays of the first three months -- Jan. 7, Feb. 4 and March 4, will be held the first and third Fridays on April through October and then be held only the first Friday of November and December.
Also approved was the 2023 goose control proposal by Geese Police at $415 per week, along with a $100 addling charge per nest.
Supervisors approved $350 toward the employee Christmas party.
A $250 donation from the Dingmans Bridge to the Recreation Commission to be used toward the annual holiday event on Dec. 10 at Akenac Park was approved.
Akenac Park use requests by Delaware Township Recreation and those event budgets for 2023 were approved. They include April 2, Easter Event ($1,000), July 15 – Summer Event ($1,000), Aug. 26 - Summer Event ($1,000), Sept. 16 – Harvest Festival ($2,000), Oct. 28 – Trunk or Treat ($1,000), Dec. 9 – Christmas Event ($1,000).
During Public Comment, resident Steve Tarquini expressed his concerns about detonations of an explosive that lit up the night skies and made loud sounds heard throughout neighborhoods. "I know of at least seven times (it happened)," said Tarquini as he and Koehler agreed that it was bigger than fireworks. Koehler agreed that he saw the sky lit up while driving one evening.
Supervisors cancelled their final regular meeting and workshop that was scheduled for Dec. 21.
Delaware Township crafts 'conservative' 2023 budget
Delaware Township crafts 'conservative' 2023 budget
The Pike County Dispatch
By Wayne Witkowski
DINGMANS FERRY -- The streak goes on for Delaware Township property owning taxpayers -- no increase in six years on their municipal taxes.
The final draft for the 2023 township budget remains at 11.868 mills. The General Fund holds at 8.68 mills.The Recreation tax and Fire tax for the township Volunteer Fire Company both will stay at 1.5 mills, each drawing $153,000.
The budget was discussed at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday last week and made available starting last Friday for public inspection for 20 days at the municipal building at 116 Wilson Hill Road.
Supervisors also decided to post the budget online this year on the township website.
A ratification vote was approved by the supervisors for their regular meeting on Dec. 7.
"This again is a careful, conservative budget," announced Supervisor Jane Neufeld who, as township treasurer, again crafted the budget with township Administrator Krista Predmore, with input on details from Roadmaster Richard Bailo.
"Income from our township taxes has not really changed. Potential income that caries from year to year -- real estate transfer taxes, service charges, etc. -- for the most part have increased. But as the amounts may undergo change at any time, conservative projections are made.
"We have been able to occasionally get grants for the big money projects and have worked to fix, update, maintain our roads, buildings, our infrastructure," Neufeld told the gathering as the 2023 budget shows $502,992.66 set aside for roads and bridges. "There is still a bit more to do to ensure our infrastructure is safe, our services can continue to be of use and service to our residents and visitors.
"And expenses have -- no kidding -- grown."
The General Fund balances at $1,547,485.28, with a surplus of $137,078.30. It's a decrease from the 2022 budget that was set at $2,430,418.64. The General Fund was budgeted in 2021 for $1,273,939.
For the 2023 budget, state Liquid Fuels totals $570,515.46.
Neufeld said any salary increases "will be based on good work done."
The Capital Reserve Fund - General Fund is $318,444 and the Capital Reserve Fund - Parks and Recreation is $317,119.
The Emergency Services Fund is set at $344,005. The township will receive $215,000 from the Pike County emergency services fund.
The Rec budget is at $180,770, which creates a $20,615 shortfall of its allocation and its revenue through the year. Neufeld pointed out that supervisors passed a motion at the last meeting to move $30,000 from the General Fund to Recreation, which would cover that shortfall.
Neufeld said rising fuel and heating costs is "a moving target and not fun to do" for the budget.
Supervisors at the meeting discussed with Bailo some issues for the upcoming months. On the budget for 2023 is emergency lighting for and painting of the bathrooms, replacing the culvert and the footbridge over it at Akenac Park, painting and replacing the flooring and door of the gatehouse at the park, painting the back of the Dingmans Ferry Theatre building and refurbishing the roof as well as a $22,500-$30,000 project replacing the meeting room floor, repairing loose tiles in the kitchen. a $50,000 expense to redo the two public bathrooms and $4,310 toward lighting in the municipal parking lots.
Most of that work will be funded from the American Rescue Fund that has $393,462.99 earmarked to be spent on overall township projects by 2024.
Also at the regular meeting, supervisors approved new heaters for the recreation hall at Akenac Park in an amount not to exceed $4,200. They will be used at the annual event "Gnome for the Holidays" from 5-8 p.m.on Dec. 10. They approved Delaware Township Volunteer Fire Police to provide traffic control that day.
Theurkauf Design & Planning will receive $6,918.12 for the Delaware Township Comprehensive Plan Update.
Supervisors approved the annual renewal of the State Workers’ Insurance Fund for $19,030 for the Delaware Township Volunteer Fire Company Workers Compensation Policy.
They agreed to advertise for the vacancy of the Delaware Township Zoning Hearing Board after accepting the resignation of Ted Persall.
Board of Supervisors Chairman John Henderson announced that the Delaware Township Planning Commission Comprehensive Plan Update Public Workshop will be held 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6.
They also approved advertising for a part-time office assistant and for a full-time public works employee.
Supervisors approved municipal hall use request by newly elected state Rep. Tarah Probst to use the municipal hall in 2023 for state office hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays beginning Jan. 5.
Municipal hall use requests also were approved for Dec. 5 from 6-10 p.m. by the Pike County Democratic Committee for a holiday get-together and a municipal hall use request by the Delaware Township Democratic Club on Dec. 16 from 6-10 p.m. for a club meeting and holiday get-together.
The Delaware Township Rec Committee was approved use of municipal hall on the second Monday of every month from 6-7 p.m., beginning Jan. 9.
Henderson and Neufeld said, when asked during Public Comment at the end of the meeting, that they were informed that Wilson Hill Road will reopen this week as Pennsylvania Department of Transportation completes repairs.
Supervisors approved renewing Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance policy at a 3 percent increase for 2023 for full-time township employees.
Also approved was a $4,310 payment to Amp Electrical Contracting LLC for upgraded lighting.
Help Make a Plan for Delaware Township's Future!
Attend the Public Workshop & take the Survey! Your input is valuable.
November 9, 2022
NPS News: Construction Set to Begin at George W. Childs Park
Delaware Water Gap NRA News Release
Release date: October 24, 2022
Construction Set to Begin at George W. Childs Park
BUSHKILL, PA- National Park Service (NPS) officials announced today that a contract has been awarded for the next phase of restoration and construction work at George W. Childs Park (Childs Park) in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The site has been closed since March 2018 when two back-to-back winter storms, Quinn and Riley, wreaked havoc on the area as heavy ice and snow and high winds brought down thousands of trees and closed roads and trails throughout the recreation area. Work will begin this fall with most construction work taking place in the spring and summer of 2023. The site is expected to re-open to the public in the spring of 2024.
The 155-acre site along Dingmans Creek is a popular destination within the park, featuring 3 scenic waterfalls surrounded by an historic trail system that threads through a cool, shady eastern hemlock ravine. Childs Park was the original vision of wealthy Philadelphia philanthropist and publisher George W. Childs who, along with friend George Donaldson, developed rustic trails and dedicated it to the public in 1892 as a place for people to enjoy nature. Childs died in 1894 and his widow donated the site to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1912. It was operated as a state park until 1983 when the Commonwealth donated the property to the NPS.
While under state park ownership, military veterans serving in Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at the nearby Edgemere camp constructed numerous structures including the timber Ranger Cabin complex in 1935. They also constructed picnic pavilions and pump shelters, improved trails, and planted native vegetation including hemlock trees. This year, a team of professional wood-crafting experts from the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center repaired severe damage to the Ranger Cabin caused by the storms to stabilize the historic CCC-constructed building.
Winter storms Quinn and Riley caused an unprecedented amount of damage to utility lines, roads, trails, and structures, primarily due to falling trees. At Childs Park, the wind, ice, and snow uprooted trees which caused entire hillsides to slide downhill, taking the trails with them. Trees crushed trail bridges and choked Dingmans Creek and the waterfalls and caused heavy damage to CCC-era historic buildings. Following the storms, park crews prioritized clearing and opening roads, assessed the widespread damages to trails, infrastructure, and structures, and sought funding for repairs. Most trails were re-opened within a year except for a few where damages and repairs were more costly and more complex, such as Lower Hornbecks Creek, Van Campens Glen, and Childs Park. Damages to the Adams Creek trail were so severe that the trail has been closed permanently.
“Storm impacts at Childs Park were significant, and restoration and repair are complex processes, especially given the sensitive environment in which it is taking place,” explained Kara Deutsch who leads the park’s Resource Management and Science team. “When work is completed, Childs Park will be equally beautiful but safer and more resilient than it was before.
Work that has already been completed in preparation for this stage of the restoration, includes removal of downed trees, damaged railings and posts, and a failed section of trail on an unstable slope; completion of required natural and cultural resource studies and environmental compliance processes; and coordination of the engineering and design for trail improvements and repairs to bridges and other built structures.
Chief of Facility Management Bill Tagye, who is overseeing the construction phase of this project, explained that a considerable amount of work is also done behind-the-scenes such as securing funding and contractors for each stage of the restoration work, working with engineers on the trail and bridge designs, and ensuring that the project complies with natural and cultural resource protection laws. “Without that,” he added, “nothing can happen on the ground.”
On-site work during this phase of the restoration includes:
- paving a portion of the existing trail and minimizing the slope from the parking area to the Woolen Mill sign exhibit to improve accessibility and drainage;
- installing a new accessible section of trail from the first bridge to the historic handpump shelter;
- removing an unsustainable stretch of trail between the second and third bridge on the west side of Dingmans Creek;
- repairing damage or replacing components of the trail, bridges, picnic sites, boardwalk, stairs, overlook areas, interpretive exhibits, and trail guardrails throughout the site; and
- installing a trail and stair retaining system near the fourth bridge.
In addition to active construction, other work during this phase of repairs will include surveying and project layout, vegetation clearing and stump/root removal for trail work, and procurement of supplies and materials. No work will take place during the winter months and construction is planned to resume in the spring of 2023.
Work will be completed by Puyenpa services, LLC from Gaithersburg, MD 20877, a company experienced in trail construction and familiar with sensitive natural and cultural resources.
Childs Park remains closed to the public until construction is completed.
For more information on Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area call (570) 426-2452; visit our website at www.nps.gov/dewa; or follow us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS and Instagram at www.Instagram.com/DelWaterGapNPS.
This press release is also available on the park website: News Releases - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
-NPS-
Delaware Renews Cable Agreement For 5 Years
Delaware Renews Cable Agreement For 5 Years
The Pike County Dispatch
Thursday, June 30, 2022
By Wayne Witkowski
INGMANS FERRY -- Delaware Township supervisors unanimously approved, after a brief public hearing, an ordinance for a new five-year franchise cable agreement with Blue Ridge Communications during the regular meeting on Wednesday last week.
The ordinance agreement keeps the same terms as the expiring five-year contract in which Blue Ridge intends "to maintain, construct, operate and upgrade its cable system over, under and along the aforesaid right-of-way for use by the township's residents," according to the ordinance.
It is done by "utilizing public right-of-way and properties within the township's jurisdiction."
Fees for the cable maintenance and upgrades come from a 1.5 percent tax built into township residents' monthly bills for cable television usage.
Fees that are not used go back to the township for its general funds on a quarterly basis, which is estimated at about .5 percent of that customer tax.
The agreement, in compliance with state and federal standards, comes after nearly two years of ongoing meetings and discussions between the supervisors and Blue Ridge and some executive sessions during Board of Supervisors workshops that preceded their regular meetings..
During the regular meeting, supervisors agreed to pay American Rescue Fund bills of $72,882.81 for three culvert replacement projects for Long Meadow, Log & Twig and Spencer roads. The American Rescue Fund is a COVID 19 federal endowment. Supervisors also approved a motion to extend by 14 days for contractors to receive materials and complete the Log & Twig Road work. It will be done by July 3.
Also, Kevin Riker was appointed full-time assistant roadmaster at a rate o $27 per hour and a $3,000 hiring incentive bonus, including $2,000 of that incentive toward future work service.
Supervisors also approved a payment of $7,700 to Kirk Summa & Co. LLP for the audit of financial records to year end Dec. 31, 2021.
Little Wonders Learning Center again was granted use of Akenac Park for fields days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 24, July 29 and Aug. 15.
The township noise ordinance again was discussed briefly during the workshop prior to the regular meeting but was set aside until further information is gathered comparing the township's proposed ordinance to the noise restrictions of the State Liquor Control Board.
Board of Supervisors Chairman John Henderson reminded the gathering during the Announcements segment at the end of the regular meeting that the application deadline has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2022 for the property tax/rent rebate program for older and disabled Pennsylvanians by the Department of Revenue and Aging. Applications can be filed online by visiting mypath.pa.gov. Supervisor Jane Neufeld said further questions can be directed to the office of state Rep. Rosemary Brown.