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Charlestown Township
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The first business meeting for May was held May 7, 2007 at the Great Valley Middle School, Room 154. Kevin Kuhn, Chairman, Paul Hogan, Charlie Philips, Michael Rodgers, Hugh Willig, Mark Thompson, Esq., Surender S. Kohli, P.E., Linda M. Csete, Township Administrator, and those on the attached list were present.
Mr. Kuhn called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M.
Announcements
Mr. Kuhn announced that the Board met in executive session with the Solicitor prior to the meeting to discuss legal matters. Also, the Board met with members of the West Pikeland Township Board of Supervisors last week to develop criteria for the Bodine Road traffic study.
Citizen’s Forum/Non-Agenda Items
Sue Staas asked if warning signage can be installed for drivers heading south on Charlestown Road who pick up speed when approaching the intersection of Charlestown Road and Hollow Road. Cross traffic has increased and there was another accident there recently. The Board asked Mr. Alston to request a traffic study of the intersection from PennDOT to see what can be done.
Approvals
Minutes of April 2, 2007 Business Meeting
Mr. Rodgers moved to approve the minutes of the April 2, 2007 business meeting, and Mr. Hogan seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Minutes of April 16, 2007 Business Meeting
Because there was no quorum on April 16, 2007, there will be a memorandum placed in the minute book that the solicitor and secretary met on this date to open and continue two hearings on the record, for Robal Associates and Leon & Carol Altemose.
Treasurer’s Report – April 1 - 30, 2007
Mr. Philips moved to approve the April Treasurer’s Report and Mr. Rodgers seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Accounts Payable Report – Operating Fund May 7, 2007
Mr. Hogan moved to approve the May 7, 2007 Operating Fund Accounts Payable report and Mr. Rodgers seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion. Mr. Philips asked what road work was performed by Melchiorre Construction, and Mr. Alston said it included repairs on Bodine Road and Mary Hill Road. Mr. Kuhn called the vote, and all were in favor.
Accounts Payable Report – Open Space Fund May 7, 2007
Mr. Rodgers moved to approve the May 7, 2007 Open Space Fund Accounts Payable report, and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Other Reports
Mr. Philips moved to accept the reports for April 2007 and Mr. Rodgers seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion. Mr. Philips noted the Township held another successful clean-up day on April 21st but noted that Charlestown Road and Phoenixville Pike still have a litter problem. He asked if PennDOT would collect the trash from a central location if the township continued clean up efforts. Mr. Alston said they only provide this service for the week of Earth Day, during which time the landfills waive their tipping fees. Mrs. Staas suggested contacting the Sheriff’s office for convicts to pick up trash. Mrs. Gerhard said DUIs can be obtained through the probation department, and volunteered to contact them. The Board directed her to do so. Mr. Kuhn called the vote, and all were in favor.
Mr. Philips asked about the meeting to be scheduled with West Pikeland Township officials to further discuss the Bodine Road traffic study. Mr. Alston said scheduling was delayed due the PennDOT assistant manager’s recent illness. Mr. Kuhn suggested proceeding with the meeting without PennDOT as he hadn’t originally intended they be in attendance.
Mr. Philips asked about a letter from the Charlestown Hunt Homeowner’s Association complaining about snow & ice removal response time this winter. Mr. Alston said this is the first season the Township took over winter maintenance of the roads, and those roads are prioritized as part of the entire township road system, which is done by traffic counts. He said he expects to add an additional truck for winter maintenance next year, which should improve response times overall.
Hearing
Leon and Carol Altemose Curative Amendment Application
Mr. Thompson opened the hearing for the Leon and Carol Altemose Curative Amendment application, and the proceedings were recorded by Tom Corcoran, court reporter. There was no testimony as the applicant had requested a continuance. The hearing was continued to June 4, 2007, 7:30 P.M. at the Great Valley Middle School.
Old Business
Ratify - Chester County Grant Application Resolution addenda
Mr. Rodgers moved to approve resolution #681-07 amending the amount of matching funds to be shown as available from the Township in order to be eligible for an acquisition grant under the County’s Round 19, and Mr. Philips seconded. Mrs. Gerhard explained that there was no net difference in the financial commitment to the Township, only a variance in the way the figures were to be shown. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Seminar
Mr. Kuhn announced that Planning Commission Chairman Andy Motel, Mrs. Gerhard and he will be attending a seminar on private land conservation by Steven Small at a cost of $55.00 each. The seminar is hosted by American College on May 22, 2007 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Continuing education credits are provided.
Request for Public Water Service
Luis Castro, 2063 Yellow Springs Road, returned to the Board after first requesting access to public water at the 3/5/07 meeting when he was asked to provide additional information that has now been distributed to the Supervisors. Mr. Castro said the problem is one of water quality and installing a new filter hasn’t solved it. The filters clog after every few minutes of use. His experts told him that even with the mitigations they recommend the problem may not be solved. Mr. Rodgers asked for the depth of the well. Mr. Castro said it is 80 feet deep, and upon inspection was determined to be in good condition. One of the problems is excessive iron in the water. Mr. Kuhn said that due to the location of the house, providing public water wouldn’t create a major risk of expanding the franchise. Mr. Kohli noted there are only two more properties between Mr. Castro’s house and the Turnpike that could be serviced. Mr. Hogan said Mr. Castro did a remarkable job restoring the house itself. He said he sees no reason to deny the request for public water and made a motion to approve the extension of the public water franchise to Mr. Castro’s property. Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
New Business
Resolution to Accept Dedication – Spring Meadow Farm Lane
Mr. Thompson said a new title report should be prepared prior to accepting dedication of the road to confirm that the taxes are paid for 2007. Mr. Rodgers moved to adopt Resolution #682-2007 accepting dedication of Spring Meadow Farm Lane and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor. Mr. Main said both Mr. Thompson and Mr. Kohli were very helpful to him in this process.
Charlestown Park Development Plan
Parks and Recreation Chairman Bob Jones and Jeffrey Bodo, P.E. from D.L. Howell Associates displayed the development plan for improvements to Charlestown Park. Phase I includes a new football/lacrosse field at an estimated cost of $111,818.00. Mr. Jones said the 2007 budget for improvements is $140,000. He distributed a spreadsheet entitled Charlestown Park Capital Improvements outlining improvements in 3 phases. Only Phase I is proposed for 2007.
Phase I has begun with the importing of soil for the new field from Bulldog Construction. It is currently being stockpiled under a temporary permit from the Chester County Conservation District. Mr. Kuhn asked how far along they are in the stockpiling process. Mr. Bodo said a total of 12,000 cubic yards are needed, and they are currently hauling in about 1,000 cubic yards per day.
Mr. Bodo is preparing bid documents for the field construction, sod and sprinklers, which will be given to Mr. Kohli for review. The field is needed by mid August, and since the sod needs 8 weeks to establish itself, it must be installed by mid June. The cost of the sod is estimated to exceed $25,000. Mr. Willig said the bid documents should require that the contractor be available to do the work in the specified time frame.
Mr. Philips asked if the lacrosse field will be regulation size, and Mr. Bodo said yes, it will measure 110 x 60 yards. Mr. Philips asked about safety rules for the field, as there should be no standing at the end lines during lacrosse play. The PMYC should be made aware of this restriction. Mr. Bodo acknowledged this, and added that netting is also proposed where needed.
Mr. Willig asked about the sprinkler system, estimated at a cost of $15,000. Mr. Jones said the Christian College agreed to allow the sprinklers to tap into their system at this time. Mr. Bodo conferred with the Fire Marshal with regard to which lines are available to tap into, since the line for the hydrants is not available for this purpose. The Board indicated the bid documents must cover the entire project, including the sprinkler installation.
Mr. Jones discussed items in Phase II, noting that they would like to have a slot reserved for park improvements in the next grant funding round, since the township can only have three open grants at any given time. Mr. Kuhn indicated this would be unlikely, as there are numerous open space acquisition projects in process and they will get priority. He said funding will come from the township’s funds.
Mr. Jones said eventually a cross walk is needed for Coldstream Road into the Park. Mr. Willig said all PennDOT would agree to at this time is a flashing light, not a cross walk, at an estimated cost of $50,000. The Board was concerned that a flashing light might give a false sense of security for pedestrians.
Timing for items in Phase II and III were discussed. Mr. Kuhn said he’d like to see the pavilions constructed before any more fields are built. Mr. Jones indicated, however, that once the pavilions are built it would be more difficult to bring in the equipment to complete the remaining fields in the master plan.
Mr. Willig indicated additional parking is needed sooner rather than later, and Mr. Kuhn agreed this needs to be addressed. He asked Mr. Jones to get the Board as much detail as possible on Phase II items. Mr. Bodo recommended one improvement to the parking situation could be handled quickly. That would be to re-stripe the PMYC lot, since without lines, the use of the space as been inefficient. Mr. Jones said the clubs can take care of the striping themselves.
Trail Signs
Bob Jones displayed a diagram of proposed trail signs for Charlestown Park, Brightside Farm and the Pickering Trail that Parks and Rec member Karen Davis had provided. The Board was in agreement with the plan and asked Mr. Jones to coordinate ordering and installation of trail signs with Sue Staas.
Department of the Army – Request to Extend Right of Entry Agreement for Charlestown Park to abandon monitoring well number MW-4
The Secretary explained that the Army Corps of Engineers sent a letter dated April 19, 2007 to the Township requesting an extension to the July 2006 approval of a right-of-entry agreement that will authorize the Government and its contractors to enter the Charlestown Park property for a period of six months to abandon monitoring well number MW-4. Mr. Thompson described it as a limited six month easement and said his only issue was to request an indemnification and hold harmless clause as part of the agreement.
Mr. Rodgers moved to approve the extension subject to the addition of language to be drafted by the Solicitor, and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Ratify - Authorization to enter into contract with North American Land Trust for Kronenberg Conservation Easement
Mr. Kuhn said he and Mrs. Gerhard recently met with Bill Kronenberg, and he plans to ease approximately 20 acres of his property with one building reservation. The North American Land Trust was engaged to begin the process, and the Township will cover the costs to place the easement on the acreage. The easement itself is offered for donation by Mr. Kronenberg. Mr. Philips moved to authorize execution of the proposed contract with the North American Land Trust for easement acquisition of the Kronenberg property and Mr. Rodgers seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Valley Forge Sewer Authority – Update on Wilson Station
Mr. Rodgers provided an update on the status of the Wilson Road Station upgrade. After speaking with Vince Pompo, Solicitor for the VFSA, it was determined that Charlestown Township would not be responsible for $18,900 in charges for sending sewage through East Whiteland Township as stated in the original report. The cost will be covered by the VFSA.
Resolution to Pass Regional Act 537 Plan
Mr. Rodgers indicated that the proposed regional plan includes all the information from the member municipalities. Each municipality must pass the resolution to adopt the plan. He said some earlier concerns have been dealt with, including the costs to Charlestown, the question of alternate facilities rather than expansion of the main plant, and the amount of allocation to each municipality. Mr. Kohli said he provided the allocation numbers to the VFSA including sewage needs from the proposed TND in Devault. Mr. Rodgers said Charlestown provided an estimated population of 6,310 by the year 2030 and an estimated 404,000 gallons/day. Mr. Kohli indicated his review of the plan is completed and he finds it acceptable. Mr. Thompson said there is some language in the draft resolution he’d like to amend prior to Charlestown’s passing it.
Mr. Kuhn moved to approve resolution #683-07 adopting the Regional Act 537 Plan subject to Mr. Thompson’s amendments, and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Proposal to update building appraisals to comply with GASB-34
The Secretary indicated a proposal was received from Bob Archer of GAB Robins North America Inc., who had originally performed the 2002 appraisals of township property to comply with accounting standard GASB-34, for an update to those figures. The total cost for the appraisals is $1,150.00. Mr. Kuhn moved to accept the proposal from GAB Robins dated 4/27/07 and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Open Bids – Charlestown Park Mowing
The Supervisors opened the following bids for mowing at Charlestown Park for the 2007 season:
J & K Landscaping at $50.00 per mow (10 man hours) and $30.00 per weed whacking ($2 man hours).
Mr. Philips moved to accept the bid from J & K Landscaping and Mr. Rodgers seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
Open Bids – Tree Work
The Supervisors opened the following bids for tree work for the Township for the period of June 1, 2007 – May 31, 2008:
CM Jones - $45,025.00
Lords Services $23,725.00
The bids were turned over to Mr. Kohli for review. Bid award will take place at the June 4th meeting.
Schedule 2nd May meeting for Supervisors
In anticipation of a light agenda for the May 21st meeting, Mr. Kuhn suggested that meeting be rescheduled for 7:00 P.M. May 22, 2007 in advance of the 7:30 P.M. Planning Commission meeting in Room 154 of the Great Valley Middle School. The Board agreed to this rescheduling, and the Secretary will advertise.
Other Business
Woolen Mill
Mr. Kuhn said Melchiorre Construction quoted a price of $7,500.00 for installing concrete flooring at the Woolen Mill. Mr. Philips recommended the work be coordinated with Dale Frens and Mr. Kohli.
Mr. Rodgers moved to accept the quote from Melchiorre Construction and to proceed with the work, and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Kuhn called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.
The Secretary indicated additional budget funds should be allocated for improvements to the Woolen Mill. Some of the work completed in 2007 was budgeted for 2006 and the budget numbers weren’t carried over to cover the costs. She will provide a memo regarding this matter to the Board.
West Pikeland Township Response
Mr. Thompson asked if the Board was satisfied with the response from West Pikeland Township regarding a complaint from a Charlestown resident on West Pikeland police entering Charlestown at high rates of speed to stop traffic violators. He will advise the Secretary on further communication to West Pikeland.
Planning Commission Meeting
Mr. Kuhn reminded the Board members that it’s critical for them to attend tomorrow night’s Planning Commission meeting, where J. Loew & Associates will repeat their April 24th presentation on a TND for the Spring Oaks parcel along with density figures.
Recycling
Mr. Philips said neither the Post Office nor Township Office in the Devault building is recycling due to the service not being provided by the landlord. The Board directed the Secretary to contact Mr. Fillippo and request that recycling services be made available to them.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 P.M. The next meeting is scheduled for May 22, 7:00 P.M. in Room 154 of the Great Valley Middle School.
Linda M. Csete
Township Administrator