Charlestown Township Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2018

The first business meeting for March was held March 5, 2018 at the Great Valley Middle School in Room 154, 255 N. Phoenixville Pike, in Malvern, PA.

Present

Call to Order:

7:00 p.m.

Announcements

Mrs. Csete announced that the Supervisors held an executive session following the February 5^th meeting to discuss legal matters.

Mrs. Csete announced that there are many handouts available at tonight’s meeting.

Citizens Forum

Mr. Steven Van Vliet introduced himself tonight to the Board and audience. He is a realtor who has lived in the area for 35 years and wishes to concentrate only in this area. He sent the Supervisors a letter expressing interest in being considered to represent the Township when the Auchincloss properties are ready for sale.

Mr. Anzio Williams and Mr. Anthony Plosz from NBC10 were in attendance with an invitation to discuss the possibility of installing a Doppler Radar tower on a property in Charlestown Township. Mr. Philips immediately mentioned that he was not in favor of an 80-foot tower and valued the Township’s viewsheds.

Mr. Williams wanted to discuss the benefits of the tower to the local community:

1. establishing relationships with local schools
2. provide information about storms and tornados etc., to local first responders

He stated that there are no radar towers that cover this area (west of Philadelphia). Other stations are using the National Radar Service for their information. WCAU plans on sharing the information with a science museum in Philadelphia and local schools. Mr. Kuhn said that the Township has gone to great expense to set aside 34% of its land as open space, and that this and the viewsheds are very important to Charlestown Township. The representatives said their mobile unit is often setting up in this area and they are looking for something more permanent. Next, the two representatives will be meeting with the Township solicitor and engineer regarding the need for a variance.

Approvals

February 5, 2018 Business Meeting Minutes

Mr. Philips moved to approve the minutes for the February 5, 2018 Business Meeting and Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Treasurer’s Report February 1 – 28, 2018

Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the February 2018 Treasurer’s Report and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Accounts Payable Reports for Operating Fund for March 5, 2018

Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the General Fund Accounts Payable Report for March 5, 2018 and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Accounts Payable Report for Open Space Fund for March 5, 2018

Mr. Philips moved to approve the Open Space Fund Accounts Payable Report for March 5, 2018 and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor. Mr. Philips asked a question about an expense at Charlestown Park.

Accounts Payable Report for Liquid Fuels Fund for March 5, 2018

Mr. Philips moved to approve the Liquid Fuels Fund Accounts Payable Report for March 5, 2018 and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Reports

Mr. Kuhn moved to accept the February 2018 reports #1-13 as submitted and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Mr. Willig attended a Phoenixville Regional Planning Commission meeting regarding targeted growth and felt as though the County map/data differed from the information obtained by the Township’s land planner, Mr. Comitta. Mrs. Csete will contact Mr. Comitta to review concerns about the Township’s information on the County map vs targeted growth data.

Presentation

Eagle Scout Projects

J.D. Heisey

Troop 106 Eagle Scout candidate J.D. Heisey presented his idea for a project at Charlestown Park. He will be replacing two benches and some floorboards on the wooden deck of a rest area.

The benches will be made of pressure treated wood and composite supports. The benches will be fastened to the support beams of the deck. The area had been vandalized, but due to the efforts of this candidate and his team, improvements should be finished by the end of April.

Mr. Philips moved to approve the project as presented by J.D. Heisey and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.

A.J. Stacey

A.J.’s schematic showed a patio style project, 58 feet up the path, where he will place an information sign, bench and perform a repair of the observation platform at the natural wetland area. The estimated cost of this project is between $4000-5000. He discussed purchasing and payment options for his vendor with Mrs. Csete. Mr. Dettore suggested the sign graphics be approved so the order can be placed; the sign, which would be in the same style as the recently completed Army Hospital marker, takes about 8 weeks to produce.

Old Business

Project Updates by Mr. Dettore

Charlestown Park South Parking Lot —

due to weather the finish date has not changed from the end of April. There is no estimate for the restroom floors as of yet. Mrs. Csete is to check the status.

Mr. Kuhn moved to approve an estimate by Durable Services not to exceed $6,000 and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Brightside Farm Walking Trail & Parking Lot —

due to a few spring-like days the contractor was authorized to install the waste receptacles and bike racks. The final wearing course of the parking lot will be completed in May.

Mr. Dettore obtained a proposal from iSign to produce the address signage for both the Brightside Trail and Charlestown Park, which also needed an additional address sign near the restroom building. These signs will help local emergency responders; the legal address will immediately be located by the County’s 911 Center and is a requirement for obtaining internet service as those providers work from the county database.

Mr. Kuhn moved to accept the proposal from iSign not to exceed $5,485.00 for three signs, and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Charlestown Mill Lighting & Signage —

the signage is in fabrication and should arrive by the end of March. There are a few lighting pieces on backorder, but the lighting should be done by the end of April.

New Municipal Building Study —

no update given.

Pickering Creek Bridge —

No update given.

Swiss Pines —

the portion of the electrical work to be done by the owner was completed, with a new underground conduit pulled. The next step is for PECO to arrive at the site. The Township donated Mr. Dettore’s time.

Formation of Environmental Advisory Committee

Ms. Carol Armstrong attended tonight’s meeting to move forward with establishing an EAC. She reiterated the ways in which the EAC plans on serving the local community. The EAC will:

• Be an advisory resource
• Be an educational resource
• Be a monitoring resource of Township assets,
• Monitor environmental science and regulations that might impact the Township

Ms. Armstrong will contact Mrs. Csete to set up meetings and decide on a location. The group will function as a citizen’s advocacy group, working informally for approximately one year to allow time to organize. The Supervisors will then determine if they wish to adopt an ordinance to create a formal EAC. If the ordinance is adopted in the future, meetings will need to be advertised. They can however, begin to advertise on the Township website now. Supervisors stated their happiness at seeing residents volunteering for the Township as members (7) of the EAC.

Mr. Kuhn moved to support the formation of the EAC advocacy group, with the intent to become a formally appointed committee for the Township in the future, and Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

New Business

Zoning Hearing Board Application Overview

Mr. Eric Davison was present to provide details on his application before the Zoning Hearing Board seeking variances to allow for the restoration of an existing barn foundation and addition of the new barn using that foundation at his property at 3017 Phoenixville Pike. He proposes to store landscaping equipment and supplies in the building. Due to the placement of the building within the setback, a variance was required.

However, due to the terrain, and the level of the barn with the road, a second look at the situation was in order. After further review, Mr. Wright felt it advisable to avoid the Zoning Hearing Board and address the Board of Supervisors after he visits the Planning Commission. In his review letter dated 3/5/18, he provided suggestions for plan revisions that would allow the proposed work without the need for variances. After a review and recommendation by the Planning Commission, a Conditional Use approval by the Board would be sufficient.

Open Bids

The following bids were received by the deadline at noon today and read aloud:

Road Equipment & Labor for April 1, 2018-Mar 31, 2019

Melchiorre Construction

$141,900

Mowing Equipment & Labor Contract 4/1/18 - 3/31/19

Company	Estimated Annual Cost		Cost per Mowing
	Finish Mower Total	Weed Cutter Total	Charlestown Park	Cemetery	Jenkins Tract	Longwood School	Woolen Mill	Brightside Farm
CT Landscaping	6800	30	500	—	40	30	50	120
WS Hardwood	8000	25	600	—	38	25	45	45

Company	Estimated Annual Cost
	Finish Mower Total	Weed Cutter Total
CT Landscaping	6800	30
WS Hardwood	8000	25

Company	Cost per Mowing
	Charles- town Park	Jenkins Tract	Longwood School	Woolen Mill	Brightside Farm
CT Landscaping	500	40	30	50	120
WS Hardwood	600	38	25	45	45

[There were no bids for mowing the Cemetery.]

Tree Equipment & Labor Contract 4/1/18 - 3/31/19

Davey Tree Experts bid	$38,325
Bartlett Tree Experts bid	$115,375

All bids were turned over to Mr. Wright for review and comparison to last year’s figures, and recommendations for the bid awards will be considered at the April 2, 2018 meeting.

Preliminary Discussion on 2018 Road Improvement Projects

Mr. Wright provided a handout proposing the following roads for resurfacing this year:

Warner Lane
Howell Road
Township Line Road
Brightside Farm Driveway
Rees Road

Mrs. Csete recommended that Warner Lane be postponed until the Route 29 sinkhole remediation project is finished on Morehall Road so as to not further impact traffic while lanes are restricted on Route 29. After further discussion, Supervisors decided to delay all road improvements except the Brightside Farm Driveway because of the congestion expected this summer.

Mr. Wright will return to the next meeting with preliminary estimates and measurements.

Resolution to Approve Petrondi Sewage Facilities Planning Module

Mr. Wright indicated that the application for the planning module for the Petrondi property had been reviewed and is in order. The resident is currently using pump and haul, since infiltration is not an option. But pump and haul cannot be a permanent solution. The County has suggested a tertiary plan that discharges the waste water into a stream on the resident’s property. Mr. Wright will research how it prevents contamination of the water, and the DEP’s thinking behind the approval of this decision.

Mr. Philips moved to adopt Resolution #909-18 amending the Official Sewage Facilities Plan of Charlestown Township to include the Sewage Facilities Planning Module for the Petrondi property at 3141 Hollow Road, and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Resolution to Update Permit Fee Schedule

Mrs. Csete indicated that she reviewed the building permit fee schedule with BCO Anthony Merklinger, who recommended 4 increases to cover inspection costs, and one decrease for a fee for stucco remediation permits that was higher than necessary. In addition, the state Labor & Industry Fee was increased from $4.00 to $4.50 and this needs to be reflected on the schedule. She later met with Mr. Wright to review the changes. The current fee schedule was last revised in 2014. She prepared a resolution proposing these changes for the Supervisors’ review.

Mr. Piliero moved to adopt Resolution #910-18 adopting a resolution amending the permit fee schedule, and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Resolution to Dispose of Records in Accordance with Records Retention Schedule

Mrs. Csete said she and Mrs. Bird continued to go through old file boxes and identified 3 additional boxes of general files that were no longer of administrative value.

Mr. Kuhn moved to adopt Resolution #911-18 authorizing the disposition of these records, and Mr. Piliero seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Other Business

Mr. Lawrence suggested the A.J. Stacey project be watched to be sure the load bearing specs are followed closely.

There will be an executive session immediately following tonight’s meeting.

Adjournment

Mr. Piliero adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 2, 2018, 7:00 p.m. at the Great Valley Middle School, in Room 154, 255 N. Phoenixville Pike, in Malvern, PA 19355.