CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MINUTES Charlestown Township Municipal Building 11 General Warren Blvd., Suite 1, Malvern, PA Monday, November 4, 2024

Present

Call to Order: 7:00 p.m.

Announcements

Mr. Rubinfield noted that he received an odor complaint via email regarding Beyond Meat that he forwarded to Mr. Wright.

Citizens Forum

No matters were brought forward.

Approvals

Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the items listed below and Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

1. Minutes for the October 7, 2024 Business Meeting
2. Minutes for the October 21, 2024 Budget Meeting
3. October 2024 Treasurer’s Report
4. Accounts Payable Report - All Funds for November 4, 2024

Reports

Mr. Kuhn moved to accept the October 2024 reports #1-16 as submitted, and Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Old Business –

none

New Business

Pickering Dam Road Bridge Design Options

Mr. Heleniak said he and Mr. Wright have met with PennDOT representatives, who have proposed two options for the design of the replacement bridge on Pickering Dam Road. Construction will take place in 2026-2027, the timing partly dependent upon environmental challenges including stream channel issues.

Mr. Heleniak displayed Option 1 and Option 2, the former having a lower height of concrete stamped with a Keystone and topped with rails. The Supervisors were in agreement that Option 1 was their preferred option.

Mr. Greg Nesspor asked if a stone face was an option as this has been done elsewhere in the county, but Mr. Kuhn said it wasn’t an option here due to the specific features of the stream and bridge. Mr. Frank Beyer asked for details on the stream channel work. Mr. Heleniak said that the stream, on approaching the bridge, had created a second channel that hits the side of the road and needs to be corrected. Carol Armstrong asked if the DEP will be involved, and Mr. Heleniak said several approvals will be needed from that agency.

Annual MS-4 Update

Mr. Wright gave the annual update to the Township’s MS-4 Program, stating that the last annual DEP report was recently submitted by the Sept. 30^th deadline. An NPDES renewal is underway for the current 5-year permit that expires in 2025. This will be the third renewal. Plans to install an infiltration basin on the Township’s property at 3017 Phoenixville Pike are nearing completion with the topography plan and layout of the basin being finalized, following which time the application will be submitted for a 2025 construction date. The plan will stop sediment from turnpike runoff from reaching the road and entering the Valley Creek watershed.

Authorize to seek bids for MS-4 Basin Project on Phoenixville Pike Property

Mr. Wright said the next step in the MS-4 project will be to remove trees from the proposed basin area, which won’t be visible from the road due to surrounding tree cover. An estimate of $48,900.00 was obtained from Victory Gardens, which is over the no-bid limit. This will require the tree removal phase to go out to bid. Mr. Kuhn asked for the area of disturbance, and Mr. Wright said about 5 acres. Mr. Kuhn then asked if the trees were of sufficient quality for logging, and Mr. Wright said he didn’t think so, though he’ll confirm.

Mr. Philips moved to authorize the Manager to advertise for bids for the tree removal phase of the MS-4 Basin Project, and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Mr. Kuhn asked if existing topographical surveys from a previous developer could be used, but Mr. Wright said the topo needs to be re-done following the tree removal. Mr. Kuhn asked if replanting and seeding will be part of the bid and Mr. Wright said yes. Ms. Armstrong asked for the location of the project and Mr. Wright gave that info and indicated the infiltration bed would deal only with Turnpike runoff on from the downhill slope and wouldn’t treat the parking lots on the opposite side of Phoenixville Pike. Mr. Wright said the forebay and infiltration bed would have to be cleaned out four times a year, which would keep sediment out of the Valley Creek. Ms. Armstrong asked if the plantings would be native species, and Mr. Wright said yes, plus they would be wetland plantings.

Swiss Pines Renewal of Leases Expiring 1/31/25

Mr. Heleniak said the leases for the 6 Swiss Pines rental units will expire on 1/31/25, and if we wish to terminate the lease or make any changes in the rent, it must be communicated to the tenants 60 days before that date. Three units are on Swiss Lane and three are on Tree Lane. A fourth Swiss Lane house is not currently being rented and has a bad foundation. Another is vacant from a recent tenant move.

Mr. Heleniak said the rents on Tree Lane vary from $1,000 - $1,325 per month, and on Swiss Lane they are set between $1,250 - $1,350 per month. He proposes adjusting the leases to a uniform rate of $1,300 for the 3 Tree Lane units and a rate of $1,500 for the Swiss Lane units for the new term.

Mr. Piliero asked if the current tenants would be likely to stay if the rates were increased as proposed and Mr. Heleniak responded he expected they would stay with one possible exception. He was confident that in the event a tenant declined to renew it would be easy to obtain a new tenant since rates are still very reasonable yet commensurate with the conditions of the dwellings.

Mr. Kuhn moved to approve the proposed rental rates and to direct the Manager to inform the current tenants of these renewal rates for the 2/1/25-1/31/26 term and Mr. Philips seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Armour & Sons Signal Service Contract Expiring 2/1/25

Mr. Heleniak noted the current contract is in place until February 1^st of next year, but a 60-day notice is required to either terminate the agreement at that time or extend it for an additional year. Roadmaster Jim Thompson confirmed that he is satisfied with Armour.

Mr. Philips moved to extend the current contract with Armour & Sons Electric Inc., for an additional year to February 1, 2026, and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.

Website Design & Maintenance Agreement

Mr. Heleniak said he’s been looking at updating the Township website, which has a lot of great information but is not easy to navigate. While the current website has met the Township’s needs through exemplary service by Allen P. Underkofler, moving forward it will be necessary to change to a new service. He stated that new requirements for ADA compliance for the Website are going to be in effect by the end of 2026, and in order to meet the deadline the Township will need to transition to a new website provider that can meet these requirements. He has spoken with representatives from CivicPlus, which provides the services to many other municipalities including West Whiteland Township, East Whiteland Township, and Schuylkill Township. He said he and Mrs. Csete met with representatives for a demonstration of the product, which allows the client to post directly to the site and is user friendly.

Because it’s nearing the end of the year, a good deal was offered by CivicPlus, which has submitted a proposal in the amount of $21,616.00 for the setup and first year of service, with an estimated 2^nd year renewal at $8,419.00 for 2026.

Mr. Philips asked how the new site would work with the code of ordinances now accessible on the existing site. Mr. Heleniak said they will integrate the codes through E-Code. He added that the site will also include a link to the recreation software also being set up for 2025 for pavilion reservations at Charlestown Park.

Mr. Heleniak has spoken to Mr. Underkofler about extending his current website design and maintenance agreement on a month-to-month basis until the change to the new site can be completed, which will take an estimated 6 months.

Mr. Kuhn moved to execute the proposed agreement with Civic Plus for the creation of a new website and its continued maintenance. Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.

Ms. Armstrong asked if the new site will be able to hold more content than the existing site, and Mr. Heleniak said it will be more organized with most information being accessible within two clicks.

Resolution Re-Adopting the Emergency Operations Plan

Mr. Philips moved to adopt Resolution #1058-2024, re-adopting the Emergency Operations Plan of Charlestown Township and Mr. Kuhn seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion, and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.

Authorize Advertising for Adoption of 2025 Budget for December 2, 2024

Mr. Kuhn moved to authorize the Township Treasurer to advertise the proposed 2025 Budget for consideration of adoption at the December 2, 2024, Board of Supervisors Meeting. The meeting is at 7:00 P.M., at the Township Office, 11 General Warren Blvd., Malvern, PA. Mr. Willig seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Authorize Advertisement of Intent to Appoint a CPA to Audit the 2024 Accounts

Mr. Piliero moved to authorize the Township Treasurer to advertise the Board’s intention to appoint a certified public accountant at the Reorganization Meeting, to conduct the 2024 audit. Mr. Rubinfield seconded. Mr. Piliero called for discussion and there being none, called the vote. All were in favor.

Adjournment

There being no additional business, Mr. Piliero adjourned the meeting at 7:32 p.m. The next business meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2024, at 7 p.m., at 11 General Warren Blvd., Suite 1, Malvern, PA.