Municipal News
- Last Updated on Monday, 01 April 2013 00:58
By Paul Chasko
After a closed executive session, the Union Twp. board of supervisors passed a motion to have the Twp. solicitor cite the owners of the Union Gardens property extending from McChain Road to Brownsville Road for Ordinance violations.
After a closed executive session, the Union Twp. board of supervisors passed a motion to have the Twp. solicitor cite the owners of the Union Gardens property extending from McChain Road to Brownsville Road for Ordinance violations.
Complaints from landowners adjacent to the Union Gardens Property and reports of ordinance violations by the Zoning and Code Enforcement officers on the activities on the property have been heard at Union twp. board meetings for at least 6 months. What was to have begun as a nursery for landscaping plants has become, according to reports and complaints at board meetings, a storage lot for heavy construction equipment and a dumping ground for overburden and old broken concrete containing rebar. The code enforcement officer has also reported that excavation on the property has gone beyond what was allowed by their original permit.
All board members were present for this meeting as were the Solicitor, Secretary, Treasurer, Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Officer.
Road and Maintenance Report
• A vehicle maintenance history was begun.
• Heavy duty springs were added to trucks.
• A hole on McChain Rd. needs examined by the Twp. Engineer. The road crew foreman commented that there are gas lines in the vicinity of the hole.
• PennDOT to review traffic signals on Rt. 88/Brownsville Rd. intersection.
• CAL U will be doing some GPS work for Union Twp.
• A new lock will be placed on the gate to the Twp. Park
• Emergency generators were checked at the Twp. Building and at the Elrama Pumping Station. Batteries will be purchased and changed out.
• The underground fuel storage tanks were inspected on March 7. DEP had some recommendations that were implemented.
• A change will be made in the parking ordinance by the solicitor to clarify the conditions (ice & snow depth) under which residents must move their vehicles off Twp. roads for snow removal.
• The Road Maintenance Supervisor mentioned that about 1,400 tons of road salt had been used so far this winter.
• The board authorized payment to replace a mailbox damaged by the road crew during snow removal.
• The Road Maintenance Supervisor was authorized to replace a missing School Bus Stop Sign on Rt. 88.
Regular Business
• General Fund bills in the amount of $51,041.47 were approved for payment.
• April 1st (6:00 pm) was scheduled for the next ordinance codification workshop.
• The Soccer Association prepared a schedule of use for the Recreation Park. It was approved, subject to presenting an insurance certificate.
• A retroactive Resolution and Declaration of Official Intent for loan documents related to the purchases of a new backhoe and tractors was approved by motion.
• An amusement tax ordinance is under review.
• A Holding Tank Escrow was released to Dollar General ($2,064 refund).
• Edward Lenhart requested that a stop sign be placed on Finleyville-Elrama Rd. at Maple Street to curb speeding. He will be advised that Finleyville-Elrama Rd. is a state road and this would take PennDOT action. Supervisor Spahr suggested that a set of “speed lines” be painted on the road at Maple Street to aid police.
• Resident Timothy Petrak requested a guard rail be installed on Walnut Street in the Boyka Plan. The Twp. Engineer will review the request.
• A complaint was made that during a recent snowfall, the hill up to Tuscany Estates was salted before Patterson Road – a school bus route. It was noted that Patterson has priority. It was salted immediately after Tuscany.
• A replacement is needed for Barb Fitterer on the planning Commission. An ad will be placed.
• A request was made for a speed limit sign on Linden St. The Twp . Engineer will investigate the request.
• There were some incorrect street light assessments for 2011 and 2012. Refunds were approved.
• A CDL Regulatory Update seminar will be made available on the video projector system for employee review.
• It was announced that on June 12 there will be a webinar on “Emergency Preparedness.”
Executive Session:
An executive session was asked for by the board. It lasted 30 minutes. The solicitor announced on return to the public meeting that Litigation on both Union Gardens and Finleyville Airport was discussed. Supervisor Parish removed himself from the portion of the executive session regarding Finleyville Airport. Attorney Gerald Cooke (Attorney for Finleyville Airport) was asked to sit in on that portion of the executive session.
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