TUNKHANNOCK TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
2005 REORGANIZATION MEETING & REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
JANUARY 3, 2005
The Tunkhannock Township Board of Supervisors held a reorganization and regular monthly meeting on January 3, 2005 at 7:30pm in the Municipal Building, Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA. Those in attendance were Supervisors’ Francis Altemose 11, Jim Sterrett and William Bourke, Secretary Donna Verdes and area residents. Supervisor Francis A. Altemose, II called the meeting to order at 7:31pm.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to appoint Francis Altemose, II as the temporary Chairman and to appoint temporary Secretary Donna Verdes for purpose of reorganization. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments motion carried unanimously.
Acting Chairman A. Altemose, II stated that nominations were now open for 2005 Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bourke nominated Francis A. Altemose, II as Chairman. Supervisor Sterrett seconded the nomination.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to close the nominations for Chairman. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments motion carried unanimously. Motion to elect Francis A. Altemose, II as the 2005 Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments motion carried unanimously.
The meeting was then turned over to Chairman Altemose, II.
Chairman Altemose, II stated that nominations were now open for 2005 Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Bourke nominated Supervisor Sterrett as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments motion carried unanimously. Motion by Supervisor Bourke to close the nominations. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments motion carried unanimously. Motion to elect Supervisor Sterrett as the 2005 Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to appoint Donna Verdes as the 2005 Secretary/Treasurer. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Chairman Altemose, II to appoint the following people for the following positions:
Edmund J. Scacchitti of Olivetti and Scacchitti as Solicitor
Armand E. Olivetti of Olivetti and Scacchitti as Alternate Solicitor
Bruce Walder as Road Master
Bev Riker as Assistant Secretary, Planning & Zoning and Assistant Sewage Enforcement Officer
Dorothy Trauger as Zoning Officer
James Weiss as Sewage Enforcement Officer
Donald Siegfried as Alternate Sewage Enforcement Officer
Robert Zipp as Perc Technician
John Heller as Alternate Perc Technician
Kevin Harrison as Township Engineer
Sarah Bue-Morris as Alternate Engineer
Berkheimer Associatiates as Earned Income Tax Collector and Amusement Tax Collector
William Bourke as Grievance Officer
Maureen Sterner as Vacancy Officer
Francis A. Altemose, II as Supervisor Representative for Council of Government
Bruce Walder as Road Task Force Representative
William Bourke as Supervisor Representative to Pocono Mountain Regional Police Commission
Mike Gillen as Resident at Large to Pocono Mountain Regional Police Commission Representative
William Bourke as Supervisor Representative to Tunkhannock Township Volunteer Fire Company
Francis A. Altemose, II as Emergency Management Administrator
Gary Riley as Emergency Management Coordinator
Jim Sterrett as Supervisor Representative to Emergency Medical Services
William Bourke as Supervisor Representative to Regional Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Bev Riker as Zoning Representative to Regional Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Michelle DeCastongrene as Representative to Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association
Bill Chatam as Clymer Library Representative
Francis A. Altemose, II as Representative to Regional Open Space Committee
William Bourke as Supervisor Representative to Building Code Enforcement Committee
Dot Trauger as Zoning Representative to Building Code Enforcement Committee
Dot Trauger as Secretary to Planning Commission
Jim Sterrett as Supervisor Representative to Planning Commission
Jim Davenport as Member of the Planning Commission for a four year term
Francis A. Altemose, II as Supervisor Member and Chairperson of the Agricultural Security Advisory Committee
Francis Altemose, Sr as Member of the Agricultural Security Advisory Committee
Jeff Brennan as Member of the Agricultural Security Advisory Committee
Tom Keiper as Member of the Agricultural Security Advisory Committee
Larry Moyer as Member of the Agricultural Security Advisory Committee
Mike Gillen as Member of the Zoning Hearing Board for a three year term
Ken Wierich from Coolbaugh as Joint Building Codes for a five year term.
William Bourke as Supervisor Respresentative to 911 Re-Addressing Committee
Dot Trauger as Member of 911 Re-Addressing Committee
Seconded by Supervisor Bourke. After comments, motion carried unanimously
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to appoint PLGIT Intergovernmental Fund, The First National Bank of Palmerton, PNC Bank, and Morgan Stanley as depository for checking, money market, savings accounts and CD’s for all funds. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to appoint Donna Verdes and any of the Supervisors Francis A. Altemose, II, Jim Sterrett and Bill Bourke as the representatives to draw down by resolution any drafts, bonds or other obligations that may come before the board. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to authorize Edmund Scacchitti of Olivetti & Scacchitti to hire experts on regulatory items that may come before the board only with prior approval of the Board of Supervisors. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to Authorize the Board of Supervisors, Secretary and anyone else the Supervisors’ deem necessary to attend the State Convention in April. The voting delegate will be Supervisor Sterrett. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to set bond for the treasurer at $2,000,000.00. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Supervisor Bourke stated so that Tunkhannock Township residents can attend the monthly School Board Meetings
The supervisors have decided to change their Regular Monthly Supervisors meeting night.
Motion by Supervisor Bourke to set the Tunkhannock Township Board of Supervisors regular monthly meetings as follows:
The 2nd Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building, Long Pond Road, Long Pond, Pennslyvania. Will be the Regular Monthly Meeting.
The Monday preceding the regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. (which is actually the first Monday of the month) and the Fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the municipal building, Long Pond Road, Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. For clarification the work session in January will be January 26 at 5:30, work session in February will be 7th at 7:30 and the February regular monthly meeting will be February 14 at 7:30 p.m. There being no omments, motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Supervisor Sterrett, to set the 2005 salary for Secretary/Treasurer at $17.50 per hour.
The following salaries were set in the budget.
Roadmaster, Bruce Walder
Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver #1, Troy Counterman
Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver #2, Joe Benner
Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver #3, Roger Smith
Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver #4, Tom Delese
Maintenance and Groundskeeper (part time), Bruce Yerk
Zoning Officer, Dot Trauger
Assistant Secretary, Planning/Zoning and SEO, Bev Riker
Sewage Enforcement Officer, Jim Weiss
Percolation Test Technician, Robert Zipp
Tax Collector, Ken Henning
Auditors (3)
Motion seconded by Supervisor Bourke. Supervisor Bourke stated that by law they are required to state the Secretary/Treasurer wages but the others are included in the budget and the Supervisors felt this is a privacy issue and will not state their salaries. There being no more comments, motion passed unanimously.
Supervisor Sterrett announced the office closings for 2005.
Closed Open
Monday, January 17 - Martin Luther King Day Tuesday, January 18
Monday, February 21 - President’s Day Tuesday, February 22
Friday, March 25 - Good Friday Monday, March 28
Tuesday, April 26 - Election Day Wednesday, April 27
Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day Tuesday, May 31
Tuesday, June 14 – Flag Day Wednesday, June 15
Monday, July 4 - Independence Day Tuesday, July 5
Monday, September 5 - Labor Day Tuesday, September 6
Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day Tuesday, October 11
Tuesday, November 8 - Election Day Wednesday, November 9
Friday, November 11 - Veteran’s Day Monday, November 14
Thursday, Nov 24 & Friday, Nov 25 - Thanksgiving Monday, November 28
Monday, December 26 - Christmas Tuesday, December 27
Monday, January 2 - New Year’s Day Tuesday, January 3, 2006
There being no further reorganization business, the Board went directly into the January regular monthly meeting.
Minutes of the December 23, 2004 budget adoption meeting were presented. Motion by Chairman Altemose, II to approve the minutes. Seconded by Supervisor Bourke. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
The Treasurer`s report was presented as follows: Receipts $401,706.40
Disbursements $435,935.20
General Fund Balance $493,026.99
Liquid Fuels Fund Balance $458,431.34
Motion by William Bourke to accept the Treasurer`s report. Seconded by Chairman Altemose, II. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Chairman Altemose, II to pay the bills in the amount of $177,940.21. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
Announcements: There were none
The meeting schedule for January was read.
Old Business:
Chairman Altemose, II stated the Bethlehem Water Authority is going to take the proposal for the parking lot, basketball court and the walking trail to their meeting and the City Council meeting to vote on turning that property over to the Township for our ownership.
Proposed Conveyance of 16.33 acres from the Bethlehem Authority and the City of Bethlehem to Tunkhannock Township.
Motion by Chairman Altemose, II to authorize the Solicitor to undertake the necessary steps for the Township to acquire a 16.33 acre parcel adjacent to the Tunkhannock Township Volunteer Fire Company from the Bethlehem Authority and the City of Bethlehem for general municipal purposes. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There being no comments, motion passed unanimously.
New Business: There was none.
Reports:
Chairman Altemose, II – There were no EMA or COG meetings for the month of December. Have not received minutes yet from the Joint Open Space Committee. The minutes for the EAC have been posted.
Supervisor Sterrett – The Clymer Library report is up to Bill Chatam. There has been no meeting for the EMS due to budget and interviewing new hires. The School Board information is posted and he has not been able to attend the School Board meetings due to budget meetings.
Supervisor Bourke – There was no Regional Comprehensive Land Use Plan in December. There was no Joint Building Codes Enforcement meeting in December but there will be a meeting on January 20th at 7 p.m. at Coolbaugh Township. The Pocono Mountain Regional Police Board passed their budget and they will be given the final numbers for 2004 at the 2nd Tuesday of January.
Chairman Altemose, II stated that the Township Planning Commission minutes were posted.
Road Master Bruce Walder – The was no Task Force meeting but added that he received confirmation that Penn Dot is going to pave Long Pond Road and reconstruct it from 940 to Kuhenbeaker that was discussed again with Penn Dot it looks like it will be done in June. There was a substantial amount of money allocated to the reconstruction. Penn Dot realizes that it is not a secondary road anymore it’s becoming almost a primary road to get to Mount Pocono.
There being no further business, Chairperson Altemose, II opened the floor to comments.
Peggy Yencho commented on the Supervisors attending the School Board meetings. Supervisor Bourke stated that the meeting change would give the residents and the Supervisor’s a chance to attend if they so wished.
Betty Terell-Cruz commented on the School Board taking the EIT tax and new gambling legislation. The Monroe County Transit Authority is interested in providing service to us and the resident’s are asked to participate in meetings to help determine stops, schedule and she stated the meetings would be on January 8, Sierra View at 11 a.m., January 13 Tunkhannock Township at 7:00 p.m., February 2nd Brier Crest Woods at 7:00 p.m., February 5 Christ the King Church at 1:00 p.m., February 26 at Indian Mountain Lakes at 11:00 a.m. Further commented on Route 115 – two bad spots due to springs. The Supervisors asked the Road Master to discuss the problem areas with Penn Dot. She also requested for the Fund Balances to be repeated and the Auditors name.
Gary Verdes – passed.
There being no further comments, motion by Chairman Altemose, II , to adjourn. Seconded by Supervisor Sterrett. There were no comments, motion passed unanimously. The meeting ended at 8:03p.m.
Donna Verdes
Secretary