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This newsletter has been printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.1
WINTER 2009
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Continued on page 7IN THIS ISSUE
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS ... 2 RV PARKING ORDINANCE ... 2LOOK WHAT’S NEW ... 2
COMMUNITY ACCESS CHANNEL ... 3
E-MAIL NEWSLETTER ... 3
DIGITAL TV TRANSITION ... 3
RESOURCES FOR SENIORS ... 4
STAY WARM, STAY SAFE ... 4
FIRE POLICE: WHO ARE THEY? ... 5
EMERGENCY DRILL ... 5
RIDGE PIKE VIDEO CAMERAS ... 5
LIBRARY PROGRAMS ... 6
WEATHERING THE WINTER ... 7
FUNDING FOR ROADS ... 7
MEETING & CLOSURES ... 8
CARING & SHARING PROGRAM ... 8
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This newsletter has been printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.Welcome Aboard
Karl Lukens, the new Parks and Recreation Director, addresses the Board of Supervisors after being welcomed to the Township by Board Vice Chairman Piero Sassu. Lukens brings to the township experience gained in Northampton Township, Bucks County. A Penn State graduate, he is active in both the national and state Recreation and Park Societies.
THANk YoU!
The Board of Supervisors extends its sincere thanks to all those who took the time to complete the Citizen Survey. We appreciate your time and value your input!
The real work of the survey has just begun as this important feedback will be used to evaluate services and plan for the future.
Citizen Survey Conducted
During the summer, an independent research group conducted a survey on behalf of the Township. An 18-question survey was mailed to 1,200 randomly selected households. The questionnaire covered quality of life, township services and government perfor-mance.
The goal of the survey was to gather feedback from residents to measure quality of service, to identify community needs/areas of con-cern, and to set future goals and priorities. The overall quality of life in the Township was rated excellent or good by 83 percent of re-spondents. Almost all respondents reported they plan to stay in the Township for the next five years. A variety of community charac-teristics were evaluated. The three receiving the most favorable ratings were opportuni-ties to participate in religious or spiritual ac-tivities, cleanliness of Lower Providence and overall appearance of the Township. Those receiving the least positive ratings were traf-fic flow on local streets, ease of bus travel, and opportunities to attend cultural activi-ties.
The survey identified three strengths of the
Holding the
Line in
Uncertain Times
We are pleased to note that once again the Township has held the line on taxes. There will be no tax increase for 2009; the millage will remain constant at 1.512 mills. But given the uncertain economic future faced by residents and every level of government, the Board of Supervisors recognizes that it will be critical to con-tinue to find ways to do more with less. Even in the best of times, it is impor-tant to realize that property taxes only account for $1.5 million of the Township’s total operating budget of $10.4 million. This does not even cover the cost of police services, let alone all of the other services pro-vided to Lower Providence residents. Maintaining this level of service is a daunting task and possible only be-cause of the diligence and resource-fulness of the staff and Board. 2009 Budget FactsIn preparing the 2009 budget, the Town-ship took an extremely conservative ap-proach just as it had in 2008 when a down-ward economic trend was first noted. Operationally, the budget is as close to a flat line budget as possible, with the ex-ception of anticipated energy, insurance and contracted salary expenses.
Township: civic engagement, community quality, and overall service provision. Be-cause economic sustainability, public trust and transportation were noted as major weaknesses, creating jobs and attracting businesses, already a main focus of the Township, will become even more critical in the months ahead.
A majority of Township services received favorable ratings. The following percent-age rated the service listed as “excellent” or “good”: • Snow removal – 68% • Ambulance – 97% • Street repair – 60% • Police – 91 % • Code enforcement – 50% • Parks – 88% • Fire services – 98% • Employee service – 78%
An analyst from the research group that con-ducted the survey presented a summary of the results at the October 3, 2008 Board of Supervisors meeting. Her summary, as well as the survey questionnaire and the complete survey report, are available on the Town-ship’s website, www.lowerprovidence.org, or at the Township building upon request.
We Value Your opinion
Recreational Vehicle
Parking ordinance
Ordinance #568, adopted by the Board of Su-pervisors in July, regulates the parking of rec-reational vehicles on streets within the Town-ship. Violators are subject to a fine. Specifical-ly, the ordinance states that a permit must be obtained in order to park a recreational vehicle on a street, and provides:• A maximum of seven (7) consecutive days of parking of said vehicles per permit
• A maximum of four (4) permits per year to be issued for each vehicle
• A period of one (1) week is required be-tween permits issued for the same vehicle
• A permit must be attached to the vehicle and posted in plain view during the permit period
• A minimum of three (3) portable emergen-cy warning devices must be displayed at the approach to each vehicle
Permit application forms can be obtained from the Police Department.
Published by
Lower Providence Township
BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS
Craig M. Dininny,
•
ChairmanPiero A. Sassu,
•
Vice ChairmanMarie Altieri
•
Richard T. Brown
•
Christopher J. DiPaolo
•
Joseph C. Dunbar, C.P.M.
Township ManagerDenise R. Walsh
Newsletter EditorWilliam C. Roth
Associate EditorTOWNSHIP
CONTACT INFO.
Police/Fire Emergency...911 Police Non-Emergency ....610-539-5900 Emergency Management/ Fire Marshal...610-539-5900 Police Drug & AlcoholHotline ...610-539-3195 Administration ...610-539-8020 Parks & Recreation ...610-635-3543 30 Parklane Drive
Eagleville, PA 19403
Community Library ...610-666-6640 Sewer Authority...610-539-6161
Community Access Channel Comcast - Channel 28
Verizon - Channel 42
FEEDBACK
If you would like to send us your feedback, please visit the Township website, www.lowerprovidence.org Click on Contact & Phone and use the email link provided, or mail your feedback to the address listed above.
PHOTO POLICY
On occasion, we may take photos of individuals enrolled in programs or using Township facilities. Please be aware that the images are for Town-ship use only and may be used in future promotional material.100 Parklane Drive Eagleville, PA 19403
Notable Achievements
2008 Montgomery County Planning Commis-sion Montgomery Award – Excellence in Plan-ning and Design: The award recognized the CVS Pharmacy and Audubon Inn project that preserved the historic inn and successfully integrated a new drugstore into an historic setting. The project re-sulted in much-needed intersection improvements, streetscape amenities and job creation. Commu-nity input and collaboration between the township and developers were critical to the success of the project. The Inn, meticulously restored by the law firm of Furey & Baldassari, now houses their of-fices.2008 Community Greening Award, Pennsylva-nia Horticultural Society: The Township was honored for the naturalization of a stormwater basin located on Still Meadow Road in the Colleg-eville section of the township. The project was part of the conversion of Township-owned stormwater basins from existing mown grass landscapes to naturalized wet meadow and native plant commu-nities. Naturalizing stormwater basins maintains the overall design of the basin while increasing en-vironmental, aesthetic and economic benefits. Officer Matthew Kuhnert, Commendation of Valor: Officer Kuhnert was recognized by the Board of Supervisors for his heroism during a De-cember 2007 shooting incident where he stopped a suspect from shooting a police officer. He is a 5-year veteran of the Township Police Depart-ment.
James Alexander, Commendation of Mer-it: Alexander, a member of the Township Public Works Department and a volunteer Fire Chief with the Lower Providence Fire Department, was recog-nized by the Board of Supervisor for safely evacu-ating five firefighters from a burning structure. Sinclair Salisbury, Master Code Professional Certification: Salisbury, the Township’s Building Code Official, received his Master Code Profession-al Certification, the highest level of certification of the Code Council. Of the many thousands of peo-ple certified by the Code Council, fewer than 500 in the world have attained this professional level.
Michael Furey, left, of Furey & Baldassari, and Township Community Development Director Michael Siegel display the 2008 Montgomery Awards recognizing the Audubon Inn/CVS project (details below). Other participants include representatives from CVS, Furey & Baldassari, Redwood Holdings, Bohler Engineering, Traffic Planning and Design, and Baldassari Landscaping.
We welcome the following businesses to the Township:
AVM COFFEE SERVICES FACTORY RETAIL STORE
2675 Eisenhower Ave.
COLLEGEVILLE TILE AND STONE
2847 Ridge Pike
DIVERSE AUTOWORKS
1433 Pawlings Road
ISITE TECHNOLOGIES
1151 South Trooper Road
MORNING MUG
3120 Ridge Pike
U.S. POST OFFICE
3200 Ridge Pike
(New location in main shopping center)
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Community
Access
Channel
Now on Verizon
FiOS TV subscribers in Lower Providence Township can now view the Community Access Channel. The channel number is 42. Comcast subscribers can tune to Channel 28.
Should you experience any problems with this channel, please report them to the Fiber Solutions Center (FSC) on 1-888-553-1555.
The Digital TV Transition:
What You Need to know
On February 17, 2009, all full-power TV broadcast stations such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS will begin broadcasting exclusively in digital format. The switch will affect those who do not have cable and have TV sets that use “rabbit ears” or an outside antenna.
If your television is hooked up to cable, satellite or other pay TV service, you don’t need to do anything - your TV will continue to work after the switch. If you have some TV sets that use “rabbit ears,” you can connect those to your pay TV service. If you only use a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears”
for all of your TVs, you have three choices:
• Buy a converter box to use with your TVs
• Buy a digital TV
• Connect to cable or another video service How do I get a converter box?
The converters, which are expected to cost $40 to $70, can be purchased at an electronics retail
store. The government has made discount coupons available that are valued at $40 each. Each coupon can go toward the purchase of a single set-top converter box that will allow you to continue watching free “over-the-air” television on an analog set. To request coupons, (2 per household), call the 24-hour hotline, 1-888-DTV-2009, or visit www.dtv2009.gov/. There is a limited supply. Once you receive your coupon, you must use it within 90 days. Coupons will no longer be distributed after March 31, 2009 and will no longer be accepted after July 1, 2009.
What if I want to buy a new TV?
When buying a new TV, look for Digital TV as part of the TV’s description. Some TV sets may say Standard Definition Digital TV. Some retailers still carry older analog TV sets. They are required to post notices about TVs that won’t work after the digital transition. You do not have to buy a High Definition TV. The transition is not related high definition, a type of digital signal.
How do I know if I have an analog or digital TV?
If you ‘re not sure whether your TV is analog or digital, look for a label on the TV that says: “Integrated Digital Tuner,” “Digital Tuner Built-In,” “Digital Receiver,” or “Digital Tuner,” “DTV,” ”ATSC,” or “HDTV.” If your TV has any of those labels, you should not have to do anything.
FOCUS ON LOCAL BUSINESS - Visitors to the Township’s 2008 Fall Fest had the opportunity to check out local businesses and community groups under the Business Expo tent. Businesses that would like to be a part of next year’s Expo or would like information on the benefits of sponsoring a Township program or event should contact the Parks & Recreation Department, 610-635-3508.
For more information, call 1-888-388-2009 or visit one of these websites:
www.dtvanswers.com www.dtv.gov, www.dtvtransition.org www.getreadyfordigitaltv.com
E-Mail Newsletter
Sign Up
As part of our “Living Green” initiative, we’re providing residents the opportunity to forego their printed copy of the Town-ship newsletter and read the publication online.
Keeping residents informed remains the Township’s primary goal. We hope that this will provide a cost-effective and effi-cient option for those who prefer a “paper-less” newsletter.
Here’s how it works:
• Look for the sign-up icon on the home page of the Township’s website
• Click submit and complete the form
• Each time a new newsletter is available, you’ll receive an e-mail with a link to the newsletter
• You will no longer receive a paper copy of the newsletter in the mail
If you’ve already signed up for the e-mail newsletter in the past, we need you to reg-ister again with the new system.
You’ll be asked for your address so that we can remove you from the mailing list. In addition, you’ll have the ability to let us know what types of information and up-dates you’d like to receive via e-mail.
PARATRANSIT
(Part of the SEPTA Network)
ParaTransit is a door-to-door, ride-sharing transportation service provided to riders over age 65 who have pre-registered through SEPTA ParaTransit. This ADA service al-lows individuals who are unable to use fixed-route transportation due to their dis-ability an option to receive transportation, with limited driver assistance, on a space available basis within suburban areas. For information, call the ParaTransit Cus-tomer Service Hotline at (215) 580-7145 or (215) 580-7712 (TTD).
SENIORS RIDE FREE ON SEPTA Seniors (65+) ride free all day, every day on SEPTA buses, trolleys and subways with proper ID. ID accepted: Senior Citizen Tran-sit ID Card, Medicare Card, Railroad Retire-ment Health Insurance Card.
How to apply for a SEPTA Seniors Ride Free Card:
Apply in person on or after your 65th
birth-day at the GVF Transportation office in the Lower Providence Township Administra-tion Building (Tues. or Thurs., 1 to 4 p.m.) or a SEPTA Customer Service Office.
On Regional Rail lines, seniors ride free if enrolled in either the PACE or ACCESS Pro-gram. Senior fare on Regional Rail lines for those not enrolled in either program is just $1.
Call 215-580-4690 or 215-580-7800 for infor-mation.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES If you are over the age of 55, there are many organizations reaching out to use your tal-ent and experience to help others.
FOSTER GRANDPARENTS Foster Grandparent Program 1335 Ridge Pike, Eagleville, PA 19403 Phone: (610) 630-0201 • Fax: (610) 4003 Volunteers are paired with disadvantaged children to provide extra love, guidance and academic support. Qualified volunteers are men and women over the age of 60 in good health and who live on limited incomes. RSVP
(The Retired Senior Volunteer Program) 531 Plymouth Road, Suite 517
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 (610) 834-1040
Website: http://www.rsvpmc.org/
RSVP provides opportunities for older Montgomery County residents to volunteer through programs within community agen-cies and organizations. Transportation is often provided to volunteer assignments.
Resources for Seniors
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
AGING & ADULT SERVICES - CENTRAL OFFICE Human Services Center
1430 DeKalb Pike, Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404-0311
(610) 278-3601 • Website: montcopa.org SENIOR ADULT ACTIVITY CENTER OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
(MONTCO SAAC)
536 George Street, Norristown, PA 19401 P: (610) 275-1960 • F: (610) 275-0878 Linda Collins, Executive Director Email: [email protected] Website: http://montcosaac.com MEALS ON WHEELS
Those who are homebound and unable to cook for themselves can receive one or two hot and meals. Many residents in Lower Providence use the program coordinated locally by the Montgomery County Senior Adult Activity Center. Call 610-275-1960 for information.
PECO ENERGY
PECO offers programs to help those on fixed-incomes reduce their energy use and cost and manage their utility bills. Call 800-675-0222 for information.
PROJECT HEARTH
Helping elderly adults remain in their homes, the program offers counseling, social visits, handyman chore service, errand and trans-portation services, and medical advocacy. Call 610-278-3601 for information.
HOME ENERGY
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The PA Low Income Home Energy Assis-tance Program (LIHEAP) helps low income people pay their heating bills through assis-tance grants and crisis grants. For informa-tion, call the Montgomery County Assistance Office, 1-877-398-5571 or 610-270-3500. TRANSNET
(Suburban Transit Network, Inc.) The Shared Ride Program is a reduced fare transportation program. Rides are provided in sedans and vans operated by the various participating carriers throughout Montgom-ery County. The fare is based on zones and a rider must be willing to share the trip with other passengers.
Persons age 65 or older are entitled to receive these trips and pay only 15% of the reduced shared ride fares. There is also a limited pro-gram available for persons who are between the ages of 60 and 64 and reside within the county. Call 215-542-7433 for information.
Stay Warm, Stay Safe
Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. Almost half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, Janu-ary, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.Safety tips:
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable heater.
• Only use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• Never use your oven for heating.
• Have a qualified professional install sta-tionary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment ac-cording to the local codes and manufac-turer’s instructions.
• Maintain heating equipment and chim-neys by having them cleaned and in-spected annually by a qualified profes-sional.
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• For fuel burning space heaters, always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer.
• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room and burn only dry, sea-soned wood. Allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from the home.
• For wood burning stoves, install chim-ney connectors and chimchim-neys following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation.
• Make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide
(CO) alarms to avoid the risk of CO poi-soning.
• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not attempt to light the appliance. Turn off all the controls and open doors and windows. Call a gas service person.
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Fire Police: Who are they?
In Pennsylvania, the Fire Police Act provides for any volunteer fire company to nominate any of its members as special fire police. Before assuming their du-ties, all special fire police are confirmed and sworn in by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. They have the power to regulate traffic and keep crowds under control at or in the vicinity of any fire or other emergency to which the fire company responds, or at special events or parades.
Lower Providence Township Volunteer Fire Department Fire Police Unit cur-rently has six special fire policemen, including the unit leader, Fire Police Cap-tain Jordan McCourry. Special fire police undergo specialized training in Fire Police Operations and are certified through the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Center and the Commonwealth.
Sound interesting?
Lower Providence Township Volunteer Fire Department welcomes new spe-cial fire policemen. Applications can be obtained at lpfire.com or by calling 610-539-5408. Training classes are being scheduled to benefit new members.
Ridge Pike
Video Cameras
Activated
Lower Providence Township took another step forward in its use of technology to enhance pub-lic safety with the activation in September of the Ridge Pike video system. The system enables Police Dispatch personnel to monitor traffic conditions along the Ridge Pike corridor from the intersection of Eagleville Road to the inter-section with Trooper Road.
The Ridge Pike video project is an outgrowth of the Ridge Pike Closed Loop System, a PennDOT funded project. The closed loop system provides for the coordination of seven traffic signals on Ridge Pike in Lower Providence Township and Main Street in West Norriton Township. The system operates on fiber optic cable and the video system capitalizes on available fiber optic strands. Digital video images from the cameras are transmitted through the fiber optic cable providing an extremely high-resolution picture. The cameras provide Police Dispatch personnel with a real time view of the four intersections located at Trooper Road, Park Avenue, East Mount Kirk Avenue and Eagleville Road. Ac-curate information can be relayed to respond-ing units concernrespond-ing the nature and severity of incidents and the appropriate personnel and equipment can be quickly dispatched. Also, Po-lice Dispatch have the capability to change the programming of the traffic signals to alleviate the congestion. Finally, from a public safety standpoint, the cameras, through the recording capability, have already been utilized success-fully in criminal investigations and suspicious activity complaints.
The Ridge Pike Video Project was funded by a Highway Improvement Capital Fund allocation and a contribution by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
NEW VEHICLES IN SERVICE – The Lower Providence Volunteer Fire Department has two new pieces of equipment to serve residents. A new ladder truck, “Tower 53,” (left) with a 95-foot boom, replaces a 1982 truck with a 75-foot boom. A new traffic support unit known as “Traffic 53”, (right), replaces its 1977 predecessor. It is equipped with traffic barricades, cones, directional signs, signal generators and scene lighting. Tom McAneney, executive director of the Lower Providence Community Center Ambulance, is shown with LPCCA’s new ambulance (center). Licensed as an ALS ambulance, it carries equipment and monitors necessary to operate as a mobile intensive care unit.
Drill Tests
First Responders
First responders in Lower Providence Township were put to the test during an emergency drill in Oc-tober hosted by Shannondell at Valley Forge. And when it was over, the police, fire, ambulance and public works personnel who took part received high marks from their evaluators.
Although held at Shannondell, the drill did not directly involve its residents. In-stead, role players were brought in to interact with emergency personnel during the scenario-driven drill. The focus of the exercise was to evaluate communica-tion and coordinacommunica-tion among the Township agencies.
“The primary goal was to utilize the Incident Command System to establish clear command, direction and control,” said Lower Providence Township Emergency Management Coordinator Charles A. DeFrangesco. “The earlier you can take con-trol of an incident, the more effectively you can work through it.”
The drill involved the Township’s Police Department, Volunteer Fire Company, Community Center Ambulance and Public Works Department, and personnel from Shannondell, the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, and American Red Cross Volunteers Organization Active in Disasters.
Members of the Montgomery County Incident Support Team, on hand as evalu-ators, were impressed with what they saw, citing in particular the cohesiveness and teamwork demonstrated throughout the drill.
UPCoMINg EVENTS & PRogRAMS
For more info on any program, please call the Library at 610-666-6640
or check our website: www.lowerprovidencelibrary.org
50 Parklane Drive • Eagleville, PA 19403 • 610-666-6640 www.lowerprovidencelibrary.org
ADULT PROGRAMS
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
PLEASE REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS
TUESDAYS WITH MONEY, AL BENELLI, CFP,FIC 2nd Tuesday of each month @ 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10
A different financial topic will be discussed each month. ONE-ON-ONE COMPUTER TRAINING
By Appointment. Learn computer basics with a library volunteer. WRITERS GROUP
3rd Wednesday of the month @ 6:30 p.m.
Writers of all genres and experience levels are invited to join.
January
WHAT THE WORLD CONTINUES TO LOSE: THE ARTISTIC AND LITERARY RICHES OF IRAq
Monday January 12th @ 7:00 p.m.
Presented by
University of PA Museum of Archeology and Anthropology.
A lecture discussing the museum losses in Iraq due to looting and in the process surveys the rich cultural legacy of ancient Mesopotamia.
H & R BLOCK –
“TAx TALKS” INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Wednesday Jan. 7 @ 1:00 pm & Thursday, Jan. 15 @ 7:00 p.m. H & R Block Tax professionals will be on hand to answer your questions
February
ARCHAEOLOGY AND AMERICAN HISTORY
Thursday, February 19 @ 7:00 p.m.
Presented by
University of PA Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
A slide lecture describing the relation of archaeology to Ameri-can history, using the site of Landingford Plantation on the Chester Creek as an example.
SEED STARTING
Tuesday, February 17 @ 7:00 p.m.
Presented by Peggy Rastiello of the Montgomery County Master Gardener Volunteer Speakers Bureau.
March
SPRING GARDEN PREP
Tuesday, March 31 @ 7:00 p.m.
Presented by Peggy Rastiello of the Montgomery County Master Gardener Volunteer Speakers Bureau.
april
MODEL TRAIN ExHIBIT
Friday thru Sunday, April 3-5
Presented by The North Penn S Gaugers.
All programs are FREE and open to the public. Please check out the library’s website for new programs as they are scheduled:
www.lowerprovidencelibrary.org To register for our programs
please call 610-666-6640, sign-up at front desk or e-mail [email protected]
library Wine TasTing
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Follow the Pacific Coast Wine Trail to the Lower Providence Community Library. Enjoy an evening of good food, fine wine, and friends from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 or $40 for groups of 10 or more, on sale now at the library.
cabin Fever
used book sale
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 & 8. Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
READERS CLUB
First Tuesday of every month @ 5:30 p.m. Food, fun, and books! For ages 8-11.
TEEN ADVISORY BOARD First Tuesday of every month @ 7 p.m.
Teen activities count towards Community Service. Grades 7-12 STORY TIME
Mondays & Tuesdays @ 10:30 AM for infant to 2 yrs. Mondays & Tuesdays @ 11:15 AM for older 2 & 3 yrs. Thursdays @ 10:30 & 1:30 ages 4 & up, children only.
CRAFT CLUB!
Open to 8 years and older. Registration is required. Free. Crochet Night: Thursday, Jan. 8 @ 7 p.m. Origami Night: Thursday, Feb. 12 @ 7 p.m.
RAINBOW CHILD STORY TELLER! Thursday, Feb. 19 @ 7 p.m.
Bring the family to this incredible story event. Free, no registration.
MAGIC COMEDY SHOW! Tuesday, March 24 @ 7 p.m.
Live family fun! Award winning show! Free, no registration. SONGS AND STORIES OF THE OLD RAILROAD DAYS!
Thursday, April 2 @ 7 p.m.
The title says it all…what a fun family show! Free, no registration.
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Weathering the Winter
Takes Cooperation
The Township appreciates the cooperation of residents that ensures roads are maintained during inclement weather.
Some important reminders:
❆
Please park cars in driveways when snow is fore-cast.❆
Please keep in mind that it is almost impossible to keep snow from being deposited at driveways dur-ing plowdur-ing.❆
Please do not empty snow from driveways into the street.❆
If you have a fire hydrant on your property, please clear the snow away from the area around it (leaving the markers intact).❆
Major roads receive attention first. As long as the snow keeps falling, the Township’s first priority is to keep the main roads open and passable. Cul-de-sacs and dead end streets are plowed last because they carry the lowest volume of traffic among the differ-ent types of streets.Support for Local Roads
Down as Costs Escalate
Times are tough, and Wall Street isn’t the only place that is hurting. Main Street is in trouble, too — in more ways than one. The effects of the nation’s fi-nancial crisis are trickling into Pennsylvania’stown-ships, where soaring prices for necessities, like groceries, are taking a bite out of your wallet. And like you, the commonwealth’s municipalities are experiencing their own money woes. The housing slump and local job losses have led to a decline in real estate transfer and earned income tax-es, both significant revenue producers for municipalities. Meanwhile, the cost of doing business is up — way up.
Just ask your township how much it costs to maintain “Main Street” today compared to a year or two ago. Their stories will stun you. Road salt, now a scarce commodity, is another expensive item. Last season, townships were paying an average of $40 a ton for salt. This winter, many are paying well over $100 a ton, that is, if they can locate a supplier.
And now, thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in Young-wood v. Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Appeals Board, municipalities are being mandated to pay contracted workers higher wages, commonly known as “prevailing wages,” which could add up to 30 percent to their costs. On top of all this, state efforts to produce additional transportation funding have hit their own roadblocks.
The Federal Highway Administration rejected Pennsylvania’s application to toll Interstate 80. This decision, while welcomed by some, was a blow to Act 44 of 2007, which would have turned the toll revenues into new transportation funding and generated about $900 million a year for roads, bridges, and mass transit. Meanwhile, Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to raise road revenues has faltered, too. State law-makers let the September 30 decision deadline come and go. Rendell had estimated that the lease plan would have raised an estimated $1 billion a year for transportation.
This lack of support, coupled with increasing costs and decreasing rev-enues, spell trouble for township budgets, local roads and bridges, and the traveling public, which will be impacted the most if state lawmakers continue to overlook the growing transportation needs of Pennsylvania’s local governments.
When lawmakers return to Harrisburg in January, transportation fund-ing is expected to be uppermost in their minds. And this time around, it’s imperative that they survey the entire landscape and treat everyone — PennDOT, municipalities, and mass transit — equally and fairly.
And you can bet your township officials will be on the phone with state senators and representatives, urging them to support local roads and bridges and take action on the prevailing wage. But this isn’t a battle they can — or should — fight alone.
You and your neighbors — in fact, every Pennsylvanian – relies on local roads and bridges to travel to work, school, and the grocery store. Therefore, you must join township officials and become an advocate for increased transportation funding not only to ensure the safety of local roads but also to keep property taxes from climbing. Phone calls, e-mails, and letters are the most effective ways of reaching state lawmakers. (You can get lawmakers’ names, numbers, and addresses from the township and online.)
The adage about strength in numbers applies here. Township officials and their constituents have to work together to make sure local roads, a vital link in Pennsylvania’s transportation chain, aren’t overlooked anymore.
• The overall increase in the General Fund of 2.4% is an increase of just $222,000 over the 2008 Gen-eral Fund total. The figure excludes the collec-tive bargaining agreements and contractual wage increases slated for 2009, firefighters’ relief pass through and open space acquisition.
• A total of $516,292 in capital projects are budgeted and funded. This is a net decrease of $766,438.00, or 60%, over the 2008 capital projects budget. Ev-ery recommended capital project will be funded by means other than the General Fund.
While no one could have predicted the scope of the cur-rent economic crisis, the Township had taken several proactive steps during the last few years that will help us weather the storm. The Township refinanced bonds, taking advantage of low interest rates, restructured departments to reduce redundancies, and streamlined internal processes to reduce costs. More recently, the Township has implemented energy and manpower conservation efforts and completed a financial risk assessment with various financial advisors and bank-ing institutions. With emergency management and the health, safety and welfare of residents its top priorities, the Township will remain focused to maintain services in these unsettling and uncertain times.
Lower Providence Township
100 Parklane Drive
Eagleville, PA 19403
www.lowerprovidence.org
Lower Providence Township
Meetings & Closures
Board of Supervisors ... 7:30 p.m.
1st Thursday – Work Session 3rd Thursday – Business Meeting Library Board of Trustees ... 3rd Monday at 7:00 p.m.
Municipal Authority ... 2nd Monday at 7:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation Board . 2nd Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission ... 4th Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Sewer Authority ... 2nd Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Zoning Hearing Board ... 4th Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Office Hours:... 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Police Department: ... 24 hours daily/365 days a year Website: ... www.lowerprovidence.org
Caring & Sharing Campaign
The Township is accepting donations of new or gently worn coats, hats, mittens and gloves. All sizes are needed and appreciated. This is a great way to “recycle” those outgrown items. The collection will be held through Jan. 31, 2008. A donation box for the clothing is located in the lobby of the administration building, 100 Parklane Drive, Eagleville. Thank you for your generosity!
TOWNSHIP OFFICES CLOSED:
February 16, 2009 - Presidents’ Day April 10, 2009 - Good Friday April 13, 2009 - Easter Monday
