PSWS COMMISSIONER COMMITTEE MEETING UPPER DUBLIN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SAFETY, WORKS & SERVICES COMMITTEE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 | 7:15 PM The meeng locaon is accessible to person with disabilies. A request for special accommodaons for persons with disabilies should be made at least 24 hours in advance of the meeng by calling 215-643-1600 x3220. The agenda may be amended during the meeng to add or delete items, change the order of agenda items, or discuss any other business deemed necessary at the me of the meeng. 1 CALL TO ORDER 2 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3 CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 4 STANDARD BUSINESS 4.a. MOVE to accept the minutes from June 5, 2018 meeng without reading. 5 REPORTS 5.a. Report of the Chief of Police 5.b. Report of the Fire Services Administrator 5.c. Report of the Fire Company 5.d. Report of Community Ambulance Associaon of Ambler 5.e. Report of Second Alarmer’s Rescue Squad 5.f. Report of Public Works, Fleet & Facilies Director 1
Transcript
PSWS COMMISSIONER COMMITTEE MEETINGUPPER DUBLIN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SAFETY, WORKS & SERVICES COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 | 7:15 PM
The meeting location is accessible to person with disabilities. A request for specialaccommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 24 hours inadvance of the meeting by calling 215-643-1600 x3220.
The agenda may be amended during the meeting to add or delete items, change theorder of agenda items, or discuss any other business deemed necessary at the time ofthe meeting.
1 CALL TO ORDER
2 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3 CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
4 STANDARD BUSINESS
4.a. MOVE to accept the minutes from June 5, 2018 meeting without reading.
5 REPORTS
5.a. Report of the Chief of Police
5.b. Report of the Fire Services Administrator
5.c. Report of the Fire Company
5.d. Report of Community Ambulance Association of Ambler
5.e. Report of Second Alarmer’s Rescue Squad
5.f. Report of Public Works, Fleet & Facilities Director 1
5.g. Report of the Code Enforcement Director
5.h. Review of Applications to Zoning Hearing Board
6 DISCUSSION ITEMS
6.a. Water Quality Issues
6.b. Policy Change for Concrete Inspection for Point of Sale Transfers.
6.c. Change Time of Day for Deer Hunting.
7 NEXT MEETING: DECEMBER 4, 2018 AT 6:30 PM FOLLOWING EDF
8 ADJOURN
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Agenda Item No:4.a
Public Safety, Works & Services Committee Agenda Item ReportMeeting Date: October 2, 2018Submitted by: Deb RitterSubmitting Department: Item Type: MinutesAgenda Section: STANDARD BUSINESS
Subject:MOVE to accept the minutes from June 5, 2018 meeting without reading.
A meeting of the Public Safety, Works and Services Committee (PSWS) of Upper Dublin Township (UDT) was held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. in the Township Building; Ronald Feldman presiding. In attendance were Commissioners Ronald Feldman, Robert McGuckin and Liz Ferry. Also present were Paul Leonard, Township Manager; Jonathan Bleemer, Finance Director and Assistant Township Manager; Chief of Police Lee Benson; Kevin McCann, Fire Services Administrator; Fire Chief Eric Clauson; Joe Fielder, Code Enforcement Department Director; Dan Supplee, Public Works Operations Director; Jerry Smith, Public Works Administrator; Christopher Keyser, Lieutenant of the Second Alarmers Rescue Squad; Jessica Barto, Deputy Chief of the Community Ambulance Association of Ambler; and Rebecca Lohoefer, UDT Communications Coordinator. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mr. Feldman dispensed from pledging allegiance to the flag since it had been done earlier in the meeting. STANDARD BUSINESS: Motion to Accept the Minutes from the April 3, 2018 Meeting Without Reading: Mr. McGuckin motioned, with Ms. Ferry seconding, to approve the Minutes of the PSWS Meeting for the month of April 2018 without reading. VOTE ON MOTION ALL YES MOTION CARRIED REPORTS: Report of the Chief of Police: Chief of Police Lee Benson gave the following report: We are in the middle of a new officer hiring process. We are down to 22 candidates. A new record management system, ALEIS, has been implemented. We expect to go live on
June 25. We will be implementing a new process called E-Ticket. We will be purchasing 4 scanners to
start with the potential of purchasing more later. These scanners will provide better information immediately to other municipalities as well as being sent directly to the District Court. They will greatly minimize time and the possibility of errors.
Two police officers retired last month, Billy Carroll and Ken Cook. This year two police vehicles were scheduled to be replaced, Car 5 and Car 6. Car 5 is
already in service. Looking into applying for a resource officer grant. It may not happen for this year, but
hopefully by next year. Successful Coffee with a Cop at Starbucks in Dresher. Starting Operation Chill, which entails rewarding children with Slurpee coupons when seen
doing good deeds. Intended to help with positive interactions with children. Solicitation complaints information on the website. There is also Do Not Solicit List
information on the website. 4
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Mr. Feldman asked if the fatal accident at Lindenwold improved our chances of getting a traffic light.
Mr. Leonard stated that it doesn’t guarantee it, but it does help our chances. Mr. Feldman asked if we were any closer to getting body cameras for our police officers. Mr. Benson replied that he does not feel it necessary to purchase body cams at this time. Report of the Fire Services Administrator: Kevin McCann, Fire Services Administrator, reported as follows: The Fire Marshal conducted 168 commercial building inspections, and issued 29 fire permits. 142 rental units underwent fire safety inspections. The Fire Marshal and Mr. McCann responded to 43 daytime fire calls. Department activities:
- Violation for sprinkler system not being maintained in a commercial building in Dresher. - Fire Marshal was in court for an arson vehicle fire last summer and an appeal for a
citation for open burning held in Montgomery County Court.
Report of the Fort Washington Fire Company (FWFC): Fire Chief Clauson informed as follows: Responded to 281 calls to date. Have submitted an application for the FEMA AFG grant to purchase hand-held portable
radios (estimated cost - $300,000 - $350,000). Still awaiting word as to acceptance or denial. Recertified for the Silver Service Providers Renewal with the Pennsylvania State Fire
Commissioner’s Office. Only 60 fire departments in the state meet this requirement. Hosted a “Work Sunday” on May 6, which is volunteer maintenance. Apparatus Committee held preliminary meetings to discuss the apparatus replacement
schedule. During the year 2020-2021 there will be some apparatus that will be due for replacement.
Report of Community Ambulance Association of Ambler (CAAA): Jessica Barto reported as follows: Responded to 184 calls during the past month. - 68 advanced life support calls. - 72 basic life support calls. - 44 refusals, no services, and special services. EMS week included an older adult expo as well as a car seat check event on May 23rd. Will
have another car seat check event in the fall. An email has been set up to register for First Aid and CPR, [email protected]. Participated in 15 blood draws for the Upper Dublin Police Department. Looking to replace one of the ambulances. Hosting a Bag Bingo on October 20. Mr. Leonard congratulated CAAA on being selected as the service provider in Springfield Township. Report of Second Alarmers Rescue Squad (SARS): Lieutenant Christopher Keyser reported as follows: 5
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National EMS Week was May 20 – 26, 2018. The SARS held an open house on May 24th. SARS is celebrating its 80 year.
Recognized with the “Gold Plus” Status again this year from the American Heart Association.
Participating in Montgomery County’s program to alert physicians in hospitals regarding stroke victims. Awaiting final release of educational components.
Total calls in Upper Dublin 578 year to date. Report of the Public Works Operations Director: Dan Supplee reported as follows: Virginia Drive Road Diet Project:
Begin milling tomorrow and paving is to be completed by next week. Possibly need to close Camp hill Road for one day to pave the intersection. Then complete punch list items.
Curb and Sidewalk Bid:
Has been delayed a little because of weather. Should stay fairly close to schedule.
Mill and Overlay Project:
To begin the second week in August.
Handicapped Ramp Installations:
Highway crews are in the process of installing handicapped ramps in preparation for the mill and overlay program. Three more ramps to be completed by the end of next week. Then on to restoration and repairs. The same crew replaced 400 ft of rusted corrugated pipe on Dublin Road a few weeks ago.
Inlet Rebuilding: The pipe crew is busy rebuilding inlets. Another 6-7 weeks to complete.
Fleet Vehicles: Fleet vehicles budgeted for 2018 have been ordered. New pick-ups and police cars are outfitted and in service. Next two vehicles are a trash truck and a tri-axle dump truck to be ready by mid-October.
HVAC Upgrades: New compressor unit put on roof and is in service.
520 Virginia Drive: HVAC was brought online today. Replaced a sump pump in basement. Report of the Code Enforcement Director: Joe Fielder presented the Code Enforcement Department Report for April and May 2018: April &
May 2018 April &
May 2017 Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sewer inspections, fire, zoning, alarms, and grading certificates of occupancy
428
699
Property transfers 85 95 Actual revenues received $158,067.00 $112,730.08Revenues received YTD $522,608.50 $521,500.45 6
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Monthly reports were filed with the United States Census Bureau and the Montgomery County Board of Assessments regarding residential and nonresidential permits.
A quarterly report was filed in April with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development regarding permits issued and fees collected.
Staff completed 428 plan reviews and 449 construction site inspections. Staff received 552 permit applications for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sewer,
fire, zoning, alarms, and grading certificates of occupancy. Staff completed 95 point of sale inspections. Daily property maintenance complaints were addressed including snow and ice and
numerous illegally placed signs which were removed. There are 25-30 vacant homes in UDT, which are being monitored. Zoning Hearing Board Cases for June 2018: The Zoning Hearing Board will meet twice this month, on Monday June 25th and Thursday June 28th, both meetings starting at 7:30 pm. One case is scheduled for June 25th: #2264: Premier A-2 Fort Washington, LLC, 1802 Cedar Street, Lewes, DE 19958, concerning the property at 585 Camp Hill Road, Fort Washington, appeals the determination of the Zoning Officer dated March 5, 2018 and requests a determination that the proposed self-storage facility is a permitted use in the EC District. In the alternative, the Applicant requests a use variance from Zoning Code Section 255-102.A to allow a self-storage facility on the subject property. A variance is also requested from Section 255-135.C, Off-Street Parking, to permit 18 spaces where 212 spaces are required. The property is zoned EC - Employment Center and a portion of the property is located in the Floodplain Conservation District. This is the second continuation of a hearing that opened on April 23, 2018. The following cases will be heard on June 28th: #2265: Garry and Susan Miller of 1526 E. Butler Pike, Ambler, PA 19002 request a special exception under Zoning Code Section 255-147 to expand a nonconforming building to construct an attached enclosed porch and garage. Variances are requested from Section 255-147.B to expand the coverage of the nonconforming building more than 25 percent; and from Section 255-43.6 to extend the nonconforming building within the side yard setback area. The existing building has a setback of 20.05 feet vs. the required 25 feet and the new construction will match the existing setback. The property is zoned A - Residential. This hearing is continued from May 21, 2018. #2266: Zachary E. Shearon of 114 Rech Avenue, Ore/and, PA 19075 requests a special exception from Zoning Code Section 255-147 to expand a nonconforming dwelling, a variance from Section 255-147.13 to expand the building coverage by more than 25 percent, and a variance from Sections 255-147.0 and 255-43.B to build the addition with a front yard setback of 38.7 feet instead of 50 feet. The property is zoned A - Residential. #2267: Gregory Stanislaus of 214 N. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034 requests an amendment and clarification to zoning relief that was granted on November 27, 2017 (hearing #2245). It is to be documented that the proposed 1,500 sq.ft. residential addition requires 7
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variances from Zoning Code Section 255-43.B to allow a rear yard building setback of 39 feet, 2 inches vs. 50 feet, and a side yard setback of 16 feet, 8 inches vs. 25 feet. At the recommendation of the Township Engineer, the applicant requests that the proposed detached garage be relocated to the same location as the original garage, which is deemed safer for traffic flow and visibility. A variance is requested from the setback requirements for accessory buildings under Section 255-29.D. The property is zoned A- Residential. #2268: Condor Fort Washington Real Estate LLLP, of 404 Pennsylvania Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034, for the property located at 325 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Fort Washington, seeks the following relief: 1) Review and reversal of the Notice of Zoning Violation issued by the Community Planner and Zoning Officer dated May 1, 2018, finding the Applicant/Owner in violation of the Upper Dublin Township Zoning Code, Section 255-7, in that the use of the property for parking vehicles is in violation of said Zoning Code, and 2) A variance from Zoning Code Section 255-7 and, if necessary, a variance from Section 255-246, to permit the use of the property for parking of vehicles. The property is zoned CR-L Commercial and is located in the Fort Washington Village District overlay. DISCUSSION ITEMS: Kitchen Organics Collection Presentation by Subject Matter Expert: Rebecca Lohoefer stated that through a Tech Assistance grant we are working with sustainable resources consultants to review options for a kitchen organics composting program. The plan should be finalized by mid-August for a 2019 launch. Ms. Lohoefer then introduced Debra Darby, Organix Solutions. Mr. Feldman: Will this save landfill costs?
Mr. Leonard: Yes. We are currently spending $64/ton to dispose of trash. Kitchen waste
is currently the heaviest item in our trash.
Ms. Darby: There is a real move to get organics out of the waste stream and bring it back to our community to create compost.
We found an efficient way to collect compost by using a compostable bag that gets collected along with the regular trash.
It is an opt-in program. Bags do not need to be separated. In Minnesota organics are classified as a recyclable so there can be
a cost savings with tax exemptions. As people get more involved in organic recycling they become
more involved in regular recycling and it extends into their buying habits.
Garbage disposal gets rid of the compost but composting recycles the compost to bring nutrients back to the soil.
There are many benefits to composting.
Mr. Leonard: We are looking for a cost effective way of doing this in Upper Dublin. What would a fair price be to ask an interested consumer to participate? 8
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Ms. Darby: The program is $69.95 per year per household.
Mr. Leonard: Do people see the benefit and are they willing to pay for this service?
Ms. Darby: Yes. We feel that our program is very cost effective to enable all residents
to have access to this program.
Ms. Ferry: How would this work with yard waste?
Mr. Leonard: We have a well run leaf and yard waste collection yard. Instead of putting this into our trash we are thinking about putting it in yard waste. We do not want another collection. We could either compost ourselves or send it out for another party to compost.
Ms. Ferry: Residents could opt-in to pay?
Mr. Leonard: Yes. We are trying to take experiences from other states to see if we can fit it into our existing program economically. We want to find out the price per bag. We would probably charge a higher cost to cover actual cost of processing the material. We think we can craft a program that the Commissioners would want to tray that we could keep as sustainable as Ms. Darby mentioned. I think it is worth a try.
Ms. Ferry: Maybe we could look into a state or county grant?
Mr. Leonard: Let’s get the support of the BOC first and then we can look into further funding.
Ms. Ferry: What is the calendar on this?
Mr. Leonard: I hope to have a budget request for this coming budget year.
Curb and Sidewalk Replacement Notices Mr. Feldman: I would like to maintain the street program as is. My question is about the
POS, is this an effective way of doing this?
Mr. Leonard: The curb and sidewalk program is in its 15th year and has had significant improvement to many of our neighborhoods. We have a very specific standard for curb and sidewalk inspections. The township recommends that we allow the residents to privately contract with concrete contractors to get a better bid. The problem is that residents ignore the order.
Mr. Supplee: We are unable to identify the exact volume for the concrete work because the residents have the option of getting their own contracts. Our price is
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higher than what the contractors can offer. The contractors are getting our road paving list and soliciting people on those streets giving them lower prices.
Mr. Leonard: So should we stop bidding this work?
Mr. Feldman: Yes. We should give the road paving info out.
Mr. Supplee: Yes, estimated quantities.
Mr. Leonard: For the people who don’t comply the township can then come in and do the work. We need to be cautious that we do it competitively under our own internal rules.
Mr. Supplee: If we had 20 people who didn’t respond then we assign a contractor. He does the work, bills us and then we bill the resident.
Mr. Leonard: How often does that happen?
Mr. Smith: 50 houses out of 300.
Mr. Feldman: What can we do to alleviate this issue of competitive pricing?
Mr. Supplee: We should talk to Dave Brooman to come up with a solution.
Mr. Leonard: We may have to move up the deadline so we have notice if we have to competitively bid out the work.
Mr. Feldman: Could we subcontract the work out without competitively bidding the work?
Mr. Supplee: Yes, but there are issues including prevailing wage that need to be addressed.
Mr. Leonard: We will work with our solicitor to see if we can come up with a viable solution on a short term basis to meet our requirements. We want to make sure people know we are doing the work at a fair price. The next issue was the Point of Sale (POS). I caution you against changing this protocol. The township has an ordinance when a house sells we look for street numbers, smoke detectors, sidewalk. The point we would make is there is a separate set of rules called the Property Maintenance Code, which are actually tougher than what we inspect to. We would like to continue this process. We want the property owner at settlement to do what they should have done under the Property Maintenance Code as a home owner.
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Mr. Feldman: You want to add curbing to the POS now?
Mr. Supplee: We want to make both inspections exactly the same.
Mr. Feldman: I don’t like the POS. It should be on the buyers and sellers to include in the home inspection.
Mr. McGuckin: During the POS sale if there was problematic curb would it need to be fixed within a certain timeframe or would there just be a notice that when we come through with the road paving program they would need to fix it then?
Mr. Leonard: It would be a notice of deficiency and the township would defer until it has to be done.
Mr. McGuckin: We should probably talk to the solicitor because the POS is an evolving area of law in PA.
Mr. Leonard: There should be an arrangement at the settlement table. The township would then have the ability to say that you were informed. Could we make the inspections the same, but add the option of a deferral of the obligation to be done at a later date?
Mr. Supplee: We could notify them that the curbing is deficient, but we need to make sure it gets to the buyer.
Mr. Leonard: Let’s take this idea and see if we can develop it into an ordinance that the BOC can consider making sure to meet the needs that the staff is asking for.
Mr. Feldman: Can we attach that report to every sale so that all parties are aware of the need?
Mr. Leonard: The other issue was the state roads. Commissioner Feldman is concerned about commercial properties and state roads with deficient curbs and sidewalks. We are under the impression that this same process goes for commercial properties as well as residential so our question now is about state roads.
Mr. Supplee: The state does not require curb and aprons.
Mr. Feldman: Can we still inspect sidewalks along state roads?
Mr. Supplee: The problem is that we start in October getting our curb letters out to allow plenty of time for the residents to get the work done. The state could give as little as 6 weeks notice before they begin paving.
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Mr. Feldman: Can we still inspect the sidewalks under the Property Management Code?
Mr. Supplee: Yes.
Mr. Leonard: The value of this is that a lot of pedestrian needs are along state roads. That is where the need for good sidewalks is important. We will report back to this committee with a series of recommendations to carry this out the way it has been discussed.
Mr. Feldman: You will also handle Gary’s questions if there is anything we need to discuss?
Mr. Leonard: His concern was about corner lots, where one street gets marked up one year and the other street may get marked up the next year. One solution might be to inspect the whole property.
Mr. Supplee: We would certainly put them on notice that the work would need to be done.
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ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to discuss, Mr. McGuckin motioned, with Ms. Ferry seconding, to adjourn the meeting. VOTE ON MOTION ALL YES MOTION CARRIED Respectfully submitted, ______________________________ Jesse Conte, Recording Secretary Attest: _____________________________ Ronald Feldman, Chairperson
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Agenda Item No:5.g
Public Safety, Works & Services Committee Agenda Item ReportMeeting Date: October 2, 2018Submitted by: Deb RitterSubmitting Department: Item Type: ReportsAgenda Section: REPORTS
Point of Sale Concrete Inspection Proposed Policy Change
9/28/2018
1. Current Policies:
a. Point of Sale – Code Enforcement only inspects the sidewalks attached to the home that is being sold. No inspection is done of the driveway aprons or regular and depressed curbs.
2. Recommendation: The Public Works Department and the Code Enforcement
Department recommend a policy change to the existing Point of Sale policy on concrete inspections. Currently, only sidewalks are inspected as part of the Point of Sale. However, the homeowner is responsible for all concrete in the right of way of their property. It is therefore recommended that all concrete be inspected at the time a Point of Sale inspection is conducted. This would include all sidewalk, driveway aprons and regular and depressed curb. The results of said inspections should be recorded on the appropriate Code Enforcement form. The results should then be shared with the seller and buyer of the property. The seller would still only be responsible for the replacement of any failed sidewalk blocks. By sharing the results of the inspection of all concrete in the Right of Way, both the seller and the buyer would now have knowledge of all concrete that failed. It would then be up to the buyer and seller to negotiate any additional concessions on the sales price due to the additional failed concrete noted on the driveway apron and/or curb that the seller is not being required to replace at the time of the sale. We would inform the buyer that if their street is paved in the future, a new inspection would be performed and they would be responsible for replacing any failed concrete.
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Agenda Item No:6.c
Public Safety, Works & Services Committee Agenda Item ReportMeeting Date: October 2, 2018Submitted by: Deb RitterSubmitting Department: Item Type: DiscussionAgenda Section: DISCUSSION ITEMS
Paul, I believe we have multiple hunting locations that could be opened up for all day hunting. These spots are Aidenn Lair Woods, Camphill Athletic Complex, Dillon Road Woodlands, Dublin Chase/Hunt, Willet Park, Loch Alsh Reservoir, Sandy Run Park, Susquehanna Woods, and Twining Golf Course. These locations do not have walking trails, or from what I have observed, has little-to-no foot traffic. Locations that are near schools, are used for school activities, or have walking trails, i.e. Pine Run Park, Rose Valley and Robbins Park, are not recommended for all day hunting, and the permitted hunting hours should stay the same. I recommend we open up these mentioned locations to all day hunting, and I believe we will see a higher success rate. All day hunting allows the hunters more opportunities to harvest a deer. This would also allow hunters to adjust their hunting hours when it begins getting darker earlier as the season goes on. This is especially true during the “rut”, or the White-Tail mating season, when deer are extremely active during all hours of the day. This period usually is between mid-October to mid-November. I believe adding more properties for the hunters would be beneficial as well. I am working on ideas and trying to make contact with potential properties. Highlighted below are the properties that I believe could safely sustain all day hunting.
To: Paul Leonard Date: 9/18/2018 From: Ofc. Christopher D. Haggar Case: Subject: Hunting Hour Recommendation Page: 1 Approved: N/A Total Pages: 2
MEMORANDUM
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Community Oriented Policing 2
Aidenn Lair Woods
Camphill & Highland Athletic Complex (Vicinity of Public Works Facility)
Dillon Road Woodlands
Dublin Chase & Dublin Hunt Open Space
Henry Lee Willet Park
Loch Alsh Reservoir (Rear of Property)
Pine Run Park
Robbins Park (Middle to Rear of Property)
Rose Valley Preserve
Sandy Run Park
Susquehanna Woods
Upper Dublin (Twining Valley) Golf Course (Rear of Property)
If you have any questions please let me know, Ofc. Christopher D Haggar #98 Upper Dublin Township Police Dept. 801 Loch Alsh Ave, Ft Washington, PA 19034 215-646-2101 [email protected]
