Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Minutes

PARADISE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 7, 2019

Call to Order
Chair Konrath called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.   

Roll Call
Officials Present:
Gary Konrath – Chair                 John C. Prevoznik – Solicitor
Peter Gonze – Vice Chair                Charles Unangst – Engineer
Reda Briglia – Supervisor (Absent)        Tina Transue - Secretary         

Pledge of Allegiance
Konrath led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.   
                             
Public Comment Statement
Konrath read the public comment statement “Ladies and gentlemen, before the Board of Supervisors votes on any matter, the Board will allow for public comment on that particular item.  If you wish to be heard at that time, please raise your hand, and you will be recognized.  A public comment period will be held at the end of the regular agenda for any other business.”
Konrath stated that the meeting is being recorded for the limited purpose of preparing the official minutes.

Approval of Minutes
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to approve the September 16, 2019 Board of Supervisors regular meeting minutes as presented.
Motion carried 2-0.

Work Session Items
Konrath stated that there was no work session held this evening.

New Business
Constable – Resident Cheryl Phillips and Brian Gallagher were present to speak to the Board of Supervisors about the possibility of Brian Gallagher becoming the Constable for Paradise Township. Solicitor Prevoznik explained to both Cheryl Phillips and Brian Gallagher the process in which they would need to proceed in order to petition Monroe County Court to become the Paradise Township Constable to fill the current vacancy. Solicitor Prevoznik stated that the appointment must be made through Monroe County and not through the Paradise Township Board of Supervisors. Brian Gallagher asked if he would have a responsibilities beyond being present at the Township Building on Election Day. The Board discussed what responsibilities the Constable would be expected to perform for Paradise Township. Solicitor Prevoznik stated that Cheryl Phillips should write a petition and get at least ten signatures to submit to Monroe County to have Brian Gallagher appointed. Solicitor Prevoznik explained to Brian Gallagher the provisions for becoming a constable as laid out on pages 70 – 122 in the Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes Annotated insert. Gallagher asked Transue to make a copy of the pages referenced by Solicitor Prevoznik. Transue agreed to make a copy and have them ready for pickup on October 8, 2019.

Unfinished Business
Budget Work Sessions – Konrath stated there was a conflict on November 5, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. for a budget work session due to that day being Election Day, therefore the Township Building would be in use and the date would need to be changed to November 7, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
Motion:  Konrath moved and seconded by Gonze to change the date of the budget work session from November 5, 2019 to November 7, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
Motion carried 2-0. 
2018 Audit – Konrath stated there was a letter to sign in regards to the 2018 Audit. Konrath explained the Township was waiting on information regarding the pension plan which the Township has received and the audit was able to be completed. Gonze questioned if certain language was removed from the audit that was considered problematic with the last audit. Solicitor Prevoznik stated the only issue he had was that the term “material” is not defined. Gonze stated he was satisfied with the audit but was concerned with the definition of “materiality”.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to approve the audit contingent on Solicitor Prevoznik speaking with Ellen Gnandt, CPA about the management letter and that he is satisfied with her definition of the word materiality.
Motion carried 2-0. 
Security Entrance/Basement Builders – Konrath explained that there was an emergency security declaration declared just under one year ago which included the security cameras that were installed and a secured entryway with bulletproof glass and pass through window. Konrath stated there is a proposal from Basement Builders in the approximate amount of $24,460.00 (Twenty-Four Thousand Four Hundred Sixty Dollars) to install a secured entryway and the materials associated therewith.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to authorize as an emergency measure the construction of the enhanced security measures to the Township building in the amount not to exceed $24,460.00 (Twenty-Four Thousand Four Hundred Sixty Dollars), assigned to expense line item 439.60 in the Township budget on an emergency basis.
Motion carried 2-0.

New Business (continued)
Burn Ordinance – Konrath stated that retired Zoning Officer Brady never required an individual to get a burn permit but it was discovered by the Interim Zoning Officer Schray that the ordinance reads that individuals also need a permit to burn. There was discussion on the how the ordinance actually reads and how it could be interpreted. Konrath stated that the ordinance would be sent back to the Planning Commission to clear up the confusing language in the current ordinance.
Tina Transue – Konrath stated that Transue would start attending the Board of Supervisors’ meetings regularly to take minutes. Gonze stated that as Transue would be attending the meetings before Briglia’s retirement that Transue would be paid the overtime rate at time and a half.
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to authorize Transue to attend the Board of Supervisors’ meetings to take the minutes for the current meeting, starting with the October 21, 2019 meeting and meetings thereafter.
Motion carried 2-0.
Planning Commission Joint Meeting to discuss Short Term Rentals  
Konrath asked if there was already a scheduled joint session. Transue stated that it was on the agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. It was stated that Gonze would not be available for one of the proposed dates of October 21, 2019. Transue will try to coordinate the meeting for the other date of November 6, 2019.

Reports
Solicitor – Solicitor Prevoznik reported that he spoke to Attorney Durney, Pocono Mountain School District, regarding the Paradise Summit, LLC tax assessment appeal. Solicitor Prevoznik stated that he suggests letting the Pocono Mountain School District and/or the County handle the tax appeal process and the Township would agree to pay a prorated share of the hearing expenses. The Township should reserve the right to intervene in the appeals and negotiations for larger properties.
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to authorize Solicitor Prevoznik to draft a letter in regards to the Paradise Summit, LLC appeal to the Pocono Mountain School District stating the Township requests to be notified prior to all hearings involving larger properties and that the Township is willing to pay a prorated share of the expenses in the appeal process.
Motion carried 2-0
Roadmaster - Mader summarized his report. Mader stated he spoke with Solicitor Prevoznik about the October 28, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. COG meeting that will be dealing with the upcoming tax issues from the reassessment. Solicitor Prevoznik stated that one of the Board members should attend that meeting in place of Mader. Gonze stated he would contact Briglia to decide who would attend.
Engineer – Mr. Unangst reported that the contractor for the Salt Shed Building submitted their insurances and bonds, which were sent to Solicitor Prevoznik who reviewed them.  Mr. Unangst stated he would be sending Solicitor Prevoznik’s comments back to the contractor on Tuesday, October 8. Mr. Unangst stated that Mader and himself met with the contractor for the Salt Shed Building at which time they did some exploration for the under drain and the contractor submitted the color chart for the outside of the building. Unangst stated they would be putting the rough corners in so that Mader could start the excavation for the project.
Konrath stated the Frogtown Chophouse had requested a pedestrian crosswalk between the restaurant and their parking lot across the street that could not be put in because of the distance from the property to a stop sign. Konrath stated he researched “Shark’s Teeth” which is white paint markings in the road to let traffic know that it is a pedestrian crossing. Konrath asked Unangst to look further into the subject to see if it would apply to the Chophouse. Brian Gallagher suggested contacting PPL to see if having a light installed to illuminate the roadway would be feasible.
EAC- Konrath summarized the EAC minutes.
PARC- Mader asked if the Kiosk for the Paradise Discovery Park had been ordered and if it would need to be installed prior to winter. Mader stated he ordered the hay bales for Skywood Park.
PMREMS- Gonze reported that the ambulance corp. submitted a grant to the DCED/Local Share Account for the renovation of the headquarter building where the crew and the administration both reside and the building needs to be made larger to separate the two departments.

Correspondence/Miscellaneous
Historical Society – Gonze stated the Historical Society asked that if they submitted information to the Township if it could be put on Savvy Citizen for broadcast. Transue stated that they should email herself or Ingrid DeWitt with the information and it would be put on Savvy Citizen.

Other Business/Public Comment
Website Proposals – Gonze reported that he was working through the Website Proposals and that he was finding that the costs vary a great deal because some companies included certain fees in their price and some listed them separately making it difficult to get the true cost. Gonze stated he was approximately fifty percent of the way thru the proposals.
Barrett Paradise Friendly Library – Konrath stated that Ryan Lewis is resigning as President of the Library and that will make Konrath the acting President as he is now the Vice President. Konrath also stated that Cindy DeLuca was also resigning as of March from the Library as the director.

Executive Session
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to recess the regular meeting and go into an executive session.
Motion carried 2-0.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to reconvene the regular meeting.  Konrath stated real estate matters were discussed and no decisions were made.
Motion carried 2-0.

Adjournment
Motion:  Konrath moved and seconded by Gonze to adjourn the meeting at 7:15 p.m.
Motion carried 2-0.

Respectfully submitted,

Tina Transue
Secretary