Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Minutes

PARADISE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
JULY 2, 2018

Call to Order
Chair Konrath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

Roll Call
Officials Present:
Gary Konrath – Chair                Charles Unangst – Engineer       
Peter Gonze – Vice Chair                 Debra Brady – Zoning Officer   
Reda Briglia – Secretary-Treasurer        Michael Mader – Roadmaster
John C. Prevoznik – Solicitor           

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 June 18, 2018 Board of Supervisors meeting minutes as presented.
Motion carried 3-0.

Executive Session
Konrath stated that an executive session was held prior to the meeting for real estate purposed and that no decisions were made.

Treasurer’s Report
Briglia stated that the May 21, 2018 Treasurer’s Report should have shown a current balance of $1,197,314.51 in the PLGIT General Fund instead of $1,972.756.27.
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to correct the May 21, 2018 Treasurer’s Report to show the correct PLGIT General Fund balance of $1,197,314.51.
Motion carried 3-0.
Briglia stated that the incorrect PLGIT General Fund balance was carried over to the June 18, 2018 Treasurer’s Report.  Briglia submitted the corrected Treasurer’s Report dated June 18, 2108 for approval.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to approve the corrected Treasurer’s Report dated June 18, 2018 as submitted.
Motion carried 3-0.

Work Session Items
Konrath stated that the Board held a conference call with Jason Farr, Supertech360, regarding the Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) server.  Mr. Farr explained that currently data is being backed up on the current server and the cloud.  Gonze clarified that the BDR is for business continuity in the event of impacts to existing systems rendering them unusable.  The BDR server would also backup the software and reduce recovery time if the current server were to fail for any reason.  The Board requested Briglia to obtain a quote from Mr. Farr for the BDR and individual quotes for each of the work station computers.

Unfinished Business
Skelly and Loy Engineers Contract
The Board reviewed the contract proposal from Skelly and Loy Engineers for the Paradise Creek Stream Restoration at Red Rock Road.  Gonze questioned the meaning of EJCDC Standard Contract on Page 1, Paragraph A.  Mr. Unangst stated that the EJCDC is an engineering standards contract normally used in the construction industry.  Gonze also referred to the first paragraph on Page 6 stating that the Township shall identify a representative who shall have authority to act on its behalf as to the administration of the project.  Solicitor Prevoznik stated that the representative would be bound by the grant monies and scope of work.  Gonze questioned the Post-Construction Monitoring required on Page 6.  The Post-Construction Monitoring would be for a period of five (5) years.  There was discussion on if this could be done in-house or if an engineer would need to do this.  Brady suggested that Hanover Engineering do the Post-Engineering Monitoring.  Konrath stated that this would need to be included in the upcoming budgets. 
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to approve and sign the Paradise Creek Stream Restoration proposal dated February 6, 2018 as submitted by Skelly and Loy Engineers.
Motion carried 3-0.  
Mt. Airy #1, LLC
Konrath stated that an activity log for the Mount Airy Lake dam tower controls was submitted by Dave Osborne, Labella Associates.  Gonze questioned the coordination of the tower adjustments and the water temperature below the dam.  Gonze stated that the report also shows that water is going over the spillway.  It was also noted that according to the DEP dam permit that no water should be going over the spillway.    Gonze is looking for documentation on how the decision is being made to make the adjustments to the tower.  After further discussion, the Board agreed to have Jason Smith, Hanover Engineering, review the activity log with Dr. Browne to discuss the information being used to make the tower adjustments.  There was further discussion on the water going over the spillway.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Briglia to write a letter to the DEP regarding the violation of the Mt. Airy dam permit.
Motion carried 3-0.
 
New Business
Traffic Count – Intersection of Route 191, Route 940 and Red Rock Road
Mr. Unangst stated that Briglia has forwarded the traffic counts to him from the Monroe County Planning Commission and the Jim Milot from his office will be reviewing the traffic counts. 
Friendly Community Center
Konrath stated that a letter has been received from the Friendly Community Center (FCC) requesting that a financial statement be accepted by the Township in lieu of an audit.  The current agreement with FCC requires an audit every three years.  The FCC letter states that the Bureau of Charitable Organization’s has increased the threshold for the audit requirement to $750,000.00 and that the FCC annual budget is less than $200,000.00.  The Board discussed if a financial statement would show the necessary information of the use of funds provided by the Township.  After discussion the Board requested that the FCC Board Chair and Blake Martin attend an upcoming work session to discuss their request.
Citizen-of-the-Year
Konrath stated that one letter has been received from Megan Dunlap nominating a Citizen-of-the-Year.
Motion:  Briglia moved and seconded by Konrath to accept the nomination for Citizen-of-the-Year as submitted by Megan Dunlap.
Motion carried 3-0.
EIT Collection
Konrath stated that this was discussed at the work session earlier this evening.  Konrath stated that the PA House Finance Committee passed House Resolution #291, directing the PA Department of Revenue, along with the DCED to conduct a study; to see if they should replace the current local tax collection system to be collected by the Department of Revenue.  Mr. John DeRemer, Berkheimer Tax Innovations, has notified the Township that a meeting will be held on July 11 and is asking the Township for feedback with the state’s study.   Briglia stated that the Monroe County Tax Collection Committee and the Pocono Mountain Council of Governments is opposed to changing the collection of earned income tax to the state.  Gonze stated that there is no proposal for the Board to review and that several areas of concern were discussed including timing of payments to the municipalities, post office addresses which are in more than one municipality, and the costs if collected by the State.  
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to send a letter to Mr. John DeRemer, stating the Township’s concerns.
Motion carried 3-0.

Reports
Solicitor – Solicitor Prevoznik stated that he had no further report other than the Real Estate matters discussed in the Executive Session. 
Roadmaster – Mader summarized the Roadmaster’s report.  Mader also reported that the generator has been serviced and no oil leak was found.  The Board agreed not to have additional exploratory service checking for an oil leak at this time.  Mader also reported that the wood chipper needs a repair.  Mader presented two quotes from Signal Service.  The first quote is to furnish and install a video detection system at the intersection of Route 940 and Carlton Road due to the volume density loop failure for $3,554.00 and the second quote is to replace four batteries for the battery backup system at the same intersection for $970.00.
Motion:  Briglia moved and seconded by Gonze to approve both quotes as submitted.
Motion carried 3-0.
 
Zoning Officer – Brady summarized her report.  Brady also reported that the proposed speed limit ordinance for Timber Hill Road would be going to the Paradise Township Planning Commission on July 12 and that it should be sent to the Monroe County Planning Commission for review.
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath for the proposed speed limit ordinance for Timber Hill Road be sent to the Monroe County Planning Commission for review. 
Motion carried 3-0.
Brady also presented the Board proposed changes to the Code of Ordinances that would be reviewed by the Paradise Township Planning Commission on July 10 and would be the subject of the Joint Special Meeting to be held on July 16 at 5:00 p.m.

Engineer – Mr. Unangst stated that the Mt. Airy Casino hotel addition is currently being done.  Mr. Unangst stated that the Koerners Road Bridge rehabilitation project is on schedule and that the girders would be set this week.  

Sewage Enforcement Officer – Briglia stated that one report was received showing no violations.  Briglia stated that no Discharge Monitoring Reports for Mt. Airy #1, LLC have been received nor are they on the DEP web page.    Briglia will follow-up on Mt. Airy #1, LLC discharge monitoring reports with Attorney Belardi. 
 
PARC – Briglia stated that PARC met for their monthly meeting.  Briglia stated that the Ice Lake Trail would be installed during the month of July by the East Stroudsburg student as previously approved. 

Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services (PMREMS) – Gonze reported that PMREMS met with their billing company as previously reported and that the discrepancies were due to QuickBooks not being closed out at the end of each year.  Gonze stated that the employees and supervisors received CPR/AED training from PMREMS and recommended that the Township sponsor the Pocono Mountain Regional Roundup fundraiser. 
Motion:  Briglia moved and seconded by Konrath to sponsor the Pocono Mountain Regional Roundup fundraiser as a Code Two for $1,000.00.
Motion carried 3-0.
Solicitor Prevoznik stated that the tickets received for the donation could be given to the Township staff. 

Correspondence/Miscellaneous
There was no correspondence/miscellaneous. 

Other Business/Public Comment 
Shawn Garber was present and inquired about the sweeping of Woodland Road.  Konrath stated that it would be done soon since the broom is currently in the shop. 

Shawn Garber also stated that the music was extremely loud at the Mt. Airy Casino concert on Friday evening.  Mr. Garber will not be submitting a formal complaint. 

Adjournment
Motion:  Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to adjourn the meeting at 7:14 p.m.
Motion carried 3-0.

Respectfully submitted,

Reda Briglia
Secretary