Board of Supervisors Emergency Meeting Minutes

PARADISE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
MINUTES OF APRIL 3, 2020 EMERGENCY TELEPHONIC MEETING

Call to Order
Chair Konrath called the meeting to order at 11:04 a.m. on April 3, 2020.    

Roll Call
Officials Present by Telephone:
Gary Konrath – Chair                 John C. Prevoznik – Solicitor
Peter Gonze – Vice Chair                       
Reda Briglia - Supervisor                            

Pledge of Allegiance – Waived.    
                            
Resolution 01-2020 (Order of Suspension of Short-Term Rental Activities)
The Board discussed proposed Resolution 01-2020 which would suspend short-term rental activities, as defined by Chapter 114 (Short-Term Rentals) of the Paradise Township Code of Ordinances, in the Township during the pendency of Governor Wolf’s Orders.  It was noted that on April 1, 2020, short-term residential rentals were added to the list of non-life sustaining businesses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  It was discussed that Paradise Township had only a few actual licensed short-term rentals but it appeared that many unlicensed short-term rentals were operating in Paradise Township.  The Supervisors discussed the health, welfare, and safety effect on bringing in groups of people, many of whom would be subject to quarantine on a short-term basis as defined in the Short-Term Ordinance.  The acts of individuals moving in and out of the short-term rentals also pose a violation of the Governor’s “stay-at-home” Order.  It was also discussed that short-term rentals which continue to rent on a short-term basis in the of the Governor’s Orders reflected a nuisance as contemplated by the Short-Term Rental Ordinance.  It was also discussed that short-term rentals should not be advertising that they would be open for business during the pendency of the Governor’s Orders and the Commonwealth’s inclusion of short-term residential rentals on the official list of non-life-sustaining businesses.  The Board of Supervisors agreed that the loss of licensing privileges by short-term rental owners in the of the Governor’s Orders, in addition to the fines and penalties set forth in the Short-Term Rental Ordinance for violation thereof, was appropriate.

Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Konrath to approve Resolution 01-2020 as presented, a copy of which should be attached to the Minutes.
Motion carried 3-0.

New Business
Zoning Hearing Board Request – The solicitor reported that Attorney Marc Wolfe has requested that the Board of Supervisors waive the filing of application and payment of fee for a Zoning Hearing Board appeal he needs to file on behalf of his client in order to preserve the statute of limitations of said appeal.  
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Briglia to approve Attorney Marc Wolfe’s request to preserve his client’s appeal rights by submitting a notice of his client’s Zoning Hearing Board Appeal via email to the Township Zoning Officer with a copy to the solicitor contingent upon the email notice containing sufficient specificity setting forth and thereby preserving only those issues raised in the notice of appeal subject to formal application and payment of appeal fee ten (10) days prior to the Zoning Hearing Board hearing on the appeal and contingent upon Attorney Wolfe waiving the time frames in which to hold the Zoning Hearing Board hearing on the appeal.  
Motion carried 3-0.

Resolution of Case Docketed at No. 5182 Civil 2019, Paradise Township v. Linghang Ying.
Motion: Gonze moved and seconded by Briglia to authorize the solicitor to work with the Zoning Hearing Officer and the former Zoning Hearing Officer on the resolution of the Amended Court Order in the matter of Paradise Township v. Linghang Ying.
Motion carried 3-0.

Ratification of Actions Taken at Meeting – It was discussed that the actions taken at this emergency meeting shall be ratified at the next regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors and that the minutes of the meeting should be posted on the Township’s Website once approved.
Motion: Briglia moved and seconded by Gonze to approve placing the actions taking during this emergency meeting on the next regular meeting agenda of the Paradise Township Board of Supervisors and upon approval of the minutes posting the minutes of this emergency meeting on its Website.
Motion carried 3-0.
Adjournment
Motion:  Briglia moved and seconded by Gonze to adjourn the meeting at 11:22 a.m. on April 3, 2020.
Motion carried 3-0.

Respectfully submitted,
Gary M. Konrath, Chair