[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO CALL TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE UPPER PROVIDENCE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST.UM, WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE RISE AS YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE JUSTICE.
[MOTION TO APPROVE BOARD AGENDA]
THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS APPROVE OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING, AND WE HAVE A CHANGE FROM OUR PUBLISHED AGENDA.SO I'LL NEED A MOTION FROM SOMEONE THAT ADDS AN ITEM NUMBER NINE UNDER NEW BUSINESS DEALING WITH A POLICE PERSONNEL MATTER.
SO SOMEBODY COULD MAKE THAT MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND TONIGHT'S AGENDA TO INCLUDE THE, UM, THE, UM, RESIGNATION OF THE POLICE OFFICER.
[PUBLIC COMMENT]
WE'RE AT THE PORTION OF THE MEETING WHERE WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE HAVE A BRIEFING TONIGHT ON OUR PENSION FUNDS.SO I JUST, IF, IF I COULD JUST GET A SHOW OF HANDS OF FOLKS THAT ARE PLANNING ON MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT SO I CAN GET A NUMBER.
I THINK WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH PUBLIC COMMENT THEN.
AND, UH, WE'LL DO THE, THE, THE BRIEFING WHERE IT IS IN THE AGENDA.
SO FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR STREET ADDRESS, AND PLEASE CONTAIN YOUR REMARKS TO THREE MINUTES.
UM, ALBERT VAGNOZZI, 1 28 PATRIOT DRIVE.
I'M GONNA READ, SO I DON'T AB LIB.
OKAY, MR. STARLING, I'LL PROBABLY GO A LITTLE BIT OVER.
UH, HERE TONIGHT THEY ASK THE BOARD THE LEAD THE WAY TO COMPLETE OUR TRAIL NETWORK LEADING TO THE TOWNSHIP CAMPUS HERE ON BLACKROCK ROAD FROM THE VARIOUS PARTIAL TRAILS THAT ARE SCATTERED ACROSS THE TOWNSHIP.
ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE STAFF AND BEING A BOARD MEMBER FOR SIX YEARS, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF AS TO WHERE RESOURCES SHOULD BE FOCUSED.
IT'S AN INCUMBENT BOARD OF THE BOARD TO LEAD THE WAY TO, UM, COMPLETE THE CRITICAL PART OF THIS TRAIL SYSTEM, WHICH HASN'T BEEN DONE YET.
UM, SIMILAR TO LIKE, WE CHANGED OUR ENTIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS FOR, UH, THAT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THE FIRST, FIRST PHASE OF THE PARKSIDE APARTMENT COMPLEX ADJACENT TO THE TOWN CENTER WILL BE COMPLETE.
AND UPON THE ISSUANCE OF U N O, THE TOWNSHIP WILL RECEIVE TWO SIGNIFICANT PAYMENTS, ONES, WHICH IS REQUIRED UNDER OUR ORDINANCE AND ANOTHER THROUGH A SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 221 APARTMENT UNITS IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
THAT WILL RESULT IN AN $844,000 PAYMENT OF PARK AND REC FEES TO THE TOWNSHIP.
THE ADDITIONAL PHASES OF THIS, UH, PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL, WELL, A TOTAL OF $2.8 MILLION THROUGH PARK AND REC FEES.
I'M ASKING THE BOARD TO UTILIZE A PORTION OF THESE FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE TRAIL NETWORK FROM MENNONITE ROAD SOUTH ON ROUTE ONE 13 BY THE VALLEY FORGE BAPTIST CHURCH, TURN LEFT AND CROSS THE VALLEY FORGE BAPTIST CHURCH PROPERTY, WHICH IS GONNA PROVIDE AN EASEMENT WHEN THEY COME IN FOR A, UH, AN APPROVAL FOR A PLAN THEY HAVE.
UM, AND THAT'LL LEAD TO THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS THE TOWNSHIP'S PROPERTY.
WE CAN RUN THE TRAIL UP THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY AND RUN INTO OUR CAMPUS HERE.
IT'S JUST BEEN, AND I WAS ON THE BOARD LONG ENOUGH, WE, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG AND WE'RE GONNA GET THIS WINDFALL OF MONEY, AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO DO THAT.
IN ADDITION, UM, THE, TO THE NEW, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN UPGRADE AT THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 29 AND HOPWOOD ROAD, WHICH WILL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO PER AND TRAIL.
I, AGAIN, ASK THE BOARD TO LEAD THE STAFF TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION TO PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN MENNONITE ROAD AND HOPWOOD ROAD.
THESE, THESE, THESE, UH, PROPOSED TRAILS ARE ALREADY ON THE MAP.
UM, AND IT JUST NEEDS TO BE A TOP PRIORITY.
AND, AND AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO BUILD THE TRAIL.
WE CAN USE THE SURFACE STREETS, WHETHER IT'S CONSTITUTION DRIVE OR SOME OF THE OTHER STREETS, TO DIRECT PEOPLE FROM MENNONITE TO HOPWOOD.
CUZ YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BUILD A TRAIL FROM MENNONITE TO HOPWOOD.
WHAT'D YOU GET MY POINT? UM, THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT PAYMENT RECEIVED UPON THE ISSUES OF U N O WILL BE A PAYMENT FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY IMPACT FEE THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER AGREED TO DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE.
[00:05:01]
AS YOU KNOW, WE WORKED WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'VE AGREED TO PAY $1,000 FOR EVERY UNIT UPON U N O.SOME PEOPLE MAY FORGET THIS, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THERE ARE 221 APARTMENTS IN THE FIRST PHAGE.
TOWNSHIP'S GONNA GET $221,000, MAY, JUNE, WHENEVER THAT BE, GETS A U N O.
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE UTILIZE THAT MONEY, UM, TO HELP FUND NEW FIRE EQUIPMENT.
AND ALSO, UH, I, I SUGGEST IF I COULD, UM, WHEN WE BUILT THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, WE HAVE A 24 7 AMBULANCE IN THERE.
FRIENDSHIP AMBULANCE HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB FOR US.
THEY'VE REDUCED OUR RESPONSE TIMES.
SOME OF US HAVE USED THEM SINCE THEY'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, AND, UM, THEY'VE PURCHASED AND THEY'VE PLACED A BRAND NEW AMBULANCE IN THAT BUILDING.
THAT AMBULANCE COST $75,000 PLUS ABOUT $30,000 FOR THE EQUIPMENT IN IT.
I'M NOT SAYING PAY FOR THE WHOLE THING, BUT I THINK IT COULD, A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO OUR AMBULANCE SQUAD, UM, IS WORTHY.
AND I'M SURE CHIEF R WILL GIVE YOU A FEW OTHER IDEAS OF WHAT TO DO WITH SOME OF THAT MONEY.
BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, THERE WILL BE $700,000 COMING TO THE TOWNSHIP JUST BASED OFF OF THAT AGREEMENT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO, UM, AND IF I COULD ADD ONE OTHER THING, UM, I KNOW SIX YEARS AGO WE TALKED ABOUT AMBULANCE SERVICE IN THIS TOWNSHIP, AND, AND WE HAD DISCUSSIONS AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE ANY MOVES WITH OUR AMBULANCES THAT WOULD AFFECT OTHER TOWNS.
WE'VE SINCE IMPLEMENTED OUR OWN SYSTEM, AND LO AND BEHOLD, OTHER TOWNS HAVE DONE THINGS THAT AFFECT US.
TRAP BURROW MADE A DECISION TO SELECT AN AMBULANCE SERVICE THAT'S GONNA FAIL.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS IT'S GONNA FAIL.
AND AGAIN, I THINK YOU AS A BOARD SHOULD LEAD AND TALK TO THE, UM, BOROUGH COUNCIL OF TRAP COLLEGEVILLE AND GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT THE AMBULANCE THAT THEY'VE SELECTED, THAT'S GONNA FAIL.
CAUSE I'VE BEEN RIGHT ABOUT THIS FOR SIX YEARS, THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT DOESN'T FAIL.
CAUSE IF THAT AMBULANCE FAILS, OUR TOWNSHIP'S GONNA HAVE TO ADJUST, AS, YOU KNOW, UM, TO MAKE SURE OUR SERVICE IS, UM, ADEQUATE.
AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HAVE NO IDEA THAT THE AMBULANCE SERVICE IS THE MOST NEGLECTED AND UNDERFUNDED PIECE OF OUR, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UH, PHIL FELTON, 1 33 OLD STATE ROAD.
UM, OBVIOUSLY PARKHOUSE IS NOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, UH, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU GUYS HAD ANY COMMENTS, UH, BASED ON WHAT THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, OH, HERE WE GO.
YEAH, I, I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS, UH, IF YOU GUYS HAD ANY COMMENTS BASED ON, UH, WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD RECOMMENDED, UH, DURING THEIR, UH, LAST MEETING.
UH, THAT THEY, THAT, UH, THEY RECOMMEND THAT, THAT THE CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION IS DENIED.
AND YEAH, LIKE I SAID, I OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, AND HOPEFULLY SOME OTHER THINGS MIGHT BE HAPPENING THAT, THAT IS PUSHING THIS IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
YEAH, I, I'LL, I'LL GIVE A QUICK BRIEFING BILL.
WE SOME, SOME ACTIONS THAT HAVEN'T HAPPENED.
THE, UH, DEVELOPER HAS PULLED THEIR PLANS OFF OF FUTURE AGENDAS SINCE THEIR NEGATIVE VOTES IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY HAVE AGREED TO ALLOW THE LAND TO BE EVALUATED BY NATURAL LANDS TRUST, UH, 5 0 3
NAT NATURAL LANDS.ORG IS THEIR WEBSITE, IF YOU WANNA LOOK IN AND SEE WHO THEY ARE.
WE ALSO HAD THE STATE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION NATURAL RESOURCES OUT.
AND I ACTUALLY WALKED THE LAND WITH NATURAL LAND'S TRUST AND THE DCN R TODAY, AND THEY'RE GONNA EVALUATE THE LAND AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF PRESERVING THE LAND ARE.
WE DON'T HAVE A WILLING SELLER YET ON THE PART OF THE LANDOWNER, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT.
BUT THEY ARE NOT ON ANY FUTURE AGENDAS.
THEY ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PLAN THAT THEY, THEY GOT, UH, VOTED DOWN IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT IT IS THEIR LEGAL RIGHT TO COME BACK WITH THAT AT ANY POINT.
IF THEY WANT TO, THEY WANT TO TRY IT BEFORE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
JUST TO CLARIFY, THEY DIDN'T, THEY HAVEN'T PULLED THE PLANS RIGHT.
THEY JUST AREN'T ASKING TO BE LISTED RIGHT NOW.
I DIDN'T GET MYSELF IN ANY OTHER LEGAL
[00:10:01]
TROUBLE, DID I? SO, OKAY.THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, BUT, BUT WE ARE MOVING IN A BETTER DIRECTION.
THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR, REALLY MY OPINION.
ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE? OKAY, WE'LL GO WITH THAT.
I LIVE AT 3 74 VISTA DRIVE IN PHOENIXVILLE.
UM, JUST BEFORE I STARTED, I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT.
I WAS AT COSTCO OVER THE WEEKEND AND, UH, WE SOLD MY NEPHEW'S OLD GIRLFRIEND THERE.
UM, BUT SHE MARRIED ONE OF OUR YOUNG POLICE OFFICERS AND I JUST GOTTA TELL YOU, IT WAS GREAT.
WE HAD A SMALL CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE HIM SO EXCITED ABOUT HIS JOB AND BEING IN THE COMMUNITY.
A LITTLE SCARY ACTUALLY, WHEN HE STARTED TELLING ME, YEAH, YOU GOT A PROBLEM HOUSE OVER HERE AND OVER THERE IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO, BUT IT WAS JUST GREAT.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT CUZ YOU, YOU, YOU DON'T WALK INTO THOSE THINGS TOO OFTEN.
AND IT WAS NICE TO, UH, SEE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, IN, IN ACTION, IF YOU WILL.
I THINK YOU GUYS IN GENERAL KNOW ME.
UM, I'M SITTING ON A STEERING COMMITTEE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I THINK WE'VE, UH, HINT OUT CLOSE TO 3000, UH, PAMPHLETS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M PRETTY EXCITED TO SEE THE FEEDBACK FROM INDIVIDUALS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO RALLY AROUND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UH, MY QUESTIONING TO YOU IS GONNA BE ABOUT LAND TRUST IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING TO YOU GUYS SOME OPTIONS.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, HELP THE SUPERVISORS PREVENT WHAT WE SAW.
UM, SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT THE LAND TRUST IS IN PLAY.
UH, ANY IDEA ABOUT TIMEFRAMES ON, LIKE, WHAT'S NEXT STEPS? DO YOU, WOULD YOU HAVE A, A COMMUNITY MEETING AROUND WHAT THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE DOING? OR HOW DOES THAT KIND OF PLAY OUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? THEY'RE GONNA REPORT BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP NATURAL LANDS TRUST IS, AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW, AT THAT POINT, PROBABLY NEGOTIATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE AT THIS POINT, THE THEY'RE, THE PLANS ARE STILL PENDING SURE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A WILLING SALARY THAT I KNOW OF AT THIS POINT, BUT THEY HAVE AGREED TO, TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS, WHICH MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE'S A, AT LEAST SOME FLEXIBILITY.
WE HAVE ALMOST OVER 2000, UH, PETITION SIGNERS NOW.
SO THE COMMUNITY'S PRETTY ACTIVE AND VOCAL.
WE WILL SIT READY TO ENGAGE AGAIN AS THINGS UNFOLD.
UH, AGAIN, JUST APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WANTED TO GET AN IDEA IF THERE WAS SOME LAND TRUST THERE.
THE OTHER THING WE HAD ASKED THAT MAYBE DISCUSSION BE AROUND, ALTHOUGH I HATE TO SAY THESE WORDS IN PUBLIC EMINENT DOMAIN, AS IF NOTHING ELSE, LEVERAGE FOR LAND AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT PEOPLE FROM TAKING THE LAND, UH, FOR FUTURE USE.
SO ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO CONSIDER, UH, AS YOU GUYS MOVE FORWARD.
UH, JANINE NORRIS, 3 56 VISTA DRIVE.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING US TO COMMENT TONIGHT.
JUST FOLLOWING UP A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT RAY HAD STATED OF, UH, PRESENTING DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND, UH, DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT MIGHT BE PURSUED.
UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD WAS ABOUT A REFERENDUM.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED? UM, AS RAY SAID, WE'VE GARNERED A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT JUST IN THE, UH, THREE WEEKS THAT WE'VE PUT OUT PETITIONS, OUR LITTLE GROUP.
AND, UM, WE HAVE 2000, UH, SIGNATURES CURRENTLY.
UM, UM, CAN YOU LEAD US, CAN YOU KINDLY LEAD US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, I CAN TWIN NATALIE.
I'VE REPRESENTED THE COUNTY ELECTION BOARD FOR 20 YEARS, SO I FIELDED A LOT OF REFERENDUM QUESTIONS.
UM, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
UM, I'VE GIVEN THIS EXPLANATION IN THIS ROOM IN OTHER CONTEXTS BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE US GOING FROM EAST TO WEST, ALL THE STATES GET INCREASINGLY MORE RELAXED WITH RESPECT TO REFERENDUM QUESTIONS.
AND IN THE, IN THE ORIGINAL COLONIES, THERE WAS A, A DISTRUST OF THAT AT, OR I GUESS DISTRUST IS THE RIGHT WORD, BUT WE'RE VERY, VERY TIGHT ON, UNLIKE CALIFORNIA.
SAY, UM, HERE YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A REFERENDUM ON QUESTIONS THAT THE LAW SPECIFICALLY STATES.
YOU MAY HAVE A REFERENDUM QUESTION ON THIS, AND THERE'S A LIST OF MAYBE THERE MIGHT NOT BE MORE THAN 10 THINGS, UH, THAT YOU CAN HAVE A REFERENDUM QUESTION ON.
AND, UM, WHERE COULD WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT? UM, DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE COULD BE ACCESS TO, UM, TO THE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ON THE PA BALLOT OR, UM, I DON'T, THEY'RE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE, THERE'S NOT A SINGLE LAW THAT SAYS, SAYS, HERE'S THE 10 THINGS.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF LAWS ALL AROUND THAT HAVE A PROVISION IN THEM.
OR THERE'S, UM, INCURRENCE OF DEBT ABOVE THE DEBT LIMIT.
[00:15:02]
I, I COULDN'T EVEN REALLY THINK OF ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW.I'M SURE WITH THE HELP OF GOOGLE, THERE'S PROBABLY A LIST OF ALL OF THEM IN ONE PLACE, BUT I DON'T, I CAN'T RATTLE THEM OFF.
SO THAT TIME, THAT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY VOTER SERVICES MIGHT BE A PLACE TO STOP.
GOOD EVENING, BLAKE WELLING, 1 35 BENNINGTON ROAD.
UH, I AM THRILLED TO HEAR THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME, UH, UM, PROGRESS, UH, TOWARDS, UH, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER OPTIONS, OTHER, OTHER, UM, ENTITIES SUCH AS THE NATURAL LAND'S, UH, TRUST.
SO, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONDITIONAL USE HEARING ON THE PARKWOOD PROPOSAL, I RECALL DURING ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS AT, UH, MR. BREK SUGGESTED OR RECOMMENDED THAT THE TOWNSHIP PURSUE A SECOND QUALIFIED ATTORNEY.
AND I WAS CURIOUS WHETHER THE TOWNSHIP HAS MADE ANY PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION, AND IF SO, UM, IS THERE A PROCESS THAT THE PUBLIC COULD BE INVOLVED IN BEING AND, AND, AND BEEN MADE AWARE OF AN ATTORNEY'S QUALIFICATIONS? WELL, WE ACTUALLY, OUR TOWNSHIP, DO YOU WANT TO HEAR OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER HAS PURSUED THAT ALREADY.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT LAWYERS IN MIND, BUT THAT ONLY COMES INTO PLAY IF THEY REQUEST A CONDITIONAL USE HEARING.
AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD HIRE ATTORNEY.
HE WOULD REPRESENT OUR ORDINANCE AND THE TOWNSHIP.
BUT THE FIVE OF US ON THIS BOARD WILL HAVE TO SIT IN JUDGMENT OF THAT.
SO WE WILL NOT BE INVOLVED WITH THAT ATTORNEY, AND OUR ATTORNEY WILL BE HERE ONLY TO ADVISE US ON WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AS JUDGES IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE.
I THINK HE EXPLAINED IT VERY WELL IN A, IN ONE OF THE PUBLIC, UH, IN ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS.
BUT YES, WE, WE ARE PREPARED TO DEFEND OUR ORDINANCE IF IT COMES TO THAT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, HEAR OUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS TORI BRIGHT, UH, 360 4 VISTA DRIVE.
UM, AND I AM AGAIN REPRESENTING, UH, AND, AND WORKING WITH A GROUP OF COMMUNITY CITIZENS WHO WE KIND OF HAVE TAKEN THIS CALL TO ACTION TO TRY AND SUPPORT OUR TOWNSHIP AND OUR TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES AND OUR BOARD TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AROUND THE PARKHOUSE PROPOSAL.
UM, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE KIND OF FORMED A LITTLE STEERING COMMITTEE AS RAY INDICATED.
AND ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAD, UH, WAS LAST NIGHT TO MEET WITH AN ATTORNEY WHO ACTUALLY, UM, HAS WORKED WITH THE GENERAL COUNSEL IN THE RENDELL ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS SHE WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, UH, AT THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
SO SHE MET WITH US FOR QUITE A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SHE HAD HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THE DECEMBER MEETING, UH, FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND, UH, WAS, WAS, UH, VERY CLEAR TO GIVE US AN OPINION.
UM, AND THAT OPINION SUCH AS IT WOULD BE IF SORTS, IT BASICALLY, SHE SHARED THE OPINION THAT THE APPLICATION AS IT WAS WRITTEN, AS IT WAS DEFINED, DOES NOT, IS NOT CONGRUENT WITH THE ZONING.
SO WE, WE APPRECIATED THAT HEARING THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO LOOK FOR.
UM, SO SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO KIND OF FOCUS ON, AGAIN, IF THIS WAS TO COME TO A CONDITIONAL USE REQUEST AND IF, UH, ROYERS FORD HOLDINGS LLC PROCEEDS WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROPOSAL, UM, THERE'S A FEW QUESTIONS TO THE, TO THE SUPERVISORS SPECIFIC TO, UM, DO YOU BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS? I HAVE TO CUT YOU OFF AND I'M, YOU PROBABLY SENSE THAT I WOULD DO THAT.
WE'RE DOING THIS ON A ROUTINE BASIS IN, IN THE FIRST STANCES, THIS IS REALLY PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT QUESTION AND ANSWER.
WELL, BUT SECONDLY, BUT SECONDLY, UM, I'VE GONE OUT OF MY WAY TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THE
[00:20:01]
BOARD DOES NOT EXPRESS OPINIONS ON A CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION WHERE THE EVIDENCE HAS NOT YET BEEN PRESENTED.I, I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ASK.
UM, SO THE OTHER OTHER QUESTION THAT I DO HAVE IS AROUND, UM, THE TOWNSHIPS MANAGEMENT AROUND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED ALL LICENSED REGULATORY ENTITIES IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS RESEARCHED QUITE A NUMBER OF THOSE LICENSURE REGULATORY, UH, UH, UH, DOCUMENTS AND REFERENCE THAT EVEN IF THIS WERE TO BE CONSIDERED, CONSIDERED A, UH, CONTINUING CARE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY FOR SENIORS OR A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, ALSO KNOWN AS A CCRC, UM, THEY ARE NOT, UH, ALLOWED TO HAVE, UH, FEE SIMPLE, UH, UH, UH, HOUSING WITHIN THEIR PARTICULAR CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE.
SO WE, WE'VE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING.
THE QUESTION THAT I DO PRESENT THEN TO THE BOARD IS, UH, IS THE TOWNSHIP AWARE OF ANY OTHER REGULATIONS THAT THE PROPOSAL MAY ADHERE TO THAT HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED? UM, AND THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE ARE MORE THAN WILLING AND HOPING THAT YOU WOULD, UM, UH, ACCEPT AN OFFER OF POINTING YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF A LEGAL EXPERT AROUND THIS AREA.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WE'RE NOT ALL EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD, UM, BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE, AND THE WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED IN THE PLA PAST SEVERAL MEETINGS WERE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING AND MEANT TO CONFUSE THE BOARD.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS AND HOPEFULLY THE, UH, THE, THE DEVELOPER WILL WITHDRAW, OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW THE APPLICATION IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, MICHELLE MITCHELL, UM, 1619 YEAGER ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE I LIVE ANYMORE.
ONE OF THE VERY EARLY LAWS I LEARNED WAS ONCE SOMETHING IS RECORDED ON A DEED AS AN OWNER, I CAN PUT ANYTHING ON THE DEED ALMOST AND IT STAYS WITH THAT PROPERTY FOREVER.
UH, AND JOE, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I AM INCORRECT, BUT REAL ESTATE LAW IS, UH, OF COURSE I'VE TAKEN A COUPLE OF TIMES, NOT CUZ I DIDN'T GET IT, JUST CUZ IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, I REALIZE THIS PROPERTY IS ANCIENT AS, UM, AS LAND IS, UM, THE DEEDS GO BACK VERY FAR.
HAVE WE LOOKED TO SEE, OR I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS COME UP AT THIS POINT.
UH, THERE WERE POINTS OF, UM, OPEN SPACE AND THE OVERLAY.
AND I UNDERSTAND ZONING IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE VERBIAGE ON THE DEED, BUT BEING ITS HISTORY WITH THIS PROPERTY AND THE DIFFERENT USES OVER THE CENTURIES, I FEEL THAT THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME KIND OF DEED RESTRICTION AT SOME POINT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PUT ON THERE.
I UNDERSTAND THE EARLY ON ONES MIGHT BE HANDWRITTEN AND A LITTLE OBSCURE TO READ AND INTERPRET.
UM, BUT UM, SO THAT WOULD BE ONE POINT.
AND UM, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A 2014 DEED RESTRICTION PUT ON WHEN THE PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED.
IT WAS A FIVE YEAR FOR A BUILDING.
SO HAVE WE CONSIDERED, UM, TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN PLACE? UH, CUZ OBVIOUSLY WE PUT THAT IN PLACE TO PREVENT, UM, THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENING.
SO WAS THERE SOMETHING ELSE PUT IN PLACE OR SOMETHING COMING UP TO ASSIST US WITH THE ORIGINAL INTENTION? A DEED RESTRICTION.
A A DEED RESTRICTION IS DONE BY THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
THE TOWNSHIP CANNOT DIRECTLY RESTRICT A DEED OF SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE SOMETIMES REQUIRE CERTAIN DEED RESTRICTIONS, UM, WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT.
ALL THESE PARCELS HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED FOR NO FURTHER SUBDIVISION.
YOU CAN'T MAKE 'EM SMALLER AGAIN, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING, WE COULDN'T REQUIRE A DEED RESTRICTION NOW, LIKE AHEAD OF A CONDITIONAL USE HEARING BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE NO BASIS ON WHICH TO REQUIRE THAT.
UM, THE FIRST POINT YOU MADE, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER OF WHETHER ANYONE RESEARCHED EVERY DEED GOING BACK IN TIME.
IT WAS OWNED FOR A LONG, LONG TIME BY THE COUNTY MM-HMM.
[00:25:01]
BEFORE THE SUBDIVISION OF PARKHOUSE.THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE IN MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO THERE WOULDN'T BE A TON OF DEEDS TO LOOK AT.
AND I'M SURE AS A PART OF, IF THERE IS A CONDITIONAL USE HEARING, EVERYTHING GETS EXPLORED IN PREPARING FOR THAT HEARING.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EXPLORED TOO.
AND IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEED AND WE'D BE ABLE TO SOURCE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
SOMETIMES THERE'S A POINT BEYOND WHICH IT'S HARD TO GO BACKWARDS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE CAN GET PRETTY FAR BACK.
AND RISE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA, UM,
[EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT]
EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT.WE HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE POTENTIAL POLICE CONTRACT AND PERSONNEL MATTERS.
AND I, UM, IN THE MOTION, IT WASN'T STATED THAT IT WAS BADGE NUMBER 39.
WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AT, THAT'S GONNA BE NUMBER NINE.
OH, THAT WAS JUST THE MOTION TO AMEND WAS THE, TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
SO, UH, NOW WE'RE DOWN TO APPROVAL OF THE
[APPROVAL OF BILL LIST]
BILL LIST.I'M SURE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEIR PACKET.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BILL LIST FROM JANUARY 1ST, UH, TO JANUARY 31ST, 2023 IN THE AMOUNT OF 1092953 CENTS.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE BILL LIST FROM THE PERIOD JANUARY ONE THROUGH JANUARY 31ST, 2023 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,092,900 AND 53 CENTS.
AND WE ALSO IN OUR PACKET HAD THE MEETING MINUTES
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
FROM OUR JANUARY 17TH REGULAR MEETING.SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IF THERE ARE NO, UH, CORRECTIONS.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 17TH, BOARD OF SUPERVISOR'S REGULAR MEETING.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO APPROVE THE, UH, JANUARY 17TH MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MINUTE FOR THE REGULAR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING.
AND WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT AND NOW IT'S
[OLD BUSINESS (ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS)]
ON TO OLD BUSINESS.NUMBER THREE IS, UH, IS, UH, AN APPROVAL OF THE ROAD PAVING PROJECT, A LIST OF ROADS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS ABOUT THE ROADWAY DOWN HERE.
UM, WAS THAT DIEGO ROAD JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE IT TURNS FROM BLACKROCK TO YEAGER.
AND, UH, WE INVESTIGATED, UH, WHAT IT WOULD COST TO HAVE A HIGH FRICTION SURFACE PUT IN THERE.
SO WE HAVE TWO PROPOSALS HERE.
ONE, UH, FOR $540,000 FOR THE LIST OF ROADS.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE COMPLETE LIST IN FRONT OF ME.
IT WAS, I THINK THAT WAS IN THE PACKET.
AND THE OTHER INCLUDES USING THIS HIGH FRICTION TREATMENT, UH, O ON THAT PORTION OF VIAGRA ROAD AND THAT WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY 163,000.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANY DEBATE, I JUST, MY 2 CENTS, I THINK IT'S WORTH DOING THE, THE FRY HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TO CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THERE.
BUT I'LL HEAR FROM ANYONE ELSE.
I HAVE MY, UH, I WAS CURIOUS HOW WE BUDGETED THIS, BUT WE HAVE, IT IS SLIGHTLY OVER BUDGET, THE 700,000 OF WHAT WE THOUGHT THE ESTIMATE, I SHOULDN'T SAY THE BUDGET, THE ESTIMATE, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF RESERVE IN THERE FROM THE STATE FUNDING.
THIS IS A STATE FUNDED TYPE THING.
WELL, UPPER PROVIDENCE TAXPAYER MONEY
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK JUST IN THE, JUST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD TWO OR THREE CARS RUN OFF THE ROAD THERE AT THE TURN OF YEAGER ROAD.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT.
I KNOW TOM BROAD BELT WAS VERY HIGH ON DOING IT.
AND, AND THE INTEREST OF THE SAFETY OF THE, UH, OF THE TOWNSHIP.
IT'S, UH, A VERY INTERESTING IDEA.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR WET ROAD CONDITIONS.
THEY'VE USED IT IN THE COLLEGE OF BOROUGH, I THINK, VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST MENTION TOO, I DID TALK TO CASEY ABOUT THE SPEED LIMIT GOES FROM 35 TO 45 TO 35.
CAN WE EVEN THAT OUT? CAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SEE THAT IT CHANGES FROM 45 THEN TO 35, AND THEN THERE'S SPEED PICKS UP.
SO THAT SHOULD BE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TOO.
UM, TRY TO MAKE IT A CONSISTENT SPEED LIMIT ALONG YEAGER.
[00:30:01]
ALL RIGHT, WELL I'LL GO AHEAD JOHN.YEAH, I HAVE, UM, UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
I I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER PLACES.
THE ONE ONE OTHER THAT I, THAT I KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD IS ON, UM, HOPWOOD ROAD THAT HAS A, IT'S, IT'S GOT A BAD TURN AND IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ANGLE OF THE ROAD GOES INTO IN THE DIRECTION THAT IT SHOULDN'T.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SITUATIONS THERE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE GONE DOWN AND OFF THE ROAD.
SO I I, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL LET'S GIVE THIS A SHOT HERE, CHECK IT OUT, SEE HOW WELL IT DOES.
UM, IF IT, IF IT DECREASES ANY, THE ACCIDENTS THERE, THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER USING IT ELSEWHERE.
IF IT DOESN'T DO THE JOB, THEN WE DON'T USE IT AGAIN.
I JUST, MY THOUGHT ON IT, THERE IS A, THERE'S A BUS STOP THERE TOO, RIGHT? SOMEWHERE NEAR THERE.
SO THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE SPEEDING AND THE BUS STOP AND CARS RUNNING OFF THE ROAD.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THAT.
I DIDN'T WANT STRETCH OF ROAD LATELY.
BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF BAD DRIVERS IN OUR TOWNSHIP
I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M JOKING AND I'M BEING SERIOUS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD 180 VIOLATIONS IN TWO MONTHS FOR PASSING BUSES WITH THE LIGHTS FLASHING THE DOOR OPEN AND THE STOP SIGN EXTENDED.
SO ANYWAY, FOLKS, AND WE NOTICED TOO THAT IT'S YOUNGER DRIVERS THAT HAVE THESE SPIN OUT PROBLEMS. SO TALK TO YOUR YOUNG DRIVERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLDS BAIL LAW.
SO ANYWAY, AND IT'S NOT WORTH SPEEDING AND, AND PASSING PEOPLE ON DOUBLE YELLOW LINES TO GET THEIR 30 SECONDS EARLIER THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE, UM, COMPARED TO DYING.
UH, IF SOMEONE WILL PICK MOTION TO AND MAKE THAT MOTION WE'LL, UH, GET GOING.
I'LL, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TOWARD THE BASE BID AND THE BID ALTERNATE, INCLUDING A HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT FOR THE 2023 ROAD PAVING PROJECT A TO GLASGOW INC.
OF GLENSIDE BA IN THE AMOUNT OF $702,940.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO AWARD THE BASE BID IN THE BID ALTERNATE, INCLUDING A HIGH FRICTION SERVICE TREATMENT FOR THE 2023 ROAD PAVING PROJECT A TO GLASGOW INC.
OF GLEN'S I P A IN THE AMOUNT OF $702,940.
AND, UH, WE HAVE AN OPENING ON OUR MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY STILL, AND WE HAD A RESUME SUBMITTED BY JOHN MCGUIGAN AND, UH, VICE CHAIR CAL AND I HAD A LOOK AT IT, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND APPOINT HIM.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
UM, I JUST, I, I I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING $702,940 JUST ON GER ROAD THERE.
NO, NO, IT'S, I KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR TO EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS, YOU HAVE THE LIST OF ROADS, BRIAN.
IT INCLUDES, UH, JAGER ROAD FROM ONE 13 TO OLD STATE.
IT ALSO INCLUDES FIFTH AVENUE AND SIXTH AVENUE IN THE ROYERSFORD SECTION.
AND CHARAR COURT IN THE ROYERSFORD SECTION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
OH, THEY JUST REPAID FOURTH AVENUE NOW? UH, FIFTH AND SIXTH.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BRIAN.
DOES SOMEONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT JOHN MCGUIGAN TO MUNICIPAL? I, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPOINT JOHN MCGUIGAN TO THE MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPOINT JOHN MCGUIGAN TO THE MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM.
AND NUMBER FIVE, CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION 2023 DASH SEVEN GRANTING FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL TO THE SPRING FOR AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE 1 33 OLD MILL ROAD PROPERTY.
I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISCOMMUNICATION, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THEM HERE TONIGHT.
HE'S GOT A SPRING FOR VEST ON WHAT NOW?
GOOD AFTERNOON TO SEAN RYAN, SUPERVISOR OF OPERATIONS WITH THE SPRING FORD AREA SCHOOL.
SO, MR. HUNTER, BOB HUNTER WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON THIS.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WAS RESCHEDULED.
SO HE SENT ME HERE IN HIS PLACE AS A, JUST TO BE HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE.
SO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, I CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO ANSWER OR GET THOSE IN ANSWER FOR YOU.
THIS IS A MINOR SUBDIVISION, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE PLAN.
SPRINGFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND
[00:35:01]
CORRECT ME IF I SAY ANYTHING WRONG, IS LOOKING TO SEPARATE OFF THE HOUSE THAT'S IN THE REAR OF THEIR PROPERTY.IT'S, THEY'RE NOT CREATING ANYTHING NEW.
UM, THEY, UH, THEY'RE JUST LOOKING TO DIVEST THEMSELVES OF IT.
WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH 'EM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
THEY'RE LOOKING TO, EXCUSE ME.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING A TURNAROUND.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN WE HAVE FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ACCESS AND THE ABILITY TO TURN SNOW PLOWS AROUND, AROUND BACK THERE.
SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS SAID THAT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THAT AVAILABLE AND THEY'VE PUT IT ON A PLAN.
WE HAVE TO GET SOME FINAL PLAN CLEANUP NOTES, BUT GENERALLY THEY'VE AGREED TO EVERYTHING THE TOWNSHIPS ASKED THEM TO.
AND, AND I THINK THEY'RE READY FOR TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
WE WILL BE PAVING DIRECTLY WHEN YOU EXIT OFF ONTO, ONTO OLD MILL ROAD, THAT AREA THERE FOR A TURNAROUND.
AS WELL AS THERE'S A TURNAROUND FURTHER BACK FOR PLOW TRUCKS AS WELL.
WHEN I LOOKED AT IT IN THE PACKET, IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS A STRUCTURE ALREADY ON THERE, BUT I DON'T SEE A STRUCTURE.
THERE, THERE IS A HOUSE, THERE IS AN EXISTING HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, HERE, LET ME, YEAH, THAT'S A BETTER PICTURE AND WELL BACK.
SO THAT HOUSE WAS ON SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY, AND IT'S JUST BEING YES.
IT, IT'S THE VERY BACK OF THE PROPERTY, UH, BEHIND THE, WHERE OUR PRACTICE FOOTBALL FIELD IS LOCATED.
AND HOW DOES THE HO DOES SOMEBODY LIVE THERE? NOT AT PRESENT, NO.
SO WHO'S GONNA MAINTAIN IT THEN? ONCE IT'S OH, GO INTO FEE SIMPLE.
SO YOU COULD BUY AN INLAND THERE IF YOU SO CHOSE.
I'M NOT THE MARKET, BUT THANK YOU
AND IS THE INTEREST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CUT THIS OUT, NOT TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY? I MEAN, IS I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO LIKE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE WHY.
THAT'S, YEAH, I COULD CERTAINLY GET YOU THAT, THAT ANSWER.
I, I THINK IT WAS JUST, IT, THE, THEY WERE FOR A LONG TIME, AT LEAST FROM WHAT THEIR ENGINEER SAID, THEY WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER THEY TAKE THE HOUSE DOWN COMPLETELY OR THEY SELL THE HOUSE.
THEY LOOKED AT IT AND THEY WENT THROUGH THE ZONING HEARING BOARD PROCESS TO HAVE AN ODD SHAPED LOT, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN AN ACRE.
AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER FINANCIALLY TO DIVEST THEMSELVES OF IT THAN TO JUST TAKE THE HOUSE DOWN.
SO THE COST OF PAVING THE ROAD TO THE HOUSE IS LESS THAN DESTROYING THE HOUSE.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT
WE CAN GET IN AND OUT OF THERE IN CASE SOMEONE DOES OCCUPY THAT PHONE OR TEARS IT DOWN AND BUILDS A HOME.
THAT'S, THAT'S IN OUR INTEREST, THE PAVING OF THE ROAD, SO, RIGHT.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023 DASH ZERO SEVEN GRANTING FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVAL OF THE SPRING FOR AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY OF 1 33 OLD MILL ROAD.
I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023 DASH OH SEVEN GRANTING FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR THE SPRING FORD SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY AT 1 33 OLD MILL ROAD.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION 2023 DASH EIGHT GRANTING AMENDED FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL TO THE OAK SHOPPING CENTER.
AND, UH, YEAH, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST EXPLAIN THIS ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, UM, CHIEF ERLING APPROACHED THE, THE SHOPPING CENTER AND SAID, YOU HAVE TOO MANY DUMPSTERS IN THE BACK.
THEY WERE PUTTING, WHERE YOU SEE THE ONE DUMPSTER TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE LARGE BUILDING, NOBODY WAS USING THAT.
EVERYBODY WAS, EVERY STORE WAS SORT OF BRINGING THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL DUMPSTERS IN.
IT WAS CREATING A PROBLEM IN THE FIRE LANE.
THERE WAS ALSO PARKING IN THE FIRE LANE, SOME OTHER ISSUES WITH IT.
SO, UM, AUTMANN LAND DEVELOPMENT CAME BACK WITH A PLAN TO PUT IN TWO OTHER DUMPSTER ENCLOSURES SO THAT THE DUMPSTERS WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE FIRE LANE.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, IT BECAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH OF A CHANGE TO THE PROPERTY, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE AMENDED FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT FROM AN, UH, A, UH, STORMWATER STANDPOINT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JEN, EVERYTHING SEEMS FINE WITH THAT.
THEY ARE, THERE'S A, A BUFFER THAT'S BACK THERE, BUT THEY'RE PRESERVING ALL THE TREES THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THAT BUFFER AREA.
THEY'RE NOT CUTTING INTO THE WALL.
THERE'S A WALL TO THE, UM, THEY'D BE LEFT ON THE PLAN HERE.
THEY'RE NOT CHANGING THAT AT ALL.
THEY'RE REALLY JUST CUTTING INTO THE, TO THE SIDE OF A HILL TO CLEAN THIS AREA UP AND TO REMOVE VEHICLES AND DUMPSTERS FROM THE FIRE LANE.
[00:40:07]
ARE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENT? YEAH, I HAVE A COMMENT.UM, OR, OR QUE QUESTION PROBABLY.
UM, I, I'M ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY DOWN THERE IS GOING TO USE THESE.
IF EVERYBODY WASN'T USING THE ONE DOWN THERE THAT HAD PUTTING THE OTHER ONES IN, PEOPLE WILL DEFINITELY USE THEM.
IT'S LIKE, UH, I I, IT'S A DUMB QUESTION.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AT THAT POINT.
I MEAN, AND IT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL STORE, AUDUBON LAND DEVELOPMENT IS PROVIDING THIS, AND THE, THE ISSUE WAS THAT THERE WAS ONE CENTRAL DUMPSTER THAT WAS HARD AT NIGHT.
SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE WALKING THAT FAR.
THIS OBVIOUSLY MAKES 'EM A LOT CLOSER AND A LOT EASIER TO ACCESS.
YOU KNOW, I, WE CAN'T CONTROL EXACTLY WHAT EVERYBODY DOES, BUT YEAH, AT THAT POINT, THEY SHOULD BE USING THEM.
I, I GET, I GET THE SAFETY FEATURE FROM BEING ABLE TO SERVICE THE BACK OF THIS WITH THE FIRETRUCKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT CAN WE STOP FUTURE, LIKE SAY JERSEY MIKE WANTS TO PUT THEIR DUMPSTER BACK.
AND, AND THAT BECOMES, WELL, IT BECOMES A LANDLORD ISSUE.
WE TALK TO THE LANDLORD AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NECESSARILY AUTHORITY.
WE HAVE TO CITE THEM, BUT THAT, LOOK, YOU HAVE THE DUMPSTER ENCLOSURES, THE DUMPSTERS NEED TO GO IN THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED THIS IS, IS TOM WAS SAYING, ALL OF YOUR DUMPSTERS NEED TO BE IN THAT ONE ENCLOSURE.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE, NO ONE WANTS TO USE IT.
SO THIS IS THE OPTION THEY CAME UP WITH TO AMELIORATE THAT PROBLEM.
IS THERE SUFFICIENT LIGHTING FOR PEOPLE TO GO BACK THERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S AT NIGHT AND THEY NEED TO USE THE DUMPSTER? IS THERE A SUFFICIENT LIGHTING WHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA FEEL SAFE WALKING AT DISTANCE? I KNOW IT MEETS OUR LIGHTING ORDINANCE, WHICH I, WHICH I THINK IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE REQUIRED BEFORE.
WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK AFTER THESE ARE INSTALLED TO SEE IF THAT'S AN ISSUE.
I DON'T WANNA OVERLIGHT THE BACK OF IT BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS AROUND THE BACK WERE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THAT.
BUT I, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT WHEN, AND THAT WOULDN'T BE A LAND DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, CONCERN OR A LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT WHEN THE DUMPSTERS ARE IN TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME SPOTLIGHTS OR SOME DIRECT LIGHTING ON THOSE AREAS TO MAKE THEM SAFER.
I THINK AUDUBON LAND DEVELOPMENT'S WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, AT THAT RESOLUTION, 2023 DASH EIGHT GRANTING AMENDED FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR THE OAKS SHOPPING CENTER.
ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023 DASH OH EIGHT GRANTING AMENDED FINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR THE OAKS SHOPPING CENTER.
[NEW BUSINESS (ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS)]
THE OUR PENSION PLAN REVIEW.JIM, BEFORE THE EIGHT O'CLOCK HOUR, INTRODUCE RICH RICHER FROM C B I Z.
I MEAN, I'M STILL GONNA THROW GO BIRDS OUT THERE ANYWAY, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE IT.
SPRING TRAINING STARTED TODAY THOUGH, SO THERE WE GO.
UM, SO YEAH, MY NAME IS RICH RITZ.
UM, I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF C DESIGN R JUST A QUICK TEN SECOND REFRESHER OF OUR FIRM.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRMS THAT SPECIALIZES IN WORKING WITH PENNSYLVANIA MUNICIPALITIES.
SO WE DO MANAGE THE, THE THREE DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS HERE, THE NON-UNIFORM, THE POLICE, AND THE FIRE.
WE ALSO ARE PRIVILEGED WITH THE TASK OF WORKING WITH THE EMPLOYEES ON THE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION AND VOLUNTARY 4 57 PLANS AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND WITH THAT APPROACH, IT'S A VERY SIMILAR APPROACH TO WHAT WE'RE USING THE DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS, WHERE THE, WHERE THE, WE'RE TASKED WITH PROVIDING, UM, AN ARRAY OF FUNDS THAT THE EMPLOYEES CAN INVEST IN WITH THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY.
UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS ARE GEARED TOWARD LOW, LOW COST INDEX FUNDS FROM FIRMS SUCH AS VANGUARD, ISHARES, ET CETERA.
UM, AND WE COME IN AND PRO PROVIDE THAT UNBIASED ADVICE, JUST LIKE WE DO IN THE PENSION PLAN.
SO I'M GONNA KIND OF RUN THROUGH REALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022.
UM, SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY A YEAR FOR THE RECORD BOOKS, ALTHOUGH ONE WE'D LIKE TO FORGET FROM A MARKET STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO FROM A GLOBAL STANDPOINT, OBVIOUSLY FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UM, SO IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE FOR ME PLEASE.
UM, SO REALLY FOR 2022, IT, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE YEARS THAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE AN OUTLIER.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN A YEAR WHERE BOTH THE STOCK MARKET AND THE BOND MARKET DROPPED BY SO MUCH SINCE PROBABLY EVER, AT LEAST IN THE LAST FIVE DECADES.
UH, THE BOTTOM MARKET AT ONE POINT WAS DOWN 17%.
YOUR MOST CONSERVATIVE INVESTOR, WHETHER IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S SITTING HERE WITH THEIR
[00:45:01]
OWN INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENTS OR MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PENSION PLAN, PROBABLY SAW THEIR ACCOUNTS DOWN AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OR AT THE END OF THE YEAR.I MEAN, BASICALLY VIRTUALLY EVERY ASSET CLASS WAS DOWN LAST YEAR EXCEPT FOR ENERGY AND CASH.
AND THE REASON BEHIND THAT, WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, WHAT WHAT IMPACTED THAT THE MOST WAS THE FED, UM, WAS THE INFLATION CARRYOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC.
THE, THE, THE TRIGGER WORD FOR 2022, UM, WAS THAT THE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION WAS GOING TO CALM PRETTY QUICKLY, AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CASE.
EVERYBODY WAS ANTICIPATING THAT UNTIL THE RUSSIAN UKRAINE SITUATION OCCURRED.
UM, AND THAT JUST EXACERBATED EVERYTHING.
IT CONSTRAINED SUPPLY CHAINS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, ENERGY FOR EUROPE AND A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES.
SO THAT ALSO CONTINUED TO, UH, CAUSE CONTINUED IN ISSUES WITH INFLATION, WHICH MADE THE, THE FED STEP IN, UM, TO INCREASE THE FEDERAL FUNDS RATE.
NOW, WHEN THE FED STEPS IN INCREASES THE FEDERAL FUNDS RATE, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT PUTS DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE BOND MARKET, BUT ALSO THE STOCK MARKET.
AND GOING INTO 2022, THE STOCK MARKET WAS ALREADY VERY HEAVILY O OVERVALUED.
MORE SO IN YOUR GROWTH SECTOR, WHICH IS MOSTLY COMPRISED OF YOUR LARGE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES.
AND GUESS WHAT REALLY WENT BANG BUSTERS DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOUR, YOUR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, RIGHT? UM, SO, SO WE SAW A, A, A DRAMATIC EFFECT FROM THE FED'S INCREASING OF FED FUNDS RATES ON YOUR LARGE CAP GROWTH STOCKS, UM, AS WELL AS YOUR SMALL COMPANIES.
THEY'RE NOT AS HEAVILY INSULATED AGAINST INFLATION AS WELL.
SO, UM, HOWEVER, WE ARE TASKED WITH ALTERING THE PORTFOLIO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO HELP KIND OF DAMPEN THAT.
AND THE CURRENT PORTFOLIO FOR ALL THE, ALL THREE PLANS OF THE CURRENT ASSET ALLOCATION OR THE INVESTMENT MIX IS 70% STOCK AND 30% FIXED INCOME.
AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT HERE AS TO WHY WE'RE 70% STOCK AND 30% FIXED INCOME.
UM, BUT FOR THE YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE WERE DOWN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT PLANS, BUT WE'RE WE'RE BETWEEN 15.8 AND 16% DOWN FOR THE YEAR, UM, FOR THE TOTAL PORTFOLIO.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ATTRIBUTION ON THE FIRST BULLET POINT THERE, UM, THE UPPER PROVIDENCE, OR I GUESS THE FIRST BULLET POINT OF THE, THE CIRCULAR ONES, THE, THE CLEAR ONES, UM, THE STOCK ALLOCATION WAS DOWN 17.66%, WHEREAS THE GLOBAL BENCHMARK, SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS COMPARE OURSELVES TO WHAT THE GLOBAL STOCK MARKET IS DOING.
AND THAT'S THE MS C I A C W, WHICH STANDS FOR ALL CAPITAL WORLD INDEX.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY EVERY STOCK IN THE WORLD.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S OUR STRATEGY WITH THE PENSION PLAN HERE BY USING THOSE ETFS WITH THOSE VANGUARD ETFS, THOSE ISHARES ETFS AND ETF STANDS FOR EXCHANGE TRADED FUND.
IT'S A BASKET OF STOCKS SIMILAR TO A MUTUAL FUND, BUT THE BEAUTY OF IT IS, IS THEIR LIQUID, THEY TRADE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, UNLIKE A MUTUAL FUND THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, MAKE DECISIONS AND PIVOT PRETTY QUICKLY IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES.
AND THIS WAS VERY, VERY CRITICAL DURING COVID, THERE WAS A, A LOT OF LIQUIDITY ISSUES IN THE BOND MARKET, WHICH I WON'T GET INTO TOO MANY DETAILS THERE, BUT WE EXPLAINED IN 2022, ON 2021, WHAT WE DID WITH THAT BACK IN, DURING THE COVID TIMES, WHICH HELPED THE PLAN DRAMATICALLY.
UM, SO WITH THOSE ETFS, WHEN WE'RE COMPARING OURSELVES AGAIN AGAINST THE BENCHMARK, WE ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMED THE BENCHMARK BY 0.82% OR, OR WHAT'S CALLED BASIS POINTS 82 BASIS POINTS.
UM, AND THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS WE'RE BEATING THE MARKET BY USING THE MARKET.
WE'RE NOT INCLUDING VERY EXPENSIVE ACTIVE MANAGERS THAT ARE TRYING TO, UH, CHERRY PICK THE BEST STOCKS.
THE NEAT THING ABOUT THE PENSION PLAN HERE AND THE EMPLOYEE PLANS IS WE'RE ESSENTIALLY INVESTING IN ALMOST EVERY STOCK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD USING THOSE ETFS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RUSSIA.
OKAY? WE ELIMINATED THOSE WAY BACK WHEN, UM, YOU ARE, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET MORE DIVERSIFIED THAN THE POSITION THAT THE, THE BOARD HAS TAKEN.
AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN, YOU'VE HAD THE FORTITUDE TO MAKE THAT DECISION YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO COME ON.
UM, AND THE BEAUTY OF THAT AGAIN, IS, IS THE OUTPERFORMANCE BY MAKING SOME STRATEGIC ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON THE, ON THE STOCK SIDE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE ACTUALLY REDUCED INTERNATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE.
UM, AND ON THE BOND SIDE THAT WAS, WAS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE TO WHAT THE FED WAS REALLY DOING BECAUSE AS FED CREPT INTEREST RATES UP, UH, THE BOND MARKET LOST VALUE IN, IN A SIMPLE EXPLANATION.
UM, I, IF I WERE TO LEND, UH, YOU KNOW, TIM $50,000 AND TIM WOULD PAY ME 5% ON THAT, THAT NOTE OR BOND.
UM, AND THEN SIX MONTHS LATER, LET'S SAY I LEND THAT SAME 50 GRAND TO BILL AND NOW BILL'S PAYING ME 8%.
WELL, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE? YOU'D RATHER HAVE BILL'S 8%.
SO IF TIM WANTS TO GO AROUND AND SELL HIS BOND, RIGHT, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HA HAVE TO PAY LESS FOR IT TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE.
IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.
OR WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022, INTEREST RATES WENT UP, EXISTING BONDS LOST VALUE BECAUSE THOSE INTEREST RATES WEREN'T AS ATTRACTIVE.
NOW TO, TO CURB THAT, YOU CAN CHANGE SOMETHING CALLED THE DURATION OF THE PORTFOLIO, WHICH IS SIMPLY JUST THE SENSITIVITY
[00:50:01]
TO HOW BONDS INTERACT OR ARE AFFECTED, UH, BY THOSE INTEREST RATE CHANGES.SO WE DID LOWER THE DURATION, WE ADDED IN WHAT ARE CALLED INFLATION PROTECTED BONDS, SO THEIR GOVERNMENT BONDS THAT WILL ALTER THEIR, THEIR FACE VALUE BASED ON THE CPR OR INFLATION.
SO AS INFLATION CREPT UP, THE BOND VALUES ALSO CREPT UP TO OFFSET SOME OF THOSE LOSSES TO REDUCE THE VOLATILITY OF THE BUMPS IN THE BOND PORTFOLIO.
WE ALSO ADDED IN A LOT, LOT OF SHORT-TERM BONDS, WHICH ALSO HELPED.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE BOND PIECE OR THE 30% OF THE PORTFOLIO, UH, THE, THE PORTFOLIO WAS ABOUT 12.08%, WHEREAS THE BENCHMARK, WHICH IS THE BLOOMBERG US AGGREGATE BOND, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY ALL THE BONDS IN THE US.
SO THERE'S CORPORATE DEBT AND THERE'S GOVERNMENT DEBT, YOUR, YOUR TREASURIES.
UM, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO COMPARE OURSELVES AGAINST THAT, UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMING THAT BY ABOUT WHERE WE DID OUTPERFORM THAT BY ALMOST A WHOLE 1%.
AND IT'S, AND, AND OVER TIME IT'S ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BEAT THE STOCK MARKET, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MORE DIFFICULT TO BEAT THE BOND MARKET CONSISTENTLY, UM, USING INDEX FUNDS ACTUALLY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
SO WITH THAT, WHEN YOU REALLY SQUISH THOSE TOGETHER, THE TOTAL PORTFOLIOS AS A WHOLE, WERE DOWN ABOUT 15.94%.
WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE 70% BENCHMARK SQUISHED WITH THE 30% BOND BENCHMARK BEING DOWN 1684, UH, WE ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMED OR THINK OF IT THIS WAY, 0.9% LESS OF A LOSS THAN THE ACTUAL MARKETS THEMSELVES, WHERE A LOT OF ACTIVE MANAGEMENT STRUGGLED LAST YEAR.
AND THERE, THERE CONTINUES TO BE SOME LIQUIDITY IN THE BOND MARKETS.
UM, THE NEAT THING ABOUT OUR, OUR, OUR PROCESS IS WITH THE ETS, WE COULD GO IN, CUZ WE MANAGE ABOUT 1.2 BILLION IN PENSION PLANS IN THE STATE.
WE CAN GO IN AND MAKE A TRADE JUST LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF YOUR ACTIVE MANAGERS, YOUR PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS, YOUR HEDGE FUNDS, THEY GET INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT A LOT OF THE STATE PLANS, THEY'RE RUNNING INTO THOSE PROBLEMS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
UM, SO IT'S A PROCESS THAT'S BENEFITED THE TOWNSHIP.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT STAYING THE COURSE IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE DID AS WELL, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOURTH QUARTER, THE MARKET REBOUNDED BASICALLY FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO THE END OF THE YEAR BY ABOUT 7%.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT IN MONETARY VALUE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST $1.6 MILLION CHANGE IN VALUE IN THE TOTAL PORTFOLIOS COMBINED JUST BY STAYING THE COURSE.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU'RE THE WORST DAYS OF THE STOCK MARKET TEND TO OCCUR, UM, OR THE BEST DAYS, EXCUSE ME, TEND TO OCCUR AROUND THE WORST DAYS OF THE STOCK MARKET.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE THE BEST DAYS OCCUR WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE WORST DAYS OF THE STOCK MARKET.
UM, AND SINCE 1980, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE YEAR THE MARKET DROPS ON AVERAGE ABOUT 14% EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
BUT 75% OF THE TIME THE MARKET ACTUALLY ENDS UP POSITIVE, RIGHT? SO OUR, OUR GREATEST ASSET RIGHT NOW IS TIME.
NOW, GRANTED THIS IS A PENSION PLAN.
IT'S, IT'S MEANT TO BE IN PERPETUITY, RIGHT? SO WE, SO THE TIME IS, IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND I WILL TELL YOU KIND OF GOING TO THE DISCUSSION AROUND WHY WE'RE 70% STOCK AND 30% BONDS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE FOR ME, NOW, WHEN YOU DO THE VALUATION FOR THE PENSION PLANS OR THE ACTUARIES, DO THEM, EXCUSE ME.
SO YOU HAVE HAVE JOE DUDA, UM, AND MOCKIN HOP FOR, FOR THE THREE DIFFERENT PLANS.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR ACTUARIES IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ASSUMED INTEREST RATES ARE, THE PLANS, THE FUNDING LEVELS, ET CETERA.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO YOUR PENSION PLAN THAT THE ACTUARY USES TO DETERMINE YOUR LIABILITY, HOW MUCH YOUR MMO IS GOING TO BE YOUR MINIMUM MUNICIPAL OBLIGATION.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE THAT WE ARE TASKED WITH BEING ASSOCIATED WITH IS THE ASSUMED INTEREST RATE.
SO SOME OF THE VARIABLES INCLUDE, UH, SALARIES, WAGES, MORTALITY EXPECTATIONS, ET CETERA.
WE'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUARY'S USING THAT THE PLAN'S GONNA EARN.
WHAT'S THE ASSUMED INTEREST RATE? THE PLAN'S GOTTA EXPECT TO EARN SOMETHING, OTHERWISE THAT LIABILITY IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY BIG, RIGHT? AND FOR YOUR, YOUR NON-UNIFORM AND YOUR FIRE PLAN, IT'S 6.75% AND YOUR POLICE PLAN AT SEVEN.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THE, THE, THE TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN EXTREMELY PRUDENT WITH REDUCING THAT RATE.
SO YOU SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THAT BECAUSE WE MANAGE ABOUT 120 DIFFERENT PLANS AND THE AVERAGE RATE'S CLOSER TO SEVEN AND A QUARTER PERCENT.
AND WE HAVE STILL SOME, SOME TOWNSHIPS, SOME BOROUGHS THAT ARE CLOSE TO 8%.
AND YOU, IT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HIT THAT EVEN BEING A HUNDRED PERCENT STOCKS AND IT'S JUST NOT PRUDENT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT STOCKS.
SO, UM, I MEAN IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR TAKING THOSE STEPS TO, TO CHANGE THAT INTEREST RATE.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THIS BECAUSE THE MARKET EXPECTATIONS HAVE COME DOWN OVER THE YEARS, BUT I WILL, I HAVE COME TODAY WITH GOOD NEWS SHOWING YOU THAT OUR FORWARD-LOOKING PROJECTIONS HAVE ACTUALLY GONE UP FROM LAST YEAR.
AND I COULD TELL YOU TALK TO JOE DU ABOUT THIS AND HE WAS PRETTY HAPPY.
[00:55:01]
SO, UM, HE'LL BE, HE'LL BE HAPPY WHEN DOING EVALUATION AND THE, THE GABY REPORTING.UM, SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO GET ON THE 70 30 PORTFOLIO IN THE PENSION PLAN.
REALLY KIND OF OVER THE LONG RUN AND LONG RUN'S KIND OF RELATIVE.
I I WOULD EXPECT THAT LOOKING AT OVER A 20 TO 30 YEAR TIME HORIZON.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PENSION PLAN, SO PERPETUITY, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SIX AND A QUARTER, LET'S JUST CALL IT SIX AND A QUARTER PERCENT EXPECTED RATE OF RETURN, RIGHT? SO IF ANY OF YOU CAME TO ME TODAY AND SAID IN 15 YEARS, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WOULD'VE EARNED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS? I'M GONNA TELL YOU PROBABLY ABOUT SIX AND A QUARTER PERCENT.
WE HAVE SOME CLIENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WITH FOR ABOUT 15, SOME OF THEM 20 YEARS, AND WE'VE SHOWED 'EM EXPECTATIONS.
WE JUST MET WITH A BOROUGH THE OTHER DAY.
WE SHOWED 'EM THE SAME EXPECTATION WE SHOWED HIM BACK IN 2014 AND WE SHOWED 'EM OUR TRAILING 10 YEAR RETURNS AND IT WAS WITHIN ONE 10TH OF 1%.
AND THE REASON WHY I TELL YOU THIS IS BECAUSE THE RESEARCH THAT'S USED TO SHOW YOU THAT NUMBER IS EXACTLY HOW YOU'RE INVESTED.
IT'S THE TOTAL MARKETS THEMSELVES.
BECAUSE ANYTIME ANYBODY ELSE WILL SHOW YOU THIS AND SAY YOU'RE GONNA GET SIX AND A QUARTER PERCENT, THEY'LL TURN AROUND AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL CHERRY PICK AND THEN THEY'RE TOTALLY DOING APPLES TO ORANGES COMPARISON.
SO INSTEAD OF SHOWING YOU THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE INVESTED IN 5,000 DIFFERENT STOCKS ACROSS THE GLOBE, THEY MIGHT HAVE YOU IN A THOUSAND STOCKS, RIGHT? SO, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF APPLES AND ORANGES.
UM, SO IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S SETTING EXPECTATIONS, IT'S SETTING, UM, IT'S PREDICTABLE IN A, IN A WAY, IN, IN A, IN A WAY.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN GO ONTO THE, TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE ALSO WANT TO EDUCATE YOU ON WHAT LEVEL OF RISK IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 70 30 PORTFOLIO.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE 70 30 IS QUITE HONESTLY, ONE BEING MORE AGGRESSIVE JUST MIGHT NOT BE AS PRUDENT.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PLAN, OUR PLANS AND PENSIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY RANGE ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT 60% STOCKS TO ABOUT 75% STOCKS.
UM, NOW SIX AND A QUARTER PERCENT, YOUR INTEREST RATE FOR SOME OF THESE PLANS IS SIX AND THREE QUARTER.
WE'RE WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE OF MEETING THAT RATE.
SO, UH, THAT'S A PRUDENT MOVE.
NOW OBVIOUSLY IF THAT, IF THAT RATE WAS UH, SIX AND WE WERE EXPECTING 6.75, WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A CONVERSATION OF REDUCING THAT RISK, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT THIS CHART BASICALLY SHOWS, AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE GOT A LITTLE OF A WACKY WEATHER COMING UP, SO I'M GONNA SOUND LIKE A WEATHERMAN HERE, BUT IF SOMEBODY CAME TO ME AND SAID, WHAT ARE WE GONNA HAVE OVER THIS YEAR IN 2023? YOU KNOW, IF I, IF I KNEW THE EXACT ANSWER, I WOULD BE DOING ZOOM ON MY YACHT, RIGHT? BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW DEFINITIVELY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE BETWEEN 11.91% ALL THE WAY UP TO POSITIVE 30%.
OKAY? BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STRETCH THAT OVER A 20 YEAR TIMEFRAME.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT ANYWHERE FROM 1.35 UP TO 9.85%.
BUT WHAT DO I EXPECT TO GET? 6.24% ON AVERAGE? BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE COULD GET 30% IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WE COULD GET NEGATIVE 11 9 1.
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, 2021, WE WERE UP ALMOST 13%.
2022, WE WERE DOWN 15.8%, RIGHT? BUT WHEN WE AVERAGE THAT OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, THE EXPECTATION IS GONNA BE ABOUT SIX AND A QUARTER.
SO, A AGAIN, UM, PANIC IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN A PROFITABLE STRATEGY, UM, INVESTORS ARE REWARDED BY STAYING THE COURSE, ESPECIALLY IN DIFFICULT TIMES.
IT'S JUST, I MEAN, LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
UM, THERE ARE MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD IN THE STOCK MARKET AND IN OUR JOB, BUT WE'RE TASKED WITH TRYING TO HIT THAT 6.75% OVER THE LONG RUN, UM, WHILE TAKING THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RISK AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE RETURN THE BEST WE CAN.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M OUTTA TIME THERE, TIM, BUT, UM, I CAN, OKAY.
I'LL SIT IN IT BACK AND TYPE IT UP FOR YOU.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I CAN ALSO ELABORATE MORE IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ADDRESS THEM AFTER THIS.
WHY THE 30% RAISE? WHY ARE YOU EXPECTING THAT IN 2023? IT'S SUCH A DIFFERENT, UM, FROM THE PREVIOUS PROJECTION.
PROJECTION IS ABOUT 5.65, AND THE REASON BEHIND THAT IS JUST VALUATIONS HAVE COME DOWN.
UH, MEANING THE STOCK MARKET WAS OVERPRICED, SO IT WAS ALMOST EXPECTING, UH, AT SOME POINT, CORRECTION AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
NAV VALUATIONS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE TAME, FOR LACK OF A BETTER, A BETTER WORD.
THEY'RE STILL A LITTLE OVERVALUED, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST GONNA KIND OF BE THE NORM.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR SMALL CAP COMPANIES AND MID-CAP COMPANIES ARE ACTUALLY FAIR, OR SOME OF THEM ARE UNDERVALUED, BUT ALSO THE BOND MARKET, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.
REMEMBER A YEAR AGO, REMEMBER YOUR, YOU'RE SAVING THESE ACCOUNTS, SO YOU WERE GETTING WHAT, ONE 10TH OF A PERCENT.
AND NOW THE MONEY MARKET WE HAVE IN THE PENSION PLAN WHERE WE HOLD THE CASH IS YIELDING FOUR.
SO, UM, YIELDS THE FACT THAT YIELDS ARE UP IN YOUR SHORT TERM BOND PORTFOLIOS ALSO ARE HELPING CUZ THEY ADD TO THAT EXPECTED RETURN.
THAT'S JUST INCOME, THAT'S AN INTEREST PAYMENT.
SO THE, THE, THE INCREASE IN YIELDS ON THE BOND SIDE ARE ALSO BUMPING THAT UP TOO.
[01:00:01]
SO AS A MUNICIPALITY, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO INVEST IN HIGH RISK, UM, STOCKS, WHATEVER.IT'S LIKE, IS THAT ALSO THE REASON WHY MAYBE WE DIDN'T DO SO WELL IN THE STOCK MARKET IS BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE BASICALLY HAVE LOW RISK INVESTMENTS.
UH, WELL, SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RISK AND ASSET ALLOCATION.
THEY'RE KIND OF ONE AND THE SAME, BUT NOT, SO ASSET ALLOCATION IS HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE ALLOCATED TO STOCKS? THEN IT'S, OKAY, WELL, WHAT STOCKS ARE YOU IN? RIGHT? AND IF WE'RE 70% STOCKS VERSUS A HUNDRED PERCENT STOCKS, SO THAT, THAT SOMEONE WHO'S IN A HUNDRED PERCENT STOCKS IS PROBAB, CAN BE IN THE SAME STOCKS AS SOMEBODY WHO'S IN 70% STOCKS, THEY JUST HAVE LESS MONEY WEIGHTED TOWARD THAT.
SO IF THEY'RE IN THE SAME EXACT STOCKS, BUT THEY JUST HAVE LESS MONEY WEIGHTED.
SO IF THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT 10 GRAND AND THEY HAVE ALL THAT IN STOCKS, AND THEN LET'S SAY I HAVE 10 GRAND, BUT I ONLY HAVE 7,000 OF IT IN STOCKS, AND THE OTHER 3000 IS SAY IN CASH, BUT WE'RE IN THE SAME STOCKS, I JUST HAVE LESS MONEY WEIGHTED, I'M GONNA NOT GET HIT AS HARD, RIGHT? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL MY MONEY PUSHED TOWARDS STOCKS.
BUT OVER THE LONG RUN, THE INVESTOR THAT HAS ALL THEIR MONEY IN STOCKS IS GONNA MAKE MORE MONEY JUST RISK AND REWARD.
UM, AS FAR AS, UM, LOSING AND, AND, AND SPECULATIVE IN BEING SPECULATIVE IN NATURE, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE START TO TALK ABOUT BEING MORE CONCENTRATED IN SINGULAR COMPANIES RATHER THAN SPREADING YOUR CHIPS OUT, RIGHT? DON'T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.
UM, PEOPLE START ASKING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT ABOUT INVESTING IN, UH, GOLD OR, UH, TIMBER OR PRIVATE EQUITY OR HEDGE FUNDS? THEN YOU START TO GET IN VERY, VERY SPECULATIVE TYPE OF INVESTMENTS THAT SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T EVEN VALUE, OR IT TAKES MONTHS TO VALUE.
UM, AND A LOT OF YOUR BIG PENSION PLANS THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE THE SHINY NEW TOY AND THEY GOTTA HIT A REALLY, REALLY HARD, UM, SO YOU COULD HAVE A PENSION PLAN THAT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME RISK LEVEL AS YOU, THAT'S 70% STOCKS, RIGHT? BUT THEY MIGHT BE INVESTED IN THAT 70%.
THEY MIGHT HAVE THAT MONEY TOWARD VERY SPECULATIVE TYPE OF INVESTMENTS LIKE YOUR HEDGE FUNDS.
AND, UH, I'VE EVEN HEARD THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE INCORPORATING BITCOIN AND CRYPTO, WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S EVEN IN OUR CODE OF ETHICS, WE DON'T EVEN RECOMMEND THAT.
WE CAN EDUCATE, BUT WE CAN'T RECOMMEND.
UM, BUT REALLY THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY HOW YOU WANT TO BE INVESTED.
YOU'RE INVESTED IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY COMPANY.
SO THE ODDS OF 5,000 COMPANIES GOING OUTTA BUSINESS VERSUS 50, WELL THEN WE'RE ALL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, OUTTA LUCK, RIGHT? SO, UM, IT, IT'S REALLY A FUNCTION OF, AND THIS GOES FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM IN YOUR OWN RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS.
IT'S A FUNCTION OF ASSET ALLOCATION, RIGHT? ARE YOU GONNA BE MORE CONSERVATIVE OR AGGRESSIVE? MEANING THE PERCENTAGE YOU HAVE ALLOCATED TOWARDS STOCKS, ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE DIVERSIFIED CORRECTLY, MEANING YOU HAVE YOUR CHIPS KIND OF SPREAD OUT.
SO YEAH, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY SAYS STAY THE COURSE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT GOES UP AND IT GOES DOWN AND EVERYTHING STAY THE COURSE, IT'LL LEAVE IT OUT, WHATEVER ELSE.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, SHOULD I STICK WITH YOU BECAUSE I LOST ALL THIS MONEY LAST YEAR, OR SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE? EVERYBODY LOST MONEY LAST YEAR.
I, I KNOW, BUT MAYBE SOMEBODY DIDN'T LOSE AS MUCH AS WE DID OR WHATEVER.
IT'S ALL, WELL, IF THEY DIDN'T, THAT MEANS THEY PROBABLY HAD ALL THEIR MONEY AND ENERGY OR CASH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOSE MONEY IN OUR PROCESS, IT'S BECAUSE THE MARKETS ARE JUST DOWN AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WE CAN'T CONTROL THE MARKETS AS MUCH AS WE WISH WE COULD, RIGHT? AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE LOOK AT IT AS WHEN THE MARKETS ARE DOWN, THAT'S ACTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WHEN, WHEN THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING INTO THE PENSION PLAN, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY THOSE STOCKS ON SALE.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU'RE COMPARING YOURSELVES TO THE STOCK MARKET, AND IT JUST SHOWED THAT WE ACTUALLY DID BETTER THAN THE STOCK MARKET, RIGHT? THERE ARE A LOT OF ACTIVE MANAGERS THAT MAYBE DID LOOK GOOD THIS YEAR, BUT OVER THE COURSE OF A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THEY CONSISTENTLY UNDERPERFORM.
SO YOU COULD CERTAINLY TAKE THAT APPROACH, BUT IF YOU'RE BE, YOU'RE GONNA BE GOING TO AN ACTIVE MANAGER WHO MIGHT LOOK GOOD FOR ONE DAY, AND THEN OVER TIME THEY'LL TRY TO CHERRY PICK AND THEY'LL CONSISTENTLY LOSE.
UM, THIS IS THE APPROACH OF REALLY YOU'RE IN EVERYTHING.
SO WE ARE JUST TAKING STRATEGIC MOVES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHETHER WE MIGHT OVERWEIGHT OR UNDERWEIGHT IN US OR INTERNATIONAL, UM, OR LIKE I TOLD YOU WHAT WE DID WITH THE BOND POSITIONS, BUT WE'RE STILL USING INDEX FUNDS, MEANING YOU'RE IN EVERYTHING.
UM, YOU CAN'T GET MORE DIVERSIFIED THAN THAT.
I ADMIRE YOU BECAUSE IT'S TOUGH TO COME INTO WITH THE CLIENT AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE, WE TOOK A BEAT ON THIS.
AND IT'S LIKE, UH, WELL HEY, LISTEN, WE'RE HERE WITH GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS, SO WE'RE ALWAYS HERE AND OUR JOB IS TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU REALLY NEED HERE, NOT WHAT YOU WANT, HEAR, UNDERSTAND AT TIME.
SO I THINK THE, THE DISTINCTION IS, UNLESS WE'RE ALL PLANNING TO RETIRE ALL AT THE SAME TIME,
I THINK THAT'S, UH, IF I DID THE MATH RIGHT, WE
[01:05:01]
LOST 4.5 MILLION, WE COULD HAVE LOST SEVEN.BUT THE MOVES YOU MADE HELPED US NOT LOSE AS MUCH AS THE MARKET SAID WE SHOULD HAVE LOST, BECAUSE YOU GOT US OUTTA SOME OF THAT.
AND, AND YEAR TO DATE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE ALSO UP, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT, UH, YEAR TO DATE, BEFORE TODAY, AS OF FRIDAY, UH, WE WERE UP ABOUT 5.38% FOR THE PLANES AS WELL.
SO SINCE OCTOBER 1ST OF 22, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY UP ABOUT 12 ISH PERCENT OR SO, GIVE OR TAKE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT AS OF FRIDAY, SINCE WE'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH YOU BACK IN 2016, WE'RE ACTUALLY AT THE ASSUMED INTEREST RATE.
WE'RE BASICALLY AT THAT MARK, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT.
THANKS FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
UM, LAST, WE'LL HAVE TO ASK FOR THE LAYMAN'S HEADLINE NEXT TIME.
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS NUMBER EIGHT.
UNDER NEW BUSINESS, CONSIDER AN ENACTING OR ENACTING ORDINANCE 5 99 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP GUARD RE CODE REGARDING RESTRICTED TURNS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LONGFORD AND BLACKROCK ROADS.
CASEY, WHO WANTS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS? YEAH, THIS IS, UH, SIMPLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR OFFICE WORKED ON TO RESTRICT TURNING MOVEMENTS FOR HEAVIER, UH, VEHICLES, UM, BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ROAD.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE DO GONNA DO IS NOT ALLOW THE LARGER TRACTOR TRAILERS TO TURN LEFT IN OR RIGHT INTO LONGFORD ROAD FROM BLACKROCK ROAD.
AND THEN SECONDARILY TO THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE ON LONGFORD ROAD, UM, AND APPROACHING BLACKROCK ROAD, THERE'S GONNA BE AN ADDITIONAL SET OF SIGNS.
THERE'S ALREADY SIGNS THAT DON'T ALLOW TRUCKS TO COME DOWN THERE, BUT, UH, IN CASE THERE'S A MOVING TRUCK THAT GETS CAUGHT UP AND SAYS, I'M GONNA GO OUT THE BLACKROCK ROAD, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT A SET OF SIGNS CLOSER TO BLACKROCK TO, YOU KNOW, OKAY, HAVE THEM AVOID GOING THAT ROAD.
WHERE, WHERE DO THEY HAVE TO GO TO AVOID THAT INTERSECTION? UM, WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL HAVE TO JUST GO UP TO THE NEXT MAJOR ROAD AND, AND GO OVER TO EGYPT ROAD OR JUST STAY ON EGYPT ROAD.
THEY CAN COME IN THE OTHER, THEY CAN COME IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THEY JUST GOING THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR INTERSECTION IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO AVOID.
THEY COULD, THEY COULD USE HOLLOW ROAD.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE BOTTOMING OUT? PARDON ME, CASEY, YOU'RE SAYING THE THE TRACTOR TRAILERS OR THE BIG TRUCKS ARE BOTTOMING OUT? YEAH, EXACTLY.
SO WE'RE NOT RESTRICTING IT TO CARS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND, AND I THINK WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE ON THIS THING.
CAUSE I WENT THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION TODAY AND THE SIGNS ARE ALREADY UP.
THERE'VE BEEN SIGNS FOR A WHILE.
UH, IN FACT, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU DON'T, YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ON BLACKROCK COMING AWAY FROM HERE, GOING DOWN THE HILL, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A RIGHT ON LONGFORD.
THE ONLY SIGNS THAT ARE UP NOW ARE AFTER YOU'VE COMMITTED TO THE TURN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON LONGFORD SAYING YOU CAN'T TURN IN HERE.
THESE ARE GONNA BE ON BLACKROCK.
AND THE ONES COMING THE OTHER WAY.
IF YOU CAME FROM EGYPT UP, LONGFORD SIGNS YOU GET ARE BACK BEFORE THE LAST RESIDENTIAL STREET YOU, WHERE YOU WOULD BASICALLY TURN AROUND THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN GO BACK DOWN TO EGYPT.
DON'T REALLY, HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN A LOT.
YEAH,
SO THERE'S SHOULDN'T BE ANY TRUCK DRIVING.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE IF THERE'S A MOVING TRUCK, I MEAN, IT SAYS EXCEPT LOCAL DELIVERY.
SO LET'S SAY SOMEBODY MOVES IN THERE AND THE TRUCK COMES OUT AND THEY DECIDE TO TURN TOWARD BLACKROCK.
THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T GO THIS WAY, YOU GOTTA GO BACK AT THE EGYPT ROAD.
YEAH, TOTALLY MAKES SENSE THERE.
SIGN BLACKROCK ROAD IF YOU'RE A TRACTOR TRAILER.
AND SIGNS ON LONGFORD GOING UP GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO TURN OFF ON'S CALLED NO TRUCKS ALLOWED ALONG.
WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS, UH, ON BLACKROCK.
MR. PETERS, COULD YOU COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? UH, JOE PETERS NINE DANA DRIVE, UH, ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS ON BLACKROCK, THERE WILL BE NEW SIGNS THAT SAY YOU CAN'T TURN GOING WEST ON BLACKROCK ONTO TURN LEFT ON LONGFORD COMING DOWN BLACKROCK, YOU CAN'T TURN RIGHT ONTO LONG.
SO THERE'LL BE NEW SIGNS FOR TRUCKS YOU CAN'T TURN.
[01:10:01]
CORRECT.SO, I MEAN, AT THE BOTTOM OF LONGFORD, ONCE YOU TURN ONTO LONGFORD, IT SAYS, NO TRUCKS ALLOWED.
THEY'RE KIND OF LATE ONCE THEY'RE ON THERE.
CUZ TYPICALLY ONCE THEY'RE THERE, THEY TEND TO GO UP.
AND I'VE SEEN TRACTOR TRAILERS TRY TO MAKE THAT TURN ONTO BLACK ROCK AND WE DO NOT WANT 'EM COMING THAT WAY.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, TO, BUT WAY.
SO THERE'S JUST REALLY A SIGNAGE ISSUE.
ALRIGHT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ENACT ORDINANCE 5 99 RESTRICTING TURNS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LONGFORD AND BLACKROCK ROAD.
I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO ENACT ORDINANCE 5 99 RESTRICTING TURNS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LONGFORD AND BLACKROCK ROADS.
AND WHEN WE AMENDED OUR AGENDA EARLIER TONIGHT, WE ADDED AN ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH WE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION AND, UH, SEE IF I CAN GET A SECOND.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF POLICE OFFICER ASSIGNED BADGE NUMBER 39, EFFECTIVE TODAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2023.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF POLICE OFFICER ASSIGNED BADGE NUMBER 39 EFFECTIVE TODAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2023.
ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO MANAGEMENT AND
[MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS]
DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA GET OUR 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW.YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, AND WELL, YOU'LL SEE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO PUT THIS INTO A VERY CONCISE FOUR AND A HALF MINUTE VIDEO.
I THINK THE CONSENSUS WAS IF YOU GO BEYOND FIVE OR SIX WITH A LOT OF DATA, YOU'LL, YOU'LL LOSE PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.
SO WHAT I, WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS IN, IN THE BEST, UH, UH, MOST CONCISE WAY, TAKE A LOT OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM, UM, 2022, A LOT OF INTERESTING STATISTICS THAT WE'VE COMPILED.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER THESE, UM, DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS TO INCLUDE IN FUTURE BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
BUT I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, UM, IT, IT'S, IT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, STUFF THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS DO.
UM, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU AND THE RESIDENTS WILL FIND THIS EDUCATIONAL.
WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO, UM, PUT THIS ON ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND WE'VE INTERSPERSED A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME VIDEOS AND SOME, UH, PICTURES.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY, I DID TRY TO GIVE THE, UH, HANDOUTS TO YOU, TO EVERYONE IN ADVANCE.
IF THERE'S ANY PARTICULAR STATISTIC THAT, THAT JUMPED OUT AT YOU, YOU'D LIKE TO FURTHER EXPLANATION OR COMMENT, UM, WE'RE ALL EARS, SO
[01:17:06]
ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MINUTES.SO TRY TO GET THIS OUT ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE STATISTICS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF
[CONSULTANT REPORTS]
REPORTS.AND DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON ENGINEERING? YEP.
SO TO START YOUR 2023 URINE REVIEW, THE GREENWOOD AVENUE SANITARY SEWER, UM, THE H O P FOR THAT CAN PROGRESS.
THE DETOUR PLAN WAS APPROVED BY PERM AND TOWNSHIP ROAD PAVING.
PROJECT B WILL BE SCHEDULED TO OPEN BIDS MARCH 15TH, PROJECTED AWARD AT THE MARCH 20TH MEETING.
THE FUEL STATION FOR PUBLIC WORKS IS IN DESIGN DRAWING.
UM, THEY ARE IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW, AND THE GUMS ROAD CULVERT PROJECT IS PROGRESSING ALONG.
WE HAVE TWO, UH, ESCROWS TO APPROVE THIS MONTH.
YOU JUST DO 'EM BOTH AT ONCE IF YOU'D LIKE.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO, UH, APPROVE THE MONTHLY ESCROW ON SHEPHERD DISTRIBUTION RELEASE NUMBER EIGHT IN THE AMOUNT OF $61,894 AND 50 CENTS AND SHEPHERD DISTRIBUTION RELEASE NUMBER NINE IN THE AMOUNT OF $229,850 AND 35 CENTS.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UH, APPROVE TWO MONTHLY ESCROW REVIEWS OR, UH, RELEASES, UH, BOTH FOR SHEPHERD DISTRIBUTION RELEASE NUMBER EIGHT IN THE AMOUNT OF $61,894 AND 50 CENTS, AND RELEASE NUMBER NINE, AND THE AMOUNT OF $229,850 AND 35 CENTS.
[SUPERVISORS COMMENTS]
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS.UH, AS I SAID EARLIER, I, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO WALK WITH OUR FOLKS, UH, THAT WE ENGAGED, UH, AT THE TOWNSHIP FROM NATURAL LAND'S TRUST, AND THEY BROUGHT ALONG, UH, THREE, UH, PEOPLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND WE'RE JUST GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF EVALUATING THE LAND, EVALUATING THE LAND, AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN MOVE IN A DIRECTION THAT, THAT THAT'S GOOD FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
ANYBODY ELSE? UH, TWO QUESTIONS.
[01:20:01]
ONE IS, HOW'S MONTCLAIR BUYOUTS GOING? WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? WE HAD A ZOOM CALL MEETING, UM, LAST THURSDAY.LAST FRIDAY, I THINK IT WAS LAST THURSDAY, UH, WITH THE HEAD OF FEMA REGION THREE.
UM, UM, CONGRESSWOMAN DEAN AND REPRESENTATIVES OF HER OFFICE, ALONG WITH FOLKS FROM FEMA, UH, SUSAN MASELLI, AND I WAS ON THE CALL AS WELL.
UM, IN EFFECT, THE APPLICATIONS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO.
THERE WAS APPLICATION ONE AND TWO.
APPLICATION ONE WAS MOSTLY MONTCLAIR APPLICATION TWO WAS PORT PROVIDENCE.
UH, DURING FEMA'S REVIEW, APPLICATION NUMBER TWO GARNERED A LOT MORE, UM, ATTENTION FROM A HISTORIC REVIEW PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA REQUIRE THAT THE TOWNSHIP DO SOMETHING TO, UH, REMEDY THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT THAT THE ACQUISITION PROJECT WILL HAVE ON THE, FOR PROVIDENCE.
UM, I HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH, UM, UH, LESLIE LAYTON HUMPHREYS.
JEFF AND I SAT WITH HER, SORRY, LAYTON HUGHES, EXCUSE ME, UM, WHO WROTE A, A HISTORY ABOUT THE, UH, BOOK, ABOUT THE HISTORY OF UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK WITH HER TO PUT TOGETHER FIVE OR SIX INFORMATIONAL GRAPHIC SIGNS THAT WE COULD PUT OUT THERE TO, UH, OFFSET THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT THAT, THAT FEMA HAS RECOGNIZED WILL, WILL HAVE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SHE WAS VERY WILLING, AND WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH, UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, UH, LINDA ROONEY, TO PUT SOME GRAPHICS TOGETHER SO THAT AS SOON AS FEMA FORMALLY MAKES THAT REQUEST, WE'LL HAVE A PACKAGE TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UM, EVERYBODY THAT WAS ON THE CALL WAS VERY POSITIVE.
UH, THOUGH IT WAS GONNA TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC REVIEW.
UM, EVERYBODY COMMITTED THAT WHEN IT'S ON THEIR DESK, THEY'RE GONNA MOVE IT ALONG.
I'M, I'M SORRY THAT IT'S TAKING SO LONG FOR THESE PEOPLE.
BUT DO, DO WE HAVE KIND OF AN ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN THE FINAL APPROVAL WILL COME THROUGH? WE MAY INDICATED THAT THE FIRST APPLICATION, THE ONE THAT ISN'T COMPLICATED BY THE, THE ADDITIONAL HISTORIC REVIEW, UH, WOULD LIKELY BE APPROVED IN THREE TO SIX MONTHS, BUT THAT IT MIGHT TAKE SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS TO HAVE THE OTHER APPLICATION APPROVED BY FEMA.
WELL, OKAY, WELL, MOVING ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
I WANNA KNOW, BETWEEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO WON ON THE BLOOD DRIVE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
HOW DID YOU GUYS MANAGE THAT?
UH, SHE SAW THE LIST OF WHO WAS AHEAD AND WHO WAS BEHIND, AND, UH, SHE DECIDED TO MAKE THE TIE AND, UH,
SO THAT'S HOW WE END UP AS A TIE.
BUT, AND NO TIE BREAKERS TO COME IN AND NO, IT WAS PERFECT ENDING.
PEOPLE WERE TURNED AWAY, UH, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT TO OH, WOW.
BUT, UM, VERY GOOD, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
THEY'RE VERY EXCITED TO, UH, TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR WITH SAME EVENT.
UM, ANOTHER PODCAST I FOUND TODAY IS AMERICAN ORIGINAL STORIES WITH MATTHEW COOK, C O O K E.
IT GOES INTO VERY DEEPLY, VERY, UH, INTERESTING LOST STORIES OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT VERY LONG.
AND TWO BOOKS, UH, THE LIGHT WE CARRY BY MICHELLE OBAMA AND WARRIOR BY LISA GUERRERO.
I HAVE A QUICK, AND I LOOP BACK TO THIS EVERY SO OFTEN.
THIS IS, UH, TO BRIAN, UM, THE, THE TRASH PROGRAM.
IS THAT EVER GONNA COME UP AGAIN? CAUSE THEIR ROADS ARE LOOKING, IT'S DEFUNCT.
I'VE REACHED OUT THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS THAT YOU, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AT BOARD MEETINGS AND GOTTEN NO, UM, COMMENT BACK.
PERHAPS IT'S SOMETHING TO TEST THE EAC WITH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING EFFORT TO, UH, TACKLE THAT CONTINUING PROBLEM.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT AT THE AC ADOPT A HIGHWAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE LEAVES ARE FOUR WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE THIS YEAR, SO PRETTY SOON WE'LL COVER IT ALL WITH GREEN.
I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO THANK TIM FOR THAT FOUR AND A HALF MINUTE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE SIT UP HERE AND WE DO THE, WE DO WHAT WE DO, AND, AND YOU DON'T SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF
[01:25:01]
WHAT, WHAT WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE SITTING.AND TO SEE THAT WAS, UH, MADE ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT ME DOING MY JOB UP HERE.
IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU DON'T, UM, YOU, YOU DON'T GET TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SIT HERE AND PASS AND WHATEVER ELSE.
AND YOU DON'T GET TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ADMIN AND STAFF AND THE FIRE AND POLICE AND, AND, AND, AND PARK AND REC DO ALL DO THEIR JOB.
IT'S LIKE, UH, TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, IT MAKES, IT COMES TO LIFE.
IT'S, UH, MAKES, MAKES ME FEEL THAT I'VE, I'VE DONE A LITTLE SOMETHING, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, TIM.
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS WELL, WELL PUT TOGETHER.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION IS, UM, UH, THE WALL THAT HEALS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, COMING IN OCTOBER.
UM, THERE IS A, UH, IT'S UP ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, AND COMING SOON TO THE WEBSITE WILL BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN, UH, VOLUNTEER SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS ALSO, UH, A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO DONATE TO THIS, UH, EVENT.
SO I WILL PROBABLY BE DOING THAT EVERY MONTH UNTIL OCTOBER.
SO HOPE EVERYBODY COMES TO THAT, UH, WORTHWHILE, WORTHWHILE EVENT.
YEAH, JUST ONE COMMENT ON THE NEW WEBSITE.
I THINK IT'S VERY NICE, UH, MORE INTUITIVE TO USE.
UM, IT'S A VERY NICE WORK ON THE NEW WEBSITE.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE'S GONE OUT AND, AND USED IT YET, BUT IT'S A, A NICE UPGRADE.
AND THERE IS A FEATURE I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE TO SUBSCRIBE, UM, IN THE TOWNSHIP NEWS SECTION.
AND I THINK YOU CAN GET UPDATES ON ADVANCES THE PARKHOUSE AMONG OTHER THINGS, BUT JUST REMIND YOU IF YOU CAN GO OUT AND, UH, AND SUBSCRIBE TO THAT, IT'S HELPFUL.
IS THAT IT? I'LL, UH, OH, I'LL GO OVER OUR UPCOMING
[UPCOMING EVENTS]
EVENTS.UH, THE NEXT TWO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RESERVES MEETINGS WILL BE MONDAY, MARCH 20TH AND APRIL, UM, AND MONDAY, APRIL 17TH.
UH, BOTH OF THOSE AT 7:00 PM THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETS MARCH 1ST, AND ON THEIR AGENDA WILL BE, UH, THE HOPWOOD ROAD TOWNHOMES AND, UH, UH, LINFIELD TRAP ROAD, A THREE LOT SUBDIVISION.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 15TH, UH, AGENDA TO BE DETERMINED.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETS MARCH 15TH.
PARKS AND RECREATION MEETS MARCH 8TH, 6:00 PM MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY MEETS APRIL 6TH AT 7:00 PM AND, UH, THERE ARE NO PENDING APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE ZONING HEARING BOARD AT THIS TIME.
SO IF THAT'S IT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.