[1:05] Good evening and welcome to the

[1:06] September 23rd, 2026 meeting of the

[1:09] lower Marian Board of Commissioners. We

[1:11] have four meetings this evening. We have

[1:12] a police committee meeting, a finance

[1:14] committee meeting, a building and

[1:16] planning committee meeting, and a board

[1:17] of commissioners meeting. Before we

[1:19] start, please silence your cell phones.

[1:21] There's amplifying equipment available

[1:23] for those who are having difficulty

[1:24] hearing. This room is also equipped with

[1:26] teleil technology. And later, when the

[1:29] floor is open for public comment, we ask

[1:30] that you introduce yourself and say

[1:32] where in the township you live before

[1:34] you start your comments. And that you

[1:36] use that podium to your left. Our first

[1:38] committee meeting this evening is the

[1:40] police committee. I recognize this

[1:41] chair, Commissioner Rosman.

[1:43] >> Commissioner, Dr. Rosman. Thank you,

[1:45] President Silent.

[1:47] One item on the agenda tonight is an

[1:49] intention to refer to this evening's

[1:51] board of commissioners meeting for final

[1:52] action. Uh authorization to issue a

[1:56] conditional offer of employment for an

[1:58] open police position. The motion is to

[2:02] recommend to the board of commissioners

[2:04] authorizing the township manager to make

[2:06] a conditional offer of employment to one

[2:09] pro probationary police candidate who

[2:11] has fulfilled the civil service

[2:13] requirements for eligibility.

[2:16] May I have a second, please?

[2:19] Thank you, Commissioner Wooding. Who?

[2:22] Thank you. Commissioner McGuire.

[2:26] Uh Superintendent Black, may I have an

[2:28] explanation, please? Yes, good evening,

[2:30] Dr. Thank you. Good evening,

[2:32] commissioners. Uh it's a pleasure to be

[2:34] for you this evening. Uh to give you

[2:36] some background on this, if you recall

[2:37] back on our August 3rd meeting, we had

[2:40] reported out with uh the conditional

[2:42] offers that were issued at the time that

[2:44] had taken us to our full complement of

[2:47] 136 officers. Since that time, we've had

[2:50] two officers uh resign. actually one

[2:53] resigned who had just started with us

[2:54] and the second one did not accept the

[2:56] conditional offer of employment uh as

[2:59] they continue to engage their employer.

[3:01] So this evening we're making one

[3:03] request. We do have one candidate that

[3:05] has passed the background investigations

[3:07] uh and is ready to be uh provided the

[3:10] conditional offer of employment by the

[3:12] township manager provided to the police

[3:14] committee and the board of commissioners

[3:16] uh ratifies that. Uh this individual is

[3:19] already in the police academy, so that

[3:20] is a a plus, if you will, for the police

[3:23] department. Um if the conditional offer

[3:26] is satisfied, he will end up graduating

[3:28] with our seven other cadets that are

[3:31] attending the academy right now in

[3:33] December.

[3:34] >> Thank you, Superintendent Blank.

[3:36] >> And also, if I may, this is also uh one

[3:39] of the budgeted positions for 2026. It's

[3:41] included in our budget.

[3:43] >> Thank you. Like to open the floor for

[3:45] public comment.

[3:48] Are there any questions or comments from

[3:50] the board?

[3:55] I'd like to call for a vote. Anyone on

[3:57] Zoom?

[3:58] >> Uh, actually, no one asked for a link

[4:00] tonight, so we don't need to worry about

[4:01] public.

[4:03] >> So, I'd like to call for a vote. All in

[4:05] favor signify by raising their hands.

[4:09] Acknowledge that this is passed

[4:11] unanimously. Thank you.

[4:16] The business of the police committee is

[4:18] now completed.

[4:19] >> Thank you, Commissioner Ros. Our next

[4:21] committee is the finance committee. I

[4:22] recognize this commission.

[4:24] >> Thank you, President Sinai. There are

[4:27] four items on tonight's finance

[4:30] committee agenda.

[4:32] We will start with the finance committee

[4:35] considering uh authorization of an

[4:38] amendment to the fund balance policy. I

[4:41] will move that the finance committee

[4:43] recommends to the board of commissioners

[4:45] amending the township's fund balance

[4:48] policy to a range of 15 to 25% of

[4:52] general fund operating expenditures. Do

[4:56] I have a second? I do from Commissioner

[4:59] Courtney.

[5:02] Adam, can you tell us more about this

[5:04] item that we debated and discussed

[5:06] extensively one week ago?

[5:10] Good evening, uh, commissioners. Thank

[5:11] you, Commissioner Zelop. This is a

[5:13] continuation of the agenda item tabled

[5:15] last week to authorize an amendment to

[5:17] the fund balance policy within the

[5:18] township's overall financial policies.

[5:21] Uh, as discussed, the recommendation to

[5:23] amend the current policy would be to set

[5:25] a minimum of 15% and a recommended range

[5:27] of 15 to 25%.

[5:31] >> Are there any members of the public here

[5:33] with us this evening that have any

[5:34] questions or comments on this item?

[5:38] Seeing none, u and Jody, you have uh

[5:41] addressed the other question that is

[5:42] typically asked. Uh are there committee

[5:45] members with questions or comments? Uh

[5:48] we did discuss this extensively a week

[5:50] ago. The reason it was tabled until uh

[5:53] tonight was because it was mistakenly on

[5:56] last week's agenda for discussion only.

[5:58] It is clearly on this week's agenda uh

[6:01] for a vote and the motion has been made.

[6:04] We discussed the uh the good reasons to

[6:07] make this change to the fund balance

[6:09] policy. Um and I uh encourage my

[6:14] colleagues to be supportive. Do um other

[6:17] committee members have any questions or

[6:19] comments?

[6:22] Seeing none, the motion has been made

[6:24] and seconded. All those in favor raise

[6:26] your hand.

[6:28] Are there any opposed? Are there any

[6:30] abstensions? Madam Secretary, that item

[6:34] passes unanimously.

[6:39] Second item uh in tonight's finance

[6:42] committee agenda

[6:45] is for the finance committee to consider

[6:49] a resolution

[6:52] uh that would um get the ball rolling on

[6:57] a seriesA

[6:59] bond financing for 2026

[7:02] uh as well as a reimbursement for any

[7:07] capital expenses incurred prior to

[7:10] receipt of

[7:12] um the uh bond funds. So, I will move

[7:17] that the finance committee recommend to

[7:19] the board of commissioners adoption of a

[7:22] resolution authorizing township staff,

[7:25] financial advisor, and bond council to

[7:29] take the necessary steps to facilitate

[7:32] new money debt issuance to support the

[7:35] capital improvement plan at year end

[7:39] 2026 through 2027, plus approving

[7:44] reimbursement of capital expenses

[7:46] incurred prior to the debt issuance. Do

[7:50] I have a second? I do from Commissioner

[7:52] Courtney. Um Adam, can you tell us about

[7:56] this item?

[7:58] >> This is the first two bond related items

[8:00] on the agenda this evening. Uh this

[8:02] first is a resolution uh which as

[8:04] commissioner Zelv noted authorizes

[8:06] township staff bond council and

[8:08] financial adviser to facilitate new

[8:10] money and potentially a refunding

[8:11] issuance uh and to retain our right to

[8:14] use a portion of our next bond proceeds

[8:16] to reimburse ourselves for any capital

[8:18] costs that may incur between issuances.

[8:21] The reimbursement uh portion of this is

[8:24] common language the township has used in

[8:25] its prior bond resolutions. We expect

[8:29] our 2025 bond proceeds that we have on

[8:32] hand to be exhausted in the next two to

[8:33] three weeks. Um, so this would cover the

[8:36] gap and allow us to reimburse ourselves

[8:38] once those funds have come in.

[8:43] Do any members of the public with us

[8:45] this evening have any questions or

[8:47] comments?

[8:48] Okay, seeing none, are there committee

[8:51] members with questions or comments? Um

[8:54] Adam um will our financial advisors be

[8:57] presenting in the next agenda item?

[9:00] Okay. So this agenda item which um

[9:05] we have had in the past previous when we

[9:08] have previously issued new debt. We have

[9:10] had an agenda item like this um that

[9:13] essentially gets the ball rolling. Um

[9:16] and in the next item we'll hear a lot

[9:19] more information about what that means.

[9:22] Um, so committee members with questions

[9:25] or comments.

[9:27] Okay, seeing none, the motion has been

[9:29] made and seconded. All those in favor,

[9:32] raise your hand.

[9:34] Are there any opposed? Are there any

[9:36] abstensions? Seeing none, Madam

[9:38] Secretary, that item passes unanimously.

[9:42] Okay. Um, the third item on the finance

[9:45] committee agenda is for the committee to

[9:48] consider

[9:50] authorizing the advertisement of an

[9:52] ordinance

[9:55] that would be uh for parameters for

[9:58] general obligation bonds series A of

[10:01] 2026 and series B of 2026.

[10:07] I will move that the finance committee

[10:08] recommend to the board of commissioners

[10:11] authorizing the township bond council to

[10:14] advertise notice of intent to adopt an

[10:16] ordinance authorizing the parameters for

[10:20] the incurrence of non-electoral debt of

[10:24] the township of lower Maran series A of

[10:26] 2026 and series B of 2026.

[10:30] So there was a lot in that motion. The

[10:32] motion's been made. Is there a second?

[10:34] Commissioner Courtney seconds it. Um and

[10:37] Adam,

[10:39] uh the floor is yours.

[10:42] >> So the parameters ordinance is a little

[10:44] bit different, uh past practice for the

[10:46] township. Uh so typically the process

[10:48] would be a bond resolution authorizing

[10:51] uh township staff. It's a financial

[10:53] adviser and bond council to prepare for

[10:55] an issuance. Uh and then we would

[10:59] auction our bonds the evening of a board

[11:01] meeting. uh we would identify one date

[11:04] to to enter the market uh and then bring

[11:07] the results to you later that evening.

[11:09] Um what is more common is what's being

[11:11] uh presented before you which is a

[11:13] parameters ordinance which effectively

[11:15] pre-authorizes the parameters uh by

[11:18] which those same actors can go and uh

[11:21] enter the capital market and and borrow.

[11:24] The reason we're bringing this as an

[11:26] idea to you uh for author authorizing

[11:29] advertisement uh is because of the

[11:31] volatility in the market. It is a common

[11:33] practice and the volatility of the

[11:35] market, it will allow uh our financial

[11:37] advisor to identify certain key dates to

[11:40] target. And if uh market conditions

[11:43] worsen um in a way we believe are

[11:45] temporary uh and want to wait another

[11:47] week or two, this would provide us the

[11:49] flexibility to do that. Um rather than

[11:52] identifying one date for the issuance,

[11:54] we'd identify several and try and act on

[11:57] the best interest of the township.

[12:00] Um so our financial advisor uh

[12:03] representatives from PFM are here to uh

[12:07] provide a a a quick presentation. Uh

[12:10] I'll note uh you know so our our goal

[12:14] here is to raise 24 million of new bond

[12:17] proceeds uh to finance the needs that we

[12:19] discussed at our CIP workshop much of

[12:21] which are uh reappropriations from the

[12:24] 2026 capital improvement program uh and

[12:28] currently uh encumbered uh or uh in the

[12:31] pipeline. Um, we are also providing the

[12:35] parameters to refund series B of 2019.

[12:40] Um, recent market moves have made that

[12:44] likely not an option for us to refinance

[12:47] that from a uh from a savings

[12:49] perspective. Um, however, including it

[12:52] in the parameters ordinance at least

[12:54] retains that option for us to refund it

[12:57] if market conditions improve in the next

[13:00] month or so.

[13:02] Uh and one of the things in there is our

[13:04] typical guideline for refunding is to

[13:08] uh get gains of 3% net present value.

[13:12] That's the guideline in our financial

[13:14] policies, but it's not a hard limit. Um

[13:17] we would like to entertain the thought

[13:18] of reducing that to 2% in our uh that's

[13:21] kind of part of the slides as well. Um

[13:24] because we're already going to market

[13:25] for new money. Um, so there's not a lot

[13:27] of new issuance costs that would really

[13:29] uh require us to get that full 3%. Um,

[13:34] and uh I'll I'll kick it over to Jamie

[13:37] Slesinger uh of PFM to go over the quick

[13:40] slides and then we'll turn over to

[13:41] questions.

[13:42] >> Great. Thank you. We welcome uh PFM. If

[13:46] you would uh introduce yourselves and uh

[13:48] we welcome you back after our three-year

[13:51] absence. I think PFM was our prior

[13:53] financial adviser. uh and they uh we we

[13:56] recently re-engaged them. So, welcome.

[13:59] >> We very much appreciate being in front

[14:01] of you. Uh this is our bread and butter.

[14:03] We work with many of the local

[14:05] governments throughout the Commonwealth

[14:06] of Pennsylvania and nationally. Uh I can

[14:08] tell you my name is Jamie Slesinger. I

[14:11] serve uh many of the largest credits in

[14:13] the state uh most of the high credits as

[14:16] well. So I actively working with the

[14:19] county of Chester, Delaware County, uh

[14:22] upper Mckenry Township, all higha rated

[14:24] credits. So we're very much used to and

[14:26] very much appreciate working with uh

[14:28] facilities and working on these type of

[14:30] projects uh going forward and we're very

[14:32] much appreciative of the time and your efforts here.

[14:35] >> So if you could move the microphone up

[14:37] or hold it in your hand just

[14:38] >> I can do both of those. I can handle

[14:40] both of those. Uh well, thank you very

[14:42] much. Uh we we're going to talk about

[14:43] the how we're going to do the project

[14:45] itself. We have a plan of finance that

[14:48] Adam has uh communicated to us this

[14:50] point where we're going to have as much

[14:52] flexibility as possible when it comes to

[14:55] entering the market. Uh the township has

[14:58] uh configured a a capital improvement

[15:00] plan that includes a $24 million deposit

[15:04] need for its capital. Although we don't

[15:07] intend to have the funds in hand

[15:09] potentially uh by the time you're ready

[15:11] to start spending. Hence why we have

[15:13] what is called a reimbursement

[15:14] resolution that was considered. Uh we

[15:17] are beginning the process to go through

[15:20] a competitive internet financing that

[15:23] would allow us to receive the $24

[15:25] million as well as consider a

[15:28] refinancing opportunity.

[15:30] When a local government wants to enter

[15:33] into the capital markets, it has to

[15:34] follow certain tax rules. This page here

[15:38] uh describes how that process works. We

[15:41] have to consider debt when you are going

[15:43] to spend the money within three years

[15:45] which based on our conversations with

[15:47] the team as well as your considerations

[15:49] through the capital plan we certainly

[15:51] plan to spend those monies within three

[15:53] years that meets those standards. You

[15:55] can turn to the next page please. Or

[15:57] maybe I can.

[15:59] >> I got the skill sets here.

[16:09] » Where are we down there? It's not

[16:11] moving.

[16:13] >> Sorry.

[16:17] » It's I'm a little slow here.

[16:22] Where am I missing the

[16:25] » Oh, that's what I was doing. Sorry. I

[16:27] apologize. I've done this before.

[16:30] >> There we go. Okay. Uh, so just from a

[16:33] general market update, uh, as we've

[16:35] talked about earlier, uh, the market's

[16:37] been quite volatile. uh we've seen uh

[16:39] municipal bonds trading at uh higher

[16:43] level conditions in the front end of the

[16:44] yield curve. That's mostly due to uh the

[16:47] credit of uh certain entities across the

[16:51] United States as well as across the

[16:53] world. Uh we believe that that

[16:55] volatility as well as the uh demand and

[16:58] inflationary concern has driven the

[17:00] market up uh considerably. However, when

[17:04] we compare the market today from where

[17:06] we are from a historical trend, we are

[17:09] still near historic averages. What we

[17:11] traditionally tell our clients when

[17:13] we're considering capital needs, we let

[17:14] the project determine when we issued

[17:16] debt. In this particular case, the

[17:19] township has capital needs. We've been

[17:21] planning for these capital projects and

[17:23] these were going to be spent within a

[17:24] reasonable period of time and we would

[17:26] have the flexibility to move on the

[17:28] transaction when the time comes. We are

[17:30] anticipating entering the market within

[17:33] the next month and have the funds

[17:34] available to you uh sometime around

[17:37] Thanksgiving.

[17:40] As a summary, we have a couple of

[17:43] alternatives here. This is the concept

[17:45] of the new money as well as the

[17:47] refinancing. We have two series of bonds

[17:49] that we may consider. Uh because we're

[17:51] talking about a borrowing amount that

[17:53] includes a $24 million capital project

[17:56] deposit which would be issued over a

[17:58] 20-year period. uh that would be shown

[18:00] in uh columns three. Uh that would

[18:02] represent approximately $1,900,000

[18:05] of annual debt service starting in the

[18:07] 2028 fiscal year. Uh you would have a

[18:11] short uh stub period in the first year

[18:13] where you'd have you'd be able to phase

[18:15] in your debt service in the 2027

[18:18] calendar year, which means ultimately

[18:20] you'd pay approximately $665,000

[18:23] in annual debt service. So, it takes two

[18:25] years to uh to fill up your capital

[18:28] improvement plan for your budget and to

[18:30] allow you to plan for those. You'll

[18:31] notice on column four uh we're

[18:33] summarizing the current interest rate

[18:35] environment and the refinancing

[18:36] opportunity. Uh when we were hired to

[18:39] serve as the adviser again several

[18:41] months ago, uh that opportunity uh

[18:43] worked quite well. We received uh we

[18:45] thought we'd save close to $200,000 of

[18:48] savings at the time, but we still wanted

[18:50] to plan for this potential refinancing.

[18:52] So again, as of today, we certainly will

[18:55] not enter the market if you don't save

[18:57] any money, but we want to at least

[18:58] entertain the opportunity if the future

[19:01] uh provides us that ability to save uh

[19:03] those funds. Noted in the column on the

[19:06] right hand left hand side, uh the 3%

[19:09] representation of savings net of cost is

[19:12] about $195,000.

[19:15] we would need a change of about a half

[19:17] percent in interest rates to produce

[19:19] those savings uh to represent

[19:21] approximately 2% net of cost of

[19:23] issuance. Uh we would need a 40 basis

[19:26] point reduction. So that's 04%

[19:30] overall. So a pretty significant change.

[19:32] However, if you notice from the previous

[19:34] graph, we've seen a a a sharp increase

[19:36] in interest rates. Uh so we believe if

[19:39] the market does go back in a similar

[19:40] direction, we would jump on that and

[19:42] save those funds as expected.

[19:45] Traditionally in Pennsylvania, when

[19:47] you're considering a current period of

[19:49] funding, which is exactly what we're

[19:51] considering here, the bonds that are

[19:52] outstanding are past its call date,

[19:54] meaning you have the option to refinance

[19:56] them starting in 2024 or way past that.

[19:59] So in this case, that current period of

[20:01] funding allows you to uh refinance the

[20:04] debt and save the funds immediately

[20:06] without having to wait until the call

[20:08] date. In Pennsylvania markets and

[20:10] nationally, a 2% saving threshold is

[20:12] very normal on a current period of

[20:14] funding. So we we would suggest and

[20:16] recommend that may be the path that we

[20:17] go assuming the market comes back. Our

[20:20] goal would be to save as much money as

[20:21] possible, but we think the savings

[20:23] threshold of 2% is very common in this

[20:25] particular method of finance. Any

[20:28] questions on this page?

[20:31] Okay.

[20:34] The maximum parameters ordinance uh just

[20:37] to highlight uh what Adam had uh

[20:39] described earlier. Uh this gives the

[20:42] township maximum flexibility to

[20:44] authorize the debt issuance, move

[20:45] forward with the financing when the time

[20:47] comes and there will be no further

[20:50] action made by the commissioners after

[20:52] the ordinance is adopted. uh that would

[20:54] allow us to set us set up a savings

[20:57] threshold, a maximum borrowing amount, a

[20:59] maximum final maturity, and a maximum

[21:02] interest rate. In all of those cases, we

[21:04] certainly would not expect to go any

[21:06] further than that. And that's what the

[21:07] maximum parameters are establishing.

[21:09] Traditionally, they are much higher than

[21:12] you anticipate when it comes to the

[21:13] interest rate, and the maturity would

[21:15] never go beyond the 20-year period.

[21:20] In the ordinance that you'll notice uh

[21:23] these are the established maximum

[21:25] parameters. So we have it separated by

[21:28] the uh new money component which is the

[21:30] series A which is approximately 20 $29

[21:33] million and the series B which will be

[21:36] $8 million which represents the

[21:37] refinancing. In this particular case, uh

[21:40] that incurrence of debt of 29 million is

[21:43] a maximum amount. And as we talked about

[21:45] earlier, we would not entertain any

[21:47] financing that would produce more than

[21:50] $24 million of uh proceeds for the

[21:54] project itself, but we have a higher

[21:56] borrowing amount to give us flexibility

[21:58] to restructure the debt after the bond

[21:59] pricing occurs. I'm happy to answer any

[22:02] questions related to that. It's a little

[22:04] unique, but understand the terms and

[22:07] conditions and the parameters allow us

[22:09] to do these things, but also we will

[22:11] come back and work with the township to

[22:13] make sure it fits within the parameters

[22:14] that were originally established. We

[22:16] will not know until the market pricing

[22:19] if the bonds were sold at a premium or

[22:21] at a discount. And these parameters

[22:23] allow us that flexibility of case one

[22:25] happens versus the other.

[22:28] >> Yes.

[22:29] >> So, excuse my ignorance. So when you

[22:30] talk about series A and series B,

[22:34] >> you talk about doing it separately or

[22:36] then the maximum amount combined.

[22:41] >> It's it's one ordinance but it's broken

[22:43] up by series because for purposes of how

[22:46] the Commonwealth will accept it, we have

[22:48] it separated by what is considered the

[22:50] new borrowing, the capital needs, and

[22:52] then the refinancing portion. So in

[22:54] total there is a larger component for the total project itself but as far

[22:59] as you're concerned the new money is

[23:01] related to the $29 million and the

[23:03] refinancing is associated with the $8

[23:05] million.

[23:06] >> Okay. Um but you would be doing just one actual transaction to cover both in

[23:13] your

[23:15] >> other committee members with any

[23:17] questions at this point in the

[23:18] presentation. There'll be other there'll

[23:19] be more time to ask questions.

[23:22] >> Uh President you have a couple questions

[23:24] so far. Um, so, uh, I guess the first is

[23:29] it it looks like that you're going to be

[23:31] asking us to approve, uh, I guess up to

[23:34] a 5 and a half% yield,

[23:38] >> which is like what 100 basis points

[23:40] above where

[23:41] >> the 20 year

[23:43] >> in Pennsylvania under the Commonwealth

[23:45] of Pennsylvania, what is considered the

[23:47] maximum rate is really the coupon

[23:49] structure. Okay.

[23:50] >> Not the yield. But but you're not we're

[23:52] not pegging whether it's selling at a

[23:53] premium or discount. So we're the the

[23:55] parameters is asking us to give you

[23:57] discretion to sell it at par at five and

[23:59] a half%. That's what we're

[24:01] >> as a max parameter. What we would do is

[24:03] establish in the sales this the sale

[24:05] itself our notice of sale would have a

[24:07] maximum coupon and minimum coupon

[24:10] structure.

[24:11] >> We wanted we established a higher than

[24:13] amount in case there was any adjustment

[24:14] that we needed to make. But as far as

[24:16] you're concerned, the uh max coupon

[24:19] can't go above five and a half percent

[24:21] under these parameters.

[24:22] >> So if we take max coupon and like the the biggest, you know, like uh

[24:27] discount allowed, that's going to give

[24:29] the the a pretty large yield.

[24:31] >> It's an impossible task to do both

[24:33] sides. So if you had a 5% coupon Yeah.

[24:36] and a maximum of $29 million, that would

[24:40] give you an extreme amount of proceeds.

[24:42] So we have it established on both

[24:44] extremes. I I guess I guess my my my

[24:46] question here is you know the the the

[24:48] range in which you can execute under

[24:50] this right which is what we're trying to

[24:52] trying I'm trying to understand like the

[24:53] discretion that we're giving you um you

[24:57] know so

[24:59] uh it seems like a lot um and maybe you

[25:02] can help us understand distill it down

[25:03] to like I I I think of of bond pricing

[25:06] and and yield to maturity so you can

[25:07] give it to me that way right like what

[25:09] are you what what are we you asking us

[25:11] to improve

[25:12] >> you're not doing the process of how

[25:14] you're funding the transaction any

[25:15] differently than you did in the past.

[25:17] So, these are competitive internet

[25:19] auctions.

[25:20] >> Okay?

[25:20] >> So, we would have a competitive pricing

[25:23] >> uh that would establish the coupon and

[25:26] uh purchase price at the time. So, that

[25:28] would be the best case scenario because

[25:30] you're getting the lowest true interest

[25:31] cost associated with the transaction

[25:33] first.

[25:35] Because of the Pennsylvania guidelines

[25:37] under the local government unit debt

[25:39] act, if you are pre-authorizing a

[25:41] transaction, you have to establish these

[25:44] parameters to get an approval from them

[25:48] in advance.

[25:49] >> But again, as your fiduciary and working

[25:52] with the administration, the end result

[25:55] will be as described. So, as we get

[25:57] closer to the pricing, we will be

[25:59] utilizing our pricing group as well as

[26:02] our uh market knowledge to provide uh

[26:05] the administration the estimates of what

[26:07] the annual payments would look like as

[26:09] well as the estimates of what the

[26:10] savings could be if the refinancing were

[26:12] to occur. Prior to that, we can decide

[26:14] if we're going to enter the market at

[26:16] that time. So, we have all the

[26:17] flexibility and the township and its

[26:19] staff will have all of the decision

[26:21] points to make an an informed decision.

[26:24] So our viewpoint is although you are

[26:27] pre-approving something that is extreme

[26:29] understand prior to the entering of the

[26:31] market we would be working together to

[26:34] make sure we're fitting within the

[26:35] standards of what the township is

[26:36] looking for.

[26:36] >> Yeah. I know that either Jeremiah or I

[26:38] have to approve it anyway. So okay. So

[26:41] yeah. Yes. Uh the the uh I guess the uh

[26:46] other question is given the volatility

[26:47] in the bond market like how do you like

[26:50] what are you looking at to decide when

[26:51] to enter?

[26:52] >> Yeah. So the interesting and good part

[26:55] about working with a firm like PFM uh we

[26:58] do more bond issuance than any of the

[27:00] largest banks in the world from a debt

[27:02] issuance side on the municipal space. So

[27:05] when we enter the market we actually are

[27:07] using market knowledge from the work

[27:09] that we do in both Pennsylvania as well

[27:11] as the national presence. So we have an

[27:13] active understanding of the market

[27:16] conditions when the time comes. We're

[27:18] using the traditional types of

[27:20] information that most uh investment

[27:22] banks would utilize, which includes

[27:24] information from, you know, Bloomberg

[27:25] and other outside entities, but most

[27:27] importantly, we're understanding and

[27:30] talking to the competitive market

[27:32] pricing itself. Uh just this week, we

[27:34] did two competitive auctions, although

[27:36] not AAA credits. Uh one was a double A

[27:39] minus credit, one was an A1 credit. Uh

[27:42] the liquidity is still fantastic in the

[27:44] competitive market. we had uh multiple

[27:47] uh biders and multiple syndicates that

[27:49] uh represented those markets. So we feel

[27:52] very comfortable that right now there's

[27:54] a strong liquidity uh for this type of

[27:56] credit.

[27:57] >> That's another point you're looking at

[27:58] is like who's in the market looking to bid.

[28:02] >> We we very much know that.

[28:03] >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you,

[28:05] Commissioner.

[28:07] >> Other committee members

[28:09] with questions or comments at this

[28:11] point? Um Jamie, so there will be an

[28:14] auction as we have uh been been able to

[28:19] uh observe previously. So that won't

[28:21] change.

[28:22] >> Will not change.

[28:22] >> The dates in the in the calendar you've

[28:24] shown us are October

[28:27] 21-22.

[28:30] So is that is there are we going to give

[28:35] you wider parameters than that or are

[28:37] those dates that you're

[28:40] explain that is that are you targeting

[28:41] those dates?

[28:42] >> Yeah, we'll we'll work backwards. So

[28:44] first thing that we have to do of course

[28:45] is we have to handle the legal action

[28:47] which is something that we're describing

[28:48] tonight from an administrative side.

[28:51] There's two things that need to be

[28:52] completed. One is the credit rating

[28:54] process. So, we'll begin that process

[28:56] using the two credit rating agencies

[28:58] that the township has traditionally

[29:00] used. That process does take a couple of

[29:03] weeks to go through the review and the

[29:05] phone call as well as their committee

[29:08] process. That driver there allows us to

[29:11] continue to move the process forward to

[29:13] determine when to hit the market. So

[29:16] from our perspective, we're working

[29:17] toward when we think we'll get the

[29:19] credit ratings in place and when the

[29:20] earliest we think we can enter the

[29:22] market from a timing standpoint. That

[29:25] 21st 22nd is that time. Having the max

[29:29] parameters established in this

[29:30] particular case doesn't mean we will

[29:32] enter the market on the 21st or 22nd.

[29:34] It's just the time that we're building

[29:36] toward because of the time associated

[29:38] with the administrative side. Uh we

[29:41] would mark on our calendar. We're using

[29:43] our PFM auction platform which is the

[29:46] platform that would do the internet

[29:47] auction. So we do want to establish a

[29:49] date for that market. We have no

[29:51] problems conserns that we there will be

[29:54] lots of people on those days but

[29:55] understand that we do have to name some

[29:57] times for purposes of planning. If we do

[30:00] in fact decide to move forward on those

[30:02] dates, we would be having conversations

[30:04] with the team making final decisions and

[30:07] the auction would occur as it normally

[30:09] would where it traditionally be around

[30:11] 11:00. uh the auction would take about

[30:13] 15 20 minutes. If there's multiple

[30:15] biders, it could get extended, but in

[30:17] this particular case, that date in which

[30:19] you decide hasn't formally been decided

[30:22] at this point, but we think this is a a

[30:24] good uh preliminary timeline.

[30:27] >> Um up until now, the the the auction

[30:30] date has always been a Wednesday.

[30:32] With the parameters ordinance, can the

[30:34] auction date be any day of the week

[30:36] >> except for Friday? Yeah, we we

[30:38] traditionally want to find a time where

[30:40] there's uh either activity that is

[30:43] strong for the market itself. So we have

[30:46] biders that are uh from across the

[30:48] country. So we uh try to do it at a time

[30:50] where it's not following a a major

[30:52] weekend or holiday event. Uh

[30:54] traditionally we like Tuesdays through

[30:56] Thursdays. We certainly have done them

[30:58] on Mondays, certainly not Fridays, but

[31:00] we find the times in between the week

[31:02] and we of course look at the market um

[31:05] calendars. uh you feds meeting at a

[31:07] certain time, maybe there's major job

[31:08] reports or those type of things that are

[31:10] coming down the road. We kind of work

[31:11] around those time periods as well. So to

[31:14] your point, Wednesday could be a good

[31:16] day, but it may not be the right day uh

[31:18] if the market uh doesn't prevail for

[31:20] that time. Previously, our approach was

[31:22] it had to be a Wednesday

[31:25] because we meet on Wednesdays and we had

[31:27] to approve the results of the auction

[31:30] that evening. So now we don't have to do

[31:32] that because it's a pre-approval

[31:34] process.

[31:35] >> Exactly. Right. Okay, why don't you

[31:37] proceed with your presentation and we

[31:39] can continue to ask questions.

[31:40] >> No, I appreciate all are welcome to ask

[31:42] questions in the course of this

[31:43] presentation.

[31:44] >> Exactly. We're actually getting pretty

[31:45] close to the end anyway. So, uh, you

[31:47] know, just hitting through the

[31:48] highlights of where we are. We're about

[31:50] halfway done with the process. uh the

[31:52] administrative team from PFM as well as

[31:55] the township manager and finance team uh

[31:57] have been working toward getting the

[31:59] preliminary official statement prepared

[32:01] and we be be uh entertaining uh rating

[32:04] calls over the next week or so. Uh we

[32:06] would be preparing a credit rating

[32:08] presentation that would highlight all of

[32:11] the great things that are happening at

[32:12] the township within the county both on

[32:14] the economic conditions as well as the

[32:16] financials of the township. uh we we

[32:19] would also use that time to answer any

[32:21] particular questions that the credit

[32:22] rating would would have. Uh they've been

[32:25] very standard these days. They ask the

[32:27] type of similar questions, but they

[32:28] certainly focus on the things that

[32:29] matter, which is what do we think the

[32:31] township will look like in the future?

[32:33] Uh and this is a great story to tell,

[32:35] and we're looking forward to that

[32:36] conversation. uh once that uh credit

[32:38] rating uh discussion happens uh we'd be

[32:41] working with the finance team to finish

[32:42] up the preliminary official statement

[32:44] which is the document that helps uh find

[32:46] the investors and ultimately be used for

[32:48] our internet auction and as you'll see

[32:50] we have uh asked you to consider the

[32:53] parameters ordinance on the October 14th

[32:55] meeting uh that you know does allow for

[32:57] that ability to after that to enter the

[33:00] market anytime thereafter

[33:03] uh we would have some uh post

[33:04] advertisements associated with it but

[33:06] again From our perspective, we're in a

[33:09] good place. We've uh hit all of the

[33:11] highlights. The everything is looking

[33:12] very doing very well for the township

[33:14] and uh we anticipate uh moving at a at a

[33:17] good pace.

[33:19] Outside of that, once the the bonds are

[33:21] sold, about a month later is when the

[33:23] funds are available to you uh for

[33:25] settlement. And then the funds will be

[33:27] either to be reimbursed if you use that

[33:29] reimbursement resolution or deposited

[33:31] into a construction fund uh for the

[33:32] capital needs.

[33:35] So, we're routing third on the

[33:37] transaction itself, but we think we're

[33:40] uh you know, we've done all the the

[33:41] major uh highlights at this point in

[33:42] time. We feel very good about it.

[33:46] Questions? All right. Thank you. Um um

[33:49] Adam, do you have any more to present on this item? Okay. So, stay there. Um

[33:54] is there any member of the public with

[33:56] us this evening that has any questions

[33:58] or comments? Okay, seeing none, we're back to committee members with

[34:02] questions or comments. Um so

[34:07] this parameter the parameters ordinance

[34:10] going forward if we like this process

[34:15] each time we go to issue new debt it

[34:19] would take a parameters ordinance it's

[34:21] not a permanent it's unique to an

[34:23] issuance

[34:24] >> correct

[34:25] >> if we don't like it we can go back to

[34:26] our prior uh Wednesdays only we have to

[34:30] approve it that evening

[34:31] >> that's exactly right

[34:32] >> and did you say that um there are many

[34:36] municipal issuers of debt who use a

[34:38] parameters ordinance approach.

[34:39] >> Yeah, I would say most local governments

[34:41] in Pennsylvania use the parameters

[34:42] approach.

[34:44] >> Okay. Well, thank you for uh

[34:46] recommending that, but I guess that we

[34:48] we'll find out if that's the right way

[34:50] to go, but uh sounds like from your

[34:52] experience and and and that of many

[34:54] others that it is. So, okay, committee

[34:56] members with questions or comments um on

[35:00] this.

[35:02] Okay.

[35:04] Um, do we want to provide feedback?

[35:09] We've been asked whether we want to go

[35:11] have a threshold of 2% in order to

[35:15] proceed with a refunding. We typically

[35:18] have a threshold of 3%. And you said in

[35:21] your presentation

[35:23] um that the 3% would essentially

[35:28] generate 200,000 in savings. 2% net

[35:31] present value savings would be 130,000

[35:34] estimated.

[35:35] >> Yes.

[35:36] >> Um and you are you recommending 2%.

[35:39] >> I'm recommending that the threshold be

[35:42] 2%. uh the competitive sale itself will

[35:45] obviously generate the most savings as

[35:48] possible and we want to make sure it

[35:49] fits within those parameters.

[35:52] Traditionally, rule of thumb for current

[35:54] period refundings, which is what this

[35:56] is, 2% is the traditional savings

[35:58] threshold. If this was done as an

[36:00] advanced refunding, which aren't allowed

[36:02] anymore for tax exempt purposes, 3%'s

[36:04] the standard. So that is a change since

[36:06] 2017 when tax reform occurred. So we

[36:09] suggest that 2% be the threshold for

[36:11] this particular transaction. Um Adam and

[36:13] Ernie with any recommendation on this.

[36:16] >> We concur with the 2% parameter if it

[36:19] makes sense here.

[36:22] >> Other other committee members with

[36:24] thoughts on this the I think the

[36:26] recommendation of our of our FA and our

[36:29] management team um makes sense to me.

[36:33] others.

[36:36] Okay. Um I don't think that's in the um

[36:40] well I know it's not in the uh in the

[36:43] motion that was made but uh you're

[36:45] getting a a sense of the of the

[36:47] committee. Is that sufficient?

[36:49] >> It is.

[36:49] >> Okay. Um seeing no more questions or

[36:52] comments. Commissioner Bernhard,

[36:54] >> does that I apologize. Does that thing

[36:55] then go into the parameters ordinance

[36:58] itself?

[36:59] >> It does.

[36:59] >> Right. Okay.

[37:02] So, the motion has been made and

[37:05] seconded. All those in favor, raise your

[37:07] hand.

[37:08] Are there any opposed? Are there any

[37:11] abstensions? Okay. Um, that motion

[37:14] passes unanimously. Um, Jamie and PFM,

[37:18] thank you very much. Appreciate it.

[37:20] >> We will now move on to the fourth and

[37:22] final item of tonight's finance

[37:24] committee agenda.

[37:26] And that is on page

[37:30] 63 of your finance committee packet.

[37:34] That is for the committee to consider

[37:36] authorization to advertise an ordinance

[37:40] uh which would increase our solid waste

[37:43] fees for fiscal year 2027.

[37:47] I will move that the finance committee

[37:49] recommend to the board of commissioners

[37:51] authorizing the township secretary to

[37:53] advertise notice of intent to adopt an

[37:56] ordinance to amend the code of the

[37:58] township of lower Maran chapter A167

[38:01] fees to provide for a 14% increase in

[38:05] fees relating to the collection of solid

[38:08] waste from residential properties for

[38:11] each subscription level and all optional

[38:14] rear yard collection.

[38:16] service levels effective January 1,

[38:20] 2027. Do I have a second?

[38:26] I do. From Commissioner Sparrow. Okay.

[38:29] The motion has been made and seconded.

[38:31] Adam, can you tell us more?

[38:42] Can you show us more?

[38:46] I will tell and show more. Uh so

[38:49] tonight's presentation uh will review

[38:53] the solid waste fund including

[38:55] subscription and financial history as

[38:56] well as our options for the fund moving

[38:59] into 2027.

[39:09] By way of background, solid waste fund

[39:11] is an enterprise fund uh with the intent

[39:13] to uh recover full cost recovery via

[39:16] user fees and other revenues. Township's

[39:19] financial policy calls for the township

[39:21] to strive to maintain a 10% fund balance

[39:24] uh for the fund. although it's financial

[39:25] position that has been difficult in the

[39:27] last few years. Uh the refuge division

[39:30] uh provides trash and recycling

[39:31] collection uh services for over 16,900

[39:36] residential accounts uh in uh collects

[39:39] annually 15,000 tons of trash as well as

[39:42] 5,000 tons of uh recycled material.

[39:51] And this slide just shows graphically

[39:52] the history of that tonnage. uh after a

[39:55] decade of tonnage decline in refuge uh

[39:59] tonnage, it's been relatively flat since

[40:01] 2014 at that 15,000 tonnage threshold

[40:05] with the exception of the COVID spike uh

[40:08] that you see in the early 2020s.

[40:16] And the operations that it takes to

[40:18] provide these services include the

[40:20] weekly operations of six refuge crews

[40:22] and five recycling crews Monday through

[40:24] Friday, as well as smaller trucks at

[40:27] Service Township facilities. Uh the

[40:30] operations staff uh overseeing the

[40:33] operations. Uh we also have the special

[40:35] trash pickup crew on Thursdays, uh which

[40:38] is part of the the regular staff that go

[40:40] out on Thursdays for those special trash

[40:42] pickup runs as needed. We also have the

[40:45] seasonal operations of leaf collection,

[40:47] weekend cleanups, hazardous and e-waste

[40:50] events.

[40:55] So, a history of the solid waste fee

[40:58] itself is shown here uh with several

[41:01] years before and after the 2021 fee

[41:03] restructuring that occurred. Um, not

[41:06] going to belver too many of the

[41:08] individual numbers here, but just by way

[41:10] of how much these costs have grown. Um,

[41:13] since the restructuring, Minican has

[41:15] grown by about 3.2% annually or or I'm

[41:19] sorry, 3.5 a little bit higher on the

[41:22] standard 4.1% compound annual growth

[41:25] rate and the enhanced uh 5.3%.

[41:33] This is a breakdown of our 2026

[41:35] subscriptions.

[41:38] The um

[41:42] most of our subscriptions of course are

[41:43] in the minan and standard uh comprising

[41:46] 14 and 78% respectively. Um the optional

[41:52] rear yard service skews slightly the

[41:54] other way with enhanced uh subscriptions

[41:57] making up nearly 20% of this optional

[41:59] service.

[42:04] This has been changing over time. Uh so

[42:08] particularly um with rate increases

[42:11] which are the years highlighted here. We

[42:14] do see uh either new accounts, not new

[42:17] accounts but new residents maybe

[42:19] updating this subscription from the

[42:21] prior resident uh as well as people

[42:24] downsizing their subscriptions when they

[42:26] can. Uh, for example, in 2011, the

[42:30] oldest year here shown, uh, many can

[42:33] subscriptions only made up 7.6% of our

[42:36] overall subscription. Today, they're

[42:38] 14%. Enhanced subscriptions in 2011 were

[42:42] almost 1 in4 uh, subscriptions. Today,

[42:45] it's 8%.

[42:47] And the standard has grown uh, by about

[42:49] 10 percentage points during that time.

[42:58] The solid waste fund has been the fund

[43:00] most significantly impacted from various

[43:02] cost pressures that we'll explore in the

[43:03] upcoming slides. The fund started this

[43:06] year with a very minimal fund balance as

[43:08] we discussed at the end of last year uh

[43:11] and is only ending this year with

[43:12] $190,000 surplus due to the inclusion of

[43:15] a $900,000 onetime transfer in of

[43:18] unrestricted ARP interest earnings to

[43:20] help the fund this year. Without any

[43:23] action, the fund is projected to have a

[43:25] $ 1.3 million deficit due to the

[43:27] increased costs in the fund and the lack

[43:28] of one-time options for it going

[43:31] forward.

[43:37] This slide just shows a breakdown of

[43:40] those costs in the past few years and

[43:42] against budget. Um we are projecting

[43:46] slightly higher labor costs than

[43:48] anticipated uh due to um mostly needing

[43:52] to use other divisions uh for staffing

[43:55] shortages. There really are no vacancy

[43:57] savings in this fund um to provide the

[44:00] service at the level uh that we expect

[44:03] uh as well as slightly higher co-mingled

[44:05] recycling costs than were budgeted.

[44:07] revenue is projected to come in at

[44:09] budget with no notable deviations uh

[44:12] outside of some reduced recycling

[44:14] revenue grant from the state uh being

[44:16] offset by other miscellaneous revenue.

[44:19] Um not from a budget to budget

[44:22] perspective, but also note uh I'll

[44:23] discuss later the paper recycling line

[44:25] item dropping notably from over 200,000

[44:29] in 2025 to only 55,000 in 2026.

[44:39] So this graphic provides a long range

[44:41] trajectory of the solid waste fund

[44:44] revenues and expenses um from 2015

[44:48] through the current period and it really

[44:50] drives uh that the change in 2022

[44:55] that has impacted this fund uh prior to

[44:59] 2022 costs grew uh at a very low rate of

[45:04] about 1.3%

[45:06] Since then, 2022 to 2027 uh expenses

[45:09] have gone up

[45:11] 32% or just almost 6% yeartoyear.

[45:17] Uh the 2022 to 27 revenue uh increase

[45:20] without any f

[45:23] additional rate increases for 27 would

[45:25] only be 2 and a.5% during that time

[45:27] period um on an annualized basis.

[45:31] The dotted lines on the graphic uh just

[45:35] provide a visualization of the one-time

[45:38] waiverss of expenses and onetime

[45:40] revenues that we've used in the past two

[45:42] years to temporarily help the fund.

[45:50] This graphic shows uh the

[45:54] rate trajectory for our

[45:58] refues and recycling

[46:00] unit costs. So most of our costs are of

[46:03] course the red line which goes up over

[46:06] time but a much smaller pace. Uh that's

[46:09] our refuge collection which is just

[46:11] under $100 per ton this year

[46:15] and will grow by 4% uh contractually in

[46:18] the next few years each year. Recycling

[46:21] rates uh here are shown what we

[46:24] ultimately pay which is the market plus

[46:26] our haulers fixed costs. So the

[46:29] co-mingled recycling in blue uh we had a

[46:32] very good market that drove down our

[46:34] costs. We even received some revenue for

[46:36] our co-mingled recycling products uh

[46:39] during some stretches of time in late

[46:40] 2021 and early 2022.

[46:43] Excuse me.

[46:45] Um our most recent contract has helped

[46:47] somewhat. You see a small decline from a

[46:50] very high uh record high number at the

[46:52] end of 2025 into 2026 with the new

[46:55] hauler. Um but the overall recycling

[46:58] market is still not very strong. Uh

[47:02] paper also had a similar trajectory

[47:04] where we were getting uh very high rates

[47:08] uh of revenue on our paper recycling uh

[47:12] which is shown as a negative here. So

[47:13] the lower the more revenue we got. Um

[47:18] there are minimal local buyers of our

[47:21] paper and cardboard products which saw

[47:24] little competition in the last time we

[47:25] went to the market for that contract. Uh

[47:27] so much of the movement you see from 25

[47:29] to 26 uh going towards $0, it's it's uh

[47:34] you know in the $25 range currently per

[47:36] ton uh was just the change in that

[47:41] contract. We used to get a premium on

[47:43] the market price for our paper products

[47:45] and now we uh pay a slight fee uh for

[47:49] the service of uh having it hauled away.

[47:55] So overall our solid waste fee revenues

[47:59] the fees themselves represent almost 90%

[48:01] of fund revenues. Uh this total solid

[48:04] waste revenue growth is is constrained

[48:07] and uh absent additional fee increases

[48:09] or the uh growth of non fee revenue uh

[48:13] that has troubled us and actually has

[48:15] gone the opposite way in the past few

[48:17] years. As I highlight here and noted

[48:19] before, our recycling uh contract uh has

[48:23] reduced that revenue potential. Uh we

[48:26] also saw some changes to the way that

[48:28] the PAP

[48:31] uh considers multi-municipal

[48:34] uh

[48:35] solicitations for their grant award. Uh

[48:38] so we receive less in that grant money

[48:40] by about 20,000 a year. Um and charges

[48:44] from services are growth are minimal at

[48:46] best. We've already implemented

[48:48] cleanup weekend charge and have it

[48:50] increased our cost recovery fees for

[48:52] special pickup which do help uh but at

[48:54] the margins compared to the deficit that

[48:57] we are looking at ahead.

[49:00] Just to touch upon the cleanup weekend

[49:02] uh since that was discussed at the end

[49:04] of last year which entails uh a crew of

[49:06] about 16 employees on Saturday and

[49:09] Sunday uh providing that service we

[49:12] institute a $20 per entry fee for that

[49:14] weekend. Uh car counts notably declined

[49:18] uh by 60%. Tonnage declined by 40%. The

[49:21] average tonnage uh was $155

[49:27] per car. You go any other weekend and

[49:29] spend $20, that will buy you $140

[49:33] uh of of drop off. Um so this fee

[49:38] reduced our cost ultimately. We had no

[49:40] revenue against it. it turned a $86,000

[49:43] uh net cost to the township down to

[49:46] approximately 40. So considerable

[49:47] decline in the attendance really

[49:49] prevented that full cost recovery. Um

[49:51] that was probably always difficult but

[49:55] um I think we're expecting

[49:58] not quite that decline that we saw

[50:05] on the expenditure side of the ledger.

[50:07] Um the several factors have driven that

[50:12] co those costs to grow 32% from 22 to

[50:15] 27. We did add a crew that helped

[50:18] operations in 2023, but that on top of

[50:20] the overall wage growth since that time

[50:22] and healthc care cost increases have

[50:24] added up. Um you'll see on the next

[50:27] slide visually the significant increase

[50:29] in vehicle replacement costs um for

[50:32] these vehicles. Um, we also had a period

[50:35] of time in which

[50:37] we were had orders out for a year or two

[50:40] on end. So, we had to maintain aging

[50:42] vehicle. So, at the same time, we were

[50:44] trying to uh recover future costs to

[50:48] replace uh that fleet that's becoming

[50:50] more expensive. We also had the

[50:52] maintenance costs as we waited for those

[50:54] vehicles to come in.

[50:58] And this visually just shows that um

[51:00] with those vehicle charges to the fund

[51:03] growing very fast from 22 to 2025 and

[51:06] have leveled out since then now that

[51:08] we're able to get those vehicles in and

[51:10] maintenance costs have relieved and

[51:11] we're kind of in the new normal of what

[51:13] those vehicles cost uh to to get as well

[51:17] as the labor cost growth in the fund

[51:19] growing about 37% uh since 2022.

[51:28] So the need to address the large deficit

[51:30] requires a significant rate increase

[51:31] and/or subsidy from the general fund.

[51:34] this screen. There are several rate

[51:35] levels at various increases uh with the

[51:38] finance committee's recommended 14% in

[51:40] the middle uh which would constitute an

[51:42] increase uh to the many can subscription

[51:45] of $42,

[51:47] an increase to the standard subscription

[51:48] to $65 and an increase to the enhanced

[51:52] subscription of $96 for 2027.

[51:58] If we were to raise rates and not

[52:01] require any general fund subsidy, we

[52:03] would be in that we'd be talking about

[52:05] that 15 to 17.5% uh range.

[52:13] So the finance committee officers uh did

[52:16] meet to review uh the status of this

[52:19] fund and in our conversations

[52:22] we came are coming to the board this

[52:24] evening with the recommendation of a 14%

[52:28] rate increase for 2027. a general fund

[52:32] transfer in subsidy for the 2027 year,

[52:35] currently projected at 140,000 uh to

[52:37] keep this uh fund at a budget neutral

[52:41] position uh in 2027. Um and to uh review

[52:46] whether the two cleanup weekends in the

[52:48] spring are warranted with a reduced uh

[52:50] utilization of the weekend service.

[52:55] With those two recommended changes,

[52:58] uh the 2027 projected financials are are

[53:02] in front of you, uh which would retain

[53:04] an approximate $300,000 fund balance at

[53:06] year end.

[53:10] Any

[53:14] solid waste, any solid waste fee

[53:16] increase of course requires an ordinance

[53:18] that's before you for uh authorization

[53:20] to advertise tonight uh to be voted on

[53:23] uh prior to the end of October. Um,

[53:27] as past practice with fee increases, we

[53:32] will send out a mailing to go out to

[53:34] each customer to verify their current

[53:38] subscription and provide a option uh to

[53:42] switch if they do have a subscription

[53:44] level uh that's higher than they

[53:46] ultimately need at this time. And the

[53:49] 2027 solid waste bill is included on the

[53:51] tax bill which is mailed at the end of

[53:53] January.

[53:58] happy to answer any questions you have.

[54:00] >> Do any members of the public with us

[54:01] this evening have any questions or

[54:03] comments on this item? Seeing none,

[54:07] thank you very much, Adam. There's a lot

[54:09] that you have presented on this topic.

[54:12] Needless to say, it's an enormously

[54:14] challenging issue. Uh the finance

[54:17] committee officers, commissioners

[54:19] Courtourtney and Sparrow and myself

[54:21] along with staff uh went through this in

[54:25] depth at a recent meeting which was

[54:28] which followed our in-depth meeting on

[54:31] considering changes to our fund balance

[54:33] policy which we recently voted on. Um

[54:38] tonight is an authorization to advertise

[54:40] so there would be another vote in

[54:42] October.

[54:44] Volume has been flat essentially since

[54:47] 2014

[54:50] for refues. Costs are up. Other revenue

[54:54] is down.

[54:56] Um our goal

[54:59] is that this

[55:01] annual review of the solid waste fund is

[55:04] to be able to say that fees would

[55:07] increase no more than inflation. But

[55:11] we're not there because of these

[55:13] different difficult impacts

[55:16] um on this fund. We would like to get

[55:19] there. Um

[55:22] you know the changes we implemented a

[55:24] year ago. Uh we'd also

[55:27] committee recommends that we only have

[55:30] one spring cleanup weekend and not two

[55:33] pending

[55:35] uh the data that will be coming from the

[55:37] next cleanup weekend which is uh on

[55:40] October

[55:42] first weekend of October

[55:44] >> second. Yeah.

[55:46] >> Second or third.

[55:47] >> So shortly after that staff will provide

[55:51] an update for our review. But we think

[55:54] that the data is going to demonstrate

[55:56] that one cleanup weekend in the spring

[55:58] is all that is needed. So

[56:03] that's what's before us. Do committee

[56:05] members have questions or comments?

[56:08] Commissioner Bernheim.

[56:10] >> Thank you very much, Commissioner. Um I

[56:14] am sure there was, you know, a lot of um

[56:17] a lot of review to come up with a 14%

[56:20] increase.

[56:22] you know that

[56:24] in one realm that's like a sticker shock

[56:27] type number in another the actual cost

[56:31] itself and I I just look at where most

[56:34] people just at the the one camp isn't

[56:36] probably outrageous if you were to find

[56:39] other municipalities that use um private

[56:44] services to go go ahead and do it. Uh

[56:47] but the the question still comes all

[56:49] right where else might we be able to

[56:52] find some element of cost savings? If

[56:56] anybody was doing some back of the

[56:58] napkin math when we went through the

[57:01] recent budget workshop, uh they

[57:04] recognize we're talking plus or minus at

[57:08] least, you know, 5% tax increase and 14%

[57:12] um you know, solid weight waste fund.

[57:15] So, I I take a look at this and I see,

[57:18] for example, the um labor costs jumping

[57:23] um doing quick math here now about 5 and

[57:27] a half%.

[57:29] What What's the driver for that?

[57:34] >> Well, we know currently that our

[57:38] healthcare utilization is at 12% above

[57:41] expected for 2026.

[57:43] So that's a big driver of that being

[57:45] above any uh wage increase

[57:50] projections that we have in there and

[57:52] that's kind of driving it uh as well uh

[57:55] is that healthcare. We don't know what

[57:56] it is yet of course. Um so and that's part of it. We put in that 12% on

[58:04] health care because that's where our

[58:06] utilization is right now. Um, and I

[58:10] don't want to be in a position where I

[58:11] come back and say I had a pretty bad

[58:14] projection on that that it was, you

[58:15] know, I did six when I knew our

[58:17] utilization was at 12.

[58:20] >> Um, all right.

[58:21] >> Do you want to add?

[58:22] >> So, I mean, Adam, it's basically the

[58:25] combination of some kind of guess as to

[58:29] where wages will go next year

[58:31] >> and then combine in a double digit

[58:34] expected healthc care premium increase.

[58:36] the two of them combined then raise it

[58:39] >> raise it. Yeah. I mean I when I was

[58:41] looking at it maybe you know missing the insurance item I was thinking what

[58:46] my crystal ball said that that WA

[58:49] increase would be not adding the

[58:51] insurance component to it. Um yet

[58:54] hopefully that's a a higher estimate

[58:57] than reality but we won't know until

[58:58] that occurs. Um, in reference to vehicle

[59:01] charges, uh, and and the expenses there,

[59:04] we still use these also as snow plows,

[59:09] any of the trucks, we do we used to

[59:11] >> we we will bring them out in a heavier

[59:13] snow and put plows on them and we'll use

[59:16] them to plows main arteries.

[59:19] >> They're not in every snowstorm obviously

[59:21] only the only the bigger snowstorms that

[59:23] require a lot of extensive plowing. So,

[59:26] this may be more of an accounting um

[59:28] question because dollars in and dollars

[59:30] out at the end of the day um are still

[59:32] dollars. Uh since it's used then for

[59:36] public works, does some of those charges

[59:38] go over to public works budget versus um

[59:42] the solid waste fund?

[59:43] >> Yeah, Adam tracks it going both ways. So

[59:47] at times public works uh highway

[59:49] division is helping uh is helping pick

[59:52] up trash when we're short personnel and

[59:55] trash and then of course when

[59:58] refuge employees are helping the other

[1:00:00] way we track that as well.

[1:00:01] >> All right. So it's um net nothing.

[1:00:05] >> Okay.

[1:00:05] >> I'm not sure we charge I don't I don't

[1:00:07] think we charge by the day for the

[1:00:09] vehicles but certainly the labor costs

[1:00:11] go both ways when they service each

[1:00:13] other.

[1:00:13] >> Um all right. So then as opposed to me

[1:00:18] um doing some guesswork here, is there

[1:00:21] anything else that you have thought of

[1:00:23] where we might be able to trim some of

[1:00:25] the cost? So potentially the increase

[1:00:28] we're looking at would be less than 14%.

[1:00:32] One or two things that we've already

[1:00:33] done, I didn't mention in here, but we

[1:00:35] did an audit of both of our recycling

[1:00:37] contracts to make sure that we're

[1:00:39] getting paid

[1:00:41] the appropriate amount based on the

[1:00:42] market um going back a few years on our

[1:00:45] paper recycling contract and that that

[1:00:48] worked out. Um

[1:00:50] and we also did an audit recently with

[1:00:53] our comingled hauler of our um the split

[1:00:59] of our uh comingled recycling because if

[1:01:04] we saw any notable movement in the high

[1:01:08] value plastics and the aluminum that

[1:01:11] would help us because basically it's

[1:01:14] costly to do those o

[1:01:17] frequently. Um, so

[1:01:21] you your contract is basically has fixed

[1:01:24] uh split of your different coingled

[1:01:26] products based on past history. Um, we

[1:01:30] looked at that just to see if there were

[1:01:32] going to be any gains and I'm happy to

[1:01:34] say that our cost went down by 20 cents

[1:01:36] per ton uh because our numbers were

[1:01:39] pretty good and we saw a little bit of

[1:01:40] switch. The thing that we did learn in

[1:01:43] that process that certainly we're going

[1:01:45] to have with public information um is

[1:01:48] that when they receive

[1:01:51] recycling products in garbage bags,

[1:01:55] that's residue that's thrown out. It's a

[1:01:58] public it's a safety hazard for them to

[1:02:00] open up those bags um because they don't

[1:02:02] know what's in them. Um so that is

[1:02:06] something that we're going to hit on the

[1:02:08] public information side. It's on the

[1:02:10] margins, but I'd say that please do not

[1:02:12] put your recycling in trash bags. Uh

[1:02:15] save there. Um

[1:02:17] >> you you have mentioned that before and I

[1:02:18] think it's incumbent upon all of us in

[1:02:20] whatever vehicles, be it the

[1:02:23] commissioners or the township app to

[1:02:25] educate people because they just don't

[1:02:26] know.

[1:02:27] >> Yeah. So those are some of the things

[1:02:28] that we we've taken a look at. Um yeah,

[1:02:31] it's

[1:02:33] the hard thing is it's it's a hard

[1:02:35] business in this part of the state. A

[1:02:38] lot of people are dealing with these

[1:02:39] cost increases. Um, and it's always

[1:02:42] incumbent upon us to find other cost

[1:02:44] savings areas and something that we're

[1:02:46] going to be looking hard at and have

[1:02:47] looked hard at.

[1:02:48] >> And and then of course there's the paper

[1:02:50] recycling the actual for 2025 228,000

[1:02:54] and looking at 55,000 in 2026.

[1:02:59] That not going to rebound according to

[1:03:02] your crystal ball. Well, we have a a

[1:03:05] contract uh in hand. We can decide to

[1:03:08] extend it or not, but if we don't extend

[1:03:10] it, we have to go back to the market.

[1:03:11] And you know, I'll knock down every door

[1:03:13] to try and find another buyer of our

[1:03:17] uh recycling. But um in talking with our

[1:03:21] com, they were not surprised that we

[1:03:24] only got one bit.

[1:03:26] >> Okay. Thank you very much, Commissioner

[1:03:28] Zah. No other talk.

[1:03:33] Yeah.

[1:03:33] >> Well, we do need to try and find a

[1:03:35] little humor in this. So, um, other

[1:03:37] committee members with questions or

[1:03:39] comments.

[1:03:42] >> President sign off.

[1:03:43] >> Thanks, Commissioner Z. Uh, so, Adam,

[1:03:45] just a question. Um, you you had

[1:03:48] mentioned that the township

[1:03:50] um practice had been a 10% fund balance

[1:03:54] for emergencies and contingencies.

[1:03:58] I just wasn't quite sure what an

[1:04:00] emergency or contingency would be in

[1:04:01] this fund. Um

[1:04:04] you when we had looked at the uh the

[1:04:07] fund balance policy like one of the

[1:04:08] things that you had showed us was just

[1:04:09] how much volatility there was and I

[1:04:11] don't know if you have a sense of like

[1:04:13] the historic volatility in this fund so

[1:04:14] we can you calibrate.

[1:04:16] >> It doesn't really have any volatility.

[1:04:18] Okay. To be honest I think that carries

[1:04:20] more from it's in the policy along with

[1:04:22] the sanitary sewer fund which certainly

[1:04:25] could have its emergencies. um and also

[1:04:28] carries debt so it has a much more

[1:04:30] strong

[1:04:31] fund balance you know threshold in my

[1:04:33] mind.

[1:04:34] >> Okay.

[1:04:34] >> Compared to this.

[1:04:35] >> So so there there there's like there's

[1:04:37] nothing in practice there's like nothing

[1:04:38] we need to buffer against in this that

[1:04:40] >> and technically you know our compactor

[1:04:42] uh which mostly provides services to the

[1:04:45] refugees uh is not

[1:04:48] that's part of our CIP. It doesn't get

[1:04:51] put into the the the solid waste fund.

[1:04:54] So, in theory, the general fund is

[1:04:56] subsidizing uh some of that capital.

[1:04:59] >> Okay, perfect.

[1:05:01] >> Thank you. Yeah, and I I I sent a bunch

[1:05:02] of questions earlier that I'm just not

[1:05:04] going to repeat tonight. Suffice it to

[1:05:05] say that uh it was a impressive u piece

[1:05:09] of work that that you and the the uh the

[1:05:12] chairs and vice chairs of the finance

[1:05:14] committee did uh working on this and

[1:05:16] thinking it through. So, so thank you

[1:05:18] everyone. Thanks, Commissioner Zoff.

[1:05:20] Adam, just to reiterate what you said,

[1:05:22] the sanitary sewer fund does carry debt.

[1:05:25] This fund, the solid waste fund, carries

[1:05:27] no debt.

[1:05:30] >> Okay. Other committee members with

[1:05:32] questions or comments.

[1:05:36] » Commissioner Kramer, do you have your

[1:05:37] hand up? I can't tell.

[1:05:38] >> Yes.

[1:05:39] >> Okay.

[1:05:40] >> Yes, I do.

[1:05:42] Um, I have spoken about what I view as

[1:05:46] some inequities in the way in which this

[1:05:50] these fees are structured each year for

[1:05:53] a couple of years. And I'm not going to

[1:05:55] reiterate everything that I have said,

[1:05:57] but I think that

[1:05:59] it's important to realize that there are

[1:06:01] many residents

[1:06:03] who even before these proposed increases

[1:06:06] are paying more in solid solid waste

[1:06:09] fees than they are in real estate taxes.

[1:06:13] And the burden falls in my view

[1:06:17] inequitably on the the smallest um

[1:06:22] assessed homeowners.

[1:06:24] I think that this just reiterates the

[1:06:27] importance of reviewing the way in which

[1:06:30] we charge for this and I would hope that

[1:06:33] this would become a priority next year.

[1:06:36] I would also prefer to see a greater

[1:06:39] subsidy of this fund from the general

[1:06:42] fund instead of putting all of the

[1:06:44] burden on um the homeowners in this way.

[1:06:54] » Other committee members, Commissioner

[1:06:56] Courtney.

[1:06:56] >> Thank you, Commissioner.

[1:06:58] I I share some of Commissioner Kramer's

[1:07:01] concerns about the inequity of a of a

[1:07:05] fee that is mandatory. That's the

[1:07:07] equivalent of a flat tax. Uh that being

[1:07:10] said, we did debate this, wrestle this.

[1:07:13] That point came up in the conversation

[1:07:15] we had in our committee and uh the 14%

[1:07:18] was with the 140 transfer was the

[1:07:20] compromise that we arrived at. And so I

[1:07:23] agree that we should revisit this policy

[1:07:25] in the future, but for this year, uh I

[1:07:28] stand by the compromise that we made.

[1:07:30] >> Thank you.

[1:07:32] And the finance committee operates on

[1:07:34] the approach that if we're all a little

[1:07:36] bit unhappy, then we've uh accomplished

[1:07:38] uh our our mission as uh handed to us as

[1:07:41] given to us by President Sinai. Um

[1:07:45] okay, other committee members with

[1:07:47] questions or comments?

[1:07:50] Seeing none, uh this motion has been

[1:07:53] made and seconded. All those in favor,

[1:07:55] raise your hand.

[1:07:58] Are there any opposed?

[1:08:00] Are there any abstensions?

[1:08:03] >> Madam Secretary, that carries

[1:08:05] unanimously. Uh, President Sinai, before

[1:08:07] I hand the gavl back to you, I would

[1:08:10] like to uh recognize our CFO because in

[1:08:14] the month of September, we have had

[1:08:17] three meetings, all of which have

[1:08:19] included significant time for finance

[1:08:22] issues, including the debt issuing

[1:08:25] tonight, the debt issuance of new debt,

[1:08:28] the solid waste fund, two meetings on

[1:08:30] our fund balance policy,

[1:08:33] uh, a lot of work on our two collective

[1:08:36] bargaining agreements which are

[1:08:37] currently being negotiated. And finally,

[1:08:41] uh considering the options and proposals

[1:08:44] to implement an ERP system which is uh

[1:08:47] going to be a significant improvement in

[1:08:49] how our

[1:08:51] township operates uh which was discussed

[1:08:54] at the budget workshop in June. And I

[1:08:56] may have missed something but thank you

[1:08:58] Adam and uh thank you all.

[1:09:01] >> Okay. Thanks Commissioner Zeloff. Our

[1:09:02] next committee meeting for this evening

[1:09:04] is building

[1:09:05] recognize Commissioner Whan.

[1:09:06] >> Thank you, President Sinai. We have one

[1:09:08] item on the agenda this evening. Might

[1:09:11] feel like a little bit of deja vu to

[1:09:12] everyone. This is the agenda item we

[1:09:14] postponed last week to make sure we got

[1:09:16] everything buttoned up and right for

[1:09:18] this week, and I believe it is. So, this

[1:09:20] is with regard to the authorization to

[1:09:22] advertise an ordinance chapter 155

[1:09:25] zoning multiple principal buildings in

[1:09:27] the CADB

[1:09:30] Z2603

[1:09:32] district. So, I'm going to get us

[1:09:34] started by moving to recommend to the

[1:09:37] board of commissioners authorizing the

[1:09:38] township secretary to advertise a public

[1:09:41] hearing and notice of intent to adopt an

[1:09:43] ordinance to amend the code of the

[1:09:44] township of lower Maran chapter 155

[1:09:47] entitled zoning article 6 special

[1:09:51] districts table 6.8.2 2 Bala Village

[1:09:56] Dimensional Standards to add a rear

[1:09:58] setback provision for structures backing

[1:10:00] to a railroad rightway. Section 155-6.8

[1:10:06] to provide standards for entries,

[1:10:08] signage, and windows when multiple

[1:10:10] principal buildings exist on a lot.

[1:10:13] Section 155-6.6.H

[1:10:16] H to provide buffer and greening

[1:10:18] standards common driveways

[1:10:22] for common driveways serving more than

[1:10:24] one lot. Do I have a second?

[1:10:27] >> Thank you, Commissioner Wooding. Vice

[1:10:29] President Woodring. Uh Chris, can you

[1:10:31] take us away?

[1:10:32] >> Good evening. Um this evening, um

[1:10:35] bringing forward an ordinance for

[1:10:36] consideration for the building planning

[1:10:38] committee to authorize for

[1:10:40] advertisement. It's to modify

[1:10:42] dimensional standards within the Ball

[1:10:45] Village district. Um

[1:10:48] Ball Village is is a district that runs

[1:10:51] along Bow Avenue from McGomery Avenue to

[1:10:53] City Avenue and it also includes um

[1:10:56] parts of City Avenue running down a

[1:10:58] little bit past St. Joe's University

[1:11:00] from Balor Avenue. What we've seen in in

[1:11:03] Ball Village over the last few years is

[1:11:05] some of these areas are in transition.

[1:11:07] We know it has multiple character areas.

[1:11:09] area around the theater that everybody

[1:11:10] knows is a traditional downtown feel.

[1:11:12] And the area along City Avenue has a

[1:11:14] very distinct highway kind of retail

[1:11:17] feel, but there's a block between uh

[1:11:20] Union Avenue and City Avenue that is of

[1:11:24] a completely different character. It has

[1:11:26] currently has some office buildings um

[1:11:29] some kind of a a mix of uses, office

[1:11:32] buildings. There's also been some retail

[1:11:35] uh car uses, auto uses, and it's in

[1:11:37] transition. And these lots are very long

[1:11:40] and narrow and we're want to anticipate

[1:11:43] what they could be redeveloped as. And

[1:11:45] as we started to look at this and we've

[1:11:47] had conversations with people from the

[1:11:49] community, the ward commissioner, we

[1:11:51] thought that we bring forward this set

[1:11:53] of um dimensional amendments that would

[1:11:57] better that would promote better

[1:11:59] contextsensitive development on that

[1:12:01] block because as it is now, the Ball

[1:12:04] Village District in our entire code

[1:12:07] requires all buildings to front on a

[1:12:09] road. That just makes sense. You should

[1:12:10] have a building should front on a road,

[1:12:12] but it also allows multiple buildings.

[1:12:14] So what happens in Bow Village with many

[1:12:16] of the lots is they're very long and

[1:12:17] deep and you can't get a road through

[1:12:20] those areas. So you would if it was

[1:12:23] going to be redeveloped, it would be

[1:12:24] redeveloped as one very large massive

[1:12:26] building. We've seen a lot of these has

[1:12:27] come in. Many of these are residential

[1:12:29] buildings. You're seeing ground floor

[1:12:31] commercial with three or four stories of

[1:12:33] residential over top of them. The other

[1:12:36] side of this block is um zoned MDR1.

[1:12:39] It's it's twins, it's singles, it's a

[1:12:42] residential block. We're we don't feel

[1:12:45] that we'd like to give some options that type of development could take

[1:12:50] place. It could be mixeduse development,

[1:12:51] but we'd like to be able to introduce

[1:12:53] another type of development if it was

[1:12:55] just going to become residential along

[1:12:57] the way. So, what this set of

[1:12:59] dimensional standards does is it reduces

[1:13:01] the setback in the back along the

[1:13:03] railroad tracks. Currently, it can vary

[1:13:05] between 25 and zero. This gives it a 15t

[1:13:08] set. if it if it for lots that just back

[1:13:11] along re um a railroad track and it also

[1:13:15] most importantly permits buildings to

[1:13:17] front along a pedestrian way. Now, they

[1:13:20] still have to front along the the

[1:13:21] street. If there's a street edge, the

[1:13:23] buildings still need to follow along

[1:13:25] that. But then you can introduce a

[1:13:26] pedestrian way and buildings can front

[1:13:28] on that. And that would allow to have

[1:13:32] multiple buildings. And something of the

[1:13:33] form I think is very important. Instead

[1:13:35] of having one large building on these

[1:13:38] properties, you could have multiple

[1:13:40] smaller scale buildings, which is much

[1:13:41] more in context with what you see across

[1:13:43] the street. And I think you really would

[1:13:45] anticipate something like a townhouse,

[1:13:47] right? and a townhouse is very

[1:13:48] consistent with the MDR, one district on

[1:13:51] the other side of the street.

[1:13:53] The other piece of this is that we know

[1:13:55] we have multiple small narrow blocks

[1:13:57] that are all lined up next to each

[1:13:59] other. And one of the things that we

[1:14:00] would like to encourage is the reduction

[1:14:03] of curb cuts as you go along that we

[1:14:04] want this to be a walkable neighborhood.

[1:14:06] So, if we can encourage property owners

[1:14:08] to work together to share driveways, we

[1:14:11] want to do that. And some of these

[1:14:12] changes here facilitate that. Um they

[1:14:16] allow um where a shared driveway is

[1:14:19] putting in some certain greening

[1:14:20] standards that if um buildings have

[1:14:22] driveways that face onto that, they have

[1:14:24] to have a certain type of greening

[1:14:25] standard with deciduous trees and more

[1:14:27] of a traditional streetscape. But if

[1:14:29] residential um lots are along that along

[1:14:32] that edge, you can have evergreens. and

[1:14:34] it allows for a contextsensitive um

[1:14:37] solution there that would we think would

[1:14:39] work between developers to cooperate

[1:14:41] together to reduce curb cuts to create

[1:14:43] greening to create a better streetscape

[1:14:45] that would better reinforce the street

[1:14:46] across the way. So in some that's the

[1:14:49] purpose of what we're doing and that's

[1:14:51] the that's what this is before I'm happy

[1:14:53] to answer any questions in detail.

[1:14:55] >> Thank you Chris. And before we get that

[1:14:56] just one clarification I mean what we're

[1:14:58] doing here tonight I'm fully in favor of

[1:15:00] and I I think we got it right. Um, but

[1:15:04] what you just described, you know, we're

[1:15:06] doing it in Ballot Village, but it would

[1:15:08] be applicable elsewhere in the township.

[1:15:11] And so I think should should the

[1:15:12] commissioners anticipate that this may

[1:15:15] be rolled out in the future in other

[1:15:17] districts where appropriate throughout

[1:15:19] the township?

[1:15:19] >> Exactly.

[1:15:20] >> Okay. Thank you. Uh, any questions or

[1:15:22] comments from other commissioners?

[1:15:25] >> Commissioner Zoff, I want to follow up

[1:15:27] on the question you just asked. So can

[1:15:29] you explain further because we have a

[1:15:31] number of zoning districts

[1:15:34] >> uh throughout the township. So what what

[1:15:38] exactly does what does does your answer

[1:15:40] mean? So if this is successful in Ball

[1:15:43] Village, it would be considered for

[1:15:46] other districts.

[1:15:48] >> Correct. I think we would look at this

[1:15:49] in in other commercial districts. Um,

[1:15:53] one of the the things that that brought

[1:15:55] this about, um, properties with the new

[1:15:58] zoning code, our new formbbased code

[1:16:00] were that's when we were requiring the

[1:16:02] front along a street. And part of that

[1:16:05] was the vast majority of of properties

[1:16:08] in the township are single family

[1:16:09] residential. That that really is the

[1:16:11] vast majority of the area. And by

[1:16:14] fronting along a street, it really

[1:16:16] discouraged future subdivision in many

[1:16:18] ways to preserve green space, preserve

[1:16:19] the character of the neighborhoods,

[1:16:20] which was an overriding goal of the 2020

[1:16:23] zoning code. What we didn't do is we

[1:16:25] didn't, you know, we needed a little bit

[1:16:27] more time in this to be able to have

[1:16:28] time to see how that applied to

[1:16:30] commercial areas. And to your point,

[1:16:32] Commissioner Zolaf, I think we would, if

[1:16:33] this is successful in this area, it

[1:16:35] could apply to our other commercial

[1:16:37] areas along the way, particularly those

[1:16:38] that back up along railroads. We have

[1:16:41] this similar situation in other areas of

[1:16:43] the township.

[1:16:44] >> Well, I what I thought you might say is

[1:16:46] other commercial areas in which there

[1:16:48] are long

[1:16:50] >> narrow lots with limited frontage. Isn't

[1:16:53] that's what

[1:16:53] >> it's isn't that what's driving this in

[1:16:56] this zone.

[1:16:57] >> Correct. It's the long narrow lots that

[1:16:59] have a singular frontage that they would

[1:17:01] kind of terminate in the back end. Most

[1:17:03] of those are in for planners, we look at

[1:17:06] that. We call them railroad lots.

[1:17:07] They're railroad lots because most of

[1:17:09] the time that's how they were plotted it

[1:17:10] out. There's a road and they go back to

[1:17:12] a railroad.

[1:17:13] >> Yeah,

[1:17:14] it doesn't seem to me that there are

[1:17:17] many other areas of the township where

[1:17:19] that's the case and there may be and

[1:17:21] they're not thinking of them, but

[1:17:23] >> you would see a lot of there's a lot of

[1:17:25] those type of lots in this in this in the in the BV zone.

[1:17:30] >> Correct. And and B Village is in

[1:17:32] transition, so it's right on our

[1:17:33] forefront. We've been looking at it.

[1:17:35] you'll see something later on your

[1:17:36] agenda this this evening. So, Battle

[1:17:38] Village has been getting a lot of

[1:17:39] attention and it made sense to focus it

[1:17:41] there and like I say, this is very easy.

[1:17:43] We could replicate it and bring it to

[1:17:45] other districts,

[1:17:46] >> but it would be zone dependent.

[1:17:48] >> Correct.

[1:17:48] >> Great. Thank you very much.

[1:17:50] >> Thank you, Commissioner Dr. Rosman.

[1:17:55] >> As the uh

[1:17:57] commissioner for that ward, I wholly

[1:18:00] support this. I think uh this will help

[1:18:02] develop that block into a neighborhood

[1:18:04] feel and um and hope it continues

[1:18:07] because uh I think this will be a lot

[1:18:10] better than having empty retail space

[1:18:12] which was originally zoned in that area

[1:18:14] in a much different configured to that

[1:18:16] property.

[1:18:17] Thank you.

[1:18:20] >> Anyone else?

[1:18:22] >> Seeing none are any questions or

[1:18:24] comments from the public?

[1:18:27] >> Seeing none

[1:18:30] I'm sorry. If you want to talk, you have

[1:18:32] to come up to.

[1:18:35] Um, seeing none, uh, the motion has been

[1:18:39] raised and seconded, made and seconded.

[1:18:41] All those in favor, raise your hand.

[1:18:45] Jody, that passes unanimously.

[1:18:48] >> And President Sinai, we are done with

[1:18:49] building and filming.

[1:18:51] >> Thank you very much.

[1:18:53] >> You know, as you reminded me earlier, I

[1:18:55] do have a prior commitment uh this

[1:18:56] evening. Uh so vice president um

[1:19:00] Woodring is going to take over the

[1:19:01] festivities for the rest of the night.

[1:19:03] >> Thank you.

[1:19:06] >> Sorry.

[1:19:13] » All right. Um so next item on our agenda

[1:19:16] is the special board of commissioners

[1:19:17] meeting. Uh so we'll call that to order.

[1:19:19] Will the September 23rd, 2026 meeting of

[1:19:21] the board of commissioners of township

[1:19:23] of Laura Marian please come to order.

[1:19:24] All rise to pledge allegiance to the

[1:19:26] flag.

[1:19:28] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

[1:19:30] United States of America and to the

[1:19:33] republic for which it stands, one nation

[1:19:36] under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[1:19:39] justice for all.

[1:19:42] >> Madam Secretary, will you please call

[1:19:44] the role?

[1:19:45] >> Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Mr. Bar,

[1:19:47] >> present.

[1:19:48] >> Mr.

[1:19:49] >> here.

[1:19:49] >> Mr. Dailyaly,

[1:19:50] >> here.

[1:19:51] >> Miss Epste

[1:19:51] >> here.

[1:19:52] >> Mr. Gregory,

[1:19:53] >> here.

[1:19:53] >> Miss Kramer

[1:19:55] >> here.

[1:19:56] Miss Miss Maguire

[1:19:57] >> here.

[1:19:58] >> Dr. Rossman

[1:19:59] >> here.

[1:19:59] >> Miss Sparrow

[1:20:00] >> here.

[1:20:00] >> Mr. Whan

[1:20:01] >> here.

[1:20:02] >> Mr. Wood

[1:20:02] >> here.

[1:20:03] >> Mr. Zilla

[1:20:04] >> here.

[1:20:05] >> Mr. Sinai not here.

[1:20:11] » Mr. Woodard, we have a farm and I failed

[1:20:13] to mention that Mr. Timberly asked to be

[1:20:16] excused this evening.

[1:20:18] >> Thank you.

[1:20:19] All right. And moving on to the approval

[1:20:22] of the minutes. I'm going to make a

[1:20:23] motion to approve the minutes of a

[1:20:24] special meeting of the board of

[1:20:25] commissioners held July 8th, 2026 and

[1:20:27] stated meetings of the board of

[1:20:29] commissioners held on July 15, 2026 and

[1:20:32] August 3rd, 2026 as distributed. Do I

[1:20:34] have a second?

[1:20:35] >> You do.

[1:20:36] >> Thank you, Commissioner Burnernheim.

[1:20:39] » Oh, I'm sorry. All those in favor?

[1:20:43] >> Um, all those in favor?

[1:20:46] >> Any obstens or opposition? Absentions.

[1:20:49] >> Sorry. Spur of the moment there for a

[1:20:51] second. You're good, Madam Secretary.

[1:20:54] That passes unanimously.

[1:20:57] The board met in executive session

[1:20:59] earlier this evening regarding the

[1:21:00] following matters: union negotiations,

[1:21:03] potential property acquisition, Amtrak

[1:21:06] real estate.

[1:21:08] The cleanup weekend is being held on

[1:21:10] Saturday, October 3rd, and Sunday,

[1:21:12] October 4th, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. until

[1:21:14] 400 p.m. each day at the township's

[1:21:16] public works complex. The agenda

[1:21:18] incorrectly indicated that it was free

[1:21:20] of charge. However, residents will be

[1:21:22] charged $20 per vehicle per per entry. U

[1:21:26] payment will be collected at the gate.

[1:21:28] Proof of residency is required.

[1:21:30] Recycling must be separated from refues.

[1:21:32] And there is no household hazardous

[1:21:34] waste will be accepted. And anything

[1:21:37] with a plug recycling event will be held

[1:21:39] on Saturday, October 10th, 2026 from

[1:21:41] 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Kegel

[1:21:44] Public Works Complex in Pen Valley.

[1:21:46] Registration is required for that ahead

[1:21:48] of time.

[1:21:50] Lastly, McGomery County will be

[1:21:51] sponsoring a household hazardous waste

[1:21:53] collection on Sunday, October 11th, 2026

[1:21:56] at the township's public works complex

[1:21:58] as well. Registration is again required

[1:22:00] for that event.

[1:22:02] This evening, we have a designation of

[1:22:03] fireweek prevention, which is October

[1:22:05] 4th to the 10th um 2026. And I'll call

[1:22:08] on Commissioner Burnernheim to present

[1:22:10] that proclamation.

[1:22:12] >> It's a drop lengthy, but um it's a

[1:22:14] proclamation for fire prevention week.

[1:22:17] Every week should be fire prevention

[1:22:19] week, but this one is titled charge into

[1:22:22] fire safety. Safe charging is a

[1:22:26] superpower.

[1:22:27] Whereas the township of lower Maran is

[1:22:29] committed to ensuring the safety and

[1:22:31] security of all those living in and

[1:22:33] visiting our community. And whereas fire

[1:22:37] is a serious public safety concern both

[1:22:39] locally and nationally. And homes are

[1:22:41] the location where people are at the

[1:22:43] greatest risk from fire. And whereas

[1:22:47] most of the rechargeable electronics

[1:22:49] used in homes daily are powered by

[1:22:51] lithium ion batteries which if misused,

[1:22:54] damaged or improperly charged can

[1:22:57] overheat, start a fire or explode. And

[1:23:01] whereas safe charging includes using the

[1:23:04] cord and charger that came with your

[1:23:06] device or one approved by the

[1:23:08] manufacturer, charging on a hard flat

[1:23:12] surface, watching for warning signs like

[1:23:15] devices that are very hot or start to

[1:23:18] swell, unplugging when fully charged,

[1:23:20] and charging larger devices like ebikes

[1:23:24] outside and away from exits. And whereas

[1:23:28] the 2006 fire prevention week theme,

[1:23:31] charge into fire safety, safe charging

[1:23:34] is a superpower, serves to remind all

[1:23:37] residents that safe charging can help

[1:23:40] reduce the risk of fires in homes and

[1:23:43] communities. Now therefore, be it

[1:23:45] resolved that the board of commissioners

[1:23:47] of the township below Marian does hereby

[1:23:50] proclaim October 4th through October 10,

[1:23:53] 2026 as fire prevention week and urges

[1:23:56] all residents to buy only listed

[1:23:59] products, charge devices safely, recycle

[1:24:03] batteries responsibly, and to support

[1:24:05] the efforts of the township fire and

[1:24:07] emergency services dated this 23rd day

[1:24:10] of September, 2026 in Ardmore. for

[1:24:14] Pennsylvania. Thank you.

[1:24:15] >> Thank you, Commissioner Burnernheim.

[1:24:17] This is now the section of the meeting

[1:24:18] for public privilege of the floor. This

[1:24:20] is a section of the meeting where

[1:24:22] members of the public may address the

[1:24:23] board on any non-aggenda items um or any

[1:24:26] other public matters in which the

[1:24:28] township has jurisdiction or authority.

[1:24:30] Uh please note that if you plan to

[1:24:32] address the board, you can line up at

[1:24:34] the podium to your left here at this

[1:24:36] time. State your name and where you live

[1:24:37] prior to giving your comments and please

[1:24:39] keep your comments to three minutes or

[1:24:41] less. Um we will be using a timer and

[1:24:44] when that beeps we ask that you yield

[1:24:45] the podium to the next person behind you

[1:24:48] um who ideally would line up in that

[1:24:50] order. Um if you are talking on behalf

[1:24:54] speaking on behalf of a group we ask

[1:24:56] that you have a a spokesperson here

[1:24:58] selected ahead of time the board and

[1:25:01] when appropriate staff will respond to

[1:25:02] comments and questions after all

[1:25:04] comments have been received. Um so if

[1:25:06] anyone here in in the room wishes to

[1:25:08] address the board please do so using

[1:25:11] this podium

[1:25:22] Craig Alaner Marian station tree canopy

[1:25:26] delights chapter 4 simply put the shade

[1:25:29] tree division is not planting enough

[1:25:31] trees to maintain shade tree canopy

[1:25:35] leadership sites three high hurdles that

[1:25:37] prevent prevent it from doing so.

[1:25:39] Resident antipathy, a manpower shortage,

[1:25:42] and a lack of capital. Previously, we've

[1:25:45] vaulted over perceived resident

[1:25:47] indifference, realizing that it was an

[1:25:50] illusion. What had been interpreted as

[1:25:53] dislike was actually unawareness.

[1:25:56] By distributing 6,300 door hangers

[1:25:59] describing the township's chade tree

[1:26:01] offerings, there's been a four-fold

[1:26:03] increase in tree request volume, proving

[1:26:07] that once residents learn about the

[1:26:09] program, many do indeed desire shade

[1:26:12] trees. Last month, we recognized that

[1:26:15] the purported workforce scarcity was

[1:26:18] caused by public works own

[1:26:20] self-defeating policy prohibiting the

[1:26:22] Shade Tree Commission from tree planting

[1:26:25] and care. The solution is to copy what

[1:26:28] every other local municipality does

[1:26:31] exercise the commission's expertise,

[1:26:34] energy, and time. The third hurdle is

[1:26:36] lack of capital. There's an acorn of

[1:26:39] truth to this. It's a tough nut to

[1:26:41] crack. After all, money doesn't grow on

[1:26:44] trees. Management maintains that

[1:26:46] although they'd like to plant a larger

[1:26:48] number of trees, there are no resources

[1:26:51] to do so. And anyway, the budget is

[1:26:53] fixed.

[1:27:00] Um about to be approved by the board. At

[1:27:04] present, Lower Mine annually plants 89

[1:27:07] thousand annually spends $89,000 to

[1:27:10] plant 200 shade trees, a mere onetenth

[1:27:13] of 1% of the township's operating

[1:27:15] budget. There are at least four ways to

[1:27:18] overcome claimed limited funding tactics

[1:27:20] I call brute force, smart and clever,

[1:27:24] all mixed up, and failsafe. Tonight,

[1:27:27] introductory remarks. The particulars to

[1:27:29] follow next month. The first is brute

[1:27:32] force. The name derived from the

[1:27:34] mid-century brutalist architectural

[1:27:37] style. Brute force doubles down on

[1:27:40] existing policy. The second is smart and

[1:27:42] clever. The goal to do more with less

[1:27:46] inspired by famed architect M Vandereo's

[1:27:48] apherism less is more. The third all

[1:27:51] mixed up is a blend of the first two.

[1:27:54] Fourth is fail safe. As the name

[1:27:57] suggests, failsafe is guaranteed to work

[1:27:59] because it doesn't require the shade

[1:28:01] tree division change its practice. To

[1:28:04] complement the division's work, Allison

[1:28:06] and I would extend an unrestricted grant

[1:28:09] of $35,000

[1:28:11] to plant as many as 350 extra trees.

[1:28:16] Although there are no stipulations, we

[1:28:18] will have suggestions to best advantage

[1:28:20] tree canopy at the lowest cost. That

[1:28:23] along with detail on the other three

[1:28:25] approaches occurs next month.

[1:28:37] Isabelle Melvin Winwood.

[1:28:40] I'm so grateful to the Lower Marian

[1:28:42] Township Board of Commissioners

[1:28:46] for the clean air, peace, and quiet I

[1:28:48] experienced this June to September.

[1:28:50] Thank you.

[1:28:53] Based on the number of complaints and

[1:28:55] the requests to add more staff, it's a

[1:28:58] good sign that folks want clean air and

[1:29:01] peaceful quality of life in Lower Marian

[1:29:04] Township.

[1:29:06] So, I'm so happy to hear there's

[1:29:07] discussion about investing in this

[1:29:09] ordinance.

[1:29:11] I have faith I have faith that Chris

[1:29:14] Lewing and his staff will find the best

[1:29:16] use of taxpayer money to enforce the

[1:29:19] leaf blower ordinance.

[1:29:22] But word on the street is we can do

[1:29:24] better.

[1:29:26] Neighbors are on the front line of

[1:29:28] enforcement.

[1:29:30] When they call to report someone

[1:29:31] breaking the law, they should be able to

[1:29:33] trust that it will be dealt with by the

[1:29:36] township accordingly.

[1:29:40] So, we I have some and I've talked to

[1:29:42] other people about this. I'm a member of

[1:29:44] Quiet Clean Lower Marian. So, we have

[1:29:46] some suggestions.

[1:29:48] All landscapers who do business in our

[1:29:50] township should be registered with Lower

[1:29:53] Marian Township.

[1:29:55] And no requirement to testify in court

[1:29:58] in order to report a violation. As uh

[1:30:00] Commissioner Magcguire said, it starts

[1:30:02] quibbling against neighbors. let the

[1:30:05] person who reported the violation feel

[1:30:07] supported by our township

[1:30:10] and the app should be much more user

[1:30:13] friendly.

[1:30:14] Thanks again commissioners for being

[1:30:17] leaders in our commonwealth of

[1:30:18] Pennsylvania and protecting the 60,000

[1:30:21] residents of lower Maran Township. And

[1:30:25] thank you to Chris Lewing and team. I

[1:30:27] have faith that you will improve on

[1:30:30] efficiently and effectively enforcing

[1:30:33] this ordinance. Thank you.

[1:30:43] » Is there anyone else for public

[1:30:44] privilege before?

[1:30:51] » Good evening. Uh my name is Michael

[1:30:53] Bonafra. Um I currently live in Htown.

[1:30:56] Um but a longtime law resident. Uh grew

[1:31:00] up went to school here. I'm uh actually

[1:31:04] on the other end of the leaf blower uh

[1:31:07] situation because I'm a local business

[1:31:09] owner with a gutter cleaning power

[1:31:12] washing business. And

[1:31:17] over the last six months or so when the

[1:31:22] leaf blower ban was passed, um

[1:31:28] I kind of did my homework on it. I just

[1:31:30] didn't want to compl like complain about

[1:31:32] it without looking into it. Um, I'm all

[1:31:36] for, you know, quiet and better air, but

[1:31:41] also I don't feel like the technology is

[1:31:44] there as a business owner that needs to

[1:31:48] use certain equipment. Um,

[1:31:52] you know, I've talked to

[1:31:54] different landscapers. I've talked to

[1:31:56] different salesmen that sell these bl

[1:31:58] these battery operated blowers and

[1:32:02] they're just not strong enough for what

[1:32:04] we're trying to do or trying to

[1:32:05] accomplish especially in fall and winter

[1:32:09] season when we're kind of fight when

[1:32:11] we're all fighting against the weather

[1:32:13] trying to get everything done. Um, you

[1:32:16] know, we lived in down south where it

[1:32:18] was weather was more consistent being

[1:32:21] warmer, I think it'd be a little bit

[1:32:23] easier to accept, but when you're

[1:32:25] fighting cold weather, um, and you need,

[1:32:28] you know, power behind that blower to

[1:32:30] try to accomplish what you're doing. And

[1:32:33] then as far as a time frame trying to,

[1:32:36] you know, I mean, my business is

[1:32:41] repeat business, a lot of repeat

[1:32:43] business.

[1:32:44] and

[1:32:47] trying to get a lot done in as quickly

[1:32:49] as possible, especially come, you know,

[1:32:53] winter months. Um, to make and that's

[1:32:56] how we make our living. Uh, I feel like

[1:33:00] with a weaker blower,

[1:33:04] it's just going to cause us uh

[1:33:08] more

[1:33:11] it's going to take longer to do things.

[1:33:14] Um, because it's the power is not there

[1:33:16] for us with the blower. Uh so I wanted

[1:33:22] to just express my frustration

[1:33:25] um about the situation

[1:33:28] also with the blowers. Uh

[1:33:31] you know I don't mind paying for the

[1:33:33] blower but it's more the batteries and

[1:33:36] from the people that are selling the

[1:33:37] batteries they kind of tell they tell

[1:33:39] you that it can only be charged a 100

[1:33:41] times and then you got to purchase a new

[1:33:43] one. Um for a small business that's a

[1:33:46] lot to take on. So, um, I just wanted to

[1:33:52] do what I could to express, uh, how I

[1:33:54] felt and, uh, hopefully it'll be changed

[1:33:58] or there can be some type of agreement.

[1:34:00] Thank you.

[1:34:02] >> Thank you.

[1:34:05] >> Did you

[1:34:10] hi, I'm Nancy Winkler from W 12.

[1:34:14] Thank you. Oh.

[1:34:18] I'll wait. You tell me when to go.

[1:34:22] >> Take your free time.

[1:34:25] >> Okay. Thanks a lot for all the work that

[1:34:28] you have invested as policymakers in

[1:34:31] listening to the science, listening to

[1:34:33] the impacted residents, and to crafting

[1:34:36] and adopting an ordinance to phase out

[1:34:38] gas-powered leaf blowers. Thank you to

[1:34:40] the staff for the countless hours you

[1:34:44] have invested over several years

[1:34:46] preparing and implementing the

[1:34:48] ordinance, creating and running

[1:34:50] trainings for landscapers and creating

[1:34:52] public information outreach initiatives

[1:34:56] to landscapers, public uh building

[1:34:59] owners and residents and and uh thank

[1:35:02] you for the many hours this first summer

[1:35:05] of uh doing the enforcement at the early

[1:35:07] stage. Many people contacted me this

[1:35:10] summer about the ban implementation, and

[1:35:12] here's what I've heard from them. One,

[1:35:15] it has been quieter and cleaner in

[1:35:18] various neighborhoods. Even though not

[1:35:20] all landscapers have complied, most

[1:35:22] have, and it has made a positive

[1:35:24] difference to the quality of life. Two,

[1:35:27] we don't want to report on our

[1:35:28] neighbors, but we will because

[1:35:30] compliance is important. The fact that

[1:35:33] you have over 400 reported violations

[1:35:36] shows how much the residents of this

[1:35:37] community want the ban and want it to be

[1:35:40] enforced. Our tax dollars will be well

[1:35:43] spent. Three people have commented that

[1:35:46] they are happy that their small mom and

[1:35:48] pop landscapers businesses have

[1:35:51] complied, but they are irritated that

[1:35:53] some of the bigger companies are getting

[1:35:55] away with flouting the law and lobbying

[1:35:57] to reverse it.

[1:35:59] Change can be bumpy and lower Marian is

[1:36:02] experiencing some growing pains. I'm not

[1:36:05] surprised at all by resistance from some

[1:36:07] quarters, but please, given the hours

[1:36:09] and hours of public dialogue and years

[1:36:12] really on this topic and the investment

[1:36:14] the township has already made, do not

[1:36:17] back down. This ordinance is improving

[1:36:20] residents quality of life. It is

[1:36:22] improving our environment, our health,

[1:36:24] and the health of township staff and

[1:36:27] private landscape workers. I remember

[1:36:30] when smoking was first banned in public

[1:36:32] places. People were furious. Smoking

[1:36:35] bans were infringing on their way of

[1:36:37] life. Economic disaster was predicted.

[1:36:40] Restaurants and bars would go bankrupt

[1:36:42] because their patrons would no longer

[1:36:43] come. Ha. Can you imagine rescending

[1:36:46] that smoking bans now? Just as we have

[1:36:50] been freed from having to breathe and

[1:36:52] smell secondhand smoke from cigarettes,

[1:36:54] lower Marian residents are going to be

[1:36:56] free of the many harms of gas powered

[1:36:58] leaf blowers. In my neighborhood, which

[1:37:01] was reszoned to LDR4, we are beset by

[1:37:04] constant construction of superersized

[1:37:06] houses on small lots and we are losing

[1:37:09] our tree canopy in an alarming level and

[1:37:11] the bird song that we used to have. So,

[1:37:14] I am doubly grateful for a township

[1:37:16] policy that has a positive impact on our

[1:37:19] neighborhood. Please support the request

[1:37:21] for enforcement funding. Thank you for

[1:37:23] considering my comments.

[1:37:28] » Anyone else like to take advantage of

[1:37:30] public privilege of the floor?

[1:37:33] >> Seeing none, close. No one's online,

[1:37:35] right? Okay. All right. So, we'll go

[1:37:37] ahead and close that out. Um, does any

[1:37:39] board member wish to respond to any of

[1:37:40] the comments?

[1:37:43] Commissioner uh Courtney,

[1:37:45] >> I'll take I'll take a quick 30 seconds

[1:37:46] only floors. Uh thank you for gratitude

[1:37:50] and the feedback. Uh we will take that

[1:37:52] into the sustainability committee. We'll

[1:37:54] work with Paloma on how we can improve

[1:37:58] before the next uh cycle of the of the

[1:38:01] prohibition and see if that should be a

[1:38:04] priority for the coming year. As far as

[1:38:06] the technology not being there, I think

[1:38:07] we've seen that that's not the case.

[1:38:09] There are many landscapers

[1:38:11] and other companies that were able to

[1:38:15] survive this summer, do well this

[1:38:17] summer, perform all their tasks with

[1:38:19] equipment that was purchased on the

[1:38:20] market. Thank you,

[1:38:23] >> Mr. Bird.

[1:38:24] >> Point counterpoint.

[1:38:25] >> I should have gone second.

[1:38:26] >> Yeah.

[1:38:27] >> Well, I think you did last time, so now

[1:38:29] we're even. Um look the one of the

[1:38:32] things that we stated when the ordinance

[1:38:34] was passed is that we would have a

[1:38:36] learning curve and we would you know

[1:38:38] take in information as to how it was

[1:38:42] impacting residents, how it was

[1:38:43] impacting landscapers and al like and to

[1:38:47] the degree that we need to make any

[1:38:49] adjustments be it in the enforcement

[1:38:50] aspect of it or in in dealing with the

[1:38:54] difficulties that some of the

[1:38:55] landscapers have have expressed and I've

[1:38:58] heard similar comments to that which we we've heard this evening that we

[1:39:02] stated that we would look at this, you

[1:39:04] know, open eyed as to what if any

[1:39:07] changes that that need to be made as we

[1:39:09] go forward. The ordinance isn't going to

[1:39:12] go away. That whether I agree with it or

[1:39:14] not, I recognize. Um, but what we can do

[1:39:17] to improve upon it is something that is

[1:39:20] incumbent upon this board to take in all

[1:39:23] the information and uh try to see that

[1:39:26] we do something that that's fair and

[1:39:28] recognize everybody as as best that we

[1:39:30] can. Um, I'll leave it at that because

[1:39:33] there are many still tentacles to be

[1:39:35] discussed I think at a later time. Thank

[1:39:37] you.

[1:39:39] >> Uh, Commissioner Zel.

[1:39:42] >> So tonight we heard from Mr. Bafra who

[1:39:44] is a small, not large, a small

[1:39:48] contractor. He told us he cleans

[1:39:50] gutters. He doesn't cut grass.

[1:39:54] He does power washing and gutter

[1:39:56] cleaning. So large large contractors

[1:39:58] have been here to complain as well as

[1:40:00] small contractors have been here to

[1:40:02] complain. I don't think we talked about

[1:40:05] cleaning gutters, but we know that

[1:40:07] cleaning gutters is a necessary

[1:40:09] function. Um, we know that right now

[1:40:12] we're in a seasonal ban, but the year-

[1:40:15] round ban is what is going to be most

[1:40:17] difficult coming up. And we we are in

[1:40:22] public comment almost every month. We

[1:40:25] hear that the technology is not there

[1:40:26] from those who are using it. So, some

[1:40:29] are successful at it and others aren't.

[1:40:33] I think it is far from a resolved issue

[1:40:36] in terms of enforcement.

[1:40:42] We have um challenges in enforcing our

[1:40:45] building code, our property code. We

[1:40:48] have challenges enforcing police

[1:40:50] citations.

[1:40:52] We have a judicial system, a local

[1:40:54] judicial system that is simply not

[1:40:57] working.

[1:40:59] We talked about it two weeks ago. I'm

[1:41:01] going to mention it again because our

[1:41:03] building department said that the

[1:41:05] average is 250 days from a township

[1:41:09] complaint to a hearing before a district

[1:41:11] justice. That's a system that's broken

[1:41:14] and not working. So, we can hire lots

[1:41:16] more people in the township, but that's

[1:41:18] not going to solve the problem. And

[1:41:21] everybody who receives a citation of any

[1:41:23] kind has the right to challenge it if

[1:41:27] they think that it's not appropriate.

[1:41:30] it's it's it wasn't issued properly or

[1:41:32] they're uh you know uh Dan and Mike can

[1:41:36] explain that much uh more effectively

[1:41:38] than I can but everybody has the right

[1:41:40] to defend themselves

[1:41:43] but getting a hearing so they can do

[1:41:45] that and having it judicially processed

[1:41:48] either their their uh the violation is

[1:41:51] upheld or or uh or not is part of the

[1:41:54] process. And so that's something that

[1:41:56] everybody in this room needs to be um

[1:41:59] fig helping to be aware of so that

[1:42:03] this issue can be addressed. So um it's

[1:42:07] not as simple as more hiring by the

[1:42:09] township. Thank you.

[1:42:11] >> Commissioners, any other comments from

[1:42:12] the board?

[1:42:15] >> It's not back and forth. I'm sorry. Um I

[1:42:18] do have a quick question just about the cath trees for our township manager.

[1:42:22] Sorry to put you on the spot here. If if

[1:42:24] our requests exceed the 200 that we

[1:42:26] typically approve every year, what's the

[1:42:28] process to then get those trees planted?

[1:42:31] Do they end up on the queue for the

[1:42:33] following year or how does that 200

[1:42:36] mark?

[1:42:36] >> I can't hear you.

[1:42:38] >> How does the 200 um mark work for the

[1:42:42] trees being planted?

[1:42:44] So we have a budget which you allocate

[1:42:46] every year and depends on how the

[1:42:49] pricing comes in when we bid the tree

[1:42:51] planting just as we have just done.

[1:42:54] While we issue a contract for 200 trees

[1:42:57] that have been subscribed by residents

[1:43:00] uh if the bids come in lower as they

[1:43:02] have this year we have some extra money

[1:43:05] that we can go back and change order the

[1:43:07] contract and add some additional trees.

[1:43:10] We are always of course working within

[1:43:12] the realm of the budget that you have

[1:43:15] allocated for that given year.

[1:43:18] Thank you. Any other comments from the

[1:43:20] board?

[1:43:22] >> Okay, so that'll close public privilege

[1:43:24] and we will move on to public comment.

[1:43:26] Uh this is the section of our meeting

[1:43:27] where members of the public may address

[1:43:29] the board on any agenda items. Um

[1:43:32] comments on all agenda items except the

[1:43:34] ballot village amendments ordinance

[1:43:36] should be made now. Um that will come

[1:43:38] later. Uh all the same rules still apply

[1:43:40] but we are now focused on agenda items

[1:43:43] specifically. So if anyone from anyone

[1:43:45] in the room wants to give public

[1:43:47] comments please come to the podium.

[1:43:51] » No extra

[1:43:55] mar station. This evening the board will

[1:43:57] consider awarding an $88,000 contract to

[1:44:01] remove 35 dead or diseased shade trees

[1:44:04] from public's rights away. That's $2,500

[1:44:08] per tree. Expensive but necessary for

[1:44:10] the trees are hazardous. In addition to

[1:44:13] the 35 contracted tree removals, the

[1:44:16] shade tree division itself is taking

[1:44:19] down roughly 300 other trees, including

[1:44:22] the 134 lost in the July micro burst

[1:44:26] event. Those 300 extra removals don't

[1:44:31] show up as a as a separate line item,

[1:44:34] but there are costs nonetheless.

[1:44:36] Personnel, training, equipment, and

[1:44:39] insurance, for example. Tonight, the

[1:44:42] board will also consider an an $89,000

[1:44:45] contract to plant 200 trees, $450 per

[1:44:50] tree, so 2500 to remove,450

[1:44:54] to plant. The result is that Lower

[1:44:57] Murray is spending tens if not hundreds

[1:45:00] of thousands of dollars more to do away

[1:45:03] with jade trees than to add them. The

[1:45:06] problem is not that removal expenditures

[1:45:08] are so high. It's that public works is

[1:45:11] spending so little on planting. And if

[1:45:15] money truly is a limiting factor, the

[1:45:17] smart and clever approach I referenced

[1:45:20] earlier results in more trees at a lower

[1:45:23] cost. or just take the 35,000 and run

[1:45:27] with it. Township code states that at a

[1:45:30] minimum shade tree planting number

[1:45:32] should equal that of removals. That's

[1:45:35] not occurring this year, counting the

[1:45:38] 134 trees lost during the micro burst.

[1:45:41] The shade tree division is more than 100

[1:45:44] short. One of Lower Murray's defining

[1:45:47] characteristics is its tree line is its

[1:45:50] uh treeline streets.

[1:45:54] Township uh township residents have long

[1:45:56] made their wishes clear. In multiple

[1:45:59] surveys, they've said they want the

[1:46:01] township to plant more trees. There's

[1:46:04] further evidence. Two dozen passionate

[1:46:08] community activists have delivered

[1:46:10] 6,300formational

[1:46:13] door hangers. The result that shade tree

[1:46:16] request volume is four-fold higher this

[1:46:19] year than last. Hundreds more property

[1:46:22] owners have applied for a shade tree.

[1:46:25] The board itself has made tree canopy at

[1:46:28] 2026 priority and yet the number of

[1:46:31] shade tree plantings has flatlined.

[1:46:36] As a result, shade tree cover is

[1:46:38] declining.

[1:46:40] The the decision not to maintain canopy

[1:46:43] is flawed. It's wrong economically,

[1:46:46] aesthetically, socially, and

[1:46:49] environmentally.

[1:46:50] My question is why?

[1:46:58] » Anyone else in the room wish to make

[1:47:00] public comment?

[1:47:02] All right, we'll close that out. Uh,

[1:47:03] does any board member wish to respend

[1:47:05] respond to any of the comments?

[1:47:09] All right. Uh we are now moving on to

[1:47:12] section eight of tonight's meeting uh to

[1:47:14] the consent calendar. I first want to

[1:47:16] ask if anyone wishes to remove an item

[1:47:18] from consent.

[1:47:20] Seeing none, uh I'll make the motion for

[1:47:22] approval of the consent calendar as

[1:47:24] presented

[1:47:26] and including items from the billing and

[1:47:28] planning committee, finance committee,

[1:47:29] and police committee meetings held

[1:47:30] earlier this evening. Uh Madam

[1:47:32] Secretary, I believe this requires a

[1:47:34] roll call vote

[1:47:35] >> for the adoption of the consent

[1:47:37] calendar. Oh, I'm sorry. I I do need a

[1:47:39] second. Commissioner Whan,

[1:47:43] thank you. Um, Madam Secretary, sorry.

[1:47:46] >> For the adoption of the consent

[1:47:48] calendar, Mr. Bernard.

[1:47:51] >> Oh, did he step out?

[1:47:52] >> Stepped out.

[1:47:53] >> Uh, Mr. Courtney.

[1:47:54] >> Yes.

[1:47:54] >> Mr. Daly.

[1:47:56] >> Hi.

[1:47:56] >> Miss Epste.

[1:47:57] >> Yes.

[1:47:58] >> Mr. Gregory. Oh, he stepped out, too.

[1:48:00] Sorry.

[1:48:01] >> Miss Kramer.

[1:48:03] >> Yes.

[1:48:04] >> Miss Magguire.

[1:48:04] >> Hi,

[1:48:05] >> Dr. Rosman. I

[1:48:06] >> Miss Sparrow.

[1:48:07] >> I

[1:48:08] >> Mr. Whan.

[1:48:09] >> Yes,

[1:48:09] >> Mr. Woodri.

[1:48:10] >> I

[1:48:10] >> Mr. Zella.

[1:48:12] >> I.

[1:48:12] >> The consent calendar is duly adopted.

[1:48:14] >> Right. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Uh we

[1:48:16] are now moving on to section 13 of

[1:48:19] tonight's meeting. Uh and you'll find

[1:48:21] that in page 20 in your packet. So, we

[1:48:24] will open up the public hearing an

[1:48:26] adoption of an ordinance chapter 155

[1:48:28] zoning Bal Village amendments Z-26-001.

[1:48:35] Um, bear with me for a second.

[1:48:38] So this ordinance uh is to amend the

[1:48:41] code of the township of lower Marian

[1:48:42] chapter 155 entitled zoning article 2

[1:48:45] definitions section 155-2.1

[1:48:48] definitions of terms to delete the

[1:48:50] definition for place of assembly and

[1:48:52] also create new definitions for

[1:48:54] commercial event and entertainment

[1:48:56] venue. Amend table 5.1 uses to provide

[1:49:00] for religious as a special exception

[1:49:03] institutional use within the CD district

[1:49:08] to amend 5.1 uses to delete any

[1:49:11] reference to place of assembly and also

[1:49:13] permit both commercial event center and

[1:49:15] entertainment venue as permitted

[1:49:17] commercial uses in the um I'll just use

[1:49:21] the abbreviations VCTCI

[1:49:24] RHR BMV limited to one three four in

[1:49:30] CAD-BV districts. Also to amend table

[1:49:34] 8.1 minimum parking requirements to

[1:49:36] delete any reference to place of

[1:49:37] assembly and any corresponding parking

[1:49:39] regulations. to also amend table 5.3 use

[1:49:43] regulations to provide for religious as

[1:49:45] an institutional use permitted by

[1:49:47] special exception in the CAD-BV district

[1:49:50] along Ballot Avenue between city a and

[1:49:53] Kimwood road subject to certain specific

[1:49:56] criteria provided herein also amend

[1:49:59] table 5.3 use regulations to allow

[1:50:02] residential uses on the ground floor of

[1:50:04] buildings facing Bella Avenue except

[1:50:06] between Montgomery Avenue and Union

[1:50:08] Avenue. This ordinance was authorized

[1:50:10] for advertisement at a stated meeting of

[1:50:13] the board of commissioners held July 15,

[1:50:15] 2026 and duly advertised in September 6

[1:50:18] and September 13, 2026 editions of the

[1:50:21] mainline times and suburban. So we will

[1:50:23] now open for public hearing.

[1:50:27] Anyone in the room wishes to make

[1:50:29] comments? Chris, do you want to

[1:50:32] >> addition

[1:50:36] at the building committee in July? It

[1:50:39] went through a pretty extensive uh

[1:50:41] public um discussion at the neighborhood

[1:50:44] club. Um so I think people are mostly

[1:50:46] familiar with it, but if there's any

[1:50:48] details, I'm happy to provide them.

[1:50:49] Okay.

[1:50:51] >> So we'll go ahead and open the public

[1:50:52] hearing if there's anyone in the room

[1:50:55] seeing none for for for comment. Um, do

[1:50:58] any commissioners have any comments or

[1:50:59] questions for Chris?

[1:51:03] >> Commissioner, uh, I'm sorry, Dr.

[1:51:04] Rossman.

[1:51:05] >> I support this holy going forward. Uh,

[1:51:07] this isn't my award and it's, uh, going

[1:51:10] to benefit the retail space

[1:51:13] by, uh, this ordinance. Thank you.

[1:51:19] >> With no uh, public comment, we'll go

[1:51:20] ahead and close the hearing.

[1:51:24] » So, I noticed that I am out of order. um

[1:51:27] on the agenda. So, we'll have a motion

[1:51:28] to adopt and then we'll go around for

[1:51:30] commissioner comments. Sorry about that.

[1:51:32] So, I'll make a a motion to adopt

[1:51:34] ordinance number 4341.

[1:51:36] Do I have a second?

[1:51:40] » Dr. Rossman. Thank you. Um so, now does

[1:51:44] the board have any questions or comments

[1:51:45] for staff? Commissioner Daly,

[1:51:48] >> I do. Thank you. So, um it's late and

[1:51:52] we've talked about this before, but

[1:51:54] refresh my memory, Chris. This is the

[1:51:56] proposed ordinance change that would do

[1:51:58] away with in our code place of assembly.

[1:52:03] Correct.

[1:52:04] >> Correct. So the right the ordinance does

[1:52:07] currently in the code

[1:52:09] we have a definition called place of

[1:52:11] assembly that captures things like movie

[1:52:12] theaters and and larger venues. Uh that

[1:52:16] could potentially be interpreted as also

[1:52:18] allowing non-commercial. It was intended

[1:52:21] to really provide for commercial spaces.

[1:52:23] What by doing this now is we're pulling

[1:52:26] that definition out of the zoning code

[1:52:28] and replacing it with two new terms. One

[1:52:31] commercial event center and

[1:52:32] entertainment venue which are clearly

[1:52:34] commercial in their orientation and

[1:52:37] putting that back in. And that's really

[1:52:38] the purpose of that. And also with this

[1:52:40] as it went through the process, one of

[1:52:42] the things that we did was we removed

[1:52:44] entertain those those specific uses from

[1:52:47] the neighborhood commercial district

[1:52:48] which is the smallest of our commercial

[1:52:50] districts.

[1:52:50] >> Okay. Thank you. So, I the problem I

[1:52:53] have with this is the same problem I had

[1:52:54] a couple of months ago, which is if I'm

[1:52:56] reading it correctly, and tell me if I'm

[1:52:59] not, there's going to be no place left

[1:53:02] in our zoning code for non-commercial,

[1:53:06] non-recreational places of assembly. So,

[1:53:09] a VFW,

[1:53:11] an American Legion, uh I mean, I can

[1:53:13] think of like a dozen organizations that

[1:53:16] fall in that bucket of non-commercial,

[1:53:19] non-denominational

[1:53:21] places of assembly and we're going to

[1:53:23] completely do away with where they exist

[1:53:26] in our zoning code.

[1:53:28] >> I don't know how we can actually

[1:53:29] provided for in the zoning code. Those

[1:53:31] uses we are zoned uh institutional

[1:53:35] civic. So your clubs like your BFW,

[1:53:37] those kind of non-commercial

[1:53:40] club type operations are zoned civic.

[1:53:45] And in many of those uses suppose you

[1:53:47] have a fire hall just in a small area.

[1:53:49] You think about small town things that

[1:53:51] we do, people gather, you need meeting

[1:53:53] space. Many of those are accessory uses,

[1:53:55] right? So if a if a fireh hall um say in

[1:53:58] Bal Kinwood, the the Union fire hall

[1:54:01] used to go in there, they open it up to

[1:54:02] the community, that's an accessory use

[1:54:04] that's used by the community for that.

[1:54:06] So it's not doesn't necessarily need its

[1:54:08] own distinct use to be called there.

[1:54:11] It's part of a larger those facilities

[1:54:12] are part of just a larger community

[1:54:14] facility that people allow you to gather

[1:54:16] in as a part of the community. So

[1:54:19] >> there would be no change for that.

[1:54:20] That's that's existing within the code

[1:54:21] today.

[1:54:22] >> So that's new information for me. So I I

[1:54:24] apologize, but what is the definition of

[1:54:26] institutional civic? Like

[1:54:28] >> I'm I apologize. I'm having a hard time

[1:54:29] hearing you all the way over here.

[1:54:30] >> Yeah, I'm I'm losing my voice. The

[1:54:32] definition of an institutional civic

[1:54:34] use, how is that defined? I I don't have

[1:54:37] that one committed to memory.

[1:54:38] >> So our institutional civics,

[1:54:41] our institutional districts are zoned

[1:54:43] that you would have um schools which are

[1:54:46] institutional educational. We have

[1:54:48] institutional health which are kind of

[1:54:49] your nursing facilities continuing care

[1:54:52] and then we have this other catchment

[1:54:55] which is civic which is kind of a

[1:54:57] catchment for those that those uses that

[1:55:00] are the fabric of our community our

[1:55:02] churches our synagogues our really our

[1:55:07] places of assembly those are those

[1:55:08] non-commercial um uses that you've

[1:55:11] described but they could be variety of

[1:55:12] scales you can have everything from a

[1:55:14] club size of the Marian cricket club

[1:55:15] which is a very large club down to a

[1:55:18] small B, you know, VFW that's a

[1:55:20] storefront that used to exist over here

[1:55:21] in Ardmore. All of those can be

[1:55:23] considered within that. It's it's a very broad distinct um category

[1:55:29] that allows a multitude of these kind of

[1:55:31] civic type uses.

[1:55:33] >> And where are those allowed currently?

[1:55:35] Is that townshipwide or

[1:55:37] >> they're township wide and it's they're

[1:55:38] on the zoning map. So if if you if we

[1:55:41] had a zoning map, we could um we could

[1:55:45] um bring it up. But essentially, if you

[1:55:48] had a club before we did the zoning, we

[1:55:50] zoned you as institutional civic and

[1:55:52] it's specific requirements for parking

[1:55:54] and for setbacks and for some of those

[1:55:56] other elements of it. It's not really a

[1:55:58] commercial use and it's not a

[1:56:00] residential use. It's this civic and

[1:56:02] that's kind of our catchment for all.

[1:56:03] >> What about not pre-existing clubs? a new

[1:56:07] club forms,

[1:56:09] >> a new club.

[1:56:10] >> Um, one thing that we've done with our

[1:56:12] institutions is

[1:56:13] >> we didn't really speculatively zone

[1:56:16] areas for institutional uses very in

[1:56:19] only a few places. So, our our new

[1:56:20] zoning code pretty much codified

[1:56:22] everything that was on the ground. So,

[1:56:24] if it if an institution was on the

[1:56:26] ground, it's really those kind of

[1:56:28] borders of that institution became the

[1:56:29] boundaries of that district.

[1:56:32] So a new one could certainly be

[1:56:34] introduced and it would just need a

[1:56:36] zoning change to do that. Stonley went

[1:56:39] through that, right? This board about a

[1:56:42] year ago, Stonley came in, acquired some

[1:56:44] additional property. Stonley is zoned

[1:56:47] institutional.

[1:56:48] It acquired a residential property next

[1:56:50] to it. They were merged together and

[1:56:53] then the boundaries were changed to

[1:56:55] allow that all to become part of

[1:56:57] Stoneley.

[1:57:01] Okay, thank you.

[1:57:03] >> Chris, I just have a quick question

[1:57:04] because uh based off that question, my

[1:57:06] wheels are kind of spinning a little

[1:57:07] bit. Does this have any effect on um

[1:57:12] early education school that is hosted in

[1:57:15] a church by chance or a place of

[1:57:17] worship?

[1:57:17] >> That does completely use nothing to do

[1:57:19] with that,

[1:57:19] >> right? Okay. Just just double checking.

[1:57:22] >> Um anyone else from the board wish to

[1:57:25] comment questions?

[1:57:28] All right. I'm seeing none. Madam

[1:57:30] Secretary, this is a roll call vote

[1:57:32] >> for the adoption of ordinance 4341.

[1:57:35] Mr. Burma,

[1:57:36] >> I.

[1:57:36] >> Mr. Courtney,

[1:57:37] >> yes.

[1:57:37] >> Mr. Taylor,

[1:57:38] >> no.

[1:57:40] >> Miss Epste,

[1:57:41] >> yes.

[1:57:42] >> Mr. Gregory,

[1:57:42] >> no.

[1:57:44] >> Miss Kramer,

[1:57:45] >> yes.

[1:57:47] >> Miss McGuire,

[1:57:48] >> hi.

[1:57:48] >> Dr. Rossmith,

[1:57:49] >> hi.

[1:57:49] >> Miss Sparrow,

[1:57:50] >> yes.

[1:57:50] >> Mr. Whan,

[1:57:52] >> yes.

[1:57:52] >> Mr. Woodri,

[1:57:53] >> hi.

[1:57:53] >> Mr. Zella,

[1:57:55] >> I

[1:57:55] >> Thank you. The ordinance is dy adopted.

[1:57:58] >> Thank you. Um, moving on to the adoption

[1:58:00] of ordinance chapter 107, official map

[1:58:04] vacation of a portion of Morris Road,

[1:58:06] Windwood. And you'll find this on page

[1:58:08] 26 in your packets.

[1:58:11] So this is an ordinance to amend the

[1:58:12] official map of streets of the township

[1:58:14] of lower Marian adopt pursuant to the

[1:58:17] provisions of the code of the township

[1:58:19] of lower Maran chapter 107 entitled

[1:58:22] official map to vacate and abandon a

[1:58:24] portion of a certain rightway being a

[1:58:26] portion of Morris Road 50t wide from

[1:58:29] Lancaster Avenue North to the distance

[1:58:31] of approximately 160 ft in the township

[1:58:34] of lower Maran. This ordinance was

[1:58:36] authorized for advertisement as stated

[1:58:38] in the meeting of the board of

[1:58:39] commissioners held on July 15, 2026 and

[1:58:42] duly advertised in the September 6th and

[1:58:44] September 13, 2026 editions of the

[1:58:47] mainline times and suburban. We'll start

[1:58:50] with a motion to adopt ordinance number

[1:58:51] 4342. Do I have a second? Uh,

[1:58:54] Commissioner Whan,

[1:58:56] there any questions from the board for

[1:58:58] the staff or comments for discussion?

[1:59:02] Uh, seeing none, Madam Secretary, it's a

[1:59:04] roll call vote. the adoption of

[1:59:06] ordinance 4342. Mr. Burnheim,

[1:59:08] >> I

[1:59:09] >> Mr. Courtney,

[1:59:10] >> yes.

[1:59:10] >> Mr. Daly,

[1:59:12] >> I

[1:59:13] >> Miss Epstein.

[1:59:14] >> Yes.

[1:59:14] >> Mr. Gregory.

[1:59:15] >> Hi,

[1:59:15] >> Miss Kramer.

[1:59:17] >> Yes.

[1:59:17] >> Miss Magguire.

[1:59:18] >> Hi,

[1:59:19] >> Dr. Ross.

[1:59:19] >> Hi,

[1:59:20] >> Miss Sparrow.

[1:59:20] >> Yes,

[1:59:21] >> Mr. Wh.

[1:59:22] >> Yes.

[1:59:22] >> Mr. Woodri,

[1:59:23] >> yes.

[1:59:23] >> Mr. Zella,

[1:59:25] >> I.

[1:59:25] >> The ordinance is dually adopted.

[1:59:27] >> Right. On to our last one. Adoption of

[1:59:30] ordinance chapter 145 vehicles and

[1:59:32] traffic left turn restrictions on

[1:59:33] McGomery Avenue from Brookway Road and

[1:59:36] North Bowman Avenue which you'll find on

[1:59:38] page 33 of your packets. Um, so this is

[1:59:41] an ordinance to amend the code of the

[1:59:44] township of Laura Marian chapter 145

[1:59:46] thereof entitled vehicles and traffic

[1:59:48] article 15 schedules uh 145-106

[1:59:53] schedule 6 intersections restricted as

[1:59:55] to turns and through traffic by

[1:59:57] restricting left-hand turns on

[1:59:59] Montgomery Avenue from Brookway Road to

[2:00:01] North Bowman Avenue. This ordinance was

[2:00:04] authorized for advertisement at a stated

[2:00:06] meeting of the board of commissioners

[2:00:07] held on August 3rd, 2026 and duly

[2:00:10] advertised in September 6th and

[2:00:11] September 13th, 2026 editions of the

[2:00:14] mainline Times and Suburban. Make a

[2:00:16] motion to adopt ordinance number 4343.

[2:00:18] Do I have a second? Commissioner

[2:00:20] Burnernheim. Uh any questions for staff

[2:00:22] or board comments?

[2:00:25] Nope. All right, Madam Secretary, that's

[2:00:28] uh calls for another roll call vote

[2:00:30] >> for the adoption of ordinance 4343. Mr.

[2:00:33] Bur,

[2:00:34] >> I.

[2:00:34] >> Mr. Courtney,

[2:00:35] >> yes.

[2:00:35] >> Mr. Dailyy,

[2:00:36] >> hi.

[2:00:36] >> Miss Epste,

[2:00:37] >> yes.

[2:00:38] >> Mr. Graham,

[2:00:38] >> hi.

[2:00:39] >> Miss Kramer,

[2:00:40] >> yes.

[2:00:41] >> Miss Magguire,

[2:00:41] >> hi.

[2:00:42] >> Dr. Ross,

[2:00:43] >> hi.

[2:00:43] >> Miss Farah,

[2:00:44] >> yes.

[2:00:44] >> Mr. Whan,

[2:00:45] >> yes.

[2:00:45] >> Mr. Wood,

[2:00:46] >> yes.

[2:00:46] >> Mr. Zilla,

[2:00:47] >> hi.

[2:00:48] >> The ordinance is dory adopted.

[2:00:49] >> All right. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

[2:00:51] Is there any unfinished business to come

[2:00:53] before the board?

[2:00:55] Any new business?

[2:00:57] All right. With that, I uh this meeting

[2:00:59] is adjourned. Thank you and have a good

[2:01:01] night.

[2:01:03] All right.

[2:01:34] Heat. Heat.

September 23, 2026 Board of Commissioners Meeting

Transcript