Upper Nazareth Supervisor’s Meeting – October 18, 2017
Upcoming Events
Curbside Leaf Pickup begins on October 23, 2017 and will finish the last week of November. The schedule can be found here: http://uppernazarethtownship.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-LEAF-PICKUP-SCHEDULE.pdf
BOO! October 31, 2017 – Trick or Treat night from 6:00 – 8:00 PM
- There will be a Halloween party from 4 – 6 at the township building
The Yard Waste Facility on Friedenstahl Avenue will close on November 18th.
Community Concerns
A resident expressed concern about children crossing Friedenstahl Avenue, saying that many of the cars speed and some drivers don’t stop for children in the crosswalks. School police cannot address this issue because they are not allowed to leave school property. The supervisors said they would look into increasing police presence, repainting the crosswalk lines, and fixing signs. Arresting people for speeding isn’t an option because the distance between 5th Street and Tatamy doesn’t have enough ground to break speeding laws. Chief Cope said he would organize with the school district on this issue.
A number of residents, including many from Eagle’s Landing, wanted to talk about the prison, rumored to be built on the land surrounding Gracedale. Public opposition to this proposal has been intense and included a No Jail at Gracedale Question and Answer session on October 15th. Previously, all of the Supervisors have pledged to vote against changing the zoning to allow the prison. However, someone pointed out that a commonwealth court ruling would allow the state to sue Upper Nazareth and overrule the township.
Bernie O’Hare, who publishes the blog, Lehigh Valley Ramblings, was there. He said that the State House has changed the administration code to allow 2 counties, one of which is Northampton, to use a mechanism to build a jail and claimed that this reported in the newspaper. (Editor’s Note: I could not find a story on this at either The Morning Call’s or The Express Time’s websites)
Township Matters
The Recycling Committee did a survey on trash pickup at the Touch-a-Truck event. Thirty-seven people responded and 86% said ‘yes’ to moving to a single-hauler, a number consistent with a previous survey. Some residents expressed concern on how their contracts with existing haulers would be affected. It was pointed out that the township would be eligible for more grants if we moved to a single-hauler. Fire trucks cost $300,000 and local taxes alone can’t cover the costs. Supervisors are scheduled to take a vote on the single-hauler issue on November 15th.
FEMA wants to the Lehigh Valley to put together a hazard mitigation plan for toxic spills. The team will require one supervisor from each township to join the team, and will make Upper Nazareth eligible for pre-disaster funding from FEMA. The supervisors approved this.
Five homes in the township are using a program to help pay for heating costs.
Approval of policies #17 & #18 which concern uniformed and non-uniformed personnel returning to work after a workman’s compensation claim.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Concerned about security, the supervisors voted to pay for 4 new panic buttons, estimated to cost $100 each. They also voted to look into updating the cameras, but decided that adding bulletproof glass and keeping the doors to the township building locked at all times wasn’t feasible.
Police wanted a mountain bike to use for patrolling football games and other events. Curt’s Cyclery of Nazareth has pledged to donate the money for the bike.
The supervisors waived the fee for using the pavilion for the No Jail at Gracedale Q & A meeting.
Approved money to fix a vacuum cleaner.
Approve money to pay for an annual ad concerning legal aid for fair housing.
The supervisors have ordered, and are waiting for, new credit cards.
Construction Updates
A train car derailed near Gun Club road, destroying some of the tracks. Norfolk Southern will repair the road, and will let the township know when they are finished. The supervisors gave them conditional approval for the project based on the detour change.
Morningstar’s assessment was reduced because the homes in question were demolished.
The supervisors voted to reduce the letter of credit for the Chrin warehouse on lot 1.
Many thanks to Jeanie Morgano for covering this meeting. Citizens have a right to know what their government is doing.
Upper Nazareth Township Meetings 