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The planned merger of North Annville Township’s two fire companies is moving forward despite a stalled bylaws agreement for the new organization.
A lengthy discussion was held Monday, Aug. 12, by township supervisors concerning ongoing delays in reaching an agreement and the August deadline that had been set for a decision to be made.
York-based attorney Jill Nagy, who has worked with other local fire company mergers, was announced as being hired by Union Water Works Fire Company members to represent their interests in the merger with Bellegrove Fire Company.
Nagy noted a minor issue within the proposed bylaws that needs to be resolved. She asked supervisors for a deadline extension to September so Union Water Works members can resolve the problem during a meeting in early September.
Supervisors in July gave Union Water Works personnel an August deadline to announce their merger intentions.
Bellegrove Fire Company deputy chief and merger committee member Mark Sallada expressed his and the committee’s frustration over ongoing delays and the hiring of an attorney this late in the process.
He noted a memorandum of understanding concerning the merger was signed between fire company representatives in October 2023 and that a deadline of Jan. 1, 2025, for the debut of the new North Annville Township Fire Company was established as a goal.
“With all due respect to Union Water Works getting a lawyer, probably should have done that a couple of months ago, right?” said Sallada, who believes a delay means the Jan. 1 deadline won’t be met. “I think what we’re starting to see is kick-the-can-down-the-road, for lack of a better term. What’s the next thing going to be?”
He noted the merger committee has made “major headway” in moving the process forward and said Union Water Works members have “said very little” regarding bylaw concerns at prior meetings.
“The merger committee gets along very well despite what anyone else says,” said Sallada. “There’s no argument. No conflicts or nothing like that. We’ve all had the same amount of equal opportunity. No one is favored over the other.”
He said that, while the first day of 2025 is the agreed-upon date for the premier of the new company, the MOU actually states the merger process was to be completed in six months, meaning it should have been finalized by May 1.
“Then we went to June, then we went to July for an answer and now we’re here at August and you guys (the supervisors) gave a final date as August. You said we need to set an August date if we’re going to make things happen,” said Sallada.
North Annville Township solicitor Paul Bametzreider called Nagy’s involvement “a good thing.”
“She was involved with the merger of the Northern Lebanon fire companies and the Annville Cleona fire companies, so she has a good track record. She did present a schedule of the steps necessary to get this completed and I emailed it to you guys, so take a look at that,” said Bametzreider. “I believe all of this is doable, and it seems like some of the issues that are being presented are being cleared up, so I do believe it is possible.”
Sallada said that Nagy was hired for other mergers because those were complicated cross-municipality agreements.
“This is pretty simple. This is the same municipality, right? Those were not,” said Sallada. “And that makes a big difference when you have multiple boards who have to try and organize multiple fire companies together. … So it does get frustrating for the merger committee. You go through all of this work and through this timeline and positive forward movement, at least on the merger committee side, and we’re just continuing to kick the can down the road and there’s always an excuse.”
After listing several other previous delays, Sallada implored supervisors to maintain the August deadline, adding if Union Water Works decides as a company to join later, that’s when that will be discussed.
Nagy also highlighted a couple of legal matters that have to be addressed as required by the state’s attorney general’s office for the merger to be official. Board vice chairman Aaron Miller commented that those issues shouldn’t stall the signing of the bylaws agreement and requested that the merger process continue to move forward.
Legal matters aside, Sallada said the development and launch of new social media pages and a website are among other goals that need to be accomplished. He said the number of items on the to-do list are like a couple getting engaged one day and having a 300-guest wedding banquet the next. In other words, that’s an unrealistic feat to accomplish.
Miller, who did all of the talking on behalf of supervisors during discussion, again asked the merger committee to advance its assignments and hopes that Union Water Works members sign the bylaws.
Sallada was asked if individual Union Water Works members would be welcome to the new entity if they decided not to join as a fire company. Not only did Sallada say individuals are welcome, he offered to create an application on the back of a piece of paper for anyone in attendance at the meeting who wished to join the new organization, noting clearance of child and criminal background checks would most certainly lead to any membership application be accepted and new members welcomed with open arms.
LebTown asked Bametzreider in a follow-up telephone call after the meeting if the merger will continue if Union Water Works members refuse to sign the bylaws. He said that, while the merger would end, the creation of a new fire company known as North Annville Fire Company would still proceed.
“That’s kind of the way the supervisors are approaching it. The supervisors want both fire companies to merge, become one and join their manpower and all of their equipment together,” said Bametzreider. “In that way, the township has an obligation to support the fire companies that are within its borders. If they can get the companies to merge, then going forward, they will receive financial requests from one fire company rather than two. That seems to make financial sense for the supervisors to only support one fire company. In a township the size of North Annville, one fire company should be enough.”
Regardless of what either company decides in the near term, Bametzreider said supervisors are committed to recognizing and financially supporting one company known as North Annville Fire Company beginning Jan. 1.
He added that supervisors have the authority to prohibit a non-approved company from running calls within its borders. About 2,250 residents live in North Annville Township.
“If for some reason Union Water Works doesn’t want to come along, I was getting assurances from them last evening that they do want to come along, but if they don’t, then the township will just proceed with the one fire company,” said Bametzreider. “It will take on the apparatus of Bellegrove Fire Company and the manpower of Bellegrove Fire Company.”
In other township business, Bametzreider said he’s been involved in “very early talks” about a 10-acre solar field being proposed by Lebanon Valley College.
Read More: LVC explores 10-acre solar project off Kreiderheim Lane in N. Annville Twp.
He said he met with representatives from the Lebanon County Planning Department and the college regarding the establishment of a solar field on LVC-owned property on Kreiderheim Lane in North Annville Township.
He noted the farm would solely service the college with no intention to direct any energy toward the electric grid for commercial purposes. He added this would lessen the college’s dependence on the commercial electric facility and that questions about whether the township’s solar ordinance applies to this proposal still need to be answered.
“Their reps seemed amiable with a buffer, a solar fence and a bond for decommissioning the panels,” Bametzreider told the supervisors. “It seems like they are willing to follow the requirements of the ordinance. It’s very basic, but also in very early stages.”
Initial comments from local residents who packed the meeting, which also witnessed the creation of two traffic ordinances in North Annville Township, opposed the solar proposal.
Read More: N. Annville Twp. supervisors pass two ordinances for Clear Spring Road
One commenter referenced opening Pandora’s box to other solar projects if this one is approved, while another said the door would be open to other companies “weaseling in” their solar initiatives.
Bametzreider said he doesn’t believe that would occur since this project is intended to provide electricity to the college and not be sold for commercial purposes. However, another resident noted that lowering their energy costs by having their own solar panels is in his opinion a commercial venture that benefits LVC.
While 10 acres is being proposed for this project, there’s actually an additional 140 acres of farmland at the site. One resident said that although 10 acres is the initial proposal, he believes the other 140 acres will eventually be developed into a solar farm once the college officials realize the success of their initial endeavor.
The supervisors also voted during their regularly scheduled meeting to:
- Pass Ordinance No. 1-2024 limiting trailers on Clear Spring Road to a maximum length of 43 feet. The ordinance provides for the placement of signs indicating the restriction, and provides for a penalty for any party who violates those terms.
- Implement Ordinance No. 2-2024, which lowers the speed limit on Clear Spring Road from 40 to 35 mph.
- Accept the police department, highway, emergency services advisory committee, planning commission and fire company reports.
- Approve the minutes of their July 8 meeting and the July 8 treasurer’s report.
- Read and pay monthly invoices.
The next meeting of the North Annville Township supervisors is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9, at Union Water Works Fire Company, 2875 Waterworks Way, Annville, at 7:30 p.m.
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