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Millcreek Township supervisors unanimously agreed to direct their solicitor to begin work on an ordinance adopting the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) at its meeting Wednesday.
The board also unanimously agreed to reach out to Commonwealth Code Services Inc. to provide their services once the code is adopted.
The township began researching the IPMC due to concerns about its existing ordinances on property maintenance being outdated and/or incomplete.
As of now, residents with concerns about neighboring properties often need to interfact with Lebanon County Planning and Zoning — and resident Julie Manderwicz said Wednesday that she has found her interactions with the organization “dismissive.”
Millcreek has had repeated issues with residences that see grass uncut for periods of months, dilapidated buildings, and use of a yards to store junk and broken vehicles.
Once Commonwealth Code Services is employed by the township, they will investigate code complaints (such as siding failing, rotten wood, or grass and weeds) and follow a strict procedure.
First, they leave a “door-hanger” notice. If the issue is not resolved, they then mail an official notice. And if all else fails, they take violators to court.
The solicitor also provided an update on the Dale Good residence. Over a year ago, the owner built a second home on the property without obtaining permits to do so.
The home houses the owner’s elderly stepmother, who has begun hospice care. Good requested that the violation be ignored until she passes (at which time the house would be demolished), but supervisors said they didn’t know how long that could be.
Good said he would continue going forward with the permitting process — as supervisors gave him until January to make significant progress.
The planning commission recommended the board fully fine Good (at $500 a day) $182,500 for the violation, but supervisors said they were more interested in recouping fines and getting the violation sorted.
In other news, the board:
- Unanimously agreed to advertise the 2025 balanced budget, no tax increase planned, to be adopted at its December meeting.
- Unanimously agreed to an agreement with JFM for access to and construction of a sewer lateral.
- Unanimously agreed to pay for the spaying/neutering of three dogs with the Humane Society for $150 each.
- At the request of a resident, agreed to reach out to PennDOT again about the possibility of a restriction on engine brakes.
- Unanimously agreed to send letters to several residences about unpaid mowing bills.
- Unanimously agreed to raise the auditor rate of pay to $18 an hour and seek three auditors to set a rate for supervisors to be paid if they do work for the township.
- Unanimously approve meeting dates for 2025.
- Unanimously agreed to open a three-month money market account for $200,000 with Fulton Bank.
- Unanimously agreed to renew the treasurer bond for $2,100,000.
- Unanimously agreed to apply for a DCED Local Share Account grant on behalf of the fire company.
Millcreek Township meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
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