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Swatara Township’s Board of Supervisors met in a combined reorganization and regular meeting Monday morning, conducting routine beginning-of-year business and discussing zoning changes under consideration.
During reorganization, supervisors unanimously reappointed Rick Kreitzer as chairman and Dean Patches as vice-chairman. Supervisors also appointed township manager Jen Harding as secretary/treasurer.
Monday was the first meeting for newly elected supervisor Joe Motter, who won the Republican primary against incumbent Bill Bering Jr. in May and won the general election unopposed. Motter, who was entitled to up to $4,091 in pay due to increased allowed supervisor income (which only takes effect for each supervisor after an election), opted instead to take a salary of $1,875, the same amount Bering had received during his term.
Kreitzer and Patches maintained salaries of $2,500, as the $4,091 maximum has not yet taken effect for either of them.
- Unanimously made the following appointments:
- Lebanon County Treasurer’s Office as tax collector.
- Barley Snyder, represented by Colleen Gallo, as legal counsel.
- HRG as engineer.
- Harding and Patches as open records officer and alternate.
- JB Environmental Services and Brian McFeaters/Light-Heigel as sewer enforcement officer and alternate.
- Lewis Environmental as environmental abatement firm.
- Light-Heigel as zoning officer, floodplain administrator, and code enforcement officer.
- Harding as pension officer.
- Patches as MS4 administrator.
- SEK as CPA firm for auditing.
- Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services as EMA coordinator.
- Jane Henning as auditor (to set supervisor rates of pay working in the township).
- PLGIT, JBT, and Fulton as depositories.
- Board appointments:
- Patches to planning commission.
- Karen Garber to fill a vacancy for planning commission alternate.
- Hudson Hughes to zoning hearing board.
- Nikolaus & Hohenadel as zoning hearing board solicitor.
- Brian Vragovich to vacancy board.
- Reappointed members of the UCC and IPMC appeals boards.
- Matt Creme as UCC and IPMC board solicitor.
- Jim Schotzburger as TCC representative, Harding as alternate.
- Unanimously affirmed Bunker Hill Fire Company as the township fire company.
- Unanimously approved the continuance of a $2.5 million amount for a treasurer’s bond, current at $2.3 million.
- Unanimously approved 2026 holidays.
- Unanimously authorized all supervisors, Harding, and road crew to go to the state convention April 19-22 if they choose, with Harding as the voting delegate.
- Unanimously set mileage rate as IRS rate.
- Appointed all supervisors as township representatives for sale and purchase of equipment and capital expenditures.
- Unanimously agreed to increase financial security amounts by 10%.
- Tabled action on a park maintenance agreement renewal (around $10,000) with plans to look into other options.
- Tabled action on a roadside spraying contract, awaiting contact.
- Unanimously agreed to acquire road materials through COSTARS.
- Discussed renewal of contract with Comcast, with plans to reach out to other municipalities.
- Unanimously approved a resolution for escalator/de-escalator clause.
- Unanimously agreed to a resolution concerning the disposition of files from 2018.
- Unanimously approved township employee wages and set meeting pay at $40 or 1 1/2 times pay, whichever is greater.
- Discussed possibly giving employees who use their cellphones for work a cellphone allowance, no action taken.
- Unanimously approved an insurance stipend for employees of $50 a paycheck.
- Unanimously agreed to accept working supervisor rates at the rates set by auditors later in the week.
- Unanimously approved a resolution setting the manager’s wage at $40.14 per hour.
During their regular meeting, supervisors discussed potential modifications to zoning.
Patches summarized potential changes as changing large lot regulations from applying to two-acre lots to applying to five-acre lots, requiring engineer plans for structures on site, and not allowing the clearing of trees for conversion to agricultural uses, noting that land clearing would not be allowed save for where necessary for houses, driveways, septic, and similar uses.
Patches said the idea would be presented at the planning commission Thursday and return to supervisors in February. At this point, no ordinance has been drafted, so if supervisors opt to move forward, they will need to direct the solicitor to draft the ordinance and ultimately hold a public hearing.
Supervisors discussed a proposal to rezone certain parcels to commercial, shown in the map below. The proposal will be further discussed at the planning commission’s meeting Thursday.
Supervisors heard there may be a request for rezoning from the Horst property, but it has not yet been received.
Supervisors tabled advertisement on revisions to the Subdivision and Land Development Plan, with plans to review the plan over the next month with planned adoption in March.
In other news, supervisors:
- Heard that bids will open for the Old Jonestown Road Bridge Project and Airport Road Pipe Replacement Project Feb. 3.
- Heard that residents have complained about student parking on Township Line Drive, with some residents saying students parked by driveways are limiting sight distance. Though no action was taken, the township plans to reach out to the Northern Lebanon School District to see if notice can be sent to students asking them not to park there.
- Heard that a zoning hearing is planned Jan. 7 for the Arlin Steiner ag operation (which hopes to add a third chicken house and needs approval for impervious coverage planned for around 2,000 square feet over the limit, as well as the planned chicken house being closer to an adjacent agricultural lot than is typically allowed) and opted not to take a position. Supervisors unanimously approved an Act 102 permit application for the operation.
- Unanimously ratified a CMV emergency declaration from Dec. 26, for response to the icy conditions.
- Unanimously approved a Cornwell estimate for repairs to the garage door opener of $1,157.90, without guarantee the problem will be fixed. At present, lights being on in the shop interferes with the ability of the garage doors to open.
- Discussed a zoning notice of appeal and property line dispute in executive session.
- Directed Harding to respond to a request for confirmation of complaints that all complaints received by the township have been investigated and acted upon accordingly.
- Tabled action on a TruGreen maintenance proposal.
- Unanimously approved reports and minutes.
The Swatara Township Board of Supervisors will have its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at 68 Supervisors Drive.
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