Summer activities, executive sessions & speed study top Bethel Twp. agenda

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

With warmer weather on the way, Bethel Township supervisors took numerous actions on Thursday related to the operation of the community pool and other upcoming township-sponsored outdoor events at Lions Park.

In other business, they announced several executive sessions related to a personnel matter and received an update on a speed study and the possible installation of temporary speed humps. 

Activities at Lions Park

Topping the list was approval of the Spring Fling Vendor Market event on Saturday, April 11, at the township’s Lions Park and Pool from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain date has been set for the following Saturday, April 18. The park is located at 124 Lions Drive, Fredericksburg. 

Vendor registration fee for the event is $20 per spot, $30 for food trucks. Fees will be waived for community-related and nonprofit organizations wishing to participate at the event.

Sam Acri, director of the Bethel Township Recreation Committee, told LebTown after the meeting that the event is normally held in the fall but is being moved to the spring to generate excitement for the upcoming pool season.  

An incentive for this event is residents can register for 15% savings on pool season passes, and buy one get one free coupons for pool day passes will be presented to registered vendors and performers.

In another action, supervisors also approved a themed pool party over the July 4 weekend related to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. Special commemorations are being held around the county and country in honor of this special occasion.  

Acri said there have been discussions with members of the recreation committee about charging a $2.50 admission to the pool that weekend as part of the weekend-long celebration. 

Supervisors gave three other approvals for items related to the township pool and park for the 2026 season and noted that the pool would tentatively open near the end of May.  

Supervisors agreed to pay $36 per Pure Test at the pool, an increase that’s believed to be between $4 and $6 over the 2025 price. They also will permit the Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel to conduct a Give-Back Day at the park and pool on Wednesday, April 15. 

Finally, the rec committee received permission to advertise for the 2026 pool season staff, including the hiring of concession stand workers and lifeguards. Acri told supervisors that pay rates for the upcoming season have not been determined by the committee, which will need to have final approval of supervisors at a future meeting. 

Supervisors made four affirmative moves regarding other agenda items concerning the little league baseball field, which is located at the township park. 

Supervisors voted to allow the rec committee to seek bids for a sprinkler watering system since the township has a $25,000 grant that expires on June 30, 2027. The rec committee is also permitted to enter into an agreement with the Northern Lebanon Little League for the field from March 9 through Oct. 31. The other two actions will allow the league to keep a portable toilet at the park during the season and for the organization to hang plaques in the field dugouts.

“The Little League would like to have plaques made and hang them out the dugouts on the back somewhere,” Acri said. “It just has the Little League oath with the players’ oath on it. They thought it would be nice to have it for their players to see.” 

Chairman Richard Rudy replied that the board has no issues with the baseball association wanting to display the oath within the player dugouts.

The final rec committee request was to give the committee permission to purchase from Amazon an integrated professional portable all-in-one sound system for use at the park and pool. The item’s cost is $442.99.

Executive sessions

It was announced at the start of the meeting that an executive committee session was held on Jan. 30 to discuss personnel matters.

In attendance were supervisors David Brubaker, chairman Richard Rudy, and Michael Saphore, and business manager Melissa Johnson. Solicitors Andrew Morrow and Joseph Rudolf, of Clark Hill, attended via Zoom.

Clark Hill PLC is a professional labor law firm, and it is noted in Rudolf’s biography on the firm’s website that he “represents the management teams of public employers by conducting employment investigations of alleged misconduct by public employees.”

Following Thursday’s meeting, supervisors went into an executive session again along with Morrow and Johnson to discuss personnel matters. It was not said whether that meeting is an ongoing discussion that involves the single legal matter being handled by Clark Hill PLC. 

Supervisors had unanimously agreed in October to hire the law firm for a legal matter, retroactive to Sept. 23, with the firm serving as the “township’s labor and employment law attorney.” 

Clark Hill is a Detroit, Michigan-based law firm with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and cities in a majority of states across the nation and around the world, according to their website. Rudolf works out of the firm’s Philadelphia office.

Through Thursday’s meeting, at which supervisors approved a payment of $7,738 through Feb. 12, the township has paid the firm $18,177 for this particular legal matter. That equates, based on the previously reported blended rate of $365, to 49.8 hours of billable work on behalf of the township.

Mill and Chestnut Hill speed study

Supervisors took no action but received an update on proposed temporary speed humps requested at Mill and Chestnut Hill roads.

Township zoning officer Jackie Hollenbach, who was subbing for township manager Matthew Mack, said PennDOT “does not want us to use those at all.”

She noted a RETTEW representative visited the site and provided a report based on his findings. Lancaster-based RETTEW is the township’s engineering firm. 

“Unfortunately, due to the straightness of the road and the no shoulders and the rough surface, it’s relative,” Hollenbach said. “There’s not a lot that can be done.” 

Installation of permanent speed tapes at permanent humps and radar speed limit signs, or possibly transportable ones that can be used at various locations, were his recommendations, she added. 

It was stated the township already uses portable signs. At a previous meeting it was noted that permanent speed humps are a barrier to properly removing snow from the roadway.

New supervisor David Brubaker, who replaced Bruce Light who did not seek re-election, echoed a sentiment stated by his predecessor that installing humps is “opening a can of worms” for other residents to want them placed on their roadways, too. 

Other board business

In other business, supervisors unanimously agreed to: 

• Allow the township manager to advertise to township residents to gauge interest in serving as elected auditors. The township currently has a vacancy and two inactive members, so supervisors will seek to fill three positions.     
• Table a professional services proposal from Eldon R. Stoltzfus architects for building design of a 3,600-square-foot municipal garage. The item was tabled because the solicitor said there are still questions about fees that weren’t outlined in the proposal. The structure, if constructed, would sit on the township’s municipal headquarters at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.   
• Receive an update on low volume road funding for the Camp Strause Road culvert replacement project. Hollenbach noted that the Lebanon County Conservation District conditionally approved the application, with the conditions calling for a rock-rate control upstream of the replacement structure.
• Ratify a declaration of disaster emergency from a weather event that was announced by supervisors on Jan. 25.
• Set the zoning hearing board solicitor’s fee schedule for 2026 at $170 per hour. 
• Appoint Amy Leonard as the Uniform Construction Code officer and set that board’s solicitor fee at $200 per hour. It was noted that the position has not been utilized for several years.
• Pass a resolution to allow the township manager to destroy old township records.
• Approve the wage sheet of the township’s new hire, Thomas Brewer.
• Use the state’s COSTARS Cooperative Purchase program for the 2026 salt contract for August 2026 through July 2027. The total tonnage the township was willing to take must be 60% of the requested amount, which they set at 800 tons. That means the township must accept 480 tons and will have 320 tons of salt in reserve.
• Accept the bid of Meyer Oil for fuel services at a cost of just over $3.22 per gallon. The bid requested pricing is for 12,000 gallons of diesel and gasoline fuels.
• Hire Joel Sechrist to provide snow-blowing services at $200 per hour for the south side of U.S. Route 22 and Randy Ziegler at $120 an hour for the north side of U.S. Route 22.
• Permit road foreman Robert Hauer to attend the PSATS annual educational conference and trade show from April 19-22 at a cost of $199.
• Grant two time extension requests for the two Lebanon 22 Solar construction projects to March 24 and for a separate time extension to April 24. In another matter, supervisors granted a waiver request concerning a right-of-way requirement for an area of roadway along Route 22.
• Agree to accept an agricultural security area application from Michael and Richelle Blecker for their properties located at 221 Long Road and 1667 Mount Zion Road. 
• Replace a letter of credit for Cold Spring Rentals Inc. with a payment of $10,759.11.
• Approve to sign the final subdivision plan for the Seth and Janet Oberholtzer project.
• Table a waiver request to the March meeting for a required sidewalk for a Bell & Evans construction project connected to the construction of the company’s Cook Plant.
• Provide two separate time extension requests for the Bell & Evans cold storage and separate packaging facility for March 16 and a separate waiver for April 10 for the company’s property located at 241 Blue Mountain Road, Fredericksburg.
• Give a time extension to April 20 for the Jeff Brubaker project at 2288 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.
• Approve the minutes of their Jan. 5, 2026 meeting.
• Accept the township’s financial report.
• Pay bills through Feb. 12 for the following funds and amounts: Park and Recreation, $633.88; Special Equipment Account, $77,442.96 for the purchase of a T770 T4 compact track loader; Street Light, $3,558.79; Unemployment, $178.62; General, $182,592.58. Some payments from the General Fund include $42,124.96 to American Rock Salt Company LLC for bulk ice control salt; and $25,000 contributions each to Fredericksburg Fire Co. No. 1 and Mount Zion Community Fire Company for township fiscal year 2026.  

Next meeting

Bethel Township supervisors meet the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the township building, 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg. The next regularly scheduled meeting is scheduled for March 12.