Bethel Twp. supervisors approve pool opening, poultry producer’s projects

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

Bethel Township supervisors voted unanimously Thursday, May 14, to open the community pool, beginning with limited hours, for the summer season on June 8.

In other discussions and actions of the board, there were motions approved concerning several construction projects involving two agricultural producers, Bell & Evans and the planned Michele Grumbine poultry operation.

The pool at Lions Park

While the pool will open on June 8, what’s still to be determined is how often it will be open during the summer season since more individuals are needed to staff it, according to Sam Acri, director of the Bethel Township Recreation Department. 

“We’ve been trying to talk to the schools and some of the local classes and get some more people. But if anyone knows anyone that wants to be a lifeguard this summer, send them our way,” Acri announced at the meeting before a full room of attendees. 

Supervisors approved hiring a lead lifeguard, three additional lifeguards, and five people to work in the concession stand. 

LebTown asked her Friday via email what will happen if more staff isn’t hired.

“The pool will be open whenever we have (enough) lifeguards available. Hopefully, that will be every day with the four lifeguards we’ve hired so far, but it is possible the pool will have to be closed on days without staffing until we find more,” Acri wrote, emphasis included.

She noted the start will include limited hours until more staff is hired.

Immediately following the meeting, Acri asked LebTown if she could email the following statement to include with this article.

“We are looking for additional lifeguards at Bethel Township’s Lions Pool in Fredericksburg for the 2026 season. Join our team and spend your summer by the pool with flexible scheduling! Lifeguard pay starts at $15 per hour, and 50% of your certification cost will be reimbursed after 100 hours worked. 

Applicants must be reliable, responsible, and certified (or willing to get certified) and have a friendly, positive attitude. Apply Mon-Fri 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Bethel Township municipal building: 3015 South Pine Grove St Fredericksburg, PA 17026. Please call the municipal office with any questions at (717) 865-4005.”   

In other park business, supervisors approved the annual Kids Fall Fun Day for Sept. 26 and the rental of three bounce houses from JRE Bounce Co. for $855.

The board also approved painting the interior walls and cabinets in the park’s large pavilion. Acri noted during the meeting that a township work crew will paint the inside walls and the cabinets to “kind of make it look nice,” adding that the park board is “exploring options for the floor as well.” 

“Just like the cracks and the concrete, and we’ll see what we can do with it but just looking to have the township paint the walls and cabinets for now,” she said. 

During the roadmaster’s report, it was noted that the pool has been drained for cleaning, and an examination was conducted to determine if additional repairs were needed. 

“They so far got the bathrooms cleaned and the pool building and the concession stand kept up with cutting grass around the park and spreading mulch around the park,” chairman Richard Rudy read on behalf of roadmaster and fellow supervisor Michael Saphore, who was absent from the meeting.

In a final action item involving the park, supervisors rejected both bids received for installation of a new sprinkler system for the park’s three baseball fields. 

The bids were from Delaware Environmental Construction Services for $169,000 and WG Land Company LLC for $160,000. Township engineer Matthew Mack advised supervisors to reject the bids, which were way over the budgeted amount for the project.

Bell & Evans projects

Actions by the board involved the company’s planned Plant 3A, grain storage facility, and new transportation center projects. 

Concerning the planned transportation facility along Fredericksburg Road, Mack noted that while the plan had been approved several months ago, the company had filed an amended plan due to project changes, particularly moving from two driveways in the original plan to one driveway in the amended one. 

“So that required some waivers to make the plan clean and document everything,” Mack said. “We asked them to file an amended final plan. They’ve gotten the approval and updated from the FSWA (Fredericksburg Sewer & Water Authority). All the plan comments are done and he worked on the agreements,”

Township solicitor Andrew Morrow then noted the original agreement was actually entered into last November, but then there was a desire by company officials to make some revisions. 

“The biggest one of all, again, is going from two driveways with two entrances down to one,” he said. “There were also changes in the footprint and the like, but the driveway was the most fundamental change.”

Morrow said the company proposes to construct a 31,516-square-foot private fleet maintenance building with an additional 9,044-square-foot available for future growth, a 5,895-square-foot truck wash building, 288,300-square-feet of macadam concrete for truck parking and maneuvering, and two stormwater management facilities.

“Again, the significant difference here is that instead of having two entrances, one for trucks and the other for team members, there’s a proposed combined entrance for both off of Fredericksburg Road,” he said. “And actually the total impervious coverage area is virtually identical to the original plan. There’s basically no difference if you net everything out. It’s pretty much the same. However, based upon, you know, my looking at the plan, I did not feel comfortable just going forward with doing a mandatory agreement.”

Morrow also addressed the previous letter of credit of $62,000 for this project.

“In terms of the letter of credit it had been issued six months ago for this project for what I guess we’ll call the initial project. There was a cost estimate that had been done and the difference was only $62,000 between the letter of credit amount of six months ago and the original proposed cost estimate for this matter,” Morrow said. “Given what they’re constructing now, they’ve more than covered $62,000 worth of difference in construction. Well more than that at this point. So we felt comfortable just for them continuing the approved letter of credit. There’s no issue with that at all.”

Morrow suggested and the board approved three items regarding the project. 

The board agreed to sign the May 6 amended land development improvements agreement, sign the May 6 amended stormwater management agreement and declaration of easement, and sign the preliminary/final amendment record land development plan for the transportation center, dated Jan. 5 and last revised on April 21.

Bell & Evans’ requested action involving an addition to Plant 3 on Chestnut Hill Road, which is known as the Plant 3A project. This action involved Plant 3A initial work at the site for what was describsed as mass grading of the site pad.  

It was recommended and approved that an escrow of $494,265.51 be returned since the township “already has monies held in the Plant 3 escrow account.” 

One final action concerning Bell & Evans was a time extension request to Aug. 13 for its planned grain facility on Legionnaire Drive.   

Grumbine poultry operation

Morrow noted this project involves a new poultry operation, including several 63- by 500-foot poultry barns, a 50- by 80-foot manure storage facility, gravel driveway and pads, and associated stormwater management controls, including an infiltration basin.

“Just so the board is aware, because obviously this matter has been discussed at previous meetings, planning commission, and the board of supervisors, I created a fairly lengthy provision in this agreement in excess of one page, pertaining to the odor management plan that has been previously discussed,” Morrow said. “Additionally, I attached as an exhibit four pages that are the odor management plan, so there would be no confusion as to what’s being discussed in the agreement.”

He noted the developers are responsible for complying with the terms of the odor management plan. 

“I have specific language in the agreement that indicates that the failure to abide by the terms of the approved odor management plan should be considered a violation within the land development improvements agreement. And if such violation occurs, the township will notify the commonwealth of Pennsylvania of such violation of the odor management plan and enforce the terms of the within land development improvements agreement,” added Morrow. “So I did spend some time giving the history of this matter, and I’m satisfied with this detail at this point.” 

The supervisors agreed to sign the May 12 land development improvements agreement, the May 12 stormwater management agreement and declarations, and the preliminary final land development plan, dated June 4, 2025, and last revised on April 21. 

Other township business

In other business, Rudy and fellow supervisor David Brubaker voted unanimously to: 

• Award the 2026 road maintenance projects bid to AMS for $443,388.72. 
• Receive the roadmaster’s report, including the replacement of storm sewage pipes at several locations in the township and mowing along township roads. 
• Grant a time extension request for the Jeff Brubaker project at 2288 S. Pine Grove St. to Aug. 14. 
• Table action regarding a letter from the planning commission regarding Act 209, which deals with the implementation of traffic impact fees involving construction projects in the township. The planning commission had recommended this action to supervisors instead of exploring revision of its comprehensive plan. 
• Table possible adoption of the Copart of Connecticut Inc. agreement until June since supervisor Mike Saphore was not in attendance Thursday.
• Approve four waivers for the Chris Lantz construction project at 995 Greble Road, including the minimum pipe diameter of 15 inches and three other related requests that dealt with minimum street width, an additional 50-foot right-of-way for the roadway, and required street improvements.
• Pay the monthly bills including the following: park and recreation: $3,042.13; building: $400; street light: $3,562.05; and general: $122,250.74. 
• Accept the report of the sewer authority and the financial report. 
• Receive an update that the low-volume road funding project involving a culvert replacement on Camp Strausse Road is almost complete. Mack said the survey is done, wetlands completed, and the plan should be finished next week pending two approvals, including one from the Lebanon County Conservation District.
• Accept a cleared new account number to replace an old one for a depository with Keystone Collections Group. 
• Accept the resignation of school crossing guard Brian Smith. 
• Approve the minutes of their April 9 meeting and April 29 special meeting.

Next meeting

Bethel Township supervisors meet the third Thursday of the month at the municipal building at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg. The next meeting is at 7 p.m. June 11.