Board of Supervisors
Monday, January 04 2010
Board of Supervisors
Monday January 4, 2010
Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors
Meeting Minutes
The Reorganization meeting of the Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors was held January 4, 2010 in the Township Building, 4613 Hughesian Drive, Buckingham, Pennsylvania.
Present:
Maggie Rash Chairperson
Jon Forest Vice-Chairman
Henry Rowan Member
Dana S. Cozza Township Manager
Mrs. Rash led The Pledge of Allegiance at 6:00 p.m.
Appointment of Temporary Chairman
Mrs. Rash made a motion, seconded by Mr. Forest to appoint Mr. Forest the Temporary Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan voting nay.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No activity.
BUSINESS
1. Organization of the Board of Supervisors:
a. Election of Chairman.
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to appoint Mr. Forest Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan voting nay.
b. Election of Vice Chairman.
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to appoint Mrs. Rash Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan voting nay.
2. Consideration of approving Bill List for the meeting of January 4, 2010.
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve the Bill List for the meeting of January 4, 2010. Mrs. Rash questioned the two legal fees. Mrs. Cozza clarified one was for the labor lawyer Ballard Spahr, and the other McNamara Bolla for cellular tower work. Mr. Rowan questioned the payment to PSATS. Mrs. Cozza clarified it is for annual membership dues. Mr. Rowan asked if it was worth $2,000 to belong to the organization if no one is attending the annual convention. Mrs. Cozza explained the township receives legal bulletins and can turn to PSATS with questions, but it was up to the Board if it was worth it or not. Mrs. Rash said she read the recent PSATS newsletter and that it seems they are active and lobby for items the township supports. Mr. Forest agreed that the convention is not the only benefit offered. The motion carried unanimously.
3. Appointment of a Voting Delegate and Alternate to the Annual Convention of the State Association of Township Supervisors.
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to appoint Mr. Forest as the Voting Delegate and Mrs. Rash as the Alternate to the Annual Convention of the State Association of Township Supervisors. Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash said even though attending the convention is not in the budget, they may attend at their own expense.
The motion carried unanimously.
4. Consideration of setting appointments of various Township Officials for 2010.
Resolution No. 2105
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2105 setting appointments of various Township Officials including:
Craig A. Smith, Township Solicitor, in accordance with proposal dated December 15, 2009
Knight Engineering, Township Engineer, in accordance with proposal dated December 15, 2009
Castle Valley Consultants, Water & Wastewater Engineer, in accordance with proposal dated December 14, 2009
Bucks County Planning Commission, Lynn T. Bush, Executive Director, Township Planners, in accordance with proposal dated December 14, 2009
Carol Manicone & Derek Sutphin, Landscape Review Consultants, in accordance with proposal dated December 2, 2009
Keystone Municipal Services, Inc., Building and Zoning department services provider, in accordance with proposal dated August 24, 2009.
Larry Hepner, Township Agronomist, in accordance with proposal dated December l1, 2009.
Mrs. Rash explained the township requested proposals on all of these areas, and the consultants being considered for appointment offered more than competitive quotes. Mr. Forest expanded that they also have a history with the township.
Mr. Forest called the vote. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan voting nay.
5. Consideration of setting appointment of Township Manager for 2010.
Resolution No. 2106
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2106 setting appointment of Dana Cozza as the Township Manager for 2010.
Mrs. Rash explained the Township Manager received a retroactive pay raise due to not receiving a raise in the year 2009 at the same time non-uniformed employees did. The Township Manager traditionally receives a raise, if provided, at the end of the year. Mrs. Rash also said all pay increases have been frozen for the 2010 budget. Mr. Forest believed 2% was a fair raise, as the Middletown Township manager reportedly received a 6.75% raise. Mrs. Rash thanked Mrs. Cozza for continuing to perform the job duties she had as an assistant manager, grant writer, and human resources director, along with manning the road master position which has been advertised. Mr. Forest reiterated that Mrs. Cozza does a wonderful job.
Mr. Forest called the vote. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan voting nay.
6. Consideration of approving Resolution appointing a Township Secretary/Treasurer and Authorizing the Secretary/Treasurer to sign all contracts, plans, documents and legal papers on behalf of and in lieu of the Board of Supervisors.
Resolution No. 2107
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2107 appointing Ms. Dana Cozza as Township Secretary and Ms. Jill Pistory as Treasurer to sign all contracts, plans, documents and legal papers on behalf of and in lieu of the Board of Supervisors.
The motion carried unanimously.
7. Consideration of approving the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month as Supervisors' Regular Business Meetings and the 3rd Wednesday of each month as a Work Session.
Resolution No. 2108
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2108 approving the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month as Supervisors' Regular Business Meetings and the 3rd Wednesday of each month as a Work Session.
Mr. Rowan objected to the third Wednesday of the month Work Session being moved from 6:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., as it is difficult for him to attend at that time. Mr. Forest said there has been time confusion in the past with the work sessions beginning sometimes at 6:00 p.m. and others at 6:30. Mrs. Rash said they were trying to bring the times into consistency, but had no problem leaving it at 6:30 p.m.
The motion was amended to include that the Resolution be revised to indicate that the 3rd Wednesday Work Session of each month begins at 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Rash seconded the motion.
The motion carried unanimously.
8. Consideration of approving a Resolution setting the amount of the Treasurer’s Bond for 2010 at $3,000,000.
Resolution No. 2109
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2109 setting the amount of the Treasurer’s Bond for 2010 at $3,000,000. .
Mr. John Cunningham, Carversville Road, questioned what the Treasurer’s Bond means. Mrs. Cozza explained it provides protection for the township in case the treasurer steals township money. Mr. Forest said it is insurance. Mr. Cunningham asked if it meant the township (he, as a taxpayer) is paying for $3 million dollars of insurance. Mr. Forest explained the township purchases a bond. Mrs. Cozza said the township actually looked into getting a higher amount, due to the budget increasing in recent years, but there was a large increase in the payment for a $5 or $6 million dollar bond. Mr. Cunningham asked why the township needs this. Solicitor Smith replied from the audience the bond is a requirement in the 2nd Class Township Code. Mr. Cunningham wanted to know how much the bond costs the township. Mr. Forest was not sure. Mr. Cunningham asked who it was being purchased from. Mr. Forest asked Mr. Rowan if he was aware what the township paid in previous years. Mr. Rowan said he did not, but that the township has “shopped” the bond, and it is needed in the very rare event that somebody takes off with the money, the taxpayers are protected. Mr. Rowan said the $3 million figure was reached because that’s what the accounts were previously worth.
The motion carried unanimously.
9. Consideration of approving appointments to fill the vacancies on the various Township Boards and Commissions for the year 2010.
Resolution No. 2110
Mr. Forest requested one amendment to the prepared Resolution, saying he had spoken with Alice Stoll and Scott Nickett regarding the Vacancy Board Chairman, and that they had agreed Scott Nickett should be considered for appointment.
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2110 approving appointments to fill the vacancies on the various Township Boards and Commissions for the year 2010, with the amendment that Scott Nickett be appointed Vacancy Board Chairman in place of Alice Stoll. Mrs. Rash will be the Governing Body Representative to the Agricultural Preservation Committee, and Mr. Forest will be the Governing Body Representative to the Agricultural Security Area Advisory Commission, with Mrs. Rash the Alternate Governing Body Representative.
Mr. Forest called the vote. The motion carried with Mr. Forest and Mrs. Rash voting aye and Mr. Rowan abstaining.
10. Consideration of appointing McGladrey & Pullen, Certified Public Accountants, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, to audit the 2009 fiscal affairs of the township and the township officers.
Resolution No. 2111
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2111 appointing McGladrey & Pullen, Certified Public Accountants, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, to audit the 2009 fiscal affairs of the township and the township officers.
Mr. Rowan requested the township advertise for consultants and public accountants much earlier in the year than it did this year, he doesn’t believe there is fair representation with it going out so late. He also believes a change of public accountants next time may be good, not that McGladrey & Pullen do a bad job, but he wants to start the requests for proposals in June of 2010. Mrs. Rash reported there were five proposals submitted, with McGladrey Pullen being the least expensive on basic charges. She also said the township finance director, Mrs. Pistory, gave McGladrey & Pullen a “gold star”. Mrs. Rash had a note from Mrs. Pistory explaining that McGladrey & Pullen are a national company very involved in the Government Financial Officers Association and that they rotate their staff regularly. Mrs. Rash said the other four proposals were analyzed, and there was a good representation of companies across the Board. Mr. Rowan wanted to remind the Board that Arthur Anderson was a national firm that qualified for consideration. Mr. Salvesen, township auditor, asked Mr. Rowan if there was a reason not to appoint McGladrey & Pullen. Mr. Rowan said no specific reason just that it is standard to change accounting firms to get a different set of eyes. Mrs. Cozza said she had read recent articles produced by GFOA recommending retaining the same firm if they regularly rotated auditor’s, that the firm is familiar with your books, but not the individuals. Mr. Salvesen said that in his experience with the Board of Auditors, McGladrey & Pullen were professional and he was glad they would be appointed once again.
The motion carried unanimously.
11. Consideration of approving a Resolution Replacing Resolution No. 2074, establishing a fee schedule of Subdivision and Land Development, Zoning, Building and Other Fees for 2010.
Resolution No. 2112
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2112 replacing Resolution No. 2074, establishing a fee schedule of Subdivision and Land Development, Zoning, Building and Other Fees for 2010. Mr. Forest explained the township has been adjusting the fee schedule annually to bring it up to the amounts the work actually costs the township.
The motion carried unanimously.
12. Consideration of approving a Resolution setting pay rates for non-uniformed employees for the year 2010.
Resolution No. 2113
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2113 setting pay rates for non-uniformed employees for the year 2010. Mr. Forest explained even though raises for non-uniformed employees are not in the budget this year, it is still necessary to pass this resolution. The motion carried unanimously.
13. Consideration of approving a Resolution affirming the holiday schedule for Township
Non-Uniformed Employees for 2010.
Resolution No. 2114
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2114 affirming the holiday schedule for Township Non-Uniformed Employees for 2010. Mr. Forest announced that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was added to the regular holiday schedule. The motion carried unanimously.
14. Consideration of approving a Resolution appointing an officer to provide tax certifications for the year 2010.
Resolution No. 2115
Mr. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to approve Resolution No. 2115 appointing an officer to provide tax certifications for the year 2010. The motion carried unanimously
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS / MANAGER’S ITEMS
- Mrs. Cozza informed the Board that she had a request from the 4059 Skyron Drive projects managers to attend a Work Session to discuss proposed changes of use. She said they have been instructed by township staff to make application to the Zoning Hearing Board. Mr. Forest said he had no problem with them coming for an informal meeting, as long as they realize they must still go to the Zoning Hearing Board. Mrs. Rash and Mr. Rowan agreed.
-Mrs. Rash requested that at future work sessions if an item is scheduled that has been previously discussed during a work session or regular Board of Supervisors meeting, and there are minutes, that those minutes be provided to the board for reference.
Ms. Forest made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Rash to adjourn the meeting at 6:40 p.m. The motion carried unanimously.
Approved by the Board of Supervisors on the 13th day of January, 2010.
Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors
Jon Forest, Chairman
Maggie Rash, Vice-Chairman
Henry Rowan, Member
Attest: Dana S. Cozza, Secretary
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