Thursday, July 19, 2012
A representative of the state Department of Environmental Protection has been invited tonight’s meeting of the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors to discuss Act 13, a state law regulating oil and gas drilling.
Act 13, a law passed by the Pennsylvania state legislature in February to regulate oil and gas drilling, has been under discussion at the last two meetings of the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors. The conversation began at the Supervisors’ June 7 meeting when township resident Barnaby Ruhe made a presentation to the board about what he sees as the dangers of Act 13 and asked the board to join the more than 100 townships across the state he says are opposing the law. A court challenge is also in the works, Ruhe said. Do you think the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors should formally oppose Act 13? Tell us in the comments. In an effort to learn more about Act 13 before taking any sort of a formal stand against it, the …
Friday, July 13, 2012
Upper Milford Resident’s Letter to Morning Call columnist motivates Upper Milford Board of Supervisors to approve a new traffic light at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Ramer Road/Colebrook Avenue.
The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors approved a traffic signal upgrade for the intersection of Chestnut Street and Ramer Road/Colebrook Avenue at the board’s June 21 meeting. The decision by the board was prompted, in part, by a letter from Upper Milford resident Geoff Conklin written to a Morning Call columnist known as the Road Warrior. In that letter, Conklin expressed his opinion that intersection needs larger, brighter traffic lights. Another Upper Milford resident came out to the June 21 mentioning the Road Warrior column and supporting Conklin’s views about the need for more visible traffic lights at the intersection. Is there an road somewhere in Emmaus Patch that you think someone should take a look at? Tell us in the comments. …
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Robert Senter says the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors needs to start looking at the 2013 budget now and must start making financial plans for future township infrastructure.
The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors left the board’s July 5 meeting with a homework assignment, compliments of Supervisor Robert Sentner. Sentner is advocating that the board take a more proactive approach to the township’s budget process and wants to start looking at the 2013 budget now, rather than in the fall. Sentner also thinks the board should look at the budget from the perspective of what the township needs, rather than simply looking at what the township can afford. “In the past we always just make it (the budget) fit,” Sentner said. “We need to look at where the township is with things like EIT (Earned Income Tax) and what we’re going to need for the coming year and for future year projects. “A budget should be about what you …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors voted at its July 5 meeting to deny Ralph Christman’s request to opt out of the Vera Cruz Sewer Project.
For Ralph Christman, it seems two strikes means he’s out. At least as far as his recent request to opt out of the Vera Cruz Sewer Project is concerned. In a 2-0 vote Thursday night, the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors denied Christman’s request for an exemption from the ongoing Vera Cruz Sewer Project. Supervisor George DeVault abstained from the decision. Before making the motion to deny Christman’s exemption, Supervisor Robert Sentner said: “Whether we like it or not, we need to abide by the ordinance that we set. I feel for you Mr. Christman, I really do, but our hands are kind of tied.” Supervisors’ Chair Daniel Mohr said: “I only wish he had come in at the beginning. (With the project already underway) there are people who would …
Friday, June 8, 2012
Condition of certain properties in Upper Milford Township, including the Countryside Restaurant, causes resident to ask the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors to consider enacting a public nuisance ordinance.
For the most part, Mike Makoul thinks his friends and neighbors in Upper Milford Township are pretty reliable people. Nonetheless, the Zionsville resident asked the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors at last night’s meeting to consider adopting a public nuisance ordinance in the township. Makoul, of 6600 Granville Road, listed conditions at properties like the Countryside Restaurant, which was destroyed by a fire that happened more than a year ago, among his reasons for coming before the board. Would you favor a public nuisance ordinance in Upper Milford Township? Tell us in the comments. “I think the township could benefit from such an ordinance,” he said. “I think the vast majority of residents are responsible people who take …
40.490029
-75.523707
Upper Milford Township
5671 Chestnut St, Emmaus, PA
/articles/countryside-blight-prompts-nuisance-law-request
876097
/locations/7170268
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors decides to keep Truck #5 for now.
The Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors voted, at its May 17 meeting, to turn down a $6501 bid for Township Truck #5, which the Township had put up for sale through a timed online auction known as “Municibid.” According to Township Manager Dan DeLong, the high bid on the truck and plow came from a purchaser in North Carolina. After a bit of discussion, the supervisors ultimately decided that the truck is potentially worth more. Supervisor Robert Sentner was the most vocal about the value of Truck #5 and any type of dump truck in today’s market, especially with the interest in Marcellus Shale mining. “Being in the business,” said Sentner, who operates Sentner's Specialties in Emmaus, “that is cheap for what that truck is. If I could…
40.490029
-75.523707
Upper Milford Township
5671 Chestnut St, Emmaus, PA
/articles/upper-milford-will-keep-truck-5-for-now
876097
/locations/7084549
Friday, May 18, 2012
Vera Cruz residents who live in the third phase of the Vera Cruz Sewer project received “hook-up” letters from the Lehigh County Authority this week.
When it came time for an update on the Vera Cruz Sewer Project at last night’s Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Supervisor George DeVault chimed in with a first-hand report. DeVault, who lives in Milestone Area III, confirmed that homeowners in area III had received certified letters from the Lehigh County Authority earlier in the week, which basically said “you have until July 13 to hook up or else.” Plus, DeVault said, grinder pumps have been delivered and can be seen in everyone’s backyards. Then, Upper Milford Township Manager Dan DeLong shared an update on the other milestone areas with the board: “We had a spell of bad weather and that slowed things down some,” DeLong said, adding that the weather may have also …
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors passed a resolution last night stating its upset with the controversial state NIZ law and reserving the right to join anti-NIZ litigation in the future.
The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors last night passed unanimously a resolution putting on the record the board’s displeasure with the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) -- a Harrisburg invention designed to help fund the Allentown hockey arena. The 130-acre Allentown NIZ was actually created by a bill passed in 2009, written by State Sen. Pat Browne. That measure mandates that the earned income taxes paid by residents who work in the zone will be diverted for one year to the $158 million arena project. “We figured it was time to make a statement that we are opposed to what they are doing,” said Upper Milford Supervisors Chair Dan Mohr. In the resolution passed Thursday night, the Supervisors also reserved the right to join …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Public may see “closed to walk-in business” posted on door one day each week.
Upper Milford Township Manager Daniel DeLong approached the Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 16 with a proposal to close the township office for walk-in business one day each week. “Closing the office (to the public) one day per week will allow employees to get work done that cannot be done when people keep coming in,” he said. “People can still make appointments. It would only be closed for walk-ins.” Supervisor Robert Sentner said the township office is under-staffed, and he is in favor of DeLong’s request. Sometimes the office staff is called away from their duties every 15-20 minutes to attend to walk-in business, he said. “I have been here many times, and some days it’s like a revolving door,” Sentner said. “The staff always attends …
Friday, February 17, 2012
Some Upper Milford residents will see an increase, others will see a decrease, following Lehigh County reassessment.
Upper Milford Township Manager Daniel DeLong delivered a short report to the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors at the end of last night’s supervisors meeting, summarizing where the township stands with respect to the Lehigh County tax reassessment. According to DeLong, the county will be mailing preliminary reassessments to residents beginning late next week. He stressed that these are only preliminary, not the final reassessments. For Upper Milford Township, he said, it will mean this: DeLong offered the following guideline: “As a general rule of thumb, properties from the mid-1990s and older will probably see the increase, while properties from the mid-1990s and newer will most likely see the decrease.” He also added that …
Nick
1:47 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012
because the big dogs are afraid of nuclear plants, not fracking wells. There apparently haven't been enough accidents/disasters related to fracking to get the regulations in place. Everyone is still too concerned that we'll "scare them off" with regulations.... if you get a chance, you can read some more good insight at shalestuff.com more ›