First Posted: 3/18/2012
The board of supervisors voted to join the Back Mountain Regional Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.
The agency, which also includes Dallas Borough and Dallas, Jackson and Lehman townships, was created in late 2010 as a formal agreement between emergency responders to work together in the event of emergencies.
Chairman James Reino Jr. said the board wanted to ensure emergency responders in Kingston Township had input about the venture before signing any documents.
“Joining will only improve necessary communication and improve cooperation between the towns to ensure better service to citizens during emergency situations,” he said.
Reino said there was always intent to join, but the meeting between all appropriate emergency officials within the township happened just recently.
The board also voted on several motions related to upcoming spring and summer events in the township, including the yard waste pick up, summer recreation program and spring road inspection.
The spring yard waste pick up will be held April 16-20.
The township manager was authorized to advertise for one supervisor, five full-time employees and two part-time employees for the summer recreation program.
The spring road inspection, which is conducted to determine what work needs to be done on which roads, will be held at 9 a.m. May 6.
The board will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. April 11 to discuss proposed changes to the alarm ordinance. The alarm ordinance refers to the $50 registration residents must pay when an alarm system is installed in their houses.
Township Manager Kathleen Sebastian said the ordinance is being updated to reflect the fee schedule voted on in January, but the $50 registration fee will not change.
The board also noted that the township cannot accept electronics during its spring cleanup this year. Residents can drop off printers, TVs and computers at the Viewmont Mall parking lot through today, March 18 at a free electronic recycling service sponsored by WNEP.
In other news, the board …
• Approved a request made by Pennsylvania American Water Co. to waive fees for the pavement cuts needed for its project on South Pioneer Warden avenues. Reino said this is because the company has agreed to completely repave the road from curb to curb at no cost to the township.
• Approved Back Mountain Harvest Assembly’s application to hold a fireworks display and God and Country Tribute from 5 to 10 p.m. on July 1.
Board member Gary Mathers said the $150 application fee and $1,500 deposit for public safety should be waived because the organizationprovides this service free to the township. Reino said when the organization files an application, the board can choose to donate to the church to help cover its costs. Mathers said future boards may not be as willing to do so.
The application fee covers administrative costs and the deposit is used for signage and extra police protection. Whatever isn’t used from the deposit is given back to the church.
Township Manager Kathleen Sebastian said the board isn’t always able to donate the funds back to the church to help defray those costs – it’s dependent upon the township’s financial situation.
• Opened the bids for spring cleanup containers, which will be awarded at the April 11 meeting. The following companies made bids: Waste Management of Dunmore, CCI Waste and Recycling of Dunmore, Stell Enterprises of Plains Township, United Sanitation Network of Duryea and JP Mascaros of Audubon.
• Approved the 2012 spring cleanup rules.
• Approved the resignation of assistant township manager Robert Hivish Jr. and approved current tax collector Karen Rose as an interim trainee for the position at a rate of $21.50 per hour.
• The next board of supervisors meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 11 at the municipal building.
