MINUTES OF MEETING

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

JANUARY 6, 2014

              At 7:00 p.m. Chairman Joseph Walsh called to order an executive session.  In attendance were Supervisors Candyce Fluehr Chimera and Robert Birch and Supervisors-Elect Michael Fox and Jeffrey McDonnell.  Also in attendance were Lawrence Gregan and Frank Bartle, Esquire.  Items of litigation, potential litigation and personnel matters were discussed. 

            At 8:00 p.m. Chairman Joseph Walsh called to order the re-organization meeting.  In attendance were Chairman Joseph Walsh, Supervisor Robert Birch, Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and Supervisors Elect Michael Fox and Jeffrey McDonnell.  Also in attendance were Frank Bartle, Esquire, Lawrence Gregan, Ann Shade, Bruce Shoupe, Shannon Drosnock, Kevin Costello, Richard Lesniak, Chief Scott Bendig, Stacy Crandell, Rich Grier and Shirley Snyder.

            The Honorable Thomas M. Del Ricci, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge, administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected Township officials:  James Earley as Township Auditor, John Crowe as Township Auditor, Patricia Gallagher as Tax Collector, Michael J. Fox as Township Supervisor, and Jeffrey W. McDonnell as Township Supervisor.

            Chairman Walsh recognized the Honorable Judge Thomas M. Del Ricci and the Honorable Judge Andrea Duffy and thanked them for being present at this evening's meeting.

            Supervisor Michael Fox presented an engraved gavel to Joseph Walsh and thanked him for his service as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the year 2013.  Mr. Walsh expressed his thanks to the Township staff for their dedication and hard work during the year and stated that 2013 was a great year in Montgomery Township. 

            There was no public comment.

            Solicitor Frank Bartle announced that the Board had met in an executive session prior to this meeting and discussed a matter of potential litigation, various personnel matters and three Zoning Hearing Board Appeal litigation matters: Abington Hospital, Master Tech and Manor Care, which are permissible in executive session under the guidelines of the Sunshine law.

Chairman Joseph Walsh was nominated by Supervisor Michael Fox and seconded by Vice Chairman Jeffrey McDonnell to serve as the Temporary Chair until a new chairman was elected.  Approval of the nomination was unanimous.

 By Resolution #1 made by Supervisor Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, Joseph P. Walsh was elected to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for 2014.

By Resolution #2 made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Jeffrey McDonnell, Michael J. Fox was elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisor for 2014.

Resolution #3, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Vice Chairman Michael Fox and adopted unanimously re-appointed committee volunteers with expiring terms of January 1, 2014 to new terms in accordance with the bylaws of their respective committees and boards. 

Chairman Joseph Walsh commended all of the Township's Volunteer Boards and Committees for their service during the year 2013 and expressed the Township's appreciation to the Board and Committee members for their dedication and time in serving on township committees.

            Resolution #4, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, established the official holidays that Montgomery Township offices will be closed in the year 2014. 

Resolution #5, made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, established the meeting dates for the Board of Supervisors for the year 2014. 

Resolution #6, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously set the Treasurer's Bond at $2,500,000.

Resolution #7, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh and seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, named the depositories for the Township to be Univest Bank and Trust Company, Morgan Stanley as custodian for the investments of the Police Pension Fund, and ICMA-RC as the custodian for Montgomery Township Police Pension Funds in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP).  Resolution #7 was adopted with a 4 – 0 vote.  Vice Chairman Michael Fox abstained from voting on Resolution #7, as he is employed by Univest Bank. 

Resolution #8, made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, appointed the Township Officials and Consultants for the year 2014.

Resolution #9, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Vice Chairman Michael Fox and adopted unanimously, certified Supervisor Robert Birch as the voting delegate to the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors for 2014.

 Resolution #10, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Vice Chairman Michael Fox and adopted unanimously, established the Board liaisons to the various volunteer committees and boards.  The liaisons for all volunteer committees will remain the same as in 2013.

Resolution #11, made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Jeffrey McDonnell and adopted unanimously, approved the list of authorized drivers of Township-owned vehicles for 2014.

Resolution #12, made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, re-appointed the following Fire Police to serve Montgomery Township in 2014:  William Adams, Rob Bailey, Stacy Bailey, Greg Fitzgerald, Michael Goldberg, Robert Gruber, Franklin Ha, Maryanne Mogensen, Matt Palm, Bud Rhoads, Joel Silver and Joanne Weinhardt.  Stacy Bailey was also sworn in as a Fire Police by the Honorable Judge Andrea Duffy, as a formality to provide an Oath with her married name.

Resolution #13, made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Vice Chairman Michael Fox and adopted unanimously, established the Fee Schedule for 2014. 

            The re-organization meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m.

            Chairman Joseph Walsh made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 16, 2013 Board of Supervisors meeting, and Supervisor Jeffrey McDonnell seconded the motion.  The minutes of the meeting were unanimously approved as submitted.

            Chairman Joseph Walsh stated that the term of the current Memorandum of Agreement with the Township Manager has expired as of December 31, 2013.  A draft agreement has been prepared to extend the term of employment of Lawrence J. Gregan as Township Manager for a two year period to be effective January 1, 2014 to and through December 31, 2015.  Resolution #14 made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, authorized execution of the Township Manager's Memorandum of Agreement effective for the period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015.

            Assistant to the Township Manager Stacy Crandell, reported that on November 21, 2013 the Township received notification that it had been awarded a grant in the amount of $250,000 through the Commonwealth Financing Authority Department of Community and Economic Development's Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.  The grant will be used to help fund construction of a spray park and an accessible playground at the Township's new Community/Recreation Center to be located at the corner of Stump and Horsham Roads.  Resolution #15 made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, authorized the Township to execute the DCED Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program Grant Agreement from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the $250,000 grant for the spray park and accessible playground at the future Community/Recreation Center.

            Director of Finance Shannon Drosnock reported that on November 25, 2013 the Board authorized staff to solicit bids to provide Solid Waste and Single Stream Recyclable Materials Collection and Disposal services to be effective February 4, 2014 through December 31, 2016.  Bids were opened on December 20^th with Allied Waste having the lowest qualified bid.  Ms. Drosnock pointed out that by combining all five independent contracts into a single contract it is projected that the Township will save a total of approximately $30,000 per year over the life of the contract.  Resolution #16 made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously awarded the bid 2014-01 for Township Facilities Waste and Single Stream Recyclable Materials Collection and Disposal to Republic Services doing business as Allied Waste.

            Township Manager Lawrence Gregan reported that as a condition of the approval of the Land Development Plan for the Wegmans project, the Simon Property Group, Inc. was required to install 90 feet of new sidewalk along North Wales Road within an easement area previously granted by the Montgomery Township Sewer Authority to the Township.  Resolution #17 made by Supervisor Robert Birch, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously authorized the execution of the Temporary Construction Easement Agreement with Simon Property Group, Inc.

            Township Manager Lawrence Gregan reported that the traffic signal system at the intersection of North Wales Road and Montgomery Mall Driveway “F” was originally installed in 1985, and is proposed to be upgraded by Simon Properties as part of the Wegmans development project.  The Township has been unable to locate the recorded easement for the installation of the original equipment in the front yard of 605 North Wales Road.  In order to properly document the Township's authority to access this property, install and maintain two new poles with the necessary underground wiring and traffic signal support structures, a new easement has been prepared and presented to the property owner for approval.  The current property owner, Ms. Kimberly G. Smith has agreed to execute the agreement so that the improvements can be completed.  Resolution #18 made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, authorized the execution of the Access Easement Agreement between Kimberly G. Smith and Montgomery Township.

            Director of Finance Shannon Drosnock reported that each year the Board of Supervisors adopts a resolution denoting the categories of the fund balances as required by the government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 54 are to be reported on the annual audited financial statements.  Resolution #19 made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, classified the Township's fund balances in accordance with the Governmental Accounting Standard Board Statement No. 54 as descripted in attached Exhibit A.

            Resolution #20 made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, approved escrow release #3, in the amount of $3,000 for Montgomery Knoll Phase IB – LDS#653B.

            A motion to approve the payment of bills was made by Chairman Joseph Walsh, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, and adopted unanimously, and approved the payment of bills as submitted.

            Chairman Joseph Walsh reported that the Board of Supervisors will be withdrawing their opposition to the Zoning Hearing Board matter concerning Abington Hospital.  Resolution #21 made by Vice Chairman Michael Fox, seconded by Supervisor Robert Birch and adopted unanimously, authorized the Township Solicitor to contact the Zoning Hearing Board to withdraw Township Opposition to the Abington Hospital Zoning Hearing Board matter.

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.