MINUTES OF MEETING

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

JANUARY 6, 2020

            At 6:15 p.m., Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera called to order the Executive Session at the Montgomery Township Municipal Building, 1001 Stump Road, Montgomeryville PA. In attendance were Supervisors Tanya C. Bamford and Matthew W. Quigg, as well as Supervisors-Elect Annette M. Long and Beth A. Staab. Also in attendance was Acting Township Manager Carolyn McCreary, and Township Solicitor Robert J. Iannozzi, Esquire.  

            Temporary Chairman Candyce Fluehr Chimera called the re-organization meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. In attendance were Supervisors Tanya C. Bamford and Matthew W. Quigg as well as Supervisors-Elect Annette M. Long and Beth A. Staab. Also in attendance were Township Solicitor Robert J. Iannozzi, Esquire, Acting Township Manager Carolyn McCreary, Police Chief Scott Bendig, Director of Administration and Human Resources Ann Shade, Assistant to the Township Manager Stacy Crandell, Director of Planning and Zoning Bruce Shoupe, Director of Public Works Kevin Costello, Director of Recreation and Community Center Floyd Shaffer, Public Information Coordinator Kelsey Whalen, Recording Secretary Deborah A. Rivas and Director of Information Technology Richard Grier.  

            The Honorable Wendy G. Rothstein, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County PA, administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected Township Supervisor Annette M. Long. The Honorable Suzan Leonard, District Court Judge, administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected Township officials: Beth A. Staab as Township Supervisor, Alan M. Malachowski as Township Auditor and Beverly Dodds as Township Auditor.

            Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Temporary Chairman Candyce Fluehr Chimera called for public comment from the audience and there was none.

            Solicitor Robert J. Iannozzi, Esquire announced that the Board had met in an executive session prior to this meeting at 6:15 p.m. The Board discussed personnel matters concerning appointment and an update on the fire union negotiations. Mr. Iannozzi stated that these matters are all legitimate subjects of executive session pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Law.

            Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera nominated Tanya C. Bamford to be the Chairman for 2020; Supervisor Matthew W. Quigg seconded the motion. By Resolution #1, made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and seconded by Supervisor Matthew W. Quigg, Tanya C. Bamford was elected unanimously to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for 2020. Chairman Bamford thanked her family and friends for their support and acknowledged several historic moments in Township history.

            Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera nominated Matthew W. Quigg to be the Vice Chairman for 2020; Chairman Tanya C. Bamford seconded the motion. By Resolution #2 made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and seconded by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, Matthew W. Quigg was unanimously elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for 2020.

            Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera made a motion to appoint Carolyn McCreary to the position of Township Manager of Montgomery Township. Chairman Tanya C. Bamford seconded the motion. Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera reported that during the process of hiring the new Township Manager, the Board selected Carolyn McCreary unanimously. Resolution #3 made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford and adopted unanimously, appointed Carolyn McCreary to the position of Township Manager and Secretary of Montgomery Township.

            Resolution #4 made by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, authorized the execution of the Township Manager’s Memorandum of Agreement effective for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021.

            Resolution #5, made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted unanimously re-appointed committee volunteers with expiring terms of January 1, 2019 to new terms in accordance with the bylaws of their respective committees and boards.

            Resolution #6, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, established the official holidays that Montgomery Township offices would be closed in the year 2020.

            Resolution #7, made by made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, established the meeting dates for the Board of Supervisors for the year 2020.

            Resolution #8, made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted unanimously, set the Treasurer’s Bond at $2,500,000.

            Resolution #9, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Annette M. Long and adopted unanimously, 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 #10, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, appointed the Township Officials and Consultants for the year 2020.

             Resolution #11, made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted unanimously, certified Supervisor Beth A. Staab as the voting delegate to the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors conference for 2020.

             Resolution #12, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, established the Board liaisons to the various Township Volunteer Committees and Boards.

             Resolution #13, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, approved the list of authorized drivers of Township-owned vehicles for commuting purposes for 2020.

             Resolution #14, made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted unanimously, re-appointed the following Fire Police to serve Montgomery Township in 2020: William Adams, William Tuttle, Lee Morano, Maryanne Mogensen, Greg Fitzgerald, Joel Silver, Robert Gruber, Mitchell Barrer and Gary Davis.

             Resolution #15, made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, adopted the 2020 Fee Schedule including building and related permits, zoning permits, subdivision applications, highway occupancy permits, per diem rates, fees and hourly charges for the Township Engineer, Traffic and Street Light Engineer, Landscape Architect, Township Solicitor, Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor, Planning Consultant, Special Legal Counsel, Labor Counsel, Building Inspector, Business Tax Auditor and Court Reporter, as detailed in the Fee Schedule.

             At the conclusion of the Reorganization meeting, Chairman Tanya C. Bamford administered the Oath of Office for Township Manager and Secretary to Carolyn McCreary.

             Chairman Tanya C. Bamford called to order the action meeting at 7:25 p.m.

Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 16, 2019 Board of Supervisors meeting and Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg seconded the motion. The minutes of the meeting were unanimously approved as submitted.

            Township Manager Carolyn McCreary reported that the Township continues to complete the public improvements in the residential developments built by David Cutler. The Township’s involvement results from the developer’s bankruptcy and subsequent claims made by the Township through its Solicitor on the letters of credit and performance bonds for the projects. The Township has met with the various Homeowner’s Associations to discuss the landscaping requirements and to work with them to facilitate the completion of the landscaping plans with HOA input. Resolution #16 made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, authorized Boucher & James to proceed with the preparation and advertisement of bid documents, bid management and construction management relating to completion of the landscaping requirements in the Montgomery Pointe and Montgomery Walk residential developments.

            Director of Planning and Zoning Bruce Shoupe reported that an application has been received from Redner’s Markets, Inc., seeking Conditional Use approval to allow Redner’s Markets at 1200 Welsh Road to have a “gasoline filling station” in the S-Shopping Center District. Resolution #17 made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted unanimously, set Monday, February 24, 2020, after 7:00 p.m., in the Township Building as the date, time and place for a Public Hearing to consider this Conditional Use application.

            Director of Planning and Zoning Bruce Shoupe reported that the Township has received a request from Mary Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church (MMR) to waive the building permit fee for the modifications to the Church library to create a new STREAM Innovation Lab (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts and Math). In the past, it has been the policy of the Board of Supervisors to waive nominal value permit fees for non-profit and religious organizations. Resolution #18 made by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera and adopted unanimously, approved the request of MMR to waive the $2,579.50 permit fee.

            Director of Planning and Zoning Bruce Shoupe reported that the Township has received a request from the American-Korean Alliance to waive the permit fee for a temporary sign for the Korean War Memorial – American-Korean Alliance Peace Park at Memorial Grove. Resolution #19 made by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, seconded by Vice Chairman Matthew W. Quigg and adopted by a unanimous vote of 4 to 0, approved the waiver request for the temporary sign permit. Supervisor Annette M. Long abstained from the vote because she has been involved with this project for the past three years and her husband’s construction company is providing site work for the project as a sub-contractor.

            A motion to approve the payment of bills was made by Chairman Tanya C. Bamford, seconded by Supervisor Candyce Fluehr Chimera, and adopted unanimously, approving the payment of bills as submitted.

            Under other business, Director of Planning and Zoning Bruce Shoupe reported that the applicant, Costco, proposes to lease an additional seven acres abutting their existing site for a proposed gasoline filling station. The filling station would include the installation of nine (9) double-sided gas pumps servicing 18 vehicles in the southeast corner of the new lease area. The applicant is seeking an amendment to the Zoning Code to allow this use in the ECPOD Overlay District, permitted by Conditional Use for warehouse club or wholesale club where gasoline filling station is only open to members, not to the general public. Mr. Shoupe inquired of the Board of Supervisors if they were favorable to having the staff review the proposal in greater detail and to provide additional comments for the Board to review. The Board was unanimous and had no objections to a staff review.

            There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah A. Rivas, Recording Secretary