Summary of 26 November 2024 BOS Meeting
This is my personal summary of the November 26, 2024, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
Access the 2024 BOS Chronicle for detailed summaries of all 2024 BOS meetings to date. Also, access the (UNOFFICIAL) 2024 BOS Voting Record.
Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More
- Public Comment
- Planning Commission Report
- Land Development
- Engineer’s Report
- 2025 Budget Discussion
- Other Items of Interest
Public Comment
Sewage Treatment Plant Environment Concerns
Independent Environmental Impact Analysis Requested for Sewage Plant Project
Swan Point, Middletown resident Bill Everett expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed sewage treatment plant on Lower Silver Lake Road. Mr. Everett spoke about the impact on Core Creek - the “Crown Jewel” of the Bucks County park system. He noted that the delay in Wawa construction was due to the need to drill a waste water tunnel in bedrock UNDER Core Creek. He recommended an INDEPENDENT environmental impact analysis. View the video of his comments:
Newtown-Yardley Rd Sidewalk Proposal
Feuer Seeking Accurate Answers
“I've spoken to PennDot staff since the last Board of Supervisors meeting and they've actually seen the video that Mr. Mack and Mr. Dufault and I made, which illustrates the necessity of a sidewalk and curbing along Newtown-Yardley Road to provide pedestrian wheelchair and bicycle safety,” said Mr. Feuer. “At the last Board of Supervisors meeting an estimate by the township engineer was submitted, subsequently to which a civil engineer came to the podium and pointed out the fact that … the original estimate for the new town Business Commons sidewalk project was estimated at um 800 and some odd thousand [dollars] when the actual quote came in 44% below that. Therefore, if you use it's the same math [and] you multiply the township engineer’s estimate that he submitted by 56% and it'll come in below what the remaining funds are in the multimodal grant fund”; i.e., $384,900. See video of his comments:
Mr. Feuer asked that the $384,900 be used for a sidewalk and curb along Newtown-Yardley Road, which an adjunct to the Business Commons sidewalk plan and connected to it. “We respectfully ask for some accurate answers this evening.” See the Engineer’s response below …
Planning Commission Report
Newtown Artesian Water Company Seeks Land Development Waiver
“Applicants are seeking a waiver of land development to improve on an existing unmanned operating utility facility to house larger filters required by the EPA. The Commission reviewed the letters of our consultants and recommends that the Board grant a waiver of land development.” According to NAWC engineering firm: “The proposed building addition will be utilized for PFAS treatment and will not propose any sewer system as a part of the improvements. No employees will occupy the proposed building; therefore, there is no need for any restrooms or sewage treatment facilities.”
PC recommends that the Board accept a fee in lieu of sidewalks for this project, as there are no other sidewalks on Frost Lane to connect with the project.
COMMENT: The fact that there are currently no other sidewalks on Frost Lane is irrelevant – the same could be said for Wawa, which has constructed a sidewalk along Lower Silver Lake Rd where there are currently no other sidewalks. Keep in mind that NAWC will be raising rates to complete this project – there’s no reason for us to give them a break. See below...
Land Development
Newtown Artesian Water Company Seeks Land Development Waiver
As reported in the Patch: “The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors … voted to waive the land development process, clearing the way for a proposed expansion at the Newtown Artesian Water Company on Frost Lane. The company will be spending $3.5 million to construct a new building containing two massive filters designed to remove PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) from the water supply. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic compounds linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, and other life-threatening health conditions.
“Dan Angove, the CEO of the Newtown Artesian Water Company, said part of an 11.5 percent rate increase recently approved by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, will go toward paying for the upgrade.”
The BOS approved the waiver without getting any commitment regarding a fee in lieu of sidewalks as recommended by the Planning Commission.
Who Pays?
Regarding the $3.5 million cost estimate for this project, Mr. Angove confirmed that the money will come from a loan and that rate payers will eventually pay for the interest on the loan via rate hikes.
Meanwhile, Aqua Pennsylvania secured $5.5 million in grant funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to construct a PFAS treatment system at its Hatboro well station in Montgomery County at no direct cost to customers. For more on that, read “PFAS Water Treatment System Installed At Hatboro Plant.”
Engineer's Report
Newtown-YardleyRd/Tara Blvd Crosswalk Project
Charles Feuer Questions: (Submitted to BOS via email)
- Has the contract with the contractor, awarded (October 9th-47 days ago), with Newtown been signed?
- Has the Letter To Proceed been issued to the contractor for the Newtown-Yardley/Tara Crosswalk? If not, what is the specific holdup?
- What is the date the construction will begin onsite?
- What is the current timeline to completion?
Dominic Cundari, the Township Engineer, said: “The contract has been awarded to T. Schiefer Contractors ... the contracts have been executed and we have held a pre-construction meeting with the contractor here in the township building on November 7th... The notice to proceed has not been issued yet to the contractor for a few reasons. We were waiting for an anticipated schedule from them which we did receive this week so they are anticipating starting work mid December weather permitting. There is a lot of concrete work with this project so that is dependent on the weather. The contract has a 90 calendar day duration but there have been some updates on lead times for material so depending on those that may be extended.”
Business Commons Sidewalk Grant Adjustment/Amendment
Charles Feuer Questions: (Submitted to BOS via email)
- Has Newtown Township Engineer (RVE) asked for and received an actual quote from the awarded contractor of actual costs for the Proposed Curbing and Permanent Sidewalk Improvements to Newtown-Yardley Road and The Newtown Trail? We previously showed the RVE estimate was unnecessarily and inaccurately inflated according to contractor award.
- Has the Newtown Township Engineer (RVE) prepared any justification documentation to present to PennDOT for the Letter Of Adjustment and/or Letter Of Amendment to the Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant for the remaining $384,120.00?
- When will the Letter Of Adjustment and/or Letter Of Amendment be sent to PennDOT for review and approval?
Newtown Engineer Provides Update on Sidewalk Project
Township Engineer Dominic Cundari gave an update on the Business Commons sidewalk project. As to using excess grant funds to extend the sidewalks with safety curbing along Newtown-Yardley Road, Mr. Cundari indicated he did some preliminary specifications of what the cost would be I and that the next step would be to stay in touch with PennDOT "to see if we could get those funds approved ... from from the previous Grant and secondly ... to do some specifications for a bid package ... it would be it would be a separate project."
Supervisor Elen Snyder felt that the additional sidewalk and curbing was not necessary: “Is it a real safety issue? Because as I understand it I don't think there's been any accidents at that point. I'm just wondering if we really need it.”
View the video of Mr. Cundari’s comments and discussion by the BOS:
2025 Budget Discussion
No action was taken because the amended budget had not been advertised for the required 10 days. A vote to approve the 2025 budget will be made at the December 11, 2024, BOS meeting.
Download the 14-Nov-2024 amended budget...
My Detailed Notes
See pages 105-108 of the 2024 BOS Chronicle (PDF) for more detailed notes regarding this meeting.
Official Video
Transcript
Download the time-stamped transcript of this meeting prepared by Youtube from the video: download PDF document.
Connect With Us