Summary of 6 January 2025 BOS Meeting
This is my personal summary of the January 6, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More
- Reorganization Notes
- Public Comment
- Engineer’s Report
- Old Business
- Other Items of Interest
Reorganization Notes
The BOS voted 5-0 to approve the following BOS appointments:
ALL of the companies/vendors that serve with compensation were re-appointed with some no votes. I specifically voted NO on the following:
- Remington & Vernick Engineers (RVE) for Traffic Engineers – I believe RVE has not done a good job as traffic engineers. I questioned why there was no vote to appoint Traffic Engineers and was told by Ms. Snyder “we're going to leave that out right now ... we will do an RFP if needed to try to … maybe get another Traffic Engineer. In the meantime Remington Vernick will take that place but we're not appointing them for the year that would be on a future agenda.” The words “if needed” and “maybe” should be noted.
- Barry Isset & Associates for Township Building Inspectors – while I had no problems with this company as building inspectors, I feel they have done a poor job as Zoning Officer. For example, Ana Gindhart, Newtown’s Zoning Officer, that she referenced the WRONG section of the JMZO in the violation letter she sent to 17 owner/stores in the Village South Shopping Center. Meanwhile, I think this company is charging us exorbitant rates on the order of over $300,000 per year!
- Maillie, LLP for Auditor – they seem to be a year behind schedule and their audits merely include the opinion of the Township Manager!
- Video Gold for Video Production – their upgrade to the public meeting room A/V system has been slow and inept – there is feedback from microphones for more than a year and multiple problems with the video archive on Youtube (read “Newtown's Youtube Video Problems Persist!”).
Surprisingly, Board members – especially Mr. Calabro – suggested that RFPs be sent out for all vendors so that the Board may review these new candidates for these appointments.
The BOS affirmed and appointed members of committees and commissions as in the following list:
Public Comment
St. Mary's Chief of Surgery Regarding Proposed WWTP
David Hardeski, Chief of Surgery at the St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown, expressed concern about the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) proposed by the Newtown Sewer Authority. "This 'smell radius' may extend into the property currently occupied by St. Mary's Medical Center and I worry about the impact on this institution," said Dr. Hardeski.
Engineer’s Report
Engineer’s Report: January 2, 2025
Prior to the meeting, I reviewed the January 2, 2025 Engineer’s Report and had several questions regarding capital projects that are ongoing in Newtown Township:
- Lower Dolington Road Multi-Use Trail (PBNTT 026)
as seen in July 2024.
Last entry: “RVE is working with the contractor and Township Staff on the final punch list items and project closeout.” You can find the punchlist here. I asked about the “Dolington Deep Ditch”, which abuts the trail and needs to be repaired for traffic safety reasons.
I was told that this is not part of the trail although I was previously told that it was part of the rain water system associated with the trail. Back in April 2024, the Public Works (PW) Director told me “It is also my understanding that the damaged edge of road is on the RVE punchlist for the paving contractor to repair.”
In any case, the Township Manager said he would speak with the Public Works Director to have this repaired. In a followup email, the Manager confirmed that the Public Works Department is “planning to fix the issue on L. Dolington Road shoulder this spring.” We wait wait with baited breath!
- N. Sycamore Street and Silo Drive Crosswalk Improvements (PBNTT039) and Newtown-Yardley Road and Tara Drive Crosswalk Improvements (PBNTT040)
Last Entry: “The preconstruction meeting was held on 11/7/24 and the submittal process is ongoing. A Notice to Proceed date and construction beginning is TBD. Questions: Why hasn't the Notice To Proceed been issued? Construction beginning date update? This is going to have to wait for better weather in the spring was my takeaway. The Engineer claimed work cannot proceed now for “safety” reasons. But the work is needed to be done ASAP exactly for safety reasons! Catch 22!
- Proposed Newtown-Yardley Permanent Sidewalk & Curbing
There are no entries for the proposed Newtown-Yardley Permanent Sidewalk & Curbing Proposal (read “The Case for a Sidewalk Along Newtown-Yardley Road in #NewtownPA” and view the video) in spite of the fact that RVE has expended costs for estimating and sending a Letter Of Request to spend the remaining $384,120.00 of the Multimodal Transportation Facilities Grant Funds from the Newtown Business Commons Sidewalk Project. Question: Has PennDOT responded to the Letter Of Request? Response: The request was sent but no response has yet been received.
Old Business
Summit Shopping Center/Bypass Crosswalk
At the 16 December 2024 Middletown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, John Mack requested that the two townships collaborate with PennDOT to install sidewalks on the Giant supermarket side of Summit Trace Road and Fountain Farm Lane and timed lights at the Newtown Bypass so pedestrians can walk over the bypass safely. It is a win-win for the businesses of both townships.
Jeff McCard, Chair of the Middletown Township Citizen's Traffic Commission, summarized the issue and suggested that Newtown "take the lead" in any collaborative effort. Mack suggested that this issue be brought up before the Newtown Planning Commission (PC) and that appropriate Middletown officials/residents appear before the PC. See the video…
Transcript of Discussion at the 6 January 2025 Newtown BOS meeting:
MACK [Supervisor]: On December 16th after we discussed this at the December 11 Board of Supervisors meeting when [Karla Jones] …a Middletown resident, came here asked us to do something about the safety issue [regarding the] Summit [Shopping Center] crosswalk and the Bypass. Mr. Fisher suggested that probably the best way to handle this [is] some kind of coordination between Middletown and Newtown probably best through the Planning Commission.
So, I wanted to see if we can get uh this discussion at least started on the Planning Commission at their next meeting. I'm not quite sure how we go about that. I know they have other items that will probably come up that they need to discuss but I I would like to see if we can include this on their list of things to discuss and maybe we can get some more expert opinions from our Planning Commission on that.
LEWIS (Town Mgr]: Madam chair can I can I interject real quick. After that meeting [11 December] we had [asked] Remington Vernick Remington Vernick … to put together a pedestrian safety information [request?] for PennDOT. As you know that's a PennDOT road, so all this information is going to be submitted to PennDOT to see what their opinion is of the crosswalk. Once we have that we'll distribute it and that may be a starting point for the discussion.
MACK: Okay, so that's a good idea. I don't know what all is going to be included in that [response from PennDOT] but they [Karla Jones & other Middletown residents] were also talking not only about the crosswalk but about making right hand turns out of the Summit shopping center onto the Bypass and an extra lane and things like that. Is that part of what you might be working on?
CUNDARI [RVE Engineer]: So what we we'll be looking at is like Mr. Lewis said was the Pedestrian information so I do have couple things jotted down here that we'll be taking a look: 12-hour data collection, site distance … we'll be putting together a technical memo … there's a checklist of items that PennDOT would like us to take a look at and then provide them that information so they can sort of take that information and give a recommendation.
[MACK] Can I can I give you the Powerpoint that this Middletown resident had put together … [with all the] photographs with circles and arrows and all that?
CUNDARI: Sure.
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