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WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING
December 8, 2004
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of West Goshen Township was called to order by Chairman Patricia B. McIlvaine at 4:02 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2004, at the West Goshen
Township Administration Build- ing. All members were present. Ms. McIlvaine opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Ms. McIlvaine opened the floor for public comment. No comments were made.
Ms. McIlvaine introduced Ms. Diane E. Clayton, Assistant Zoning Officer, who will be attending the Board of Supervisors meetings in place of Ms. Nancy D. Rodgers who retired as Zoning Officer
on October 28, 2004.
Ms. McIlvaine announced that on December 9, 2004, Senior Trash Rebate checks in the amount of $176.00 each will be mailed to 42 residents who applied for and were approved to receive a rebate
as part of the Township's Trash Rebate Program.
Dr. White stated that December 7, 2004, was the 63rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and that he would like to express his gratitude to all veterans and soldiers for their contributions.
Ms. Sharon Lynn, Township Manager, announced that there will be a special Board of Supervisors meeting on December 15, 2004 at 4:00 p.m.
Ms. Lynn announced that the Organizational Meeting of the Board of Supervisors will be held on Monday, January 3, 2005 at 5:00 p.m.
Ms. Lynn thanked Ms. Jeanne Denham, Finance Director, and her Finance staff, specifically Ms. Jennifer Latzer, Assistant Finance Director, for a job well done in the preparation of the 2005
Budget.
Ms. Lynn announced that the Board of Supervisors has signed a five year contract with the West Goshen Police Officers Association. She said that this contract, the first one for a term
length of five years, has a starting date of January 1, 2005.
Dr. White said that the contract includes salary increases for each of the five years with the first year being 3%, the second year 3%, the third year 3%, the fourth year 3 ¼ % and the fifth year 3 ½%.
On motion by Mr. Meakim, seconded by Ms. McIlvaine, the Board unanimously approved the Board of Supervisors minutes from November 10 and November 17, 2004.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved the Treasurer's Report dated November 30, 2004 for the General Fund, the Sewer Revenue Fund, the Waste and
Recycling Fund, and the Capital Reserve Fund, as well as the bills to be paid from the General Fund, the Sewer Fund, the Capital Reserve Fund, and the Waste and Recycling Fund.
Chief Michael Carroll gave the Police Report for the month of November 2004. Chief Carroll announced that Santa Claus will arrive by helicopter at the West Goshen Township Community Park
on Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Dr. White referred to the 333 hours of overtime on the Police Report and asked Chief Carroll if there were ways to reduce the amount. Chief Carroll replied that overtime is down compared
to 2003 in the department but that in the month of November 2004 there were several accidents, sporting events and holidays. He said that 90 hours of the overtime was reimbursed by other agencies.
Mrs. Evelyn Baker, 900 Sheridan Drive, asked how many of the 114 alarms received by the Police were false and Chief Carroll replied that 110 were false alarms. Mrs. Baker said she
believed the schedule for fines should be revised since it did not seem to be having any effect on the number of false alarms. Dr. White said that 74 of the false alarms resulted in fines being
assessed.
He added that alarms sometimes activate for no apparent reason and that the Board cannot keep raising the fines. Mrs. Baker asked how many of the false alarms were repeat false alarms and Chief Carroll replied that 74 were repeat false alarms and that fines are only assessed on repeat calls. Mrs. Baker asked if false alarms are tracked and Chief Carroll said they are tracked as repeated calls result in fines which escalate with each false alarm.
Ms. Andrea Testa, Fire Marshal, gave the Fire Marshal Report for the month of November 2004.
Ms. Testa also gave the report for Good Fellowship Ambulance. The report for Goshen Fire Company was not available.
Mr. Richard E. Hicks, Building Official, gave the Building Inspection Activity Report for November 2004.
Prior to the consideration and possible approval of the Waste and Recycling Fund Budget for 2005, Dr. White said that the proposed amount was $3,001,169. Mrs. Baker asked why there was
$17,000 allocated in the Waste and Recycling Fund Budget for finance personnel when there is a contract with a waste hauler for the service. She stated that this was redundant. Dr. White replied
that Finance personnel are needed for billing and receiving payment.
Ms. Lynn said that because of the way salaries are structured in the Township different percentages are charged to the General Fund, Sewer Fund and Waste and Recycling Fund for various staff employees. Mrs. Baker said that she did not understand why sending out bills four times a year requires this amount of money. Dr. White answered that in excess of 6,300 bills are sent out each quarter, some with penalties for late payments. Ms. Baker inquired about a fee increase for Waste and Recycling and Dr. White said there will be no increase in 2005.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved the adoption of the Waste and Recycling Fund Budget for 2005.
Prior to the consideration and possible approval of the Sewer Fund Budget for 2005, Dr. White said that the proposed amount was $7,051,639. Dr. White said that this amount includes the
rebuilding of two pumping stations for the Sewer Authority.
Mrs. Baker questioned the amount in the budget for manager's salary and Dr. White replied that part of Ms. Lynn's salary is paid from the Sewer Fund. Dr. White said that Sewer Authority Board members receive $60.00 per meeting.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved the adoption of the Sewer Fund Budget for 2005.
Prior to the consideration and possible approval of Resolution 40-04 adopting the General Fund Budget for 2005, Dr. White said that the proposed amount was $13,929,582 which is made up of the
working budget, the amount in reserve and the amount to be transferred at the end of the year. Dr. White said that the Township will be buying three trucks in 2005.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved Resolution 40-04 adopting the General Fund Budget for 2005.
On motion by Mr. Meakim, seconded by Dr. White, the Board unanimously approved Resolution 41-04 establishing the Real Estate Tax at 1.5 mills for 2005.
The possible approval of a Final Land Development Plan for a 1,664 square foot building addition for Daveco Ltd. located at 1109 West Chester Pike was tabled as no one was present to represent
the plan.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved a Final Land Development Plan for a 2,200 square foot office/warehouse building for Chander Shekher located at 207
South Bolmar Street.
Mrs. Baker asked if a loading zone was included in the plan and Mr. Richard J. Craig, Township Engineer, replied that a loading zone was not required for this plan and that this building will
be located off the street. He said that blocking streets in the Township is not allowed.
Ms. McIlvaine opened the floor for public comment.
Mr. Dan Lammey, an East Bradford Township resident, stated that he and some of his students from Henderson High School, where he has been a teacher for 16 years, were in attendance to express
their opinion about extending Tigue Road through the Gordon Natural Area. He said that he understood that municipalities are under development pressures but that residents like to have open
space. He said that there is no where else to go from West Chester Borough to walk in quiet except the Gordon Natural Area.
He said that increasing the size of Tigue Road would be a good solution but that people will look around later and wonder what happened to the area. Mr. Lammey said that it would be more expensive to find another solution to the traffic problems but that once the road was added what was lost could never be recovered. He asked the Board to carefully consider what is in danger of being lost. Dr. White replied that unless a person lives in the Roslyn development, it is hard to understand the pressures on neighbors because of the students from West Chester University. He said that another alternative, widening Rosedale Avenue, would be very expensive and it would probably have to be a West Goshen Township/West Chester Borough project rather than a PennDOT project. He said that if Tigue Road was completed there would still be trails through the area which would solve the traffic problem and retain areas for residents to walk.
Mr. Lammey asked the Board to consider traffic calming solutions and Dr. White replied that traffic calming solutions have been instituted in the past which did not solve the problem.
Mr. Lammey said that putting a road through the Gordon Natural Area will change it from one parcel of 80 acres into two areas of 40 acres each and that it would never be the same again.
Mrs. Baker said that her residence adjoins the Gordon Natural Area and that she agreed with Mr. Lammey's statements. She said that there is a traffic problem but that she does not think
putting a road through the Gordon Natural Area is the answer to the problem.
Dr. White thanked Mr. Lammey for appearing before the Board and said that the Board values everyone's opinion.
The meeting was recessed at 4:45.
The meeting resumed at 4:51.
West Goshen Township
Supervisor Hearing
December 8, 2004
S-14-04
Supervisor Hearing S-14-04 was called to order by Chairman Patricia B. McIlvaine at 4:51 p.m. All members were present.
Mr. Joseph E. Brion, Esquire, was present to represent the Township. The hearing was for the consideration and possible approval of Ordinance 24-2004 amending the West Goshen Township
Revised Zoning Ordinance of 1990, as amended, codified in Chapter 84 of the Code of the Township of West Goshen, specifically Section 84-52, entitled "Sign Regulations", by establishing regulations
governing billboard, banner, canopy and real estate signs, providing for certain prohibited signs, adding definitions and amending Table 1, entitled "Sign Specifications".
See Court Reporter's Transcript
A letter from the West Goshen Township Planning Commission supporting the approval of Ordinance 24-2004 was admitted into the record.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Ms. McIlvaine, the Board unanimously approved Ordinance 24-2004 amending the West Goshen Township Revised Zoning ordinance of 1990, as amended, codified in
Chapter 84 of the Code of the Township of West Goshen, specifically Section 84-52, entitled "Sign Regulations", by establishing regulations governing billboard, banner, canopy and real estate signs,
providing for certain prohibited signs, adding definitions and amending Table 1, entitled "Sign Specifications".
The hearing was closed at 4:53 p.m.
West Goshen Township
Supervisor Hearing
December 8, 2004
S-03-04
The continuation of Supervisor Hearing S-03-04 was called to order by Chairman Patricia B. McIlvaine at 4:53 p.m. All members were present.
Mr. Joseph E. Brion, Esquire, was present to represent the Township. Mr. John Jaros, Esquire, was present to represent the applicant.
The hearing was for the consideration of the application of Westrum Land Development, LLC, which is the equitable owner of a 36 acre tract of land adjacent to Ward Avenue and Five Points Road commonly known as the Terramics property, presently zoned I-C Industrial-Commercial District. Westrum is requesting a text amendment to the I-C District regulations of the West Goshen Township Revised Zoning Ordinance of 1990, as amended, which will permit West- rum to develop and construct on the Property a residential active adult retirement community of single family dwellings of various types together with associated amenities.
See Court Reporter's Transcript
Mr. John Good, Esquire, was present to represent the following parties of interest:
Warehouse Associates (tenant Wayne Moving and Storage), Plas-tech Coatings, Inc. and Chiral Technologies, Inc. Mr. William H. Mitman, Jr., Esquire, was present to represent Brandywine Airport.
After the presentation of all testimony and witnesses, the hearing was recessed at 5:58 p.m. for deliberations by the Board.
The hearing resumed at 6:17 p.m.
The hearing was closed and the Board took the application under consideration and will render a decision at a future Board of Supervisors meeting.
On motion by Ms. McIlvaine, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the meeting was adjourned at 6:19 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Lynn
Township Manager
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