The 2021 budget was presented with a half-mill increase at the Chestnuthill Township supervisors meeting last Monday.

One of the capital improvements includes a shared emergency service facility. The total cost for the facility is $1,606,356, but $1,043,000 in grant money will be used toward the total cost of the shared emergency services facility.

The total proposed rate for 2021 is 1.91 mills compared to 1.41 mills for 2020. The 1.91 mills breaks down to 1.14 mills for the Chestnuthill Township municipal/road budget, 0.53 mills for the infrastructure dedicated fund and 0.24 mills for the West End Fire Company.

Other capital improvements will include municipal building HVAC, repair of shop roofs, road resurfacing, replacing culverts, purchase of a propane generator, a building for material storage (compost facility) a self-tying horizontal baler and loader.

Infrastructure

Road work will include winter maintenance of 155 miles of roadway as well as general road maintenance. Also line striping, tree trimming, guide rail sweeping and mowing.

During 2021, the township will pave 8 miles of roadway, do base repair on 6 miles of roadway, replace two culverts, one at Pheasant Run and the other at County Park.

Efficiency upgrades include two traffic light battery backups that the supervisors insist the township needs to keep traffic running smoothly when power is out. The purchase of the loader designated to the compost facility and the material storage area and propane generator will contribute to work efficiency, according to Supervisors’ Chairman Carl Gould II.

The total for 2021 capital improvements is $1,860,597.

Township residents can pick up a copy of the 2021 budget at the Chestnuthill Municipal building or on the township’s website at www.chestnuthilltwp-pa.gov.

Old business

• The Roundabout Maintenance Agreement and the Contribution Agreement (lighting) were tabled. Information to go forward was not yet available.

• The matter of whether Pleasant Valley School District should be paid for closing park gates that are part of the Park and Open Space was deemed not a decision the board of Chestnuthill supervisors could make. The school district was advised to contact Bernie Kozen, the chief administrative officer of the West End Parks and Open Space Commission, and to work an agreement out with the commission.

New business

• A motion was made and approved to make a $500 donation to Brodhead Watershed Stream Steward Partnership.

• Rohit and Panna Shah were advised to call the township office and request a work session with the township supervisors, zoning and the township’s lawyer in order to decide the best way to approach their request for a zoning district change.

The Dec. 1 meeting is canceled. The next meeting is at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.