June’s Penn Forest Township supervisors meeting featured a couple of arguments over spending.

The first was over whether to engage with the Natural Lands Trust for a zoning and the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance update.

The trust offers a $10,000 grant toward the cost, and the work, by Sarcinello Planning & GIS Services, would cost $29,930.

At last month’s meeting, it was also pointed out there would be engineering and attorney costs.

Supervisor Dr. Pat Holland said that “this is expensive,” and followed up with the idea of greenways is all fine - but the township doesn’t even have sidewalks.

Discussion continued, led by supervisor Christian Bartulovich, who explained the benefits of putting rules in place on the remaining developable land, such as having commercial buildings front on the main road, with parking lots in the back and to the side - rather than having the parking lot in the front.

The hope is also to have a “green buffer” along Route 903, perhaps with walking trails.

Supervisors’ Chairman Roger Meckes remained unconvinced. Supervisor Scott Lignore, who had not heard the original presentation by the Natural Lands Trust staff, wants more information on what the updating can do for the township. He chose to abstain from voting so he can learn more.

When the vote was called to accept the $10,000 ‘mini-grant,’ there was a split of 2-2-1, Bartulovich and Jim Denier in favor, Holland and Meckes not, and Lignore abstaining. The motion failed.

The township will invite the Natural Lands Trust back for a more detailed presentation.

Billboard

A two-sided electronic billboard sign to be placed at the township park was the next issue. The sign alone costs nearly $65,000, and there are other costs.

Holland led off the arguments against the sign with the point that the sign would bother the neighbors at night.

Meeting attendees pointed out that there already is a sign of this type at the Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company #1, just up the road from the park. Members of PFTVFC#1 turned out at the meeting, and offered the use of their sign. One firefighter summed up their group opinion - “that’s a lot of money.”

Holland added that if this kind of money was available, it would be better to give it to the fire companies “to help them get financially sound.” This sent discussion off on a tangent for a short while.

In the end, there was no vote on the item.

Other business

Decisions that were made at the meeting including releasing nearly all of the worksite bond for the newest Dollar General (off Route 534). Supervisors released the bond of $235,600 - while leaving $4,400 in escrow to cover some small landscaping and erosion control items.

Other decisions were buying $4,006 worth of file cabinets for the municipal file room; accepting Shiffer Bituminous’ quote to pave four pipe crossings at a cost of $3,000; buying monitors, a laptop and a docking station for the code enforcement office at a cost of $2,549; installing tracking devices and dashcams onto township’s five vehicles at a cost of $39.25 per vehicle, per month; buying concrete to be poured to fill the hole left by the old drain pipe at the Transfer Station, as well as another batch to flatten the floor at the maintenance building (old drain channels), $1,465; and providing a daytime phone for the working foreman and a township phone for the new code enforcement officer, $39 monthly per phone.

A new agreement to offer food vendors a 30-day rental on the park parking lot was approved. This is in addition to the day rental agreement already in place. It mandates that up to three more vendors are allowed, who offer different foods from other park vendors. They are not allowed to bring generators. Electric hookups will be worked out.

The new system for tracking complaints about short-term rentals is nearly fully operational. The zoning report notes 79 zoning permits, 7 for short-term rentals.

Also, 12 permits were issued for new homes.