The Lower Towamensing Township supervisors have been tossing around ideas for a awhile concerning the township’s need for a code enforcement officer.

On Tuesday supervisors approved a new job description for a zoning officer/code enforcement officer.

The township has a zoning officer, whose title included building code official. According to the township’s website, which has a description prior to the new changes, the zoning officer “is responsible to apply the provisions of the Lower Towamensing Township Zoning Ordinance with its literal terms.”

The position is appointed annually by the supervisors, and Duane Dellecker has been appointed every year since 2004.

As a building code official, Dellecker was “responsible for the administration of and issuing permits under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.”

One of the problems for the township has been enforcing the short-term rental ordinance, which was passed in 2021. Rental owners have been slow to get the permit and adhere to it. Enforcement did not appear to be in Dellecker’s job description.

The new job description includes investigating reports of illegal activities that violate the township’s zoning ordinances. These include alarm systems, dangerous buildings, open burning, driveway permits and short term rentals.

According to the job description, the code enforcement officer part of the job “initiates and pursues enforcement action, upon direction by the board of supervisors, against violators.”

“We’ve had extensive discussion over the last couple years. We have a job description that has been created by our solicitor,” said Brent Green, the chairman of the supervisors.

Resident Stephen Meining asked if it is a new position. The supervisors had considered creating a second position for code enforcement.

Green said, “This is the one that was created that we are now voting on.” And he explained that it had been created within the last year.

Meining then asked if it includes code enforcement.

Green said, “This one is a little bit more organized in the duties and responsibilities, so we feel that this addresses some of the issues that we feel we have been having, and also gives the framework of the expectations. Anything beyond that really is a personal matter for the employee.”