Residents complain about noise, vending machines, tax bills
UPPER PROVIDENCE >> Several vocal citizens shared concerns about various township matters with the supervisors on Monday.
Resident John Leonard Jr. focused on the additional 77 parking spaces approved by the supervisors for the Volpe Hollow Road truck depot during their Sept. 21 meeting. Leonard quoted from that meeting’s published minutes where the Volpe team stated the increased parking is needed to consolidate instead of expand terminal operations.
Leonard told the board that Volpe will not be able to turn off reverse alarms as promised due to OSHA regulation during Sunday night to Saturday morning operations.
Township Supervisor John Pearson told Leonard that Volpe will install plants as a buffer along the property line with adjacent residences.
As a former Volpe private consultant, Leonard invited the board to stop by his home at 8 p.m. to experience the amount of noise generated by forklifts working at both Volpe and adjacent Pitt-Ohio’s facilities.
“I can live with the noise,” Leonard said. “I’m tired of hearing the noise myself, but I respect the fact that they are employing people in the township.”
He predicted neighbors, specifically Meadows apartment complex residents, will complain about noise and lighting during winter months at future township meetings and there will be more traffic within the township due to trucking between additional Volpe distribution centers.
Supervisor’s Chairwoman Lisa Mossie told Leonard that Volpe followed the land development process and the supervisors and advisors had asked the applicant relevant questions.
“We just can’t say ‘no, you’re lying to us’ — we have to take people on their word for the circumstances and we don’t have anyone here representing the loyal opposition saying ‘ hey this could happen, XYZ could happen and this could happen’.”
Mossie thanked Leonard for bringing his concerns to the township.
Next, Leonard spoke on behalf of a friend who owns a vending company and asked how the township handled requests for proposals for vending machine installed in the new police administration building.
Leonard said he reviewed previous supervisor meeting minutes and found no vending machine bid award mentioned in public.
“I’m just kinda curious,” Leonard said, inquiring about bidding process for vending machines.
When Police Chief Mark Toomey said, “there’s machines but there was never any proposal,” Leonard replied, “you do have a lot of private contractors that own vending machine companies who actually live in Upper Providence.”
Township Solicitor Edward Skypala said “the township’s not paying any money for (the vending machines) so it is strictly the discretion of the chief.”
While Skypala said he’d look further into the matter, he added that installation of vending machines “is certainly not a biddable requirement item.”
Leonard suggested the machine vendor could donate funds to the park and recreational departments.
Toomey said the amount of money raised is nominal and he doesn’t “see any problem at all with the arrangement I currently have.”
Wilfridolo Ortega, a 15year Upper Providence resident, complained he was charged a $200 penalty for paying his second school district tax installment late because the tax collector’s office was not open when he could pay his bill in person.
Ortega described the taxpayer system as working against the citizens. He said when he told the tax collector the penalty was unfair, Tax Collector Julie Mullin explained that Ortega should have paid his bill at the post office.
Mossie told Ortega his proposal that the township offer an online school district tax payment option was outside of the supervisors’ jurisdiction and that the tax collectors often offers evening office hours.
When Ortega said he asked to speak to Mullin’s boss, she told him that as an elected official, she is her own boss.
Mossie confirmed Mullin is an elected official and actually Ortega is one of her bosses.
Mossie directed Ortega to the school Spring-Ford Area School District superintendent for resolution. Ortega admitted he will consider running against Mullin in a future election. Mossie laughed, “be careful what you wish for.”
The supervisors also announced they would hold an additional meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the township hall to discuss the 2016 budget.