North Wales OKs intermunicipal pool supply agreement

NORTH WALES — Three local municipalities are joining together to get better deals on supplies for their swimming pools.

Doing so could result in savings of “several thousands of dollars” per year, according to North Wales’ Solicitor Greg Gifford, but will require permission from Hatfield and Upper Gwynedd Townships along with North Wales Borough Council.

“By doing so, the Pool Commission could poten- tially get very large savings. But by doing that purchase from Hatfield, an intermunicipal agreement has to be entered into by Upper Gwynedd, North Wales and Hatfield,” Gifford said.

The Nor-Gwyn Pool is located at the Parkside Place complex in Upper Gwynedd and is run by a commission with representatives from both Upper Gwynedd and North Wales. Upper Gwynedd’s commissioners approved the same agreement Monday night, the day before North Wales Borough Council did so. Hatfield’s commissioners are expect- ed to do the same in March, according to township Manager Aaron Bibro, who said it’s similar to the joint purchasing mechanism that area municipalities use to split the costs of ordering road salt.

In response to questions from North Wales’ council members, Gifford said the agreement would not expose the borough to any additional liability, and would not create any extra costs for the borough, since the pool chemicals would be bought directly by the NorGwyn Pool Commission from Hatfield Township.

“There’s no additional, financial or otherwise, obligation” to the agreement, Gifford said; “it’s just a governmental things that has to be approved to that (purchases) can be done.”

North Wales’ council also approved a total of $78,538.16 in disbursements for January and February which includes repairs for a borough Public Works truck that needed a broken pump replaced and brake repairs, according to borough Manager Nate Dysard, along with higher than average salt purchases. A detailed breakdown is included in council’s meeting materials packet for Feb. 25.

Council also heard a report from Mayor Greg D’Angelo on upcoming plans for the borough Planning Commission, and D’Angelo said he and new police Chief Alex Levy will begin quarterly meeting with local churches to meet their communities and get to know them.

Gifford told the board that an assessment appeal has been filed for a property on the 400 block of School Street, and council member Christine Hart said she has been told of a resident interested in joining the borough’s Historic Architecture Review board who technically lives in Montgomery Township but has a North Wales mailing address.

Dysard and council President Michael McDonald both thanked borough Public Works staff for working to clear snow and fill potholes throughout the winter, and Dysard said the borough does have funds in reserves for storm damage, but future road repairs would be revised once the winter ends.

“As with every municipality, our road funds are extremely limited. We will use them where they are most needed,” Dysard said.