Hatfield Township commissioners

July 25

Police propose fine for 911 misuse: Hatfield’s police department at proposing a new fine for those who make false or automated calls to 911. “Right now, we have fax systems that dial 911, and we have uncooperative businesspeople. So instead of arresting them for a misdemeanor, we’d like to be able to issue a citation if need be,” said police Chief William Tierney. One particular business owner has a fax machine that has made automated calls to the department’s 911 number a total of 13 times, and required a police response of reach, Tierney told the township’s commissioners during their July 25 meeting. “We’ve responded 13 times, and it’s because of the fax machine. We say ‘You need to deal with this, you need to get this worked out,’ and they’re not cooperative,” he said. Arresting and/or charging the business owner could lead to large court costs for both the department and the owner, Tierney told the board, while a new fine could provide an intermediate step, with the funds staying local. “If it’s a township ordinance, the money will come directly to the township, instead of the state,” he said. Township Manager Aaron Bibro said an early draft of a 911 misuse ordinance would carry a $1,000 fine, and he and Solicitor John Iannozzi said they will look into the legal limit on such a fine, and comparable amounts in other towns. Further discussion could be held when the township commissioners next meet on Aug. 22. Trail grant awarded: The commissioners voted unanimously July 25 to award a contract for the final portions of a township-wide trail project. According to Bibro, the contract is the last portion of a trail project funded by $100,000 from Montgomery County’s Montco2040 grant program, mean to create several trail connections throughout the township. “We have a pedestrian crossing, now installed, at Orvilla (Road) and Independence Way. We now have sidewalks as you leave our trail system, behind the Aquatic Center, along Maple Avenue, to make a safer route,” Bibro said. “This is the final pice of the grant project. Once we finish this, we will be able to be reimbursed for the $100,000,” he said. Work to be done under the new contract includes new pavement markings at the crosswalk on Orvilla, painting a new dedicated trail lane along North Penn Road for walkers and bikers, and pavement markings on Chestnut Street near the new sidewalk on Maple Avenue. The contract was awarded to DeAngelo Brothers LLC for just shy of $27,000, and Bibro said the bid was considerably lower than two other bids received for the same project. Also covered under that project will be new lines on Cowpath Road east of Line Street, where drivers currently cut past one lane of traffic to create another. “What we’ve seen is, based on the current way the pavement markings are, a lot of people will try to turn this into two lanes, even three at times,” said Bibro. Public Works construction proceeding: Commissioner Larry Hughes gave an update on varus projects the township’s Public Works department is currently performing. According to Hughes, township staff and contractors are currently paving threeand-a-half miles of local roads, with installation of, or upgrades to, 31 curb ramps being done as part of that project. Crews are also working with their counterparts from Lansdale Borough on a new parking lot adjacent to Schweiker Park on Moyer Road, which Hughes said has been fallen behind schedule to summer storms. “Everybody knows the weather’s been a challenge, with the rain. They’re hoping to have that complete by September,” he said. Other work being done by the department includes installation of LED lighting at School Road Park, construction of boardwalks along the Frick’s Trail, and collection of yard waste from residents on the third Saturday of each month, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Public Works building at Unionville Pike and Richmond Road. Debt dropping: Finance committee liaison Gerry Andris reported several facts and figures from the township’s recently completed 2017 audit. According to Andris, total township debt at the end of 2017 totaled roughly $6 million which has decreased to $4.6 million due to a reimbursement of roughly $1.5 million borrowed for restoration of the Walnut Street bridge. The township’s police pension fund earned a 16 percent return in 2017 and is now 91 percent funded, the highest mark in ten years, and the township’s nonuniform pension fund also achieved a 16 percent return and is now fully funded, according to Andris.