Board opposes state police charge

Development projects, bridge landscaping also discussed

UPPER GWYNEDD >> An item in Governor Tom Wolf’s recent budget address has caught the attention of, and could prompt a formal response from, Upper Gwynedd officials.

“There are some proposed changes in the state budget, related to Governor Wolf’s proposed use of the state police fee for local municipalities,” said Township Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell.

“Now, the new iteration includes a fee for municipalities, even if we have our own full-service police department,” she said.

On Feb. 3 Wolf delivered his annual budget address, starting off the state’s spending season with a proposal to raise the state’s income tax rate and increase spending on education, among a long list of requests from the state legislature.

Among those requests, Zadell and police Chief David Duffy told the commissioners on Feb. 8, is a change to a fee that is currently only charged to those municipalities who use state police as their main police force.

“We already allocate close to 40 percent of our municipal budget toward our police. They’re very important, and they do all of the policing in our township,” Zadell said.

Duffy added that his department does use services from Montgomery County Sheriff’s department bomb squad, and has members part of the county-wide SWAT team, but rarely interacts with state police.

“The only reason our police department interacts with state police is because we border a township covered by them. If Worcester had their own police department, I don’t think we’d interact at all, and we help them out on border calls,” he said.

“Especially in Montgomery County, where the municipal police departments have formed partnerships for these special services, I don’t see how any fee makes any sense,” Duffy said.

Commissioner Ruth Damsker said she did not think the budget crunch caused by COVID-19 was “an appropriate time to tack on a fee, especially if we’re not benefiting,” and commissioner Martha Simelaro agreed: “We’re really not getting anything in return, and what are we paying for?”

Board President Liz McNaney added that she had seen research that the fee could cost roughly $2 to $3 per resident for townships like Upper Gwynedd, but as high as $85 per resident for other municipalities elsewhere in the state, “the places that use the state police more.” The board directed Zadell to draft a letter to send to local lawmakers voicing the township’s opposition to the fee.

Development projects move ahead: During the Feb. 8 work session, the commissioners also heard updates from planning and zoning officer E. Van Rieker on several ongoing projects.

A project by developer WB Homes to develop apartment units on the socalled “Jeppy Property” on Sumneytown Pike is still being revised, Rieker told the board, but could be before the township zoning hearing board on March 23.

“That had been continued indefinitely by the applicant, in order to really adjust their plan and meet with the neighbors, which they have and are doing,” Rieker said.

At 920 S. Broad Street, a variance request for conversion of one floor of an office building to apartment uses was granted by the zoning hearing board in late January.

The township’s planning commission heard details on Feb. 10 for a proposed office and storage incubator at 180 Wissahickon Avenue, and staff are awaiting details on their request to allow that use in the limited industrial district.

Bridge landscaping coming: Township engineer Isaac Kessler reported that he’s been working with Parks and Recreation Director Sarah Prebis on planning landscaping upgrades to the railroad bridge running above Sumneytown Pike, between Allentown Road and West Point Pike.

“It’s kind of a weed and grass and dirt mix right now, so we’ve coordinated with SEPTA, gotten their go-ahead, and are working closely with Sarah to ID some native plants” for that area, he said.

The current bridge carrying rail tracks over Sumneytown Pike was built in 2009-10, when a $7.4 million project saw a smaller, older stone and steel bridge dismantled and replaced as the roadway underneath was widened.

New planting on the embankments will not only look better, but also have practical benefits: saving staff time and increasing their safety, Zadell added.

Upper Gwynedd’s commissioners next meet at 7 p.m. on March 8; for more information visit www.UpperGwynedd.org.