LAWRENCE TWP.– A special workshop meeting has been scheduled by the Lawrence Township Supervisors between the township and residents of Goldenrod regarding recent zoning changes. The meeting was announced during Tuesday’s supervisors’ meeting and will be held July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge in Goldenrod. When asked by the media Supervisor Randy Powell said the meeting would be open to the public since there would be a quorum of supervisors there.
Several residents of Goldenrod attended Tuesday’s meeting though only a few questions were asked. The supervisors confirmed that no permits have been issued for construction in the Rivers Bend area since the zoning change.
One resident read a statement in which she questioned the legality of the change since township solicitor James Naddeo is also the solicitor for the property owner in Rivers Bend. Naddeo objected to the statement but said he would not comment further, adding that accusations shouldn’t be made without accurate information. Powell added that it was not the property owner in question who even approached the supervisors about zoning changes but other contractors who were considering the township as a whole. Supervisor Jeremy Ruffner then said it was a matter that could be discussed at the workshop meeting.
Also during public comment the supervisors learned that the rescue truck at the Mill Road fire station needs to be refurbished and they asked the fire company to bring a list of what needs to be done to the supervisors. The truck is a 2004 with about 40,000-50,000 miles.
Police Chief Doug Clark reminds residents that any phone calls from the IRS are a scam, as are any phone calls saying a person won a sweepstakes but they have to pay to receive their prize money. He said residents need to use common sense. “Just hang up on them,” he said.
Statistics continue to rise for the department with 92 criminal arrests in June, 172 traffic arrests, 7 DUI arrests, 15 drug arrests, 55 served warrants, 168 traffic stops and 925 incidents altogether. Clark added that the school resource officer program is going well and the officer recently completed ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) instructor training and can now instruct teachers in the program for active shooter situations.
Under code enforcement, the supervisors approved allowing the owner of the three Rainbow Car Washes to install his own meters on the lateral lines in order to track how much water the car washes are using.
The supervisors also approved allowing code enforcement to immediately enact the fee/fine structure if property owners do not progress with corrective action measures. Code Enforcement Officer Debra Finkbeiner said property owners begin work, and then stop, and under Uniform Construction Code guidelines they have a considerably longer time to get work done and can let a permit lapse and reapply. She hopes that being able to levy the fines when they cease corrective action will encourage the owners to finish the work.
Also, the township sign ordinance is to be amended to state that any temporary signage, such as yard sale or political signs, must be removed within 72 hours of the event.
Ruffner reported the new email addresses for the township are live and will be advertised to the public when the new website is up and running sometime next week. The old email addresses will continue to work for at least a year, he said.
The supervisors also approved setting the remainder of Finkbeiner’s vacation for 2018 at 20 hours with seven days of sick leave. In 2019 she will receive the same vacation and sick leave as the road crew. Also, the two seasonal employees hired for the summer will start at $13.73 per hour.