Penn Forest

Continued

In his roadmaster’s report, Meckes noted that the crews have used the time without snow to do some roadside cleanups. There were just two small storms last month. Code enforcement officer Greg Loftus has a new vehicle a 2018 Ford Explorer bought via MuniciBid. It was lettered, and out into service by midFebruary. He will taking the International Code Council proctored code enforcement test (at a cost of $230, plus a membership in the Council and some property code books costing $360).

Township emergency management coordinator David Michael III and assistant EMC Jesse Brennan will attend an emergency management training seminar in late April at Hershey, costing $125 each plus hotel and mileage. Zoning officer Phil Prout reported that the office is beginning to get busy again. There were 243 zoning inspections, 84 UCC inspections, 21 Short Term Rental applications processed, along with eight building permits two for new homes.

Supervisors released $35,345 from escrow from Joe Laschenski’s (little red) ware- house project on Route 903. Lot combinations were approved for the Beach family for their two lots in Towamensing Trails, the Levan family’s three lots on Sparrow Lane, the Travato’s three lots in Mount Pocahontas, and the Knappenberger family’s two lots in Jonas Mountain Estates (part of these lots are in Monroe County).

General fund bills totaling $202,503 were approved. Of note were payments of $60,867 to OPENGOV Inc. for software, $16,200 to buy the 2019 Ford Explorer from Newberry Township, $15,000 as a donation to the Lehighton Ambulance, $13,076 and $2,911 in bills to Barry Isett mainly for zoning services for December, $8,377 and $8,346 for Highmark Blue

Shield health insurance for staff, $12,006 to John Door for the new commercial doors at the township garage, $4,549 and $4,498 for US taxes, $8,254 for truckloads of road salt from Cargill, $7,634 to PPL to relocate the power pole at the transfer station, and $4,300 to Walter’s Monument for the veterans’ monument. The treasurer’s report shows $2,266,095 in the general fund, $5,943,291 in certificates of deposits, and $1,715,022 total in other accounts.

Electronics recycling in the township will the mornings of June 24 and November 18. More details will be published as the date nears. Penn Forest Township supervisors meet next on March 6 at 7 p.m., in person and via Zoom.