April Kidder meeting features LH Rescue Squad honorees

by Seth Isenberg

Kidder Township’s April meeting led off with some happy news, as the Lake Harmony Rescue Squad was given a moment to recognize businesses who stepped up in 2022 and

2023 with money and time towards ambulance company operations. Recognized were Louis and Cyndi Pantages of Nick’s Lake House, Shenanigans and Louie’s Prime Steak House; Split Rock Resort; Vail Resorts; Harmony Beverage and Seth & Ruth Isenberg of this publication, Journal of Penn-Kidder and The Journal-Herald.

Under old business, readvertising twice more for tree trimming bids in the Lehighton daily still brought no bidders. Township solicitor Robert Yurchak advised that the township can now contract for the work. No new results came from readvertising for engineer services proposals, again twice. The township will negotiate with the three firms that replied to the first ad.

A request from a shortterm rental property owner for a partial refund due to selling the property was denied, as there is no language in the STR ordinance to give such a refund.

In new business, supervisors were unanimous in approving a resolution opposing any land application of sewage sludge in Carbon County. They were unanimous in approving a resolution supporting PA’s plans for the U.S.A.’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Supervisors approved 4-0 the transfer of a liquor license from Lansford to the property where the Arby’s is located. Supervisor Pantages abstained from the vote. Contract negotiations are underway with the police officers’ bargaining unit. The contract is up in December. Kidder Police answered 152 calls in March, and patrolled

See KIDDER, page 2

Penn Forest Township Camp Evergreen gets supervisors’ support

At the May 1 Penn Forest Township Supervisors’ meeting, representatives of Camp Evergreen explained the purpose and operation of the weekend overnight camp, held for more than two decades for up to 75 underprivileged girls, ages 6 to 18. Camp Evergreen has served kids from Penn Forest Township and communities of western Carbon County.

See PENN FOREST, page 3

7,321 miles with their four vehicles.

Traffic lights had some of their systems upgraded to get the fire companies’ emitters installed on them, likely done before summer. In a bit of housekeeping, supervisors approved the disposition of records held by the township tax collector tax certifications, tax bills and paid receipts, change of address records, real estate property transfers, and sheriff property sales tax records for 2020; exoneration certificates and lists for 2017; tax collector’s duplicates and general ledgers, monthly reports to taxing districts, and delinquent/tax lien records for 2015. Also in this resolution “that all electronic recordings of public meetings shall be destroyed… upon final approval of the official written minutes of the meeting.”

Two vacant properties on Stony Brook Drive in Holiday Poconos were bought from the Carbon County Tax Claim Bureau by a North Carolina investor. Code enforcement reports being out 59 times on accumulation of trash incidents citing two properties (the rest were cleaned promptly). There were also 33 related incidents of storage containers for trash…not doing their job. These were also all cleaned up before getting cited. Officers did 10 home inspections on STRs. They also issued 11 tree ‘preservation’ permits. Bills of $223,701 were approved mainly on services; gas, propane and diesel; the snow plowing contract; pensions; tax collection; Times News ads; the IRS $18,458; and insurances totaling nearly $19,000 all totaled $60,458. $102,125 was paid to the Rescue Squad and Fire Companies, and into the fire equipment fund. The garbage fund paid out $28,798.

Supervisors meet next on Tuesday, May 23.