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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Hanover Supervisors Brave Snowstorm To Explain Executive Sessions

Neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night, shall stay Hanover Township supervisors from the swift completion of the regularly scheduled meetings. Despite the onset of a snowstorm, there were no absences at the regularly scheduled January 11 meeting. Even Public Works Director Vince Milite was on hand until snowflakes began blanketing the roads, beckoning him to his plow.

As snow began its silent assault, Hanover resident Al Young was a bit more vocal. He noted that during 2010, 12 of the Township's 22 public meetings ended in an executive session, from which the public is excluded. That's a 400% increase from 2008. "What are they doing behind those closed doors?" asked Young.

"We pulled three bonds in the Township," answered Manager Jay Finnigan. "The Township has never pulled a bond before." Finnigan added that publicly discussing the litigation would reveal "our plan of attack." Now that all three matters are concluded, Finnigan revealed that bonds were pulled for developer improvements at Monocacy Farms, Valley View Estates and Dwyer Estates. As a result of this litigation, Hanover officials received $2.3 million for improvements at these properties.

In other business, Supervisors unanimously authorized advertising for an "exterior storage" ordinance for outdoor items that present "a threat to the physical appearance, safety, public health and welfare of the Township."

Chairman John Diacogiannis expressed some concern about what exactly constitutes a threat to physical appearance. "One man's garbage is another man's gold?" asked Solicitor Jim Broughal, who drafted the Ordinance. "Trust me, Mr. Chairman, the Townshio will ot take any acton unless it's totally obvious that it's a threat."

"Mr. Nagle has been known to have some den furniture in the front yard," teased Finnigan, but Supervisor John Nagle made clear they're only rocks. Supervisor Mark Tanczos, pictured above, appreciates the humor.

Hanover Township Supervisors will meet again on January 25, 7 PM.
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1 comment:

  1. JimmerJanuary 12, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    No sense of legislative retraint. No respect for indivudal liberty. No asking "is this necessary to preserve public health, safety, or welfare?" There's simply no aspect of your life that they won't regulate, or have a say over.

    There was a time when municipal governments realized that their proper role was public safety (police and fire) and road improvements. Those days are, unfortunately, long gone.

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