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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

$359,000 In Road Improvements Set In Hanover Township

Outside auditor Todd Bushta praises Hanover Tp records
At their May 13 meeting, Hanover Township Supervisors unanimously approved a $359,000 bid award to Stroudsburg paving company Hanson Aggregates. Work will start in the end of May, and should be completed within one to two weeks.

According to Public Works Director Vince Milite, the roads being re-paved this year are Claire Street, Greenleaf Drive, Greenfield Road, Brentwood Avenue, Hemlock Place, Yorkshire Road, Kenwick Circle, Kevin Drive and Timothy Drive. Each road will be milled down, and then new macadam will be spread.

Supervisors also received a "clean, unmodified opinion" from outside auditor Todd Bushta, who reviewed the Township's finances at the end of last year. He found no internal control issues, and complimented Township Manager Jay Finningan and Treasurer Ryan Kish for "comprehensively maintained records."

But unfortunately, not everything is clean. Milite and Township Manager Jay Finnigan described an encounter with  a strange white substance - "really nasty stuff" - that jammed a pump and grinder at the Hanoverville Road Pump Station. "Thank God we had a spare," said Milite, who later confirmed there was also an unpleasant odor. "I don't know what it is," said Milite, who said the material goes into a 20' well that is 10' round.

Hanover Township has no sludge experts.

It does have a flood plain, and it's about to get bigger. As a result of a new flood maps prepared by FEMA, the Township is expected to adopt a new flood plain ordinance in June. Township Manager Finnigan told Supervisors they could ban construction in a flood zone, or permit it subject to FEMA standards. Supervisors have opted to allow construction. As explained by Supervisor Glenn Walbert, "It's a whole new scenario when you start telling people they can't use their land."

In an effort to gain additional revenue, Supervisors also unanimously authorized Solicitor Jim Broughal to advertise a new realty transfer tax. According to Broughal, the ordinance is not aimed at the typical business or residential owner, but at "sneaky lawyers" who have used a loophole in the state law under which one business could sell its stock to another without paying any transfer tax. The state has closed that loophole, but not in time to stop a $160 million stock transfer in Hanover Township earlier this year, from which the Township could have imposed a transfer tax.

Finally, Supervisor Jack Nagle said that an empty police cruiser, parked along different roads in his district, has had a positive impact on speeders.

"I'm looking for a dummy," remarked Finnigan.

"Hey, I'm working now," answered Nagle.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"and complimented Township Manager Jay Finningan and Treasurer Ryan Kish for "comprehensively maintained records."

Wow, they hired him and he likes them. Imagine that!
lol

Anonymous said...

personally I think JF is the north end of a south bound mule. However, I have to admit he does run a tight ship

Anonymous said...

I don't care if he's the north end of a south bound mule or the south end of a north bound mule he does a great job and it is reflected in his entire staff. All are professional, work hard and make Hanover a great place to live.

Anonymous said...

Somebody should tell Glenn that taxpayers pick up the tab for people who build in the floodplain.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You can praise Finnigan, but it's obvious the Township has a serious weakness. They know very little about shit. I'm no expert, but that white thing, if it was glowing, may turn out to be the radioactive shit that Don Miles warned about. It's time to call Angle. He can bring his yardstick and measure it and run all his usual tests, which include a taste test.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Somebody should tell Glenn that taxpayers pick up the tab for people who build in the floodplain."

I don't think that's so. But if you want to ban people from building on their own property, please run for office and tell the voters you want to restrict their rights.

By the way, the larger floodplain is fairly ridiculous on most of these FEMA maps. But what it does mean is that insurance rates will go up for very many homeowners. Taxpayers won't be picking up the tab for that, either.

Anonymous said...

Of course taxpayers pick up floodplain development. You don't think flood insurance is private do you, Bernie?

Who do you think pays the bills when that property gets damaged by water?

Taxpayers! The whole reason the rates are going up is because the flood insurance program is flat broke.

Why should we pay for fools who knowingly put their stuff in floodplains?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Premiums for floodplain insurance are paid by a homeowner, not the Feds. The new floodplain maps are much larger and encompass many properties that were not in them when they were purchased. I don't like government telling a property owner what he can do on his own land. There is a need for some kind of FEMA regs, and those will be in place.

Anonymous said...

So you're ok with the government subsidizing the risk and bad choices of property owners. Got it.

The premiums are paid by the homeowners but they aren't nearly paying for the true actual risk. That's always been subsidized and Congress made sure that'd continue last month.

Glenn's statement is careless.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You are twisting what I said and are not really interested in the subject.