Upper Nazareth Hires New Manager

Lisa Klem, currently the Township Manager in Kidder Township, has been hired as Upper Nazareth's new Township Manager, according to Upper Nazareth Township Meetings. Her start date is May 6. She succeeds E.J. Mentry, wholeft late last year to manage Schuylkill Township in Chester County.

Her compensation package is unknown at this point.

Brown Met Secretly With Upper Nazareth For Jail at Gracedale

One of the biggest issues in November's election was Executive John Brown's secret plans for a jail at Gracedale. Since September 2016, I had been warning you about this possibility. In September 2017, I told you that Brown himself had visited a dozen different locations, had ruled out a new jail at Easton, and had told Council he would build on a greenfield. In July, prison advisory board chair Dan Christenson called Gracedale a "great location." When I pressed Brown on the issue, he said only that zoning approval would be needed. He declined to rule it out. Even when a large group of Upper Nazareth residents invaded Council to complain, he refused to rule it out. He finally did so from his Facebook page in mid-October, when I'm sure he was told he was digging his own political grave. Brown claimed Lamont McClure was trying to scare people. He also repeatedly referred to these stories, most of which came from me, as "fake news." Brown went on to lose the election, this is all water over the dam now. But I learned last night that Brow had every intention of building a jail at Gracedale. His statements to the contrary are the "fake news."

Above you can see the cover page of a 30-page power point presentation that Brown gave to Upper Nazareth Supervisors in a closed-door session on March 27, outside the public spotlight. Under our toothless Sunshine Act, you can get away with keeping the public in the dark by claiming it is just information gathering.

Brown met with Supervisors for over two hours. Attending this secret meeting with him were Corrections Director Dan Keen, Administrator Cathy Allen, Public Works Director Stan Rugis and General Purpose Authority Solicitor John Lushis. His presence is an indication that Brown was considering a P3 financing mechanism for a $180 million jail.

I only have the cover page of the power point for now, but will have the whole thing by the end of the day. i wish I had this before the election..

I'm informed that the power point shows the different sites visited by Keen, and also shows how a site from Kentucky would fit at Gracedale's campus. It even includes different rotations.

It's pretty clear that Brown did intend to build a jail at Gracedale. It'sjust as clear that he wanted to keep the public in the dark while disingenuously claiming to be transparent.

He should look up the word.

In short, Brown was untruthful. It caught up to him.

In June, Supervisors admitted to this secret meeting,. Three of them - Mike Rinker, Donna Hirst and Scott Sylvainus - said they oppose the idea.

Upper Nazareth Residents Say No Jail at Gracedale

Ryan Woodmansee

Upper Nazareth Township residents upset at the prospect of a new jail in their back yards have mobilized. In five days, #NoJailatGracedale has collected over 1,000 signatures in opposition to any new jail at Northampton County's Gracedale campus. They were at Upper Nazareth Township's Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday night. Last night, 12 Eagles Landing residents let Northampton County Council know how they feel.

Though both Council and Executive John Brown have been tight-lipped about it, discussions about a new jail began a year ago, following a presentation in which Corrections Director Dan Keen called the current facility "a beast."

At that time, Administrator Cathy Allen said the County is very serious about a new site, and hinted that "some of the people we need to be in our corner will be in our corner." Bob Werner added, "There are people we have met with in the past that have changed. Positions have changed."

Mat Benol - Objections just  "political fodder"

In the past year, by his own admission, Brown has visited about a dozen different locations for a new jail. He has declined to name them, but has ruled out Easton. He said the costs of building a high rise there would be "exorbitant." Possible sites include Bethlehem's industrial park near Hellertown Road, Wayne Grube Park, the slate belt and Gracedale. Brown has ridiculed the notion that he visited Wayne Grube Park. But at the same time, he said that county should be looking at properties it already owns.

One of these properties is a portion of the Gracedale campus, located near Eagle's Landing, buffered on three sides by hills. Over the years, it has been discussed as a site for a new jail

Upper Nazareth Township officials say no formal plans have been presented for a jail at Gracedale. Manager EJ Mentry acknowledges contacts with the county, but says there have been no communications within the past few months.

Brown has stated that zoning law rules out a jail at the Gracedale campus. But as Brown undoubtedly knows, the argument can be made that Upper Nazareth's zoning is exclusionary. Though the Zoning Ordinance provides for prisons, it is only in zones where no prisons could ever be built, like a quarry. If a zoning ordinance is determined to be exclusionary, the use must be permitted anywhere. Including Gracedale.

At a prison advisory board meeting in July, Chair Dan Christenson called Gracedale a "great location." Here's an excerpt from the minutes:

Mr. Christenson explained that he believes the valley area near Gracedale would be a great location for a new jail, and he was told a longer than necessary sewer line was installed in the past. [Corrections] Director [Dan] Keen said a site selection has not been discussed from [sic] John Brown, but we have had a group in the jail doing studies to determine exactly what we need. Director Keen said [the current] facility costs us about $115 per day, per inmate. A new facility costs about $67 per day, per inmate. [Prison Advisory Board member Ed] Boscola asked if a new jail would cut out [sic] operating costs in half. Director Keen explained it wouldn't necessarily work out that way because of the need for more officers, based on a staffing analysis. Mr.Christenson asked how much overtime we pay. Director Keen explained the Union Contract dictates we have 1.5 million right off the bat each year in overtime due to the schedule. Mr. Boscola asked if DLR [a prison architect hired by Executive John Brown] would do a financial analysis, staffing analysis, etc. and Director Keen stated yes. Director Keen said they are looking at it from 3 angles and will provide a report when they are done. Mr. Christenson offered the board's assistance when the time is right.

At last night's Council meeting, numerous Eagles Landing residents made clear that Gracedale is far from a "great location."

Attorney Kelly Schreier

When Bob McMahon asked, Council President John Cusick feigned unfamiliarity. "There's been no proposal put before Council," he said, knowing full well that this topic has been under discussion for the past year.

"I understand this is a real concern, and I share your concern, said Hayden Phillips, who lives in Upper Nazareth. Peg Ferraro noted she is opposed to any new jail at Gracedale, not just because of a "not in my back yard" attitude, but for numerous other good reasons. Phillips said he'd share his information with residents. he could start by explaining what Administrator Cathy Allen and Bob Werner meant when they said that some people who at one time opposed a new jail have changed course.

McMahon said he emailed each Council member over a month ago, but heard nothing.

Cindy Lipschutz warned Council, "We are going to fight this and we have the whole community behind us."

Jim Cunningham asked where the feasibility study was. He was told that architectural firm DLR had been hired. "I'm not talking about building, I want to see a feasibility study," he said. He also asked what locations have been visited, and wanted to know if those sites could be listed "before the election."

Instead of answering Cunningham, Benol said that the current jail is a mess. But Cunningham wanted to know if the Easton location has really been studied. "The carriage is getting in front of the horse," he complained.

"It seems like we're pulling teeth here to get answers from Council," said Ryan Woodmansee. He presented a petition with over 1,000 signatures opposed to a new jail at Gracedale. He also disputed Cusick's feigned lack of knowledge about a new jail, referring to newspaper articles indicating clearly that Council is well aware of these plans. "The cloak is off," said Woodmansee. "It's an election year, I'm a Republican myself, but I have no problem crossing party lines come November."

Mat Benol dismissed Woodmnsee's concerns as "political fodder." When Benol stated that this is the first Council that has actually looked at a new jail, Woodmansee noted he has articles from as long ago as 2003 to indicate the opposite.

Julian Kryemadhi told Council that he himself is an immigrant, but knows that the United States is proud of the citizen's right to free speech. In that vein, he asked why Executive Brown deleted a comment on his Facebook page in which Julian merely asked for a new jail update.

Holding her daughter in her arms, Attorney Kelly Schreier said she is "outraged'at the prospect of a jail at Gracedale. "I am also appalled at the lack of transparency and the lack of knowledge that anyone seems to have about this issue. ... Could you please provide some transparency?"

Christine Woodmansee said she and Jenna Hausman introduced themselves as the "two moms" who started the #NoJailatGracedale Facebook page and petition. "We have been on the ground talking to the people of Nazareth who are just outraged about this," said Christine. "People are willing to cross party lines for this. It is that serious of an issue. ... We will hit every single door in Nazareth to make sure we get our point across."

After everyone had spoken, John Brown gave Council and the audience the longest speech he's delivered since he was elected. He failed to address why no new feasibility study is being done, even though there are now problem solving courts and the jail census is dropping. He also failed to list any of the sites he has visited,despite a specific request to do so..

He noted that the zoning at Gracedale is inappropriate, but declined to say whether he has abandoned that site. "Of course, we're going to look at the property we own," he said.

He denied a lack of transparency, saying that it is too early to have a cart or a horse, let alone say that the cart is being placed in front of the horse. He said the process would take four or five years. "It is way too early in the conversation to even be asking those questions," he said.

Brown said that anything that is done, like the hiring if a design architect, would have to be publicly bid. "We're not even sure we could afford to do it," he added. But he said the county does have a responsibility to the jail and the inmates.

He suggested that the public outrage from residents who identified themselves as Republicans is politically driven. "You can conclude for yourself likely how this has gotten started and has gotten inflamed," he said.

Ken Kraft, who supports a jail at Gracedale, attempted to bail Brown out by asking about a morgue.

Then Brown began discussing the county's needs, including toilet paper purchases. "We buy a lot of toilet paper," he said.

I believe him.

"I'm happy to stand on my record, moving forward," he concluded.

Ron Heckman, a former NorCo Council member sitting in the audience, was amused at the discussion. "Every Executive wants to build a pyramid," he wryly observed. "Has he talked to he DA? I have. Has he talked to the courts?" Heckman is running for Council, by the way.

Upper Nazareth Stop Sign

You've got to have a sense of humor.

Upper Nazareth: Land of Bobcats, Empty Vodka Bottles and Broken Gates

The East Lawn Social Club
had no position on the parking ordinance

At a meeting attended by about 20 residents last night, Upper Nazareth Supervisors unanimously decided to table an ordinance that would have banned parking outside of Tax Collector Tracy Adamski's home and office at 26 Newport Avenue. An ordinance was proposed that would have blocked parking on Adamski's side of the street out of a concern that fire trucks would be slowed down on this narrow street when responding to emergencies. But when Fire Chief Don Seiple said there's no problem, that effectively put the matter to bed.

I was there after hearing about the ordinance. I thought it odd that a local government would make it more difficult for someone to pay his taxes, and wanted to witness the absurdity. But believe it or not, reason prevailed. The Board pleasantly surprised me with the way they listened to residents in a meeting in which comments from members of the public were welcome throughout the night.

Adamski's home is across the street from the east lawn Social Club, and they sometimes have functions that add traffic in the area. The township's zoning officer apparently had a shit fit after one of these events.

It was a great meeting for a first timer like myself and a woman I met who had never been to a meeting of any kind before. We both heard discussions of bobcats, empty vodka bottles and a broken school gate being used as a short cut by just about everyone.

Donna Hirst, bobcat spotter

Getting back to the road ordinance.  Fire Chief Seiple said that 90% of his calls go to Rte 191 and do not even go by Adamski's house. "Than why are we talking about this?" asked Chairman Mike Rinker.

Prior to the vote, Tracy Adamski told Supervisors that the ordinance would be unfair to elderly residents who would be required to park on St Elmo Street to pay their bill. "Some of these people can barely make it up my ramp," she said.

Claire Smith, who has lived on St. Elmo Street since 1947 and in the Township since 1927, said to block parking at her house instead of at Tracy's home and office. "I agree with Tracy," she said. "She needs the space. Next time cars come around my house it will be for a funeral."

The room cracked up at her remarks. This woman is at least 89 years old, but she was sharp as a tack, and she and her husband drove to and from the meeting.

The meeting started out on a light note when Joanne Messenlehner, the Grand Dame of Northampton County's Democrats, reported that a cleaning crew spearheaded by Becky Bartlett had managed to pick up 25 bags of garbage throughout Farmview, including a very large number of empty vodka bottles. People began snickering and Messenlehner went on to say that, many years ago, kids at the high school would lace their water bottles with vodka.

Gary Asteak, who understands Pennsylvania Dutch,
represents several Nazareth area municipalities. 

Supervisor Donna Hirst reported that there's a bobcat in her neighborhood.She described the feline as "quite friendly," and it often hangs out at the intersection of 5th and Farmview. She's worried that the bobcat might eat her dog. Acting Chief Bill Cope told her that he called state game officials and they refuse to do anything because the only reason it has become friendly is because someone is feeding it. Once the food disappears, so will the cat.

Maybe that's where the vodka has been going.

Things became more serious when Hirst began discussing a constantly broken gate at Fourth Street, leading to the Nazareth Intermediate School. She noted the road is in a residential neighborhood, but is being used as a means of quick access. The result is much more traffic. She called it "an accident waiting to happen,"and said that "afternoon traffic in that area is horrific." Becky Bartlett added the gate had been up for four months straight at one point.

In response to a suggestion by Solicitor Gary Asteak, Hirst and other township officials will seek a meeting with school district administrators to protect the community.

Engineer Sean Dooley reported that construction of a traffic light where Friedenstahl and Schoeneck Avenues meet Route 191 (East Lawn Road) is slated to start on June 13, but might be held up a bit by the Verizon strike. The Township goal is to have a light in operation before the start of the next school year.

Good luck!

Supervisors also went along with Acting Police Chief Cope's request to hire two part-time police officers and a full-time officer.

The full-time officer, as yet unknown, will be selected from among the ranks of part-time officers.

One of part-time officers being hired is Corey Fluck, an 18-year veteran who could open up an office as a gynecologist. Last year, he helped an Alburtis mother deliver twins. The other part-timer, whose name I unfortunately missed, is currently a part-time police officer in Bangor.

Scott Sylvainus spoke against hiring a full-time officer, noting it is not in the budget and that the $88,000 cost is a budget buster. But Cope argued that he wants to move towards a full-time department. "Part-time officers are band aids," he said. "They fill in holes in the budget. They have no loyalty."

Cope's argument won the day.

"It's public safety," reasoned Rinker. "Our obligation as a Board is to provide public safety and infrastructure," added Hirst.

Single Hauler Debate Moves to Upper Nazareth

The house is packed in Upper Nazareth

Like Bethlehem, Upper Nazareth has surveyed its residents about switching from an independent to a single trash hauler. Like Bethlehem, those who responded would like a cheaper trash bill. But like Bethlehem, a very vocal group is opposed to a single hauler. That's what was apparent on Monday night, during a crowded meeting of the Township's Recycling Committee. I counted forty people, and heard nobody advocate for a single hauler.

This meeting was chaired by Supervisor Scott Sylvainus, whose mild manner and willingness to listen seemed to mollify an angry crowd.

Some residents would like to be able to vote on this as a ballot question, but Solicitor Gary Asteak told them that the law does not permit referenda on this kind of issue. "In other words, we're getting railroaded," said resident Frank Reichart.

Brenda Basenese stated, "I want to be able to choose who I want to come to my home and trust." She added, "I don't expect the senior citizens should have to pay for my garbage."

Yvonne Plakotaris, who is with independent hauler East Penn Sanitation, told Supervisors that smaller independents would be unable to bid on a single hauler system because of prohibitive bonding requirements. She argued that Supervisors should adopt ordinances similar to those in effect in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Townships.

In the survey done by the Township, 231 residents cited lower cost as what mattered most to them. Residents scoffed at the 700 responses as not representative. But that's much higher than the 561 people who voted in the 2011 municipal election.

In Hanover Township, where there is a single hauler in place, there has been a drastic decrease in garbage bills.

Trash collection fees have also gone down in Walnutport Borough. The bid price for residential pick up between 2008 and 2012 for 775 residential pickup was $887,650.00. The new price, for the period between 2013 and 2016, is just $625,873.00.

Single trash haulers are demonstrably cheaper, but people seem to be opposed to the idea.

Upper Nazareth to Consider Single Trash Hauler

Upper Nazareth Township Supervisors will consider a single trash hauler proposal at their Monday night meeting. As in Bethlehem, this plan faces stiff opposition by independent haulers.

Yvonne Plakotaris, from East Penn Sanitation Inc., raises many of the same objections presented in Bethlehem.

“What good does a controlled single hauler system do for the citizens?" asks Plakotaris. "Why do local municipalities think they can do a better job than private enterprise? Cheaper rates the council says. I say not. The council is not fully explaining the expenses of additional staffing, legal fees, etc. that these contracts incur.”

I have not had an opportunity to discuss this with Upper Nazareth Supervisors, but will try to do so on or before Monday. .

Jak-E Potatoe Co. Comes to Nazareth

I didn't know it was there. I've driven by several times without even noticing.

But a friend recommended the place, so I checked it out earlier this week. If you like a good panini sandwich that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg, you should try it, too.

I'm talking about The Jak-E Potatoe Company, which opened for business on December 15. It's located at 52A East Lawn Road in Upper Nazareth, close to Sicily Restaurant, where Fat Daddy used to be located before he underwent a gastric bypass. It's take-out, and the number is 610-759-0146.

Every panini is served with a bag of chips and a big chunk of garlic pickle. I tried the Classic Reuben and sweet potato fries. The Reuben is by far the best I've ever eaten, probably because it's made with Boar's Head meat. There are 25 different kinds of panini from which to choose. If you'[d rather have a burger or a steak sandwich, Jak-E does that, too.

Dave and Laura Jones are the proud owners of this establishment. While waiting for my order, I got to talking with Dave and learned that, like me, he's a frustrated politico. He's so sick he even reads my blog. He reads Joe Owens and News Over Coffee: Nazareth News, too. No wonder he's so smart! We spent about thirty minutes solving the world's problems while I waited for my order. His cute daughter, Abby, a Nazareth middle schooler, got into the act, too. She made the most sense.

If you like politics or a really good sandwich, Jak-E Potatoe is the best place to go. I hope Mike Drabenstott at Beyond Scrapple forgives me for invading his domain, but I want to spread the word about this great sandwich shop.

Joe Owens: Good Editor, Lousy Gadfly

Ordinarily, Joseph P. Owens is the hotshot editor in chief of The Express Times, where he routinely converts my very intelligent letters to the editor into paper airplanes.

But guess what?

When Owens returns home from a hard day at work and notices no street lights in his neighborhood, he turns into an amateur gad fly. This summer, he attempted to grill Upper Nazareth Township supervisors, but they left him in the dark. Having no gadfly training, Joe blew it. He forgot a bullhorn and interrupted no one, even though he knows those cat calls really throw elected officials off. He never even tried to get himself forcibly ejected. He circulated no petitions, and failed to form a grass roots group like UNSAFE (Upper Nazareth streetlights are for everyone). He never bothered to wail that supervisors are conducting secret meetings with Nazareth Borough Council or something.

Billy Givens, of course, is the holy terror of local government. He's been thrown out of more public meetings than most of you will ever attend. Even when he sits meekly, you know he's just waiting for the right moment to erupt. Before the Iraq war, during a candlelight vigil, this snarling septuagenarian stepped out into the middle of traffic in downtown Easton with his bullhorn, ready to roll around in the gutter with some musclebound guy who looked very much like a professional wrestler. I was able to talk the guy out of taking a swing, but it cost me. I had to date him. On the bright side, I now get my wrestling tickets free.

Sadly, Joe Owens never really took the time to study Billy's guerrilla politics. So as a gadfly, Joe stinks. To make matters worse, he had to publish a letter to the editor from UNaz Super Joe Emrick, chiding him for his sorry performance.

But Joe is not taking this lying down. No sirree.

Last week, when I told you about Upper Nazareth's first ever web site, he tried to pop on this blog with some pithy shot. But because he's such a lousy gadfly, he couldn't even remember the password.

Here's what he tried to say.

Bernie,
Now that this Web project is over, do you think the citizens in my darkened neighborhood may now get repairs done in the streetlights that have been out for nearly two years?
Nah ... didn't think so.
JPO

Joe, I'm sending Billy to see you, and he won't take No for an answer. Prepare to be enlightened!

Upper Nazareth Township Has a Website!

Upper Nazareth Township Supervisor Joe Emrick has sent me an email about the township's first website, located at http://www.uppernazarethtownship.org/. It's a noble effort to make local government more transparent and accessible.

It kicked off at 6 PM last night. Emrick publicly thanks web designer Robin Schlegel, and committee members Steve Polles and Jeri Krondstadt for their hard work toward the completion of this project.

Here's part of what the township's press release tells us.

The site has more than fifteen pages of information and contains some of the following important features:

· The agendas and meeting minutes of the past year for both the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission.

· An extensive list of contact information for both emergency & non-emergency agencies.

· Links to a multitude of other municipal, educational and historical institutions, including the Nazareth School District and Nazareth Public Library.

· Several PDF files to download at home such as permit applications for increased convenience.

· A “New Resident” and “Frequently Asked Questions” page along with a page for Township news and upcoming events.

“The primary objective in creating our website is to make our local government as open and accessible to the public as we can. Second, it’s our goal to always attempt to meet the needs of our residents in an even more efficient and responsive manner and this website helps us do both,” Emrick said.

If there are any future questions, please contact the Upper Nazareth Township municipal building at (610) 759-5341 or e-mail us at untw@rcn.com.