November Ballot Question: Water and Sewer Improvements Bond Referendum

This is first part of a two part series on several of the state  ballot initiatives.  First, I am going to briefly discuss the Water and Sewer improvements ballot initiative.

So, what does this ballot initiative really mean?  The state infrastructure, including water and sewer, is aging and is in dire need of repair or needs to be upgraded to meet new more stringent standards.

Why should we spend $400M to improve our water and sewer infrastructure?  This is the quickest and most cost effective way of funding the repairs/upgrades to our water and sewer infrastructure issues.  Additionally, this approach will share the cost across all the municipalities, instead of each city, township, or borough bearing the cost to fund the improvements on their own. In the long run, the end user will pay less for these improvements.

One of my colleagues said it best . "Taking on additional debt is never an easy decision, but in this case, I think it is the prudent course of action that minimizes the impact on the end user/rate payer".  

 

WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS BOND REFERENDUM

Do you favor the incurring of indebtedness by the Commonwealth of $400,000,000 for grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for the cost of all labor, materials, necessary operational machinery and equipment, lands, property, rights and easements, plans and specifications, surveys, estimates of costs and revenues, prefeasibility studies, engineering and legal services and all other expenses necessary or incident to the acquisition, construction, improvement, expansion, extension, repair or rehabilitation of all or part of drinking water system, storm water, nonpoint source projects, nutrient credits and wastewater treatment system projects?

PLAIN ENGLISH STATEMENT OF ACT 64 OF 2008

The purpose of the ballot question is to determine whether Pennsylvania voters approve of the Commonwealth borrowing $400,000,000 to make grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for the acquisition, construction, improvement, expansion, extension, repair or rehabilitation of drinking water system, storm water and nonpoint source projects, nutrient credits and wastewater treatment system projects.

Source: League of Woman Voters

Easton Area Middle School Dedication

The dedication of the new Easton Area Middle School will be held at 6:15PM on October 30, 2008. The ceremony will be held at the Middle School complex in Forks Township.

All the area townships Board of Supervisors have been invited, as well as current and former members of the Eastern Area School Board.  State Representative Robert Freeman will also attend, as well as Northampton County officials.

In a nice touch, the former Facility Utilization Committee will be introduced.  This citizen committee was instrumental in developing the 2003 Facility Utilization plan, which established a blueprint for building improvements and construction throughout the school district.

Congratulations to all the people involved in completing this project.

Get Involved - Every Voice Counts

Forks BoS - Hang Tough in King Mills lawsuit!

I attended the October 20, 2008 King Mills Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) meeting. More than 40 peopled attended the meeting and three, including myself, spoke out against the proposed development.

The audience was delighted with the ZHB decision and now the real legal work begins. It appears clear that the KMRD developers are going to use a two-prong strategy to get this dispute resolved in their favor. First, they will continue to apply legal pressure by appealing the Zoning Hearing Board decision to the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. Second, they will try to curry favor with the Easton Area School District by continuing discussions to donate 25 to 30 acres of land located in Forks Township. This proposed land donation is involved in the KMRD lawsuit.

In these tough and challenging economic times, Forks Township, the Easton Area School District, and the residents of our community cannot afford real estate speculation by the King Mills developers.

I strongly urge the Forks Township Board of Supervisors to “hang tough” in the legal fight with KMRD. I believe the citizens of Forks Township are willing to continue the legal battle in order to limit the development on the few remaining parcels of green space in our township.

I am urging the Forks Board of Supervisors to send a clear message to the developers. Respect our zoning laws!

 

Get Involved - Every Voice Counts!

KMRD Decision - David Billings Public Comments

The following were my public comments to the Forks Township Zoning Hearing Board:

I speak to you tonight as a concerned parent and citizen of Forks Township. A allot of time as passed since the first hearing on August 7, 2006. You have listened to a mountain of evidence regarding this challenge. However, I believe the basic question is quite simple.

Is KMRD asking Forks Township to change its zoning laws due to changing housing economic conditions? Let’s review the facts:

• By their own admission, they made an economic decision to built large expensive houses to accommodate the housing demand, but also to increase their profits.
• By their own admission and several Township experts, the current zoning laws allow for the building of town homes and affordable housing in Forks Township.
• By their own admission, they can build houses today in the FP district and still make a profit.

So, what is the motive of the developer? It is to maximize their profits at the expense of our township, Easton Area schools, and our Quality of Life.

It is true tonight, as it was in October 1, 2007, when the Zoning Hearing Board voted 5 to 0 against a proposed settlement.

In my opinion, this proposal will add 6000 more cars on our road every day, 4,800 more students in the schools, and Forks Township would lose about 25% of the remaining open farm fields. Not to mention, the aggravation and frustration of fighting heavy traffic in the township on a daily basis would be a burden. 

If KMRD wants to build a development in our township, then they should submit a plan that adheres to the current zoning laws. One of my neighbors said it best: “The building of the Kings Mill development will devastate this community!”

So far, you have held firm in your belief our Zoning Laws are right and will be upheld in a court of law. I strongly urge the Zoning Hearing Board to continue to hold our ground and reject this challenge.

Kings Mill Decision- Challenge "Denied on all issues"

 

"Zoning Hearing Board denies the substantive challenge on all issues". With this very direct and concise motion, the Forks Township Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) denied the KMRD substantive challenge by a vote of 5-0.

Just to summarize the current legal situation, the developer is proposing to build about 3,000 homes, consisting of single family homes, town homes, and mobile homes in Forks Township. This was an on-going legal proceeding to hear a substantive challenge to 2006 Forks Township FP Farm Land Protection district regulations. The challenge states the regulations concerning the development of single family detached homes in the FP district are arbitrary, unreasonable, and unconstitutional because the effect of the zoning laws discourage a landowner to develop the land with high density housing. The developer (KMRD) wants to build 1,952 condominium apartments, 359 townhouses and 731 mobile homes on 545 acres in new development called Kings Mill.

The ZHB declared the Forks Township zoning laws were constitutional and reasonable. Additionally, the ZHB found the KMRD witnesses were not creditable and the challenge lacked merit.

So what happens next in this lawsuit? The KMRD attorneys provided insight to the challenger next steps during their opening statements. The KMRD attorneys stated "this case is not going to end tonight". It seems this case will be appealed to the Northampton court of Common Pleas. 

 

Get Involved - Every Voice Counts

 

David Billings

Kings Mills Developer Offers Free Land to EASD - What gives?

The Express-Times (10.16.08)  is reporting KMRD (Kings Mills Developer) held a private meeting with the EASD to discuss the donation of 30 to 35 acres of land in Forks FP district.

The EASD Facility Utilization committee was briefed on a conversation between  EASD staff and a developer about a proposal to donate 25 to 30 acres of land located in Forks Township to the Easton Area School District. The proposed parcel of land was located on Newlins Road.  The developer was asked to make a public presentation about the donation to the Facilities Utilization Committee at the October 15, 2008 meeting.

At the last moment, the KMRD developer canceled the presentation.

Oh my gosh, this parcel of land is involved in the KMRD lawsuit. It seems the KMRD developer is trying to curry favor with the school district to get Forks Township to settle the pending KMRD litigation.

Stay tuned, as the Kings Mills closing arguments will be held on October 20, 2008.  This should be interesting!

Kings Mill – Time to end the Madness!

For the last 27 months, Forks Township has been fighting the litigation brought by the Kings Mill developer – KMRD. It has been a very long road and the end of the King Mills hearings are finally at hand.

Just to summarize the current legal situation, the developer is proposing to build about 3,000 homes, consisting of single family homes, town homes, and mobile homes in Forks Township. This is an on-going legal proceeding to hear a substantive challenge to 2006 Forks Township FP Farm Land Protection district regulations. The challenge states the regulations concerning the development of single family detached homes in the FP district are arbitrary, unreasonable, and unconstitutional because the effect of the zoning laws discourage a landowner to develop the land with high density housing. The developer (KMRD) wants to build 1,952 condominium apartments, 359 townhouses and 731 mobile homes on 545 acres in new development called Kings Mill.

In my opinion, this proposal could add about 6,000 more cars on our roads every day, 4,800 more students in the schools, and Forks Township would lose about 25% of the remaining open farm fields. Not to mention, the aggravation and frustration of fighting heavy traffic in the township on a daily basis would be a burden. Here are some interesting facts discussed during the proceedings:

• By the KMRD developer’s admission, they made an economic decision to build large expensive houses – in zoning districts that allowed high density building - to accommodate the housing demand, but also to increase their profits.
• By the KMRD developer’s admission, and several Township experts, the current zoning laws allow for the building of town homes and affordable housing outside the FP district.
• By the KMRD developer’s admission, they can build houses today in the FP district and still make a profit.

During the Forks Township Zoning Hearing Board proceedings to discuss the Kings Mill development, Easton's Chief Planner, Becky Bradley, testified that Kings Mill as proposed would add 17,000 vehicles a day to Easton's streets!  She stated, too, that the development would open the door for more development in Lower Mount Bethel Township.

Jeff Bader, the former Easton Area School District Business Manager, testified that the annual per student cost, exclusive of buildings, is $12,000 per year.  The school tax money realized from a typical townhouse is $2,500, resulting in a net deficit of approximately $9,500 per student. More than one child per household would further increase this deficit. Additionally, Bader stated, “that would cost the district about $45 million in staff, administrative and transportation costs.” If we used the state planning level of 1.6 students per home, Bader said cutting the development in half would still result in 2,400 new students, which is roughly 25 percent of the current student population of about 9,000.

One of my neighbors said it best: “The building of the Kings Mill development will devastate this community!”

In these tough and challenging economic times, Forks Township, the Easton Area School District, and the residents of our community can no longer afford real estate speculation by the King Mills developers.

Please join me in publicly speaking against the proposed Kings Mills settlement at its last Zoning Hearing Board session on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:30 PM in the Forks Township Municipal building. Let’s send a clear message to the developers – honor our zoning laws.

David Billings

Suburban Appointed as Forks Township EMS Sole Provider

Tonight, the Forks Township Board of Supervisors (BoS) appointed Suburban EMS as the sole provider of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support(ALS) services. The BoS approved the appointment by a 5 to 0 vote. The  change of EMS providers is effective on October 18, 2008 at 12:01 AM.

This situation was caused by the Forks EMS refusal to provide monthly financial statements and to provide a current business plan.  The Forks BoS extended a written invitation to both parties to appear at tonight board meeting to discuss the current situation. The last straw for the Forks BoS was the absence of the Forks EMS leadership team at tonight's meeting.

Additionally, the BoS stated that two subscriptions letters were mailed to Forks Residents soliciting donations for both the Suburban and Forks EMS squads. The Forks residents was asked to pay $112 in yearly subscription fees, where most townships pay about $65 a year. 

The Suburban EMS leadership team assured the Forks BoS that all 911 calls would be covered, so Forks Residents will not have an interruption in EMS coverage.

Honestly, this action by the Forks BoS was long overdue.  The Forks EMS leadership team had many chances to provide monthly financial statements, resolve the billing dispute with Suburban EMS, and create a viable business plan.  They just failed to respond to any suggestions or offers of help to resolve the situation.

It is sad the Forks EMS professionals may be out of work in this difficult economic environment. I am grateful for their service to our community.

Final Kings Mill Hearing - Public Input on Oct 20, 2008

The final  round of the King Mill hearings is scheduled for Monday Oct 20, 2008 at 7:30. Yes, the public will have the chance to provide input that will be included in the final record for the Northampton County courts. 

Just a quick summary of the legal proceedings. This is an on-going hearing to hear a substantive challenge to 2006 Forks Township FP Farm Land Protection district regulations. The challenge states the regulations concerning the development of single family detached homes in the FP district are arbitrary, unreasonable, and unconstitutional because effect of the zoning laws discourage a landowner to develop the land with high density housing. The developer (KMRD) wants to built 1,952 condominium apartments, 359 townhouses and 731 mobile homes on 545 acres in new development called Kings Mill. Yikes!

This is the last hearing, as the KMRD and Forks Township attorneys present final arguments. The Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) final vote will happen later in the evening.

It is important we attend this meeting to show our support for the township attorneys and send a message to the developers to respect our zoning laws!

Every Voice Counts

EASD - Facility Utilization Committee Meeting

 

Just a quick update on the group of four (4) citizen committees that are working on the Easton Area School District Facility Utilization plan.

These committees has been hard at work this year to update the current EASD Facility Utilization plan. A brief description of the committees is as follows:

• Enrollment Projection: Determine the school district growth rate by grade by school.
• Building Capabilities and Needs Assessments: Review the current list of school improvements and determine additional school building improvements for the next ten to twenty years.
• Redistricting: Propose school redistricting, as needed.
• Best Practices in Education: To determine the correct class size and the best education practices.

The next committee meeting is October 15, 2008 at 7:00 PM.  Here is my understanding of the agenda:

1. Sub-Committee status

2. Review current Re-districting proposal.

2. Review District Growth Rate Data

3. Review Developer Proposal

 

Additionally, the committees will meet on October 29, November 5, and November 19.  The meetings will be held at the EASD Education building located on Bushkill Drive.

These committees are a good idea, as concerned parents and the various school PTA organizations can help write the final recommendation to the school board.

The Economic Barbarians were gathering.....

As the economic barbarians gathered at the steps of the capital building ready to plunder our economy, the House of Representatives passed the $700 billion bailout bill by a vote of 263-171.

Now, the New York Times is reporting the Treasury Department will not administer the auction to buy the toxic assets from various banks, but they outsource these tasks to 10 -12 Wall Street Asset Management firms. I must admit, this is a very scary thought. These firms could be paid billions of dollars in management fees, as they manage this government program.

Right now the program to buy these toxic assets will not be implemented until after the November elections. This will give the current Treasury Secretary a few weeks to improve the credit markets. Time is of the essence, as our economic woes continues to hurt many people.

So, I have a few suggestions for the two Presidential candidates.  First, stop the personal attacks and focus the debate on solving our economic woes.  I am tired of the political "silly season" and the American public is looking for real answers to very complex problems. Today's personal attacks by one of the VP candidates were uncalled for and mean. Second, nominate your Treasury Secretaries now, so they can help design the bailout program. One of them will inherit the challenge to administer the bailout program in 2009 and beyond. Third, severely limit the fees paid to Asset Management firms, as we need to maximize the return on the American taxpayer investment. 

Our country is facing some very serious problems and we need the best and brightest of our country to solve them.

 

Get Involved! Every Voice Counts!

Forks Elementary School welcomes a new Playground

On Tuesday, the Forks Elementary school celebrated it's new playground. The new playground was installed prior to the start of this school year with donations from citizens, local governments, and civic organizations.  I must admit, it is very cool place for the kids to play.

This is just the first step in the renovating the entire Forks Elementary playground. The Forks Elementary playground committee continues to raise money to add park benches and other ground level equipment.

 

According to the Express-Times, if you want to make a donation, please send a check to Forks Elementary School, Attention Margaret Gallaher, Playground Committee Treasurer, 1709 Richmond Road, Easton, PA 18045. 

Congratulations to the parents who spend many hours to raise money and to create community awareness about the poor condition of the playground. Job Well Done!

Get Involved! Every Voice Counts!

Senate Pass Bailout Bill - A Vote for Main Street!

 

Tonight, the upper house of the U.S. Congress passed the Financial Market Bill (Bailout plan) tonight by a 74 to 25 vote. I have many negative feelings about the overall effectiveness of the U.S. Congress, but tonight the Senate did good!

Both U.S. Senators from Pennsylvania vote yes.  I am glad our Senators had the courage and vision to cast a yes vote for the American people.

Why is this vote important?  Just look at the today's US Auto makers earnings report. Ford Motor Company reported a 33% decline in auto sales, partially due to a frozen credit market. The overall US Auto industry reported a 24% decline in auto sales, while the Asian auto makers reported a 31% decline. Allot of these declines were driven by a frozen credit market.

Now, the fate of the bill resides with the U.S. House of Representatives. The House will vote on the Senate version of bill on Friday afternoon. Stay tuned, this may be a wild ride!

 

Get Involved! Every Voice Counts