LMT BOC Agenda Preview 12/5

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FYI – This is a practice I started and will continue as a member of the BOC. With these previews while I may indicate a voting inclination, it in no way means my mind is made up on any issue. Back during a critical hearing for the Jaindl issue, a Commissioner once spoke before public comment outlining he was voting to move forward the project regardless of what people said during public comment. That was wrong.

My hope is this opens the door for conversations before public meetings. One of my biggest issues with the Jaindl debacle was people didn’t truly understand what was happening until it was “too late”. I plan on doing everything I can to make sure residents have background information and my thoughts on issues before they come to a vote  in front of the board. This is one mechanism to do that. I hope people find it useful. 

12/5/13 Complete agenda with detail

Hearings and Approvals – Kratzer Farm Minor Subdivision
I’ve written alot on this subject. The house will not be sold before January 6th when new Commissioners are sworn in. I do not support the sale of any portion of the Kratzer farm parcel at this time. Selling assets is not solving our underlying financing problems. Selling assets that make sense to sell was good policy over the last 3 years. The Kratzer farm however is unique. It makes no sense to sell at this time. Or better put, there is not good reason or pressing reason to sell it at this time. Not before a comprehensive plan is complete for the parcel. Further, every relevant volunteer board (planning commission, EAC, Parks) objects to the sale of park property at this time. Original position on Kratzer Farm open space

Communication
Compliments:
Scott Alderfer writes a nice letter complimenting crossing guard staff at WLES.
Richard O’Keefe writes complimenting staff on Leaf Collection

Positions:
Carol Black writes in opposition of TIF funding for Hamilton Crossings

18 residents wrote in opposition to property tax. Many favor Conrads EIT alternative. Of note, at least 2 seemed confused about municipal taxes. For ex: one mentioned “subsidizing schools”. Seems confused on school tax vs. muni property taxes….

3 residents wrote in favor of the tax increase and provided supporting rationale.

Solicitor: Solicitor has a note about “Deed in lieu of condemnation of Sauerkraut Rt. 100 intersection. I think this has to do with acquiring land for Sauerkraut extension. I need more information about this before I write about it.

Township Manager:
This will be the huge topic of the night. The ordinance adopting the 2014 budget. I will be writing about this tomorrow. I am looking forward to hearing comments from residents, Commissioners and staff.

Here are some posts I made about the subject over the past 2 weeks.

Blogs
What is home rule charter – and link to Ryan Conrad’s proposed plan
One pro property tax argument that has been made.

Mcall
Lower Macungie property tax proposal stirs last-minute outcry
 

Macungie Borough probably doesn’t have a parking problem….

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Continuing the parking theme this week. Moving over to Macungie Borough, the other municipality I spend a lot of time in. It’s where my business is located.

Perception is that Macungie has “parking problems”. As someone who parks in the borough daily I disagree. Rarely if ever do I have issues parking close to any destination I want to get to downtown.

How parking requirements hurt small businesses

To demonstrate my point I took a little walk. 11am on a Tuesday. Prime business time right? (NOTE: I’m am going to followup with the same exercise at night. I suspect we’ll be closer to peak parking since we have a lot of Main St. renters, but we’ll still have excess.)

From Park entrance to railroad tracks (what I’d call the business district):

  • 55 open spaces were completely unused. (this did include a loading zone and 30 minute parking spaces)
  • Only 33 spaces were actually utilized by vehicles.

To illustrate that here is what a 50 car parking lot looks like in the suburban model. Basically at 11am on a Tuesday you have this amount of parking in the downtown borough business district completely unused. If a box retailer had this amount of parking available during prime business hours would anyone call it an issue?

Parking for 50 cars is outlined in this photo. (CVS parking lot) This is basically equal to the amount of open parking in the borough of Macungie on any given weekday over lunch.

 Below are photos of the “Parking problem” Dec. 3rd (yes winter, but a nice winter day) at 11am. Like I said, going to try the same exercise tonight. See what we’re dealing with nighttime.

Macungie Borough 11am on a Tuesday. Parking issues?

Parking problems?

Yes, I do think Macungie has some issues with it’s Main St. business district. Tractor Trailer traffic is the biggest. The condition of the streetscape is next. But for some reason I hear parking most often. You don’t have a parking problem, until you have a parking problem. Parking issues are a symptom of a thriving business district. Excessive parking regulations are a barrier to a thriving business district. If a thriving business district is the goal, remove the barriers. Then deal with the by-products after you have success. Otherwise we’re just a place with a whole lotta parking, but not many places to go.

Will our new developments stand the test of time?

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I enjoyed reading this Mcall piece about the PPL building in Allentown: PPL manager takes special care of landmark building.

Got me thinking about growth & development here in Lower Mac. Are projects being built now in Lower Mac being built to last? Will our built environment stand the test of time like the PPL building has? For nearly a century the tower has stood as a local landmark. It’s a symbol of pride and creates a sense of place.

Histories Headlines: PPL Tower was architects ‘sculpted mountain’ – WFMZ

Do we still build landmarks? Here is an example: Is this project going to stand the test of time. In 100 years will it serve as a focal point of our community? (Hamilton Crossings) HC is billed as the “gateway to the township”. Does it deserve that pedestal? In 100 years will people feel a sense of pride when they look at Hamilton Crossings?

Will it even still stand in 75? How about 40 years? I for one doubt it. In fact, I would bet Hamilton Crossings will still be the beneficiary of tax abatement long after it’s deteriorated into another dated strip relic. Box commercial is notorious for it’s short lifespan.

What do you think? Why do we not build projects we can proud of here? Other suburbs value their built environment. Why don’t we get commercial development “built to last” here? What are we doing wrong? Is it because we don’t demand it? Is it because we are shortsighted and in 20 years we’ll pay the price when people flock to places that did care?

Photo: Artist John Epler’s winning 2008 Holiday Card for Allentown. Features the PPL building in downtown Allentown. The painting is titled “Shades of Winter.”

Will this building stand the test of time? Will it even be standing still in 20 years? The lifespan of strip box commercial is notoriously short. Will it even last the length of the TIF used to fund it?

Built to last? Or another strip eyesore in 20 years?

The other side of the Tax argument… Should residents pay for warehousing?

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Ongoing dialogue about the tax issue.

Last week, I posted about Home Rule Charter. It’s the lynchpin of Commissioner Conrads proposal to replace property tax with an increased earned income tax. The problem is almost no one understands what Home Rule Charter is. Including myself until I started researching it. I’m still learning. As I outlined last week it’s a complicated undertaking. There are positives and negatives. One negative being it is not easy to initiate. It takes both time and alot of money. I thought it was important to get people thinking about Home Rule.

Today, I wanted to spend some time talking about arguments I’ve heard in favor of property tax. It’s important to present both sides of the argument. To understand the argument, we need context.  4 years ago, the township refused to fight a quarry proposal and instead engaged in a Memorandum of Understanding that resulted in 700 acres of farmland (Over 1 square mile) rezoned to mostly industrial.

Industrial and Orlic = Distribution warehouses. In this case, large distribution warehouses. This is our new reality.

The pro property tax argument centers around our growing inventory of commercial and industrial development. Since we’ve gone down this road with no turning back some argue warehousing is a key to our fiscal equation. Much like Upper Macungie. This, in my opinion becomes the most compelling counter argument for a property tax.

To put it simply, the EIT plan let’s warehousing and large commercial shopping centers off the hook.

Remember, there is no single use in the entire township that generates more liabilities than distribution warehouses. Under Ryan Conrad’s proposed plan warehousing contributes very little to Lower Macungie’s tax base aside from LST and one time windfall.

You can further assume that a large number working at these large distribution warehouses are folks from outside the township. (evidenced by LANTA’s push to expand lines to them) Because of this we capture little EIT from employees locally.

I have a hard time trying to reconcile warehousing paying so little in local taxes with my belief that development should pay it’s own way over the long term. Residents should not carry the bag for industrial and commercial development.

Here are some numbers to think about. Under .33 mil property tax proposal.
A 200,000 residential home: = 66.00 in property tax
8,000,000 Shopping Center (Trexlertown mall) = 2,640.00
*24,000,0000 Industrial Warehouse: = 8250.00 in property tax.
*74,000,000 projected value of Hamilton Crossings: = 24,420.00 (/2 with TIF = 12,210.00)
*Assessed values based on County website
**Based on TIF narrative 

Here is my question to residents:
Now that Commissioners have doubled down on warehousing, isn’t it sort of crazy not to cash in? 

Survey: Let East Penn officials know what’s important for new Superintendent.

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Let East Penn School District know what characteristics are important to you for new superintendent search. Read more here on patch. The school board asks parents, students, teachers, residents and taxpayers to help shape the search by completing the survey online.

 

Fill out the survey here

My thoughts:
Surveys like this are hard since there are no listed characteristics that are unimportant. They’re all important characteristics for the districts top admin. But here we have to rank them and I took my best shot.

Section 2 I ranked items like communication with legislature, comprehensive planning, negotiations and finances high. Development has repercussions for schools. In the past we’ve done a good job with strategic planning. Plans should be updated as Lower Mac has continued to deviate from comprehensive planning over the last 3 years. Since the last look at growth, Lower Macungie has changed zoning on nearly 1000 acres of land previously agriculturally protected.

Meanwhile traditionally senior oriented developments without restrictions are slowly changing over. More young couples are moving into these neighborhoods. (ex. Fairways at Brookside) Class size and the projected capital expenditures (new buildings) should be regularly updated. New superintendent needs to continue keeping a pulse on growth.

Negotiations with public unions are huge. New superintendent should be experienced on that front. He or she should have a proven track record to point to.

Communication with legislature I put into top 3 since schools face so many government mandates. Many fundamental issues affecting taxpayers can only be addressed at the state level. Given that here were my top 3:

1. Communication with legislature.
2. Negotiations
3. Comprehensive planning.

Section four I ranked items like class size (since relates to comprehensive planning), Finances, Gov’t mandates, New buildings and increasing student enrollment highest. In section 5 here were my top 3.

1. Class size
2. Finances Budget
3. Increasing student enrollment

What did you think was important? What jumped out at you? What were your top 3 concerns overall? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

The East Penn School District: Serves the Boroughs of Alburtis, Emmaus and Macungie. Lower Macungie and Upper Milford Township.

What else is going on in Lower Mac?
Tax issue continues to be debated
Santa Claus is coming to town LMT Santa Run schedule
Hamilton Crossings issue 

The ridiculousness of minimum parking standards….

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#BlackFridayParking Live Feed – Visit the live feed here.

Today, across the nation strongtowns.org is helping to document in photos the absurdity of minimum parking requirements. There isn’t a more anti-business policy a town can enact than minimum parking regulations.

From Strongtowns.org – For years, American cities have required businesses to provide an amount of parking based on the anticipated peak demand. That peak demand is commonly believed to be “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving. Cities disregard that businesses may not find it in their interests to devote valuable space and resources to providing parking spaces that will only be used once or twice a year. (or as most of these photos demonstrate…. never) Ostensibly the greater apostasy — from a regulatory standpoint — would be for a driver to show up in their automobile this Friday and not be able to quickly find a place to park. (#ohthehorror!) To avoid that horror, we set aside all of our “pro-businesses” inklings and roll out the red tape of parking minimums.

Fortunately, many cities have repealed minimum parking requirements. Many more are considering taking such a step. Let’s give them a push by helping them see the folly of their ways.

 

Here are some I added to the #blackfridayparking live feed from LMT and another Scott Alderfer posted from nearby South Mall. In every photo there is ample parking. Sure, if you want a spot 50 feet from the front door you might have to circle for a minute…. #horrors!!! But if you don’t mind walking a reasonable distance in each example there is literally a sea of wasted prime commercial space that’ll never be used in any meaningful fashion and will never provide any value to our community.

Each photo demonstrates overbuilt parking on the single busiest shopping day of the entire year.

South Mall, Allentown PA.#PoorParkingPlanning #TooManyParkingSpaces #BlackFridayParking pic.twitter.com/nvcROJNRdF

Black Friday 11am. Counted rows and rows of empty spaces that will never be used. This is wasted space on our most critical commercial corridor. Surface parking is the absolute lowest use of prime space. For years and years we’ve over regulated parking.

What is Home Rule Charter? And how it’s being proposed to address tax issue

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Commissioner Conrad has proposed an alternative to initiating a property tax. He outlines that position here. It involves a short term stop gap measure to address the capital fund deficit of just over a million dollars by borrowing from the general fund and cutting 600,000 in capital projects. Long term he proposes “A Home Rule Charter that would give us the option to explore an increase in the Earned Income Tax (EIT)”.

I am open to serious exploration of the proposed long term fix come January. Philosophically I agree with Conrad’s assertion that property tax disproportionately impacts homeowners, especially seniors. I have questions regarding the proposed short term fix. At this point I do not support borrowing from the general fund. I’m interested in more information and public debate on additional cuts to the capital budget. I’m looking forward to the discussion on Dec. 5th BOC meeting and appreciate Conrad looping Brian Higgins and I into the conversation.

In the meantime, I wanted to do a post about “Home Rule Charter” since this is at the heart of Conrad’s proposed long term fix. Here is the long version. Below I’ve taken my best crack at summarizing.

What is a home rule Charter?
The basic concept of home rule is simple. It’s the details and how you get there where it gets really complicated. Home rule means shifting of responsibility for local government from the State Legislature (via first class code) to the local community. Here in LMT we are currently governed by the 1st class township code. Choosing home rule would allow us to tailor our governmental organization and powers to suit our special needs. At least that’s the argument in favor.

Why is it being considered now?
This isn’t the first time Home Rule has come up in LMT. There was a discussion of the merits and move to explore it during the conversion to first class in 2008-2009. The current conversation is centered around the ability to raise EIT. Currently, we have maxed out our ability to raise EIT as an alternative to property tax based on what is allowed under 1st class township code. Home rule would allow us more flexibility.

How would we move forward?
It is not a quick process. It is complicated by design. State law allows for government study commissions. This is something that can be placed on a ballot, created by ordinance or started via petition. If agreement is reached by gov’t study commission the commission can then draft a Home Rule Charter. Again, a very complicated time consuming task. We’d be essentially drafting a new legal framework for our local gov’t that would replace the framework of the 1st class code.

Once a charter is drafted, it goes to the residents for approval by popular vote. This does not happen quickly.

 

LMT BOC Agenda preview 11/21

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FYI – This is a practice I started and will continue as a member of the BOC. With these previews while I may indicate a voting inclination, it in no way means my mind is made up on any issue. Back during a critical hearing for the Jaindl issue, a Commissioner once spoke before public comment outlining he was voting to move forward the project regardless of what people said during public comment. That was wrong.

My hope is this opens the door for conversations before public meetings. One of my biggest issues with the Jaindl debacle was people didn’t truly understand what was happening until it was “too late”. I plan on doing everything I can to make sure residents have background information and my thoughts on issues before they come to a vote  in front of the board. This is one mechanism to do that. I hope people find it useful. 

11/21 Agenda with detail

Executive Session – Clerical Union Contract review. I believe Bruce Fosselman and Ryan Conrad (chair of budget and finance committee) are the designees to negotiate. I think this is a strength of Conrad’s and I’m happy he has this responsibility.

Hearings and Approvals – None

Communication
Letter from  resident William Mayo which I think sums up the thoughts of most township residents regarding the police issue. Mr. Mayo’s position, which I agree with was supported by the recent police services study. Mr Mayo doesn’t think we should deviate from our current police protection arrangement. I agree and think the crime stats presented recently support that position.

Here are articles overviewing the presentation held last week:
LMT releases police services analysis online 
Presentation of Police Services Study Draws a Crowd

Planning
Grant application to update Southwestern Lehigh County Comprehensive plan. Lower Macungie will be applying for grant money to pay for our portion of the SW comp plan update. The plan is a non-binding document created 7 years ago by Emmaus, Alburtis, Macungie, Upper Milford and Lower Macungie.

This original Plan was funded a County grant and in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Land Use Planning Technical Assistance program.

This Comprehensive Plan is intended to establish overall policies for the development and conservation of the Southwestern Lehigh County Region over the next 15 years. This Plan is not by itself a regulation, but is intended to provide the policy direction for changes to the municipalities’ development regulations.

Recently there have been discussions on updating the plan. This was largely necessitated because Lower Macungie has significantly deviated from the plan. The biggest example of course was the Jaindl development debacle and rezoning of 700 acres of ag protected land to Industrial, Strip Commercial and Residential.

Committee Reports:
Public Safety Commission has 3 terms expiring. VOLUNTEER HERE
Audit Advisory Board has 2 terms expiring. VOLUNTEER HERE
Environmental Advisory Board has 2 terms expiring. VOLUNTEER HERE
Planning Commission has 2 terms expiring. VOLUNTEER HERE
Zoning Hearing Board has 2 terms expiring. VOLUNTEER HERE

Discussion with EAC regarding tree-tender committee: TreeTenders AD-Hoc committee. I support this in lieu of a shadetree commission. I attended the tree-tender training and think it’s an excellent program.


2013 LMFD SANTA CLAUS RUN SCHEDULE!

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A Lower Mac tradition since the late 70’s! Here are the dates for Santa’s tour of the township on a Big Red Fire engine! I fondly remember the Santa tour from when I was a kid growing up in East Texas!

Photo courtesy LMFD

FYI this is a question I’ve gotten before that Chief Nosal answered the other day on the LMT facebook page. Someone asked “Why doesn’t Santa come to my development?”. Here is the answer:

 Lower Macungie Fire Department The reason the LMFD has not come thru your neighborhood with the Santa Run is traditionally we refrain from those developments that are under construction and have not been ‘turned over’ to the Twp. The philosophy is; those types of developments under construction typically have basic roads (no top coat, not flush with the manhole covers, not maintained or cared for by LMT…etc). Additionally, in those situations you also have construction equipment and/or dumpsters lining the roads and you also can find small construction debris that can potentially flatten tires, etc. With that being said, however, in you particular case I know your development has been in existence for quite some time and I made a special trip out there this morning to see how it looked. While I won’t take the trucks thru the southern portion of the development where they are actively building, I think running Santa thru the area north of the development shouldn’t be an issue. Please check our website in the next 10 days or so and we will have the specific street by street routes up. Dave Nosal – Fire Chief
Stay informed with Lower Macungie & surrounding issues:
Lower Macungie Township issues or concerns? Contact me here!
Ron Beitler – Commissioner Elect Lower Macungie Township

Help Alburtis Fire Dept. win new imaging camera

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From Alburtis Fire Dept. FB page:

Please take a minute and vote for the Alburtis Fire Dept to win a new TI Camera from MSA. If voting from a computer this link should take you right to the page. If voting from your phone click view and vote and our pitcher is #41, It will be on the 4th page. Just look for the below photo. Once on the page click love it. Thanks It appears that you can vote once a day so please go on every day and vote.
Macungie Fire Dept., Alburtis Fire Dept., Lower Mac and in fact all our local fire dept’s all work together to provide coverage from our area. Equipment benefiting one benefits us all! According to the FB post the departments current thermal imaging camera is older and unreliable.
How to help:
1. Login to Facebook
2. Find Alburtis Fire Dept. Page by clicking this link
3. Follow directions!
Takes 10 seconds. You don’t have to sign up for anything.