Stories you may have missed last week
Below you'll find some of the top stories from Manchester last week. To stay updated with the latest news all week, be sure to follow Manchester Patch on Facebook and Twitter. If you have a news tip or know of an exciting event happening around town, feel free to contact us.
In this Article:
In an effort to go green, only agendas and second reading items will be printed for distribution at council meetings
Some weeks, Manchester Township Council meetings see a heavy turnout and residents snatch up each copy of the full agenda printouts provided by the clerk's office. Other times, a lackluster public showing means that a stack of unwanted papers requiring disposal remains following the meeting. As a result of fluctuating turnout and a hope to save paper costs and protect the environment, clerk Sabina Skibo said that starting this week, the township offers agendas, including drafts of upcoming resolutions, ordinances and bills, on its website. "It was difficult because you can't anticipate," she said. "Sometimes there's an issue that people are coming out for, so you have 200 packets that you need. Other times, there are maybe 10 to 15 people …
Manchester Town Council votes to increase fees after tabling the amendments at last meeting
Construction permit fees are set to increase after the Manchester Town Council passed an ordinance amending current charges. Amendments to the Uniform Construction Fees, chapter 133 of the township code, were scheduled for a vote at the Jan. 10 council meeting but proper notice was not given due to an e-mail error, clerk Sabina Skibo said at the time. With notice correctly given for the Jan. 24 vote, the council approved amendments to the ordinance. The text states that the fee increases will take effect 20 days after approval. Council President Craig Wallis said that the increases in Manchester bring fees to levels comparable to those around the state. High fees are necessary to ensure the building department is self-sufficient, he said…
Sufficient notice not given; second reading, public hearing and final action to be taken at Jan. 24 meeting
An ordinance increasing construction fees scheduled for approval at Monday night's Manchester Township Council was tabled until next the meeting. Amendments to Uniform Construction Fees were scheduled for second reading, public hearing and final action but proper newspaper notice was not given due to an e-mail error, Clerk Sabina Skibo said. "We have had notification from the newspaper. For some reason they did receive the e-mail on publication on this one, so I'd like to table this one until a date certain," she said. The amendments to the ordinance will be discussed and put to a vote during the next council meeting on Jan. 24. Councilman Brendan Weiner said that the increases are needed as the expense of operating the building …
12:17 pm on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Wow what a novel idea: "the money that comes in covers the cost of the services that are rendered." Isn't that how businesses are run, you need to price your services accordingly to the cover your costs and in ideal situations...even make a profit. more ›
Tax hikes set to offset pension cost increase
Manchester Townships taxes will rise 13 percent now that the council has approved its fiscal year 2011 budget. The $29.5 million budget, which the council approved unanimously, jumped by $1 million over the $28.5 million 2010 spending plan, said CFO Diane Lapp. Lapp outlined the budget during the council's Dec. 13 meeting. "We have maintained our operating expenses – we have not increased anything in operations that we felt we didn't have to," Lapp said. But jumps in pension expenses will raise the tax rate. Funding to be raised from taxes in 2011 is set at $19.4 million, compared to last year's amount of $17.3 million. Lapp said that the over $2 million difference "will result in a 5.2 cent tax increase." This means that last year's …
EyeOpener
8:01 am on Monday, April 25, 2011
Better late than never. Town councils have finally learned that there is nothing to be feared by making public information easily available to the public. more ›