Mayor Samuel Fenton Report for 03/08/2007 

Police Pension

The Police Pension Funding proposal seems like a very good idea and I would like to thank Dana Becker, our Finance Director for all her hard work in putting this proposal together.

According to the study there will be a significant savings to the Township, approximately $4,656,000.00 in the first nine years of the program and the savings could possibly be used to fund a new Municipal Building, or to fund other programs.

Speaking of saving money, I would like to thank all of our employees who serve on the Safety Committee. Through heir efforts the Township will save over $29,000.00 on our Workers Compensation Insurance in 2007.

I would also like to report that our new insurance broker has informed us that we are going to save around $370,000.00 dollars this year. He mentioned that he has worked with our Assistant to the Manager Ivette Sierra and she helped him immensely. I would also like to thank Ivette for all the extra hours she has put in and for all her hard work. She should be commended. Ivette, I thank you.

Certified Safety Committee

The Department of Labor and Industry has approved the Township’s application for certification of our Workplace Safety Committee effective 2/28/07. The Township’s Safety Committee has been certified under Article 10 Health and Safety Provisions of the Workers Compensation Act under Section 1002 (B) of the Act. This Certification of the Safety Committee entitles the Township to receive a 5% ($29,056) discount on the Workers’ Compensation Rate(s) effective upon the commencement of the policy renewal period (March 1, 2007). I would like to thank Ivette Sierra for the hours spent in preparing the application and including all necessary paperwork in order for the township to be certified. I would also like to thank the Safety Committee members as to their dedication to the monthly meetings and the requirements that the meeting entails to allow the Township to receive this deduction.

Drainage

The 2006 drainage project includes 10 problem areas with 3,425 feet of 15 inch pipe with 24 new inlets with the cost to the Township at $46,916.20.

The areas include:
5 in Levittown
1 in Edgely
2 in Croydon
1 in West Bristol Township 1 in Keystone Industrial Park

Road Program

The highway department completed 56 roads totaling 11,227 miles for $898,205.96 of Liquid Fuels funds. This amount includes milling, trucking and paving materials. The areas completed by the Public Works Department include:

19 in Croydon
11 in Newportville
3 in West Bristol Township 1 in Bristol Township 9 in Levittown
2 in Edgely
1 in Fairless Hills

The Road Program spent as of today $2,915,785.64 with more payments to come and a final payment to General Asphalt, the funds to date in the Road Program account is only $1,522,796.85. Hopefully the remaining balances do not exceed the amount left for the completion of the Road Program. This amount was used to complete 2 streets and a partial of another street totaling 2.46 miles. The streets completed with the Road Program were Goldenridge Drive Ivy Hill Road and a portion Fourth Avenue.

As I know the scope of the work being done is different, I feel that if we would have taken the Bond Reconstruction money and forward to the highway department the Township residents would have gotten more streets if not all the streets milled and paved. These would have gotten the residents pride with the roadways in the Township and they would have gotten more bang for their bucks!

In comparison we spent in house about $900,000. and completed 56 roads, and contracted out close to $3,000,000. (three million) and only did 3 roads. I think the Council needs to take a good hard look at this for future decisions.

Turnpike/ I-95

Many of you read about the Penn Dot Project with the interchange of 413 and I-95 and the Turnpike. As you know, I have been working very hard to keep a valuable piece of property so it can be turned into a commercial zone with a tax base and revenue producing stores. Penn Dot wants to make it a retention basin. We can not afford this. It is right in our Town Center and used to be many stores there. We had an interested developer by the mane of Gambone and Associates who was looking to put such things as a Ruby Tuesday, CVS, and possible Cracker Barrel. I would like the Council to pass a resolution tonight saying we oppose this as a retention basin and state the reason I just mention to our Governor and State Senator and State Legislature.