January 24, 2018. Dave Colver, Chris Christman and Chief Larry Palmer were the speakers at today’s luncheon to give the State of the Township. Chris spoke of the state of the overall township.
“As we do each year, we begin 2018 with a fresh set of priorities and objectives in all of our service areas. Our 2018 budget was adopted December 04, 2017 with the goal to continue to provide high quality municipal services to our residents and businesses. Year in and year out, this is not easy feat, particularly with the mindset of trying to do more with less. However, we were able to present a No Tax Increase budget with the millage rate set at 8.25 mills. For the average homeowner in Palmer Township that equates to a $610 tax bill.
In retrospect, 2017 was a fantastic year for Palmer Township. We embarked on an ambitious Capital Projects Campaign that included:
1. Finishing the new Public Works Building on Hartley Avenue
2. Celebrating the re-birth of the Palmer Community Pool
3. Watching the construction of significant outdoor amenities at the Charles Chrin Community Center, which include a synthetic turf field, two natural turf field, improved parking, and a 2-mile walking trail that connects with the Palmer Athletic Complex near Palmer Elementary School.
None of this would have been possible without the vision of the Board of Supervisors. Their leadership and guidance have made all of this possible.
As a Township staff, we are committed to our core mission of providing high quality, cost-effective services for our residents and our businesses.
Let me give you a quick overview of the Departments and some of the things we have planned for 2018:
Public Works/Public Utilities
Our paving program will continue in 2018 targeting those areas of the Township that are in most need of repair. We did budget approximately $760,000 with a majority of those funds coming from the Commonwealth’s liquid fuels fund. In our Public Utilities Department, we have begun the much need task of identifying weaknesses in the sanitary sewer system and are in the process of preparing a long-term capital improvement program in conjunction with a new FOG (Fats, Oils and Greases) program to curb illegal dumping of solids into the sanitary system that invariably cause major backups. Once this program is in place, we envision a robust inspection program to help businesses come into compliance with our ordinances and treatment responsibilities stipulated by the Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority.
Planning Department
I happy to report to you that the Board of Supervisors adopted our updated Comprehensive Plan last night. The Planning Department along with our consultant Environmental, Planning and Design have done a fantastic job putting together a plan that will guide some of our planning decisions for the foreseeable future. Next on the list for planning is updating our Parks & Recreation Plan and revising our Zoning Ordinance.
Police Department
Chief Palmer will provide an update.
Fire Department
Under Commissioner Gallaher’s leadership, our volunteer firefighters have grown to over 40 and Palmer Township continues to field the best volunteer fire department in the Lehigh Valley responding to over 600 calls annually. With the Township assisting the Municipal Fire Department, we are able to help our volunteers focus more on training than fundraising, and from our perspective, this brings added value to the services we provide. We have purchased 2 new fire apparatus – a tiller ladder truck and a pumper. Both vehicles have a delivery date in Spring of 2018.
Finance Department
Our finance office continues to find ways to streamline both our purchasing, AP, AR, and budgeting functions and at the same time reducing paperwork and processing time. From an accounts receivable perspective, our EIT, BPT, LST, Sewer & Garbage collections continue to be strong.
Solid Waste
As DEP has announced the next round of Act 101 – Section 902 Performance Grants, the Township is actively pursuing a grant to construct a new recycling center on Hartley Avenue. This site would be immediately west of the existing center adjacent to Easton Suburban Water Authority Administrative Offices. The plan for the new center is currently being developed and we are looking to bring this concept before the Board of Supervisors in February.
Lastly, I am happy to report that the State of our Township is strong!! It’s an exciting time to live, work, and play in Palmer Township. I’m proud of our accomplishments to-date and can’t express enough my gratitude to the Board of Supervisors who equally share in the vision that Palmer Township is and will continue to be a model community in the Lehigh Valley. ”
Chief Palmer spoke of the activities of the Police Department.
“The Palmer Police Department announced that Lieutenant Tom Trinchere retired after three decades as a Police Officer with the township. The lieutenant position will be replaced by a second in-house Vice/Narcotics Detective. The Chief, Lieutenant, Sergeants and Administrative Assistant will assume the duties of the eliminated lieutenant position. The department is in the process of hiring three part-time officers to replace others that have replaced retiring officers.
The department recently developed and implemented a Police Chaplaincy Program and four clergies from Palmer Township have graciously volunteered to be among the cadre of Police Chaplains. Those who have assumed the duties are Chaplain Peter Keady, Phillipsburg Alliance Church; Chaplain Laura Csellak, St. Andrew Lutheran Church; Chaplain Melissa Johnson, Palmer Moravian Church and Chaplain Patrick Weber, Faith Community Church.
The Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association has been collaborating with Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martins staff to have the Northampton County Police Departments, District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department join the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigative Center (RIIC) which will enable law enforcement from both counties to share data to aid in the investigative process. The RIIC also performs criminal data analysis, crime mapping, intelligence analysis and other investigative support functions. “