Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call this board of supervisors meeting to order. Could I have troop 82 please come up and help us pledge allegiance. Troop 82 is here this evening um working towards their citizenship and community badge. United States of America to the rep for it stands one nation under God indivisibley and justice for all. Thank you.

Board of Supervisor Gallardo, could you take a role? Sure. Uh, Miss Hannah here. Mr. Leighton here. I am here. Uh, Mr. Kizak here. And Miss Kane here.

Thank you. Um, item number four, upcoming coming meetings and events. Uh, our next board of supervisors meeting is Monday, April 13th, 2026 at 7 p.m. Pendell Middletown Emergency Squad Community Health Fair is Thursday, March 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Middletown Township Municipal Center. Uh, SEPTA Langghorn Station Area Concept Plan open house is Monday, March 23rd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Pendel Burrow Hall. At this time, I invite Chief Barillo to come up and make some comments. Thank you, Chief.

Good evening, Miss Hannah and fellow board members. Um, we are going to uh honor Officer Mike Marks tonight on his retirement. But before we do that, I did want to make uh a couple of of comments. Um, first I just want to offer the condolences of the Middletown Township Police Department to our colleagues with the Pennsylvania State Police on the tragic line of duty death last night of Corporal Timothy O' Conor just to say that our prayers and the full support of our department are with Pennsylvania State Police. We work very closely with them. So, I did want to make that comment tonight that we are uh mourning Corporal Okconor. Uh second, I do want to briefly address some of the events that have been occurring in our township over the last few days. Uh I know many residents are aware there was a significant law enforcement presence last night in the area of Durham and Frosty Hollow roads and again today. Actually happening right now at 500 South Flowers Mill Road. So last night and continuing today, federal agents from the FBI along with specialized federal teams executed court authorized search warrants at both of those aforementioned locations. This is part of an ongoing federal investigation being led by authorities out of New York City. That's the FBI, the Southern uh Southern District Court of New York from the uh US Attorney's Office, and also the NYPD. Details about the charges and investigation are outlined in federal court filings released by the US Attorney's Office. They just released that a couple of hours ago. You can find that online. Our department assisted last night and is assisting again today in a support role at the request of the FBI to help ensure these operations are conducted safely. The activity residents observed or may

still be observing is part of a tightly controlled and highly coordinated law enforcement operation. If you've been watching the news, I think everyone is aware of what's going on, what happened in New York City. Both operations were carefully planned law enforcement activities at this time. At this time, there is no known threat to our community and there is no immediate ongoing danger to our residents. Additionally, there is no information at this time indicating any broader threat or concern related to our community. As we always remind residents, if you see suspicious activity or something that doesn't seem right, please report it right away to our police department so it can be looked into and promptly investigated. Because this is still an active federal investigation, the details of the case are being handled by the FBI and the US Attorney's Office. Out of respect for that process and to avoid impacting the investigation in any way, I'm not able to discuss investigative details or take any additional questions. Uh, what I can say is that our police department, the Middletown Township Police Department will continue to assist the FBI, the NYPD, and the US Attorney's Office as requested in any way we can. And we have assisted them quite extensively over the last two days. And as always, our top priority is and always will be the safety and well-being of our community of Middletown Township. So, I just wanted to address that, say thank you for allowing me that opportunity. Okay. I I'd say any questions, but I really can't answer anything. I mean, you'd have to

I just want to say thank you for taking this time to um just alleviate any concerns people have with your comments. Sure. You're welcome. All right. So, with all that said, now we want to move into uh the recognition part of tonight. So, I do want to call up Officer Michael Marks. You ready? I'm ready. Okay, ready. Here we go. All right.

Tonight, we recognize the retirement of Officer Michael Marx, who concludes a long and very distinguished career with the Middletown Township Police Department. Officer Marks began his career with the department on January 22nd, 1996. Seems like yesterday though, right? It does. Yeah. After graduating from the Philadelphia Police Academy, he began what will become nearly three decades of dedicated service, primarily assigned to the patrol division, where he built a reputation as a hard-working, dependable, and highly respected officer. During his career, Mike served the department in several important roles. He was a field training officer, helping shape and guide the next generation of Middletown Township Police officers. He also served as a UAS operator, that's a drone operator, was an outstanding firearms instructor, and proudly worked as a canine handler, partnering with two police dogs during his career, Usher and Bach. Throughout his time with the department, Mike received numerous commendations recognizing his excellent police work, thorough investigations, and the many significant arrests he made during his career. His professionalism and dedication consistently reflected the highest standards of our police department. On many occasions when a sergeant was unavailable, Mike stepped up to serve as the officer in charge, always leading by example and making sound decisions that reflected his professionalism and commitment to his profession. Beyond his assignments and accomplishments, Mike is known throughout the department as a mentor, leader, and trusted colleague. He has always been someone younger officers could turn to for guidance, someone willing to take them under his wing to ensure they learn how to do the job the right way. And you definitely

made sure of that all the time. Mike has long been known as a voice of reason, someone who is thoughtful, knowledgeable, approachable, and always willing to share his experience. Mike is also a Middletown Township resident where he raised his family. Both of his children attended Nishamid High School and have gone on to be successful in their own lives. Something Mike is incredibly proud of and I know both of his children are here tonight. Mike is well known throughout our community and well respected by the many township residents who call Middletown home. For over 30 years, Mike has given his time, his energy, and all of himself to this police department. Every day he came to work, he helped make this police department a better place and our community a safer place. I have the utmost respect for Mike. So I consider him not just a professional colleague, but a dear friend. So over the years, Mike has never hesitated to stop up to my office and share his perspective on how we could improve things in our police department. and I will admit used quite of your ideas or quite a few of your ideas over the years whether you know it or not and I really appreciate those discussions that we had. So Mike on behalf of the Middletown Township Police Department and all of your colleagues who are here tonight to witness this and on behalf of the township board of supervisors and the entire community here that you have served honorably for three decades. I want to thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and service. We wish you and your family health, happiness, and a well-earned retirement. So, we have a plaque, and you have a lot more to come on the 20th. You know that, right? But for tonight, uh we have a plaque for you. It just says, "Officer Michael Marks, congratulations on your retirement after 30 years of honorable

and dedicated service January 22nd, 1996 to March 20th, 2026." Congratulations, my friend. photo. Hold on one second. Uh, no, you you you can have it, but I'll I'll put it down. So, I am just going to uh have Officer Marks say a few words because I know he does want to want to share a few words. So, go ahead, Mike.

First of all, I want to thank the board for allowing us to do our jobs. Um, we work for the best township in in the state. I I couldn't be more proud working with all these people. Just spent my more than half my life here. So, I'm I'm going to miss them. I appreciate it. And I have to thank my family and my kids for putting up with me for uh their lives. Missing birthdays and family events. Believe it or not, I did work overtime in the very beginning, but not so much the last 20 years probably. But I just want to say thank you to the board and to the chief. I appreciate everything you've done for me. Captain Pateni, Lieutenant Brochious. I appreciate everything that everybody's done. I'm going to miss Middletown, but I'll be around. So, thank you. There you go, Mike. Thank you, Officer Marks. Uh, next we are going to recognize Sergeant Steve Andrews and K9 Jester. Tonight we recognize the retirement of K9 Jester who served the Middletown Township Police Department and our community with distinction. Sergeant Steve Andrews and K9 Jester graduated from the New Jersey State Police K9 Academy in the spring of 2017. That seems like yesterday, Steve. I remember being there like it was yesterday. That's crazy. And have worked together as partners ever since. Jester went on to serve Middletown Township honorably as both a patrol and explosives dete uh explosives detection

canine. Throughout their time together, Sergeant Andrews and Jester conducted hundreds of tracks, building sweeps, searches, and apprehensions, assisting not only our department, but also other agencies when needed. Jester's service extended beyond Middletown Township. He provided support and security at numerous parades and special events throughout Bucks County, including in New Hope, New Britain, and Washington Crossing, and also assisted with operations in Philadelphia. After nine very faithful years of service, K9 Jester now retires from duty. Police can kines ask for nothing in return except the chance to work, serve, and protect alongside their handler. Jester has done that faithfully for nearly a decade, and tonight we thank him for his service to our department, our officers, and the residents of Middletown Township. So, Steve, thank you for your commitment to the K9 program and for the partnership and care you have shown Jester throughout his career. Congratulations. So, we got you a plaque. You and Jester got a plaque. says, "Middletown Township Police Department, K9 Jester, presented to Sergeant Steve Andrews on the retirement of his partner, K9 Jester, who honorably served Middletown Township from 2017 2026." We got a nice photo of you guys on there, too. So, congratulations. I'll leave us up here. Uh, you want to say a few words?

Come on. You sure? Ah. All right. You want me to hold the plaque till uh I give you the plaque? You can hold it. Okay. Sure. Absolutely. All right. So, you guys want to take a photo?

Can you take a photo? and then Miss Hetty, you want me to lead into the uh community foundation? Okay. So, at this time, I'm going to introduce Officer Kevin Ekenroad, the leader of our K9 unit, along with K9 CJ, our newest K9 member of the Middletown Township Police Department. I'll make a few brief comments. Officer Echenro has done an outstanding job leading and helping manage our department's outstanding K-9 program, and tonight we are proud to welcome CJ to the K9 unit. I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the Middletown Community Foundation for their ongoing unwavering support of our K9 program. They have been fantastic partners of our K9 program. Their generosity and commitment to public safety made the purchase of CJ possible and we are truly grateful for their continued partnership with our department and our community. So, at this time, just want to invite representatives from the community foundation to come forward for the presentation.

Congrats, Kevin. Okay.

You ready? Yeah. Go for it. Okay. gonna read your remarks. Are we done?

Hi there. I'm Jaliss Argist. I'm the current president of Middletown Community Foundation. We are a nonprofit 501c3 organization that was established in July of 2000. Our board is composed of non-elected members of the community who believe in the mission of improving life for people who work and live in Middletown Township. Throughout the past 26 years, the foundation has funded many programs that align with our mission, including one-time grants um and many programs that we fund on an annual basis, including shop with a cop, our community service scholarships, uh camp sore, recreation fee assistance, and finally, the reason why we're here this evening, our K9 program. So far, we've raised enough funds to cover the purchase of seven police K-9 dogs for the Middletown Township Police Department. In dog years, that roughly equals approximately $80,000, maybe a little more. Um, which is a significant burden which is relieved from our police department and township budgets. Um, best of luck to our newest K9 officer and uh, keep an eye out in the early fall for registration and information on our next fundraiser for our Kines's, our foot pursuit 5K, which will benefit our K9 fund. Thank you very much. Have a good evening. again. That's right.

Thank you very much. Um, we'll take a minute in case anybody wants to leave after all of those announcements. We'll give you a couple minutes to to exit the room and we'll be right back. Thank you so much. The next item on our agenda is a colarctal cancer awareness month proclamation. Board of Supervisor Lighton, could you read that for us, please?

Absolutely. Uh whereas colurectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women combined. And whereas colurectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented with timely screening, yet over one-third of eligible Americans aed 45 and older are not up to date on screening. And whereas black Americans are approximately 20% more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from the disease than other groups. And whereas colurectal cancer is expected to account for 11% of cancer deaths among Hispanic men and 9% of cancer deaths among Hispanic women. And whereas the national goal established by the national colurectal cancer roundtable is to increase timely colurectal cancer screening rates to 80% in every community for all Americans eligible for screening. And whereas we remember and honor supervisor Payne who our community lost at the young age of 37 after a courageous battle with colorectal cancer and cystic fibrosis. She was a strong advocate for early screening and a dedicated community leader whose efforts impacted many lives. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of awareness, early detection, and continued advocacy in the fight against colurectal cancer. And whereas observing colorectal cancer awareness month during the month of March provides a special opportunity to increase awareness and offer education on the importance of early detection and screening of colorectal cancer. Now therefore, be it resolved by the board of supervisors of Middletown Township that March be proclaimed as colon cancer awareness month. proclaimed on this day, the 9th of March, 2026.

Thank you. Um, next up we have public comment non-aggenda items

the other month. I came up and I I was speaking to the counselor here. I'm sorry. Could you state your your name? I'm sorry. Uh, Michael Mars from Middletown. Uh, I was speaking to the counselor here and apparently I got feedback from the public that uh, people were thinking that I was saying your counselor here or our counselor is from the pro firm. That is incorrect. Correct. Yes. I'm from Curtain and Heafner. Excuse me.

I'm from Curtain and Heafner is the name of my my law firm. Okay. Um, it's very important that we have a strong police department and we're very very lucky to have a chief with such integrity and great leadership around him. Uh, his leadership does a lot of mentoring. Obviously, that's that's an ongoing everyday thing, call by call, report by report. And I'd just like to give the uh chief uh a big uh thumbs up on being one of the best police departments. I think it's the best in the county, if not the state. Thank you.

Thank you. We agree.

Good evening. Uh Lance Seg, Quincy Hollow. um read a recent article uh about losing Patrick Graham as well as Nicole to Bristol Township. I guess what um concerns me about losing, you know, not just those, but we last month sung the praises of Paul, which Paul deserves it. Put a lot of work into this township. Um, and then to right after see essentially the person that he groomed for the job walk out the door after a significant tax increase in which I kept hearing over and over, you know, Middletown residents are um, you know, used to a high level of service. High level of service. This is why we need these tax increases, right? and then we watch the people that provide those high level of services walk out of the door and start working for other townships. I don't know how we allow that to happen. Um but it it's concerning. Um and I don't think that should just be glossed over. Um and I think the board should certainly take an interest in in why we have high quality staff leaving. Okay. Thank you. Joe Fitch, 346 Wyoming Avenue. I have a couple comments. Um, one, the last two snowstorms that we had were were pretty significant. And obviously, everybody's on the keyboard slamming the township and and stuff like that. I think they did a fantastic job for what we had. I know I threw in my towel after 17 and a half hours. I think I heard Eric or somebody say township was out for like 24 hours plowing. I have just a small suggestion. Um, and I seen it the last

two big storms, not prior to that, that we're using some of our help in the township to clear the um retirement center and the ball fields and and stuff like that during the height of the storm. I would much rather see us maybe using that driver or if there's a couple drivers doing that as floaters to give the guys a break in between for a couple hours or you know if that's not feasible at least use those vehicles to keep our you know emergency operations open as far as the fire departments and the you know the police department or the rescue squads or or whatnot. just feel that our energies would be focused better in the height of the storm and worry about the township properties like the parks and stuff like that till after the storms have eased and the guys have gotten a chance to go home and get some rest. So that was comment number one. Second comment I guess I just was trying to get a a answer on the SEPTA thing. Is this something that is they're just throwing out there? Is this something that we are considering? And if it's more has to do with us in Middletown Township than Pendell, why aren't we having something here where we have a a bigger area than what Pendell has to offer?

Uh yeah, so this is the very beginning of a process. SEPTA has approached the township and Pendell about potentially doing what's called a transportationoriented design development. um on their site, you know, at the train station. Um so I think both the township and Pendell have sort of said we would like to see for there to be public feedback and SEPTA has said we would like public feedback. Um so they're going to host this meeting. We're promoting it, you know, on all of our channels. The burough is doing the same thing. Um and we'll see how that meeting goes. They haven't presented anything official to the township. They haven't been in front of the board of supervisors. Um so we'll see how that meeting goes, what the feedback is, if SEPTA wants to continue to pursue. If they do, I imagine we'll do more engagement here. I guess I'm just con curious on why we're going into a shoe box down there when we have a bigger area up here to to view their

That was a recommendation uh by SEPTA because the Pendel Burrow Hall is closer to the project site because even though the project site is officially a Middletown Township, it's literal stones throw away from Pendelboroough Hall and it's designed for the folks that are immediately to that proximity. Um, and while Miss Ratliff is correct, there is nothing officially submitted, there is a web page on Septa's site about this project that uh we would certainly encourage uh the public to take a look at if they're interested in this project. Great. Thank you guys. Can we link that on our website as well? Absolutely. Thank you.

Any other public agenda items and public comments? Okay. I make a motion to approve consent agenda items. Second. Supervisor Hannah, if I may read these uh consent items uh consent agenda items aloud for the record. Yeah,

that's okay. Uh item A, consideration of authorizing payment of March 9th, 2026 bills list in the amount of $2,657,110.32. Uh, item B, consideration of approving the February 9th, 2026 minutes of the public meeting of the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors. Item C, consideration of enacting ordinance number 26-03 to adopt the 2021 International Fire Code with modifications. Item D, consideration of enacting ordinance 26-04 to increase the speed limit on Big Oak Road from 25 miles an hour to 35 miles per hour and to add stop signs to Flame Drive at the intersection of with Fur Avenue and Elissa Linway at the intersection with Fur Avenue. Item E, consideration of change orders number one and number two for the Langorn Gable's drainage improvement project in the amount of an additional $18,2149 for adjusted uh quantities and repair of water service lines and a negative $153 for adjusted quantities. Consideration uh of item number F, payment certificate number two for the Langghorn Gables drainage improvement project in the amount of $456,431.93 for work completed. Item G, consideration of resolution number 26-11R, Woods Meadowbrook Development sewer planning module. And item H, consideration of authorizing the execution of a contract with Car's Heating and Air Condition, Inc. of Tinley Park, Illinois in the amount of $27,000 960 uh for a computer control air handler system in the firearms range.

Thank you. Um, a motion has been made. Um uh any comments from the board? I just had one question on the um computer control error handling system. Did we get multiple quotes or did we just use Carney since it is the already the supplier that works in the building. So we only got the uh the one quote because of it is the current system and because of it is the police officer fire range. It is a sole source. if we do not need to get multiple bids because they are really the only one that can handle the situation with the fire uh firing range. Thank you. Any other questions?

Question on that. Also, is that also in consideration because if we would have replaced the module and the rest of the system, it would have cost considerable more. Uh, yes, but I would I'll defer to Captain Feny if I don't know exactly how much need to be replaced, but yeah, it's a it's a proprietary system. It ties into a whole air handler. It's a computer module that basically monitors the air flow, make sure the lead is filtered out properly. Um, we just have no idea if we tried to go a less expensive route with someone else whether it would work properly with the system. It's it's meant to tie in with the system that we have. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm I'm I'm only saying that because I feel like if we replaced more of the system than just that control module would have cost a lot more. It would cost a a a ton more. Um like I said, the air handler system itself has plenty of life left in it. It's the computer control module that monitors it that is antiquated and out of date. And basically, if it breaks, we won't be able to get parts to fix it. So, it's time to just replace the system to prevent interruption in training. Yep. Thank you. Any other questions from the board? Any questions from the public? A motion has been made. Can I have a second? Second. Motion and a second. All in favor say I.

I. Motion passes. 5-0. Next agenda item, uh, consideration of a letter of understanding with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, uh, for participation in the regional energy benchmarking program. This was brought before us uh, last meeting and then sent back to the EIC. Mr.

Yes. Uh, thank you, Miss Hannah. That's absolutely right. So this is a continuation of the discussion um that we had at the February meeting where the board ultimately voted to send the request to the environmental advisory council um who reviewed this and recommended on a 411 vote uh that the board proceed with the program. So we had just a few slides on it, not as many as we had last month uh to give a brief overview of uh what the letter of understanding does and what's ultimately being proposed here um so that we can give that overview and facilitate a discussion and uh vice chair Leighton was overseeing that meeting. So you might have remarks also from the board uh discussion that happened at that month. So Mr. Valo if you could just give us a run through here.

Absolutely. So just to briefly recap for anybody who is learning this for the first time, uh the energy benchmarking program essentially uh would be a requirement by the township for large property owners, specifically properties that are 25,000 square ft and uh larger. So primarily like your commercial or multif family buildings to simply report their energy utilization to the township on an annual basis. Uh what is officially before the board tonight is not to actually effectuate this policy but simply to formalize uh development of this policy with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission as well as Greenb Building United. Uh there is a representative from DVRPC on the call. Uh her name is Lauren Palowski and she's happy to answer any technical questions that the board or the public might have. Uh but briefly uh again this is just a letter of understanding to further uh develop this policy over the next several months. uh at the uh stewardship and leadership of the environmental advisory council. Uh this policy does exist in a number of cities and states across the country. Uh in Pennsylvania uh both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have this. This would be the first of its kind um got a lower level of government at the township level and Middletown is one of five pilot communities in the Delaware Valley uh that would be u looking to embark upon developing this policy and we have the regional support of DVRBC and Greenbuilding United to actually uh develop and implement this policy if the board wishes to uh move in that direction.

Thank you. The one thing I will also note um the township for those who may not know has a climate action plan that was adopted a number of years ago. The climate action plan calls out specifically engaging in energy benchmarking. This was one of the uh recommended deliverables uh for the board of supervisors to uh participate in as a result of that master plan that we currently have. So with that, if there is any questions or discussion from the board, you know, we're happy Mr. Leighton if you want to give an overview of the board discussion.

Oh, I I do have a question actually. I would I would I know um I believe super supervisor Gallardo and I um as well as Supervisor Kane were concerned about the impact this is going to have specifically with residential properties and that if this put a cost burden on those property managers they would pass it off to their renters which is something that I could speak for myself here I would really like to avoid happening. So, I would just like to get more clarification if where this has been enacted, has that been has that happened in these other locations that are following this, have they seen um the units that are following this increase their rent and push the cost onto their onto their tenants?

Sure. Um my understanding and I'll ask um Miss Palowski to chime in for additional uh clarification. My understanding is the especially for a large property owner um it's a relatively light lift uh especially since it's mostly like a one-time setup and then it's just kind of essentially pushing a button for years after that and especially for a large uh like an apartment type building is what you're referring to. In most cases a building of that size would belong to most likely an entity that has multiple properties and would be subject to this in multiple jurisdictions. Um, and so they generally would have the capacity to assist with that. Um, and if there's anything I might have missed, uh, Miss Palaskki, feel free to jump in.

Sure. Um, yeah, it's not typically the case in other jurisdictions. Um, we provide a lot of resources on how to benchmark, like a step-by-step guide with uh, images and instructions as many other jurisdictions have done. We try to make it as easy as possible. And as Nick mentioned, it's um, usually only takes like a couple hours to set up the first time. And then there's a pico energy usage data tool which automatically would pull the energy usage data on a regular basis. Um and the energy star portfolio manager tool is free. So it's meant to be like a really easy process to try to dissuade um building owners from passing that cost onto their tenants. And also I want to note that the um violations and enforcement piece of the ordinance is customizable for the municipality. So, um, we've done research on what other jurisdictions have charged for fines, um, how much time they give between the initial violation and another one. So, that's customizable where, um, Middletown can figure out that, uh, middle ground of what makes sense in terms of encouraging building owners to submit their data and complete the benchmarking versus, um, imposing an an undue burden on their tenants or on themselves.

Thank you. And I think my largest concern last meeting was in like what comes next, right? So I I see Philly I did some research. Philly is now requiring their their bottom cartile to make energy improvements. Is that kind of where this is headed?

Sure. So that's a great question. And I think one of the things that um we've had a conversation with the township solicitor about was the legality of Middletown Township as a secondass township having the authority or not to do that. Um the legal opinion is pretty confident that we have the ability to um implement a benchmarking program or simply intaking the information. Um I don't know that there's been as thorough of a legal analysis of actually requiring um performance standards or trying to move the needle and actually changing behaviors. Um, I think that's a larger legal question, but that's beyond the scope of what is before the board.

Just to jump in, I haven't done a full legal dive on on that aspect. The secondass township code, we do not have the same rights as a as Philadelphia. Um, my gut feeling is that there would probably need to be some sort of legislative action with the state in order to take it more than just the bench benchmarking. Um, but I haven't done a full legal dive in that. And and to add to that, um not only considering sort of what the legal analysis would show, but those would be separate policy decisions that the then board of supervisors would have to consider. Right? I mean, this is sort of step one um engaging a letter of understanding that essentially says that we're going to pursue what a regulatory environment would look like to start collecting data and to see what that data says. Um it doesn't say what we're going to do with it. It doesn't say what the enforcement mechanism looks like. I mean, this is sort of step one. So, I think those policy questions are really important. Um, but I don't think there's anyone on the township staff or DVRPC that has sort of figured out what the future looks like. It's just sort of understanding um, you know, what the current day looks like and what that might motivate us to do.

So, if I may add a comment. Yes, please.

Sorry. Um, yeah, Philly passed their benchmarking policy in in 2012. So they've had that policy for a long time before they implemented the BET program building energy performance policy which is um if I'm not mistaken requires buildings over certain size threshold to do a tuneup like every 5 years. I think they have to get an energy audit and then make some basic changes every 5 years. um that's not a f full building performance standard which would actually require buildings to reduce their emissions or their energy usage by a set target over a certain number of time and those types of things are like definitely more involved to set up um outside of the legality question. So um I mean other jurisdictions in the United States have passed those types of retrocommissioning building tuneup or building performance standard policies but this is just step one. We're just looking at um benchmarking and one of the outputs of um submitting your data to Energy Star portfolio manager and benchmarking annual basis is building owners will receive a scorecard. So a one-page um scorecard that notes you know their energy usage by type um their building performance scores like an energy star score, EUI, energy usage intensity. Um, and it'll provide some basic recommendations on ways they can improve their building performance or access incentives or other types of programs that can help them to make some of those upgrades if they're interested, but it would not be required.

And is that um tool that is that offered to them only with the benchmarking program or could they be doing this type of scorecarding on their own on a annual basis? Um it's a feature through beam the building energy analysis manager tool which is a tool developed by the department of energy and clearly energy and we provide access to that through our regional program. So we um basically building owners put their data into energy star portfolio manager that's a free tool you can look at your um energy star score couple other basic metrics just from inputting your data. Um but by participating this regional program, it's a lot easier for us to not only look at the Energy Star data from all the properties in our regional portfolio. Um but also to track compliance and uh send out notifications to building owners and also send them those beam like scorecards. Um so they helped to develop those through the tool and we have access to that.

Thank you. It went to the um EAC. What were the comments from the EAC? the EAC um was generally supportive of the program. There was a lot of questions about some of the specific details of the actual policy which you know we advised them there was a model ordinance that they would have as kind of a starting place and there they would have several opportunities to kind of fine-tune it in terms of um penalties and things like that for non-compliance um before making a recommendation. There was I would say kind of the main point of um disagreement amongst the EAC even though there was generally support of it conceptually was just the requirement of it or not or making it optional kind of to supervisor Kane's point. Uh there was one member ultimately his reason for saying no for the recommendation was because he felt it should only be a um an optional program instead of mandating it. Uh but generally they agreed that this was um consistent with the goals of the climate action plan.

Thank you. I have a kind of a two-part question. Um, the other municipalities that are opposed, you know, part of this pilot program, uh, are any of them going forward? Yeah. Uh, all four of the other pilot communities have, uh, taken this step that is before you all to sign this letter of understanding. Um, and essentially the DVRC is waiting for Middletown to join in or not, uh, before they actually work with each of those individual communities on developing kind of the finetuning of that policy. And then the other part is are you guys basically in contact with the other managers of the other townships to kind of you know workshop everything as far as concerns from.

So that's the relationship that DBRBC is facilitating. So we do have periodic calls as a group uh where we kind of talk through some of those things. Yes.

I'll just make a comment that um I um am definitely in support of moving forward with this. I think that um number one monitoring energy consumption I think is a pol from a policy standpoint is a good thing. I think a benchmarking program um is a positive thing and I think it's all wholly consistent with the climate action plan that um this township uh passed and adopted. So um and I think to some degree a lot of the discussion is just really getting a bit ahead of ourselves. All we're talking about tonight is a letter of understanding. there will be lots of opportunities and time um and plenty of public opportunities in front of this board to hammer out the the finer points of what an ordinance might look like. But I think from a broader policy standpoint, which is really what we're talking about tonight, um I would be strongly in favor of moving forward with this um with uh the uh DV RPC. Thank you.

I think uh first I wanted to thank the EIC. I know we had requested them to meet. Um, so I really appreciate the fact that they took the time during a meeting to talk and discuss this. Um, it's brand new. Um, one of I think I'm I'm probably going to be a no tonight. I I've got some concerns about forcing and mandating our businesses. Um, I'd really like to see what happens and not be kind of a pilot and really understand what happens, where the policies end up, how the ordinances look between the different um and and let us understand from the the pilot that occurs.

I'll just play devil's advocate to that. I think one of the things that we in Middletown have always prided ourselves on is being forward thinking and being leaders, not only locally, but more broadly. I think there's plenty of examples where we've taken the first step in a number of addition initiatives uh on a number number of different issues and I think um this is just another opportunity for us um in some ways it's an honor to be selected to be one of the communities to to pilot this program and I think it's a it's a great opportunity to help um influence and mold what this program looks like.

I'd just like to add a comment. Um, it seems as though like a third of our township's greenhouse gas emissions come from commercial buildings. So, tracking and improving their energy use would directly reduce the local carbon footprint in support of the climate action plan. Over time, more energy efficient buildings tend to pass savings along through lower operating costs, which can translate to reduced prices for tenants and shoppers. Okay. All right. With that, um, I make a I move to authorize the township manager to execute a letter of understanding with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and Green Building United regarding the regional energy benchmarking program.

Second. It's a motion and a second. Any questions from the board? Any questions from the public? Everybody come up. I'd like to ask you since you're supporting it first. This is a greenhouse gas situation. Is this what we're talking about? The world's going to end, I guess, in 11 years. It's almost what 12. But why do you support that? Why do you support this mandate? That will be a mandate, but we'll just say optional. Yeah, it's not a mandate. All we've all we've uh we can agree to that, right?

We can agree that it's not a mandate. We agree that it's not a mandate yet? I don't I don't I don't agree to anything other than what we've made a motion tonight is to authorize a letter of understanding. We're going to follow the bouncing ball. Um very disappointed in this uh how this is politically playing out, but uh where did this come from? And I guess she could answer that. I don't understand who she is. So, if somebody could identify her, that'd be wonderful.

Sure. I'm sorry if you missed your introduction. Her name is Lauren Palowski. She is with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, which is one of the two entities that uh would be party to this letter of understanding to continue developing this policy. Um the township adopted, as Mr. Ratliff uh pointed out a climate action plan in 2021. And one of the stated goals related to commercial energy usage or commercial greenhouse gas emissions is related to this specific initiative of developing a commercial uh energy benchmarking program. And knowing that that was a stated goal of this township in that planning document, DVRPC approached the township uh township professionals um a couple of years ago um to engage our interest in this project. and this is the next formal step to continue moving in that direction.

Okay, thank you. Great answer. Uh, and I do have a question for you. Who sits on your board that is real close to Bucks County? Lauren, that question is directed to you for DVRPC. Um, I would have to double check. I'm sorry. I don't usually interact with the uh DVRPC board too often. my manager usually. Do you know of Robert Harvey? Sits as one of your famili people?

He's a commissioner of Bucks County that can't tell you what a dog and a cat is kind of thing. Yeah. So, you don't know? Well, let me introduce you to him. He sits as a a uh commissioner uh on your board. And I have a funny feeling because I'm good at following the bouncing ball. Let's put it that way. Like a cat. This came from somewhere. And I'm going to put my my bets. It's on him. And this is being pushed by the Democrats. this this whole country is going to hell for it. Somebody mentioned Philadelphia. Philadelphia, by the way, is a class one city. They can make their own little rules up. And by the way, that's run to death. It's run right into the gutter. It's in the gutter. Anybody want to move to Philadelphia? I'll give you a house. No, I didn't think so. A little bit passionate about this. This is not Philadelphia. This is Bucks County. No matter how many of us came from Philadelphia, I did. I moved out. And I've seen enough corruption in this school district. And you go ask John Waltman what he thinks about that. He spent time in jail and he was a judge. Ridiculous. What was the committee that uh we talked about? the CCPA, something like that about the energy commission.

It's the EAC, Environmental Action Committee. Oh, environmental action committee because he sits on energy environmental land and something committee too. That's our Middletown EAC.

Yeah. Um, Mr. Harvey tried pushing this through the Falls Township and it failed. I I I I really suggest that you keep your your information tight because there's going to be some trash picking done probably after you start picking our trash in our pockets for money. You're going in and you're going to you're you're saying this is a memorandum on understanding. Let's let's put the L there. A letter of understanding. We know any reasonable person knows once the government and you are the government here that that you open that little door and you come through and you're going to want to know my personal information, Mike Morris's personal house information, which by the way you'll never ever get. Never. And if I had a property that was an investment property, you would never get that either. You'll spend millions of the taxpayers money probably getting this fault in courts and it will go to the Supreme Court after you lose and then you'll lose and gentlemen like this will love you to death. You might even finance your campaign. What other townships have this in Pennsylvania? Just just name them. So, in case you missed my earlier remark, uh the only two other municipalities in Pennsylvania currently that have this program are the city of Philadelphia and the city of Pittsburgh. Middletown Township would be one of five new communities in this region and also in the state to have this policy locally. I can put the slide.

We have Philadelphia. Hang on. And we have Pittsburgh. Correct.

I'm going to set this up for you. All right. Pittsburgh Democrat. Illegal. Everything's wonderful. Peachy rainbow flags and everything. It's just like Philadelphia in our county, right? It It's It's ridiculous. I don't know what you think you're doing. This is going to hurt every one of these people here. Every one of them. That's not even what's on the agenda when we get to the plastics, ladies and gentlemen. I'm I'm here for that, too. But this here, you might get some cooperation because there's got to be there's got to be a non-Republican out there somewhere who's just going to give their information over her. I just think it's it's foolish on every one of you that vote for this because you're opening a door and you'll be back here probably before next Christmas getting a vote on it and they'll support it. But we did it this long. We wasted our attorney's time and D. But he's paid. So everybody's whole, but the taxpayer is screwed. So I just ask you not to do it. You're you're just opening opening up Pandora's box. I I don't like it. And I don't even own real estate in and uh you know, commercial real estate in this township. I understand why the landlords aren't here lined up at the door because they don't care. They're going to pass it on to whom? Middletown solicitor. No. Who? Right. The renter. Renters don't care because now they're up in the bracket, the tax bracket. They

don't care. And they're not going to fight you. They have bigger, better, more money than you or a better attorney than this gentleman. I I don't even know. I just I know they do because they'll have a resource. But you can outund that because you can go get that outside funding which will cost the township people more money because you don't have to vote on that. You just have to go out because that's out for services. So you'll be paying $700 an hour. benchmark. What kind what kind of benchmark are we talking about?

So the benchmarking term is uh used to as Miss Powelli pointed out uh whenever a commercial property submits their data, they receive a report back that shows how their individual property show uh shows in performance of energy consumption in relation to other properties of similar size and use. So comparing like a hospital to a hospital or a school to a school and the like. Okay. Now there's also um let me jump in for a second. There's also national averages or medians for buildings of a similar size and a similar type. So they can compare to national or regional or local um data as well.

Does PICO not do this to the commercial users? They do it to the residential user. Hello. Sorry, I can't tell if you're referring to me. Um Oh, I'm sorry.

Um I'll look up, you know, currently sends out um energy usage amounts on folks's bills every month. Um but they currently don't benchmark necessarily. Sometimes for residential customers, they'll say like this is how you compare to your neighbor. Um but that's not always like taking into consideration the size of the unit or the building. Um the type of use especially for a commercial property um you for example a hospital has a lot different uh energy usage compared to other types of building. So it's better to compare the type as well. Okay. Are you going to make suggestions to the uh tenants paying that electrical bill? Is that where we're going with this?

None of that's been decided. Right. I mean, this is a very, like I I said, I'll take that as a yes. Thank you. Step one, we have no idea what the policy direction of the board of supervisors will be. Um, if and when we get to that point. So, that's a yes. Um, no, it's not.

See what else we have here. So, we got the areas. It's Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and I'm really proud. I want to move there. Boy, that's that's home to the safe and the brave. Let's do it. So, you're going to take this private information, you're going to extrapulate it, and you're going to get sued. I just want every single person that voted for everybody on here or anybody on here to understand these people are going to raise your taxes for this feel-good green program that all the liberals do. All the Democrats do and some Republicans do. Now, if I hurt anybody's feelings, well, these are the facts. I follow the facts. You know, you could deny the facts, but I'm going to I'm going to stay on this and I'll be here every time it comes up. And I'll make sure on this vote that the public understands they voted for it and who voted for it. And good luck on your next election because there there's got to be a turnaround. Plus, you're you're next item on the list. Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Uh Eric Bruno 79. First off, Lauren, I apologize. Uh you're probably not familiar with the way we we run our meetings. It's uh very interactive. Um which by the way still loving. Um uh secondly, I don't think that uh I don't think that we should uh not lead um especially into the future uh if we even give a iota of the of environmental concerns. Um, we are I don't think that uh being you guys being threatened uh by on a political basis uh should be a consideration because I don't think that the electorate really cares um what uh ultra rich landlords uh in the in the have to say about um having to do an extra form. And this isn't even a form. It's setting it up for 3 hours for somebody who's already getting paid by the hour uh and probably doesn't have that much to do in their work workday anyway these days because most things are ran through AI for most most employees. I don't think that it's going to be much of an issue. Um but I am asking you to lead. Um I saw that map that we have around the collar counties. We're the only one in Bucks. There's two in Chester, one in Montgomery. Uh, and the third was the fifth was on me, Lauren

in Del. Um, yeah, there was a map there. Anyway, I I just I I'm I'm in support of it. I think it'll be real quick. I just want to be real quick about that. Um, and uh, thanks and thank you, Lauren. Thank you for your comment.

Lance Edris, Quincy, Eric, we'll still be friends after this. Um, anytime I've ever seen a government agency say, "Let's collect your data, but we don't know what we're going to do with it yet." That scares the death out of me. Okay? And they always have a, you know, this is for your benefit. This, we're thinking about you. Okay? So, I heard reducing carbon for uh footprint, right? I can tell you how we do reduce our carbon footprint in Middletown. We've already gotten out of hand, but reduce the amount of people that we have in Middletown, but we haven't done that in the last 10 years. All right, look at all the building and and the we never say no to a builder. That would have reduced the carbon footprint. Um, but we don't do that. Instead, what we'll do is we'll make our businesses, we'll force our businesses into a benchmarking program that we don't know is going to turn into. We're going to gather your information before we decide what to do so that we can get you to comply. All right? Because there's no danger to you. And then by the time it's too late, they're already passing the buck on us while you guys will probably still be raising our taxes like you did last year. I don't believe we need to enter into any letter of understanding if we don't know what the outcome is. Okay? Businesses are smart enough to operate on their own. I'm smart enough to run my house on my own. I look at my Pico bill. I see, you know, when it's going up or I'm using more energy from the year before, see what I can do to reduce my energy consumption. And guess what? But if I'm running a business, which I do have some uh insight into, it only benefits me to look into these things if they're going to save me money. Right? So, I think business is smart

enough to do this on their own. I don't think they need Middletown Township setting up more roadblocks in them running their businesses and then passing it on to consumers. Landlords, they will pass it on to consumers. That's just what will happen. um and to sit up here and say otherwise or to say this is just a letter of understanding. We're not doing anything when Philadelphia stated started in 2012 with the same letter of uh understanding and what are they doing now. Okay. So it may not be this board but it will be another one. Um so as a resident that just makes me uncomfortable even entering into a I don't know this is just what we're going to do at some point. When is this board going to start making laws to jot down every name of a gun owner? Jot down who owns pets in in in our township? You know, where where does this board stop? What's not off limits? Thank you.

Any other comments? All right, we had a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. I. Those who oppose nay.

Motion passes four to one. Thank you. Next agenda item, consideration of Heart and Lung Act hearing decision for Robert Weber. I make a motion to terminate the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act benefits of Sergeant Robert Weber based upon the evidence presented at the hearing held on Monday, February 2nd, 2026, finding that Sergeant Robert Weber's disability from his work-related injury has ceased and that Sergeant Weber is able to return to duty.

Uh, I need a second. Second. Any questions from the board? Okay, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. Motion passes. 5-0.

Next agenda item, consideration of Heart and Lung Act hearing decision for Joseph Shuck. I make a motion to terminate the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act benefits of Officer Joseph Shuck based upon the evidence presented at the hearing held on Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, finding that officer Joseph Shuck's disability from his work rellated injury has ceased and that officer Joseph Shuck is able to return to duty. I made a motion. Have a second. Second. Made a motion and a second. All those in favor say I.

I. Motion passes 5-0. Next agenda item, consideration of lot le line change application SLD number 26-1 at 2340 Lincoln Highway, 130 Middletown Boulevard, TMP number 22-057-020-00006.

Good evening. Um, yeah, you have a policy briefing summary covering this matter. Uh, it is a lot line change. If we could go to the slide that actually has the map on it, I believe the plan, I should say. I believe it's on there. It's not on there. Okay. Okay. Um, so anyway, I there's it's a actually not on not a very complicated matter. It's a lot line change. this property uh better known as the old Bailey site. You might even remember that it went through land development and even a amended final land development approval a couple years back. Uh that's no longer being pursued. Uh the property owner is really just going to kind of even out the site. It's two properties. One property much smaller than the other one. Irregularly shaped lots, but uh they're going to even them out and really in the end would probably result in u an easier uh potential for a developer to try to come into either of those lots to to try to build on, especially on the old uh B site that's vacant right now. Uh it did receive a recommendation of approval from the planning commission in during their uh February meeting. Uh it was fully reviewed by the township engineer as well as the township traffic engineer. And there is a representative here uh for that. Oh, here it is. Okay. Um here I'm just going to point it out real fast.

Oh, all right. Existing lot line, two properties, new lot line. This lot line getting changed. So, as you can see, it's kind of evening out the properties. Um, so with that, um, I'll give you the mic back. So, with that, that's really all it counts. You have you have my recommendation in there. Uh, really no objections to any of the waiverss that were requested. And, um, this will also result in that, uh, land development that was approved in the past that that that is going to be formally withdrawn. Um, so any questions?

Any concerns with the potential development now going forward that I mean it was nice that it was one large site, right? That it could be developed as one large site and now we're essentially setting ourselves up for peace meal development.

Well, it would have been it there was always that kind of setup if you really think about it because you had always two properties. One the smaller property that was more rectangular which is in the dash line there. That's where the uh mattress store and I believe the Pearl Vision is located. And then you have the rest of the property that was all vacant, especially after the Valley site was de demolished. So I I again I think the the lot line separating and making these two properties kind of now equal in size would actually allow it for for easier development uh potential in in the future. Now, would they would going forward would the uh developers need to have variances in order to develop now that the the lots are are different?

I I really don't know. Again, you know, we we don't really know what might be proposed at a later time. Again, that that land development that did receive approvals is no longer being pursued. Yeah. I guess the reason I'm asking is we we a lot of times have this lot change and then they have to go for variances and because it's a non it's a already pre-existing nonconformity it gets approved. So that's kind of where I was going with that.

Yeah. I I I mean the design professional that's representing the property owner is here. I don't know if he can kind of elaborate on on any kind of future development that might potentially be looked into for that those properties. uh Nick Rose from Protract Engineering and actually I can just answer your question because the lots actually come into more compliance with zoning than less. Right now the one is very irregularly shaped and probably has setback issues as it is but in the proposed configuration they'll be much more rectangular in nature. So there will be less likelihood of any variances being needed.

And just to jump in on at least the valley site that building's been knocked down. So, they lost any non-conformities when they knocked down that building.

Okay. Thank you. Okay. With that, um I make a motion to grant lot line change plan approval for the two properties at 2340 Lincoln Highway and 130 Middletown Boulevard, SLLDD, number 26-1, with the following conditions. One applicant shall comply in full with all requirements at the Middletown Township subdivision and land development ordinance and the Middletown Township zoning ordinance unless relief was granted by the body having jurisdiction. Two, any remaining review comments shall be addressed in full. Made a motion and a second.

Any questions from the board? Any questions from the public? Motion in uh second made. All those in favor I'm sorry. Oh, you have a question. I'm sorry. Come on.

Joe Fitch, 346 Wyoming Avenue. With all the empty properties that we have, why do we need to leave it as multiple parcels? Put it as one parcel. I I mean, who knows what's going to happen with the the mall? You know what I mean? Is that going to be a ton of different stores? It's been empty for so long, nobody showed any interest in going into that property. So, I I mean, we're getting build up enough on undersized lots and and it's right there at the point, you know, there's bad entrance and access to the property. It's just I don't know. You should just make it one big property and be done with it.

Mr. Ernis, could you speak to that? I mean, all I can say that it's it's two properties now and they're keeping it as two properties. I really can't speak for the the property owner as to why he's not consolidating both lots into one lot. It we don't own the property. Correct. Yeah.

So, I guess I'm sorry. I guess I don't understand because I owned my property that I lived on and I bought three adjoining parcels next to my property. And for me to do that, I had to lump it all under one lot. So now you made me take my one lot that I owned and my three other lots and put them all together. So why why is that any different for me as a resident compared to a commercial property?

Mr. Ernes just I mean I don't really want to get into all the legalities of uh like deemed mergers and everything else as far as residential properties that might be multiple lots where the property owner was basically using those lots as if it was all one lot. So, I mean, it's it's kind of apples and oranges right now. We got two commercial properties used very differently. Was we're always used very differently. We're just really talking about a lot line change. Just a different configuration here.

It was an empty lot. I had one property that I lived on which was 80 by 120 and the other three lots that I bought were 20 by 120. So, they were three parcels that nothing was on. It was just grass. So I I I just it it just seems funny that in one situation I was forced to join everything together as one lot and here you know it it's you know whatever they want to do and just to point out that both lots their lot areas are compliant with the zoning district they're located in.

Thank you. I am complying for a flood zone that the township put me in. Okay, we made a motion in a second. Any question? We did questions already. I'm trying to Okay. Um, all those in favor say I. I. I. All those opposed.

Motion passes. 5-0. Next item on the agenda, um, consideration of preliminary final land development application. Wait, sorry. SLD number 25-6 at 640 East Lincoln Highway, TMP22-41-026 C commercial zoning district for construction of Taco Bell Drive through restaurant drive-through restaurant at the former Denny site.

Yes. Uh yeah, the old Denny site. Uh this did go in front of the planning commission a couple of times. Uh it did receive a recommendation of approval from the planning commission during their February meeting was fully reviewed by the township uh engineer challenger traffic engineer as well as the EAC and other uh staff and and consultants that are involved in that review process. Uh, one of the reasons why it uh, took a few shots uh, in front of the planning commission is that the developer uh, and there's representatives for the developer as well as uh, there's representatives for the neighboring property, the the Pendel EMS squad. Um, they wanted the MS squad wanted to ensure that their operations would not be comp compromised during an emergency event, especially now that there's going to be a drive-thru proposed with the Taco Bell. uh the developer and the EMS have come to an agreement where uh it's actually in your packets there is a plan that uh a design professional representing the EMS uh drew up developer was acceptable to to the what's on that plan and most importantly it needs to be approved by the uh by pendot if it's not approved by pendot then they're going to come up with some alternative solutions to ensure again that the EMS uh operations are not comp compro compromised uh especially with the drive-thru and the the shared uh driveway lane that they uh they have between the two properties. Um with all that being said, you do have the uh um the impacts along again as a depend not depend as as long as the AMS is not compromised. Uh there will be no no negative impacts. Uh the planning commission found no objections to the to waiverss requested by the developer and uh again you have my recommendation that it uh the preliminary and and final uh is is approved and granted for this application.

Could you just go back and um review what you said about pendot go through that process again?

Sure. So, can we go a couple of slides in? There we go. Um, so what you see there in red, it's kind of a a curve there. You have that's a widening that would occur between the lane that literally sub separates the property that's going to has the proposed Taco Bell. Thank you. and the EMS uh that widening is uh proposed and accepted uh by the developer uh well it's proposed by the uh those representing EMS but it's accepted by the developer but most importantly they no one's really sure if Penn will approve that. So if PENDOT does not approve that then they're going to have to think of some alternative solutions and work further with the DMS property. Uh and that's that was a condition of the recommendation of approval from the planning commission. So if we make the recommendation now it still has to be approved by pendot

maybe right they may not accept it and so then that's where the again in that condition is it's about the alternative solutions and so it would come back before us then if theoretically if pendot denied it would it have to come back for us for a vote or maybe also I I'd probably not uh because the design will really not be impacted uh especially with the alternative solutions depending although If the design is is considerably changed, it probably will not be though with the alternative solutions. Whatever again, whatever alternative solutions get worked out between the developer and the neighboring EMS property. They're going to probably have to wait a little while to see what Pendot's decision is on whether or not it does actually get approved by PendOt.

Can you just help me clarify exactly why because I know this used to be a Ruby Tuesdays, right? Uh it's Dennis or Denny's. That's right. Um, why is it that transition to drive-thru is causing the issue at the EMS? I think representatives from EMS would probably best answer question.

Good evening. My name is Jerry Wro, Walnut Way and Langghorn. I'm also a volunteer with Pend Middletown Emergency Squad and the medical director for Pend Middletown. Um so the re the rationale is that you know we we were neighbors with Denny's for decades and never had any challenges. You know we had a shared drive. Now there was a split down that driveway previously. So basically there was a a paper street. We had a curbing. So there was never any mixing of our two. So now as you know when the Waw Wa went in they made they made that that road now is a two-way road. And although there's very little traffic, obviously bringing in something which is going to have much higher traffic because we know that a drive-thru and a fast food restaurant is going to have a very different traffic than a uh regular sit-down restaurant. Also, because the way that this is being formulated, they they come out at the end of the driveway, right? So, it's not that vehicles are coming out at the top, they come out right where we exit onto Lincoln Highway. So the concern that we have and and quite honestly have worked closely not only with the township uh as well as with the applicant is trying to find solutions to reduce that uh impact. We've really looked at this from the beginning as trying to find ways you know everything we are doing is advocating for uh the community making sure that our ambulances can respond timely and not have any obstruction. We're looking for uh multimmodal ways of doing that. So we don't want to just say one thing. So what will be presented is multiple things. One is the use of preeemption which is where we're able to change the signal. Another is creating the applicant has agreed to creating areas on the drive that would be no no stopping zones both at the very bottom as well as in front of our building. Uh and then this widening which was proposed which would basically create an escape lane that if there were multiple vehicles there we would be able to get around them. Um again and that is in Pendot's hands. The concern is just

that, you know, at high volume times, you know, we know that um many drivers do not respond well. Any of us who drive emergency vehicles, they do not respond well to emergency vehicles. They panic, right? No one just pulls to the right. They stop. They they see the light change and they gun it. Our goal was to create a safe environment that there we would be able to have no issues with egress or ingress at any time. Uh we believe that with many of these mitigation factors, we'll be able to guarantee that. Uh, obviously we're in Pendot's hands for the one, but to answer your question more clearly, the reason we're concerned is that the exit of all these vehicles, both people that are sitting down as well as going through the drive-thru is all at the end where we come out to go to Lincoln Highway to to get out to respond.

And was there a reason the applicant couldn't change that around to have it come in the other way? Yeah, have to speak to the applicant. Yeah. Okay. Um, and then my other question too is did any of this come up at the zoning hearing board because you have to get special exception for a drive-thru. Correct. So, I'm curious as to how this scenario did not come up.

No, it did. And again, the the the the zoning hearing board was satisfied with the testimony that was presented before them from the Taco Bell as far as that they would work with the MS, but it's not something that's really within the zoning hearing board's court to start figuring out what those solutions are because there's there was nothing really tied to that as far as variances and everything else. So it that's it it went to the planning commission and that's where everything really got straightened out or agreed upon as far as what's the next movement. I guess from the applicant was there a reason why we can they it was configured the way it was configured.

I just want to gently acknowledge while the applicant is coming to the podium that at this point the township and Mr. Mr. Correct me if I'm wrong. The township, our engineers, our staff, the planning commission, um, has all sort of agreed that we're sort of at a good place. I think the challenge has been that the squad maybe doesn't believe that, but all of our consultants who have been monitoring and advising in this entire dynamic to get us to where we are today has sort of signed off on the project that's in front of you today, Mr. Renis, is that correct?

Yes. So, one one thing to point out is that the tra township's traffic engineer found one no objection to the solutions that were uh proposed by the developer uh to ensure that the uh EMS operations wouldn't be compromised, but also found no objections to what was presented by the EMS. So, and in other words, the traffic engineer found both of them to be acceptable and probably would work in the long run. Good evening. Uh Mike Mallaloy over Maxwell Hipple for the applicant. I have Brian Clearary with me. Uh he's from the Pedic Group. He was the civil engineer. He can explain um the supervisor's question. Uh just want to reiterate that this has been uh you're at the conclusion hopefully of what has been a very long process and the applicant has been very patient and we've worked what we think very well with the EMS uh trying to resolve all of their concerns to the best of our ability. And I will say, you know, I'm just a lawyer, but at some points we had no less than five engineers in a room, including the EMS, and this is the culmination of everything. You know, uh the preeemption enables them to stop the intersection. You know, we've agreed to halt our traffic flow. We believe that people will leave the intersection when they have an ambulance behind them. and you know moving forward and we've agreed to you know continually work with the EMS to make sure that that remains a safe intersection and safely operating. But I am telling you um you know the applicant has agreed to everything that the EMS uh asked for willingly and you know there were times when we all sat there scratching our heads cuz no one knew what else to do here. It's a buy plan.

It receives special exception approval. I'll let Brian address the design, you know, and why we we had to orient it the way we did. Um, but the only thing that requires pendot approval is that little part of the the the driveway there. And that's just because the driveway went through an extensive PENDOT approval when Wawwa came in that involved all of the parties including the EMS and, you know, whoever else was interested at the time. So, we just need PENDOT to approve that other stuff. But I just want to reiterate the applicant is 100% um you know agreeable to everything the EMS has asked for. If the EMS came up with something else tomorrow that was reasonable and called us, you know, Jim called us, we would do it. So, you know, um we are committed to working with them and I I'll just ask Brian. We have also Joe Eberly's here. He's our traffic engineer. If you have any questions and Joe Deep Pascal represents the land owner here. So, I have the whole team here tonight, but I'll ask Brian to come up and tell you about why we oriented the driveway, but I do want to reiterate, you know, we've cooperated.

I completely agree. I'm just I know there's been back and forth and I have a whole packet that explains it for me and I'm just making sure that it's out there. I know. I just I can't I can't go without saying that though. So, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Uh hello, Brian Clary from the Pedic Group, the engineer for the applicant. Um, so kind of in short, the reason that we have it designed this way is the intersection shared with EMS is a lighted intersection. So you can make turns into and out of that intersection going in any direction. We do have a secondary access on the east side of the property. If we were to only utilize that access and not the EMS access, um, it would be unsafe turning maneuvers. We most likely would only be permitted a right in, right out. Um, so the site would not be viable for the Taco Bell or basically any developer looking to come in if they were restricted that kind of access. Um, we kept that front driveway basically exactly where it currently is with the Denny's property. Um, we were limited with how we could develop the property because the rear of the property is subject to an access and parking easement with the marble uh store on the adjacent property. So, we originally had this set up with the building further back and the front driveways more aligning with the EMS, but since we have that easement agreement, we're kind of stuck with the development footprint that we show on the plans. So that's the real quick synopsis as to why we went with the design that we have.

Thank you. Okay.

I will point out just that uh if you want to go back to that plan that shows the widening um I won't speak for Pendot obviously, but it was mentioned that you know the professionals have looked at the options that are going to be presented to them. Typically their main issues with updated driveways is if it's at the access width. All right. So the that is looking to remain the same. What they're looking to do is widen the ability for someone to you know the ambulance to pass up to that driveway exit point. Um, so just historically what we've seen, they may have some comments, but they would most likely be good with one or the other option that's being presented to them to have it even more improved for the EMS side. Um, and then also, uh, just historically the land developments that are before the the township, uh, it's not too uncommon for it to still have an HOP from PENDOT as a pending item, uh, just for some of the logistics that go into HOP approval as far as that access to a state road. uh if it's not affecting the rest of the development off the road, uh that's those times where it's come before the board requesting for an approval, even if it's still pending some of that driveway logistical coordination with Pendot.

Thank you, Mr. Keesler. Okay. Any other questions or comments?

Okay. Um, I make a motion to grant preliminary and final land development plan approval for the construction of a Taco Bell with drive-thru service at 640 East Lincoln Avenue, SLLDD number 25-6 with the following conditions. One, applicant shall comply in full with all requirements of the Middletown Township subdivision and land development ordinance and the Middletown Township zoning ordinance unless relief was granted by the body having juris jurisdiction. Two, the applicant will seek PENDOT approval. If PENDOT approval is not granted, then the applicant will work with the neighboring EMS property for alternative solutions. Three, any remaining review comments shall be addressed in full. Made a motion. Can I have a second?

Second. Second. Okay. Any questions from the board? Any questions from the public?

Yeah. Yeah. Hi. Uh Joe Blackburn from Whistler Pearlstein here on behalf of uh Pendle EMS. Uh just one clarifying comment. Uh there was the uh condition about the PennDOT approval for widening. Um there are other stated improvements on that dynamic plan, some striping, some signage that we would just and I I believe Mr. Malloy can correct me if I'm wrong. They've agreed to incorporate as well. So it is a broader paniply than just the widening and we would just seek to have the uh motion reflect that all of those improvements uh on that dynamic plan be incorporated. Uh it is a full picture that has uh made EMS uh satisfied that in mass those things will address all those traffic concerns. So

consideration just to address that those were included in the planning commission minutes and in the review letters and Mr. Mallaloy even stated himself while he was up here that they were going to agree to that. So it will be included in the in the approval. Okay. Thank you,

Eric. 79 sweetcome. Uh first some fun. Um that is horrendous. Make them do the 90s Taco Bell if they're going to do it. They're just that is that's corporate garbage. Anyway, um no. Uh but uh actually actual questions I have. Um I read through it last night. Uh the entire packet. Uh, just a couple questions for Where' Brian go? Brian Yeah. Uh, why did you need this the smaller storm water pipe? I watched the planning committee. I didn't see any reason why you need to go to 12 from 15. Storm water's huge in this in this township and I I I didn't know what the what the reason why you need to go to a smaller storm water pipe.

I can I can feel that one. That's a uh not too uncommon waiver for the pipes that are connected for the storm water to go underground instead of just out down spouts onto the property. Oh, it's to be able to connect to the system. Okay. I It's huge in our township. I just curious about it.

Uh I just want to voice that I am worried about EMS. I want to give a couple reasons why. Um first off during heavy um you know lunch and dinner times uh if there's an issue like there that heavy volumes of people um I am concerned about EMS being blocked uh not just by the drive-thru but by like delivery drivers cuz I I know I've I've done delivery driving myself and I'm guilty of it. uh they don't care where they park. Um and if they're inside getting whatever order they are, you know, and their car is parked in a really un un uh unusual way and then EMS gets a call and they're inside and then now they're blocking the the road. I'm you know, fast food uh places just because that way that parking lot. Oh, by the way, I want I do want to say I I appreciate that you guys I can see you guys went above and beyond like with the trees and everything. I can see the effort was put in here. It's just a bad lot um on that. Uh so I do want to give you guys credit. I'm just voicing what my concerns are and what I can see. Um you know, like some delivery driver says, "Oh, I'm going to go ahead and park over in the EMS parking lot because everything else is is is jammed up, you know. Um they and then they're like parked in an awkward way. EMS gets a call and now BLS can't get out because it's a bigger truck, etc." you know, um, stuff like that is I I just see that something like that happening. Also, I'm concerned about the drive-thru during heavy traffic periods of traffic backing up onto Route One. Um, I know that has happened with uh a few um uh drive-through places all over. Uh, but if if if that is the way that the the drive-through is going to be, I just I just can see that happening. I mean, we

got we see one, two, three, four, five, six cars up to the um up to the speaker, I think that is. And then what? That'd be another another six cars until it gets starts backing up into the road. So, periods of heavy uh heavy volume of orders and whatnot, I could or slow inside. I could see that being an issue. Like I said, I I empathize with them. It's just a bad lot and I am concerned about the MS. So, thanks. Thank you.

Just Jerry Wro lang. Um, no, just any assertion. I I just want to be for the record that Pendell Middleton Emergency Squad has not been a partner in this is um inaccurate uh because it seems like there was a little bit of a tone of that. I mean, we have tried to be very very good partners in this. We are here for one reason only to advocate for your emergency medical services. Um we believe redundancy is the most important thing. We believe that what has been proposed provides that redundancy which again is preeemption. Having areas of no stopping having a widened lot widened exit will allow us to get out if there were cars backed up. And then again if if PEDOT says no to that going back to the drilling board you know we have dynamic working with us obviously the township as well but again I want to be you know assertions you know we are only trying to advocate for the community that we have served for decades and we want to be crystal clear that we believe this redundancy is what what is important um and we can't control pendot but we can control many other things and we do I I do believe that we want to make sure that these things are are you know stipulations as it's moving forward that there's no risk that these things could then be pulled back. We feel strongly that the way this has been played out is going to work well. And believe me, having a bladed building there is the last thing we want. We want to have a good neighbor there. Denny's was a great neighbor. We're sure Taco Bell can be the same. Uh but that redundancy is important and that's what we want to really echo for all of you here. Thank you.

I don't I don't think there's any thought by this board that that uh your um organization has been anything other than cooperative. So, we actually really appreciate all the effort that you've put forth. Um, I think what we are focused on and concerned about is making sure that that this redundancy gives you what you need so that you can continue to protect our community. Um, and I I think we, you know, we're accepting your representations that obviously everything is subject to pendot approval, but that there's a solution here that, um, is acceptable um, to the squad and to the applicant. Thank you. Joe Fitch, 346 Wyoming Avenue. Um, it looks like the impervious surface is a lot less than what it was before. It is a reduction. Yes.

It So, I'm assuming they're tearing obviously they're tearing the building down. So, everything that we're conforming to is all up to-date stuff. Are are we doing anything with any underwater storm water management? It's a improvement to what's out there currently. Yeah. Yeah. So they're going to be matching what they have as well as the acknowledgement that they have a reduction of basically what's paved end to end right now. Uh so stormwater wise it matches the site that they're proposing as well as an improvement to the old Dennis what's going down the street into the creek

the I guess I don't know what you want to say the lower or the right side closest towards U-Haul is that just an entrance in or is that entrance and exit also? And if it is an exit, can you only make a right to head towards Pendell?

So, so we agree to sign in or write in right now, drive one. Okay.

Then maybe you guys can call Chick-fil-A and get some of their drive-thru people to get them in and out quick. I'll try I I will uh just address the other concern about the queue length. Uh that is something that's always a concern with any kind of proposed drive-through. So that's something that the traffic engineer uh has as part of their review. Uh they look at the traffic study. They look at that aspect of it and to ensure that that situation of it spilling out onto a roadway isn't, you know, likely if not impossible. So, uh, not to say they they'll be, you know, extra busy when they open or that kind of thing, but the way they've laid it out, uh, meets all the requirements as far as what they expect that Q length to be. And then have a factor of safety to make sure it's not close to spilling into Route One there.

Thank you. Okay, with a motion and a second and we had our comments. Um, all those in favor say I. I.

All those opposed say nay. Nay. Motion passes 4 to one. Next agenda item, uh, consideration of awarding GMBB construction of Feasterville, Pennsylvania in the amount of $633,426 for construction of the REITs Avenue covert replacement project.

Thank you, Madam Chair, fellow board members. Uh this is the RIT Avenue covert replacement project. Uh it was before the board uh back in January. Uh it was um initially bid uh and the bids were received and discussed at the January 12th meeting. Uh it was recommended at that time to rebid the project in seek of better pricing uh to uh hopefully move forward with. Uh we did do that rebidding. Uh the results uh were opened on February 24th, 2026. Uh we received two bids uh with the rebidding. Uh one of those bids uh was a repeat bidder from the initial bidding. Uh so we were happy to see that uh their price did come down substantially uh who was GMBB Construction. Uh their decrease from the first bidding to this rebid uh was in the amount of $76,778. Uh so with the clarifications and some adjustments to the bid package uh to just a uh more streamlined bid uh for the township for the project uh we were able to have that decrease in the uh in the lowest qualified bidder. Uh so with that uh we do have it before the board tonight uh with a recommendation uh to award uh the uh total cost of the project of the lowest qualified bidder GMBB is 633,426. When we uh decided to have it go back out to bid uh the estimate that we were hoping to see at least was it to come down to 640,000 give or take. Uh so we were pleased to see it below that uh benchmark uh and have it before the board. If there's any questions, happy to answer it tonight.

I know this is the it's still higher than what we initially had budgeted for this project back at the beginning. Can you just explain why there I know there's additional things that weren't necessarily foreseen when we initially budgeted for this and why that's that's changed and why it's going to end up costing more than we anticipated.

Absolutely. Uh yeah, there was an earlier number that was budgeted of 450,000. Uh that uh was prior to a few I would say key elements of the final project. Uh one was uh coordination and and inclusion of a uh relocation of the water man that's in reach. That's the one utility uh that's in the roadway there. uh with the uh end product of the improved culvert uh to have the proper opening size that water mane uh with Bucks County Water and Sewer they said it needs to be around the new culvert and not try to go under over or even able to remain where it is. Uh so that's a cost that uh is not you know a simple one. It's it's one that the contractor will do as part of the project and that increase the the total project cost. Uh the other is that uh it's imperative that this is done in a phased approach to remain uh ongoing access for the properties that are at the dead end of REITs which is the the other side of the of the covert there. Uh it would be definitely a quicker and simpler project, less expensive if it was completely closed, detourred, torn apart and replaced without phasing. Uh but that would leave the five homeowners uh you know no access to their home even if they were relocated for a period of time emergency access wouldn't have any access to those properties either during the construction. Uh so that also increases the construction to properly you know phase it so it maintains that emergency access throughout. Uh those are the two main items. Um the factor of that the project has been looked at since 2019 and now we're in 2026 with construction costs in general has increased the estimate each year we take a look at it. Uh those two items I mentioned are the main I would say cost items that has it over what was an earlier estimate with the budgeting process.

I know that I know that that now puts us like 200,000 over budget, which is a considerable amount. Do we have a feel of how we fill that gap?

Yeah. Uh so we did really well in the RDA grant cycle. Um the various equipment purchases um that we budgeted for, we budgeted for the full uh purchase of those. And so with the substantial grant funding that we got, which is well in excess of $200,000, um sort of provides relief into the budget that we can tap into. Um so that's one. In addition, um the one that I'm sort of thinking about specifically is the roof project, right? We budgeted about $1.1 million for that. Uh we later on got $500,000 in grant funding, so that's additional relief into it. Um you know, we sort of know, right? We budget revenues uh conservatively. We budget expenses the same way uh to make sure that we're not overt taxing the residents. But we know that there are going to be projects that go both ways, right? There'll be things in the budget that sort of go our way and give us relief, and then there'll be projects that sort of go the other way that you need to tap into that relief. So, uh, first quarter of the year, we've got a lot of baseball left to play, so to speak, with the budget, um, that will be able to absorb this. Um, and I think to Mr. Kesler's point, every now and then you run into a civil engineering project that is just sort of a thorn in your side where you get to the point where like it's a small project. It's complicated in different ways. It winds up becoming expensive and you just want the project to be over. I think we all sort of feel that way about this project. We're excited for this to uh be approved, be constructed, and kind of have a new covert pipe and move on. uh you know because this is a project that for as small as it is just has these little complications that put that thorn into our side. So we're looking forward to it being over. Okay. Thank you. I make a motion to award the REITs Avenue Covert Replacement Project in the amount of $633,426 to GMBB Construction. I'll take a second.

Second. Any questions or comment from the board? Any questions or comments from the public?

Sorry, I'll be quick because I've been talking a lot tonight. Um, first off, uh, what's going to be the new life of the new culvert? What's the estimated life? Actually, over to Isaac. The estimated life of these culverts are about 100 years. Okay, good. Um, and Humeville didn't respond, I guess, at all. I'm guessing for this covert when we Yeah, we Humeville does not have the budget space. Uh that was a conversation that we had to contribute to this project. Okay. You can tell the contractor to maybe direct something. Yeah. I don't know. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um all those in favor say I. I. I. Those opposed say nay.

Motion passes 5-0. Next on the agenda item, uh consideration of appointments to various boards and commissions. So, um our first is planning commission, which is a 4-year term ending December 31st, 2029. Um I make a motion to um recommend Dr. Farber for the planning commission for the fouryear term. Um, I'll take a second. Okay. Any questions from the board? Any questions from the public? Um, all those in favor say I.

I. Uh, appointment planning commission goes to Dr. Farber. Uh, with a vote 5-0. Uh, next on the agenda item, uh, Citizens Traffic Commission for a three-year term ending at December 31st, 2028. Uh, I make a motion to recommend Lorraine Baru. Um, I'll take a second. A second. Uh, I have a second. Any questions from the board? Any questions or comment from the public? Okay. Um, I'll take a vote. All those in favor for Lorraine Baru say I. I. I.

All those opposed say nay. Lorraine passes. 5-0. Next on the agenda items, uh, Environmental Advisory Council, which is a three-year term ending December 31st, 2028. Um, I recommend Russ Hartman. Take a second. Second. Okay. Um, any questions from the board? Any questions from the public? Russ Hartman. Uh, vote for Russ Hartman. All those in favor say I.

I. Those opposed say nay. Russ Hartman is appointed to advisory environmental advisory council. Uh passes 5-0. All right. Okay. Next agenda item. Uh we have some policy discussions. We have the singleuse plastics ordinance. Okay. We are joined by members of our environmental advisory council who are going to guide us through this discussion. I know this has been a policy priority that's been discussed at length um for some time over the years and we're looking forward to a discussion tonight.

Thank you. waiting for technology.

Yeah, I don't have the slides either. Ah, technology.

Yes. Yes.

I might as well do the introduction. Um, my name is Kevin Deie. a member of the environmental advisory council here for uh Middletown Township. Um we were tasked with looking at uh this particular subject matter really a couple years ago. You have some feedback. Hold on one second. One second.

Uh we're getting we're getting we hold on. We have a technical issue. All right, good. Oh, there you go. And no echo now.

Excellent. Okay. Thank you. And you can hear. Great. Uh, again, my name is Kevin Deany. I'm a member of the environmental advisory council here at the township. Um, we were tasked with looking at the issue of single-use plastics as part of the climate action plan that was passed by the township in 2021. Um, and as part of that review, it started about two years ago. We had a initial discussion here. Um, that followed about two years of review and during that period of time, we've looked at uh the issue far and wide within Pennsylvania and beyond. And um we're here tonight to discuss some of those findings and to make a recommendation for you. Uh of course it would be the opposite way. uh our initial review of course um once we started it we realized that the the topic of single-use plastics touch touches on a lot of issues of um the township's interests um of which is recycling storm water management um litter cleanup environmental contamination public exposure and so And it it became very evident very early on that it was not just an issue of singleuse plastics as a concept. It was singleuse plastics and the impacts all the way through the township and beyond. Some of this can be summed up in a very simple sentence. Single-use plastics are used for minutes but persist for centuries. And to parse that out a little bit tends to bring home some of the concepts that we've been chasing around.

Plastics generally come from petrochemicals, uh, petroleum products, natural gas. U, we learned way early in elementary school where that stuff comes from. It takes hundreds of thousands of years to form petroleum and the natural gas products. We use the material that makes the plastics for minutes in our lives. And when we dispose of them, the waste from that disposal lasts for centuries. It lasts longer than any of us in this room will be alive and it will last longer than our children will be alive and their children. It represents a significant issue environmentally and also from a um energy standpoint. Some of the issues that you've dealt with from a township level um we've discussed in meetings with um um waste management has been in here discussing in their recycling program. We've had presentations uh about their ability to recycle or not recycle. So the plastics that are generated as waste products. Um we've discussed this issue and others like it in community sessions here in this room. Um we know that we do cleanups twice a year. We clean up many of the parks and we clean up some of the roadways. And the stuff we find along the roadways is often plastic in nature and we pull it out of storm drains. We pull it off the side of the roads. We load up the plastic bags and uh they're hauled away and ultimately landfilled or

incinerated. Um we pull it out of streams. Um, if you remember a couple years ago, Lake Luxembourg was taken down to initiate a conservation project uh on the lake. There was a cleanup that was done in associative association with that because that's the first time that lake had been down in I don't know since it was built in the 70s. Um we found all kinds of plastics through the lake and um the mud flats and whatnot around that that will hold out of there. We know that it has that kind of impact. We see it along Mil Creek. We see it along you know all the streams that ultimately feed into the namin and in the shamy then feeds into the Delaware then from the Delaware off into the Atlantic. And I know it's something we've seen on the news from time to time about this great big um collection of plastics that's swirling around in the Pacific. But there are five such zones around the world and one of them's in the Atlantic and we contribute to that. Um all of these issues are things that we can typically see with our eyes. Some we don't. Microlastics is one of the biggest issues now that's come to four. Um and that's a breakdown of these plastic particles into smaller and smaller particles until they're carried away in the water streams in the air streams and beyond. We've seen it now in all of our waterways in the air. We've seen it in cloud formations, fish, wildlife, in our bloodstreams, and it is also been detected in the organs in our bodies, including our

brains. Um, that that one issue by itself is significant and a little well more than a little concerning. We know generally from studies that have been done by EPA, European Union, United Nations that we generate a lot of plastic waste every year. Roughly speaking, EPA estimates about half a pound per day per person in plastic waste that we generate. That translates for the 13 million people in Pennsylvania roughly of 3,250 tons a day of plastic that are generated. And on a township level, we own about 4,000 of those tons. Now, some of that tonnage goes off to a landfill or goes off to an incinerator, goes off to a recycling program, and some of it gets lost in the wild. and in the wild we see it. That's what we're picking up in the parks and along the roadways all the time. Um we believe that that is a significant concern for the township and uh represents an issue for the climate action plan as well. When this material goes off to a landfill or off to an incinerator, the embodied energy in a plastic is released as carbon dioxide and that directly generates CO2 emissions. That is a significant amount of material that is feeding that process. Some of it's very visible. The um the little floating mess you see

up up in the upper left is actually in Baltimore Harbor. There was so much plastic waste that's flowing out of some of the streams, they now have to construct rotating rakes and stream systems to pull all that plastic up. Um it can collect in culverts as you see that are screened there for the purpose of keeping out animals and people. But it also is a good collector for plastic waste. And when it collects like that, it shuts down the flow in that stream and can translate into flooding issues and poor drainage issues. On the far right, what you see there is kind of hard to discern, but those are plastic bags wrapped around a shaft. And those plastic bags wrapped around all those shafts shut down the recycling equipment at Waste Management, which is why they don't accept that as a waist street. We're not allowed to send plastic bags to waste management because they can't be recycled there because of that issue. And lastly, in the lower left, those are microlastics. Um, those are images of small particles of plastic seen under a microscope. They're taken from water samples. Those water samples were taken all over this area. At least 50 different lakes and streams have been sampled by pen environment and also by the US Geological Survey and they have found microplastics in every single sample they've taken. Now that is flowing water and that water is flowing through our streams into our lakes and again ultimately out and about our water systems those that draw water from surface water either from the

shammy or the Delaware whatever were not designed to remove microplastics. It takes a very tight filter to remove something that small and that is an issue. Obviously, our wastewater treatment plants to which we discharge the waste that we generate in our homes and so on are also not designed to remove microplastics. So it goes and it comes and it keeps going and coming and it keeps cycling up which is one of the reasons why the plastics that are discharged as a waste keep breaking down into smaller and smaller particles until there's a new term now that we use to refer to these microlastics. They're now nano plastics and they're so small you cannot see them with a naked eye and they will pass through the filter systems that we designed as engineers. It's become a very big concern for most of the world. The UN is studying the issue on a global scale. The European Union is doing the same and they're um passing ordinances and legislation to begin to manage the plastic waste that's in their jurisdictions. The US Geological Survey is doing surveys along the Delaware River and they're assessing how far and how extensive the um the problem is. and EPA has established a national priority to deal and study with the issue and help develop solutions.

One of the biggest and best ways of dealing with the waste that we discharge through the environment that translates into the litter, the microlastics, the nanoplastics is to not create it to begin with. Uh it's also a recommendation from um EPA and it's something we've known for decades is to control it at the source is the best way to control the waste is not created at all. Around our area multiple states have enacted legislation. New York, New Jersey, Delaware on the state level. And in Pennsylvania, 40 townships have adopted ordinances to begin to manage the plastics issue, the singleuse plastics issues. As you can see there, uh, both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the anchoring big cities, as well as 38 other townships and burrows have enacted ordinances, uh, in order to manage the issue. We've looked at every one of those ordinances. Um, we've created a matrix that has been available for you to look at. Um, and we've developed as part of that review process a recommendation for you and that is to develop an ordinance for Middletown Township on the core components to phase out the use of plastic bags. They're used for moments and they'll last for a long time, centuries. Um, there are readily available alternatives. They're not necessary, but they're convenient. And um we recommend that any ordinance

that's developed include plastic bag elimination, the phase of phase them out as a core component of of um of the ordinance that's developed. um also proposed banning the polystyrene uh polystyrene food containers essentially um the the um trademark reference essentially styrofoam um that is also not accepted by waste management for recycling. So it can't be recycled. So that will go to a landfill or incinerator or be lost. And there's a a lot of plastic bags that we filled up over the years collecting that stuff in all the all of the uh the parks and the roadways. And to have restrictions on single-use utensils. Um a lot of these utensils are plastic. Uh of course straws, stirs, the forks and knives that you're given in takeout. Um used for literally minutes and then tossed. There all are alternatives for all of those and there are recyclable and renewable alternatives for all of those. So we recommend that you uh develop an ordinance that addresses those issues and addresses those particular components. We've drafted uh an ordinance as a starting point for you to consider. Um, but we recommend that you begin the process of developing that and making that a reality. And the sooner you do, you can begin to acrue these benefits. Um, again, the things you've heard me talk about already, you could reduce the litter and cleanup costs and whatnot. uh you can have an impact on the Delaware River and

all the feeder uh streams that run through our township on the way. Um of course the healthier parks and and whatnot. Um come with that. It also aligns us with the regional trends. A lot of the townships around us have already taken this step and more are evaluating it as we speak. Um the the microplastic issue is also something that's important to take a step on. That is the biggest issue and the one where there's um a lot of unknowns both medically and environmentally. Uh what the future impacts will be. We know that the waste will be around for a long time. What we don't yet know is what all of the health impacts of that will be. Um and the sooner we can adopt alternatives, the better we can be in doing our part to uh take some action to to help ourselves. We as an EAC, we understand this is a global problem. Um but the action starts with us. There are now two and a half million Pennians who have adopted similar ordinances and are living quite comfortably with them and we recommend we do the same here. Do you have any questions? Please. If I may, supervisors, uh before you tonight is not necessarily a decision to move this forward. is purely a discussion uh and to provide the EAC if this is a policy of interest with some additional feedback um and then also to uh provide staff the opportunity to provide some implementation analysis.

I think when you were here last one of the things that I that I kind of asked of the EAC is to talk is to look and research what the like if there's any discernable data out there related to the impacts of putting the single-use ban in. Um, so were you able to like talk I know New Town did it last year, the year before that. Um, I know Jerseys done it for a while. Have there been any studies that have come out that have shown the impact that have occurred?

There there, as far as I understand, there have been. Uh, and they've been generally positive. Um, there clearly anytime you propose any ordinance of any kind, there will be initial resistance to change. Uh, we understand that. Um we uh compared notes with what New Town went through and um you know one of the feedbacks they got was that from their constituency what they wanted was um clarification. They wanted a clear path forward. Um we saw that a lot of the big retail operations have already moved in that direction. Even the the giant um food store here uses both plastic and paper, but you go to another jurisdiction, it's all paper. Corporately, they've already decided, excuse me, u what their supply chains need to be. Um they've sorted a lot of those issues out. Um, and I believe the last time uh we spoke on this issue that the township was also going to reach out government to government to some of the people and some of the townships on those list. I don't know what the result of that what those discussions were. Um, but we've been watching for a couple years now, and it seems like after the initial angst about, oh my god, I have to deal with life without a plastic bag, um, people settled out rather quickly and, um, it's it's become a very much of a non-issue. Politically, it seems like the issue became straws.

Um, because somebody made a comment about straws on national television. Um, but that is also from a technical standpoint also a non-issue. Uh, because that issue has been solved a long time ago. And to let you know where we sit in the context of where the rest of the world is, um if you go to Europe now, uh you're not going to get a plastic straw. Um they have already invested in the technology and development of alternatives uh not only for the things we're talking about now, but for the food packaging that goes on, which is the other end of this issue. um that is moving forward at a rapid pace uh and it needs to move forward on a rapid pace.

Okay. Thank you. Um because this is a policy discussion, we're going to take the information, we're going to review it. We appreciate your your um input into this.

Okay. Thank you. want to add, you were asking about studies and I just wanted to get a little specific. I was googling um last year the journal Science published a study that analyzed data collection um from the Ocean Conserv Conservy's International Coastal Cleanup and that study showed that plastic bag policies lead to a 25% to 47% reduction of plastic bags in the environment where they're implemented and has significantly reduced pollution. So some numbers for you. Lauren Laro, 18 second pair, chair of the EAC. Thank you. Thank you, Lauren.

So, I guess so in terms of what happens next is we've gotten this information. We have to I guess decide if we want to move forward in the future. staff would have to give us different options because I know I know I understand from the the information provided by the EAC that there's obviously a number of different uh it's almost a menu of choices about what you want to ban what you don't want to ban how you want to enforce it and all those things so I guess that is sort of the next sort of investigation right uh you're absolutely correct in addition we need to talk about impact right you know what kind of businesses what the you know mix um you know who's going to be impacted you know by this what the enforcement looks like what the notification process looks like um you know what the public education process looks like. Uh the township applied to a program through the International City Management Association that partners with the United States State Department where we're receiving a fellow at no cost to the township who actually arrives this weekend uh from Laos um in Southeast Asia who is going to be studying this uh for about a month to bring more information to the board of supervisors, to the EAC um and to our staff as well. Um, and again, that's no cost to the township, but it's to explore sort of what the full uh cycle impact looks like for our businesses and our residents so that the board can have that information as it weighs the different options that it has.

So, no action tonight. We have some information. We're going to spend some time gathering more information and then we'll probably be back to talk about this further in the future. You're absolutely right. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I want to thank the EAC for all the hard work they put into this. Thank you. Uh, next up we have temporary sign ordinance discussion.

We're okay. Um, any public comment? It It's a policy discussion. So, we're not voting on anything. Right. Exactly. All right. You're going to spend more time. Go ahead.

Let's go with it. Um, this is probably one of the most important things we should be uh investigating here. Not energy uh mandates and fines and all this stuff. This plastic problem that we have worldwide, I would agree it is a very serious thing. Wasn't long ago when you know when we were born, none none of that was an issue for us. if you can remember a glass a glass soda bottle then plastics came in Tupperware came in then Pepsi and Coke and all the other manufacturers started making this clear plastic and now all of a sudden it's it's the FDA and the D and the EPA and all these other threeletter acronyms really actually care you know they they dropped the ball just like Dr. Fouchy dropped the ball and he made billions billions of dollars just like these corporations. There's microlastics and uh things like that in your brain, your kids' brains because they they're going to get more by the time they're our age because if we don't do something as adults, it's going to get wicked. And you between the cancers and the illnesses and diabetes and stomach problems, bowel problems, brains and and everything, circulation issues, hearts, kidneys. This I believe if we can put a dent in this, we can be part of the leading crowd. I don't know how to even suggest to do it, but just a few things. Well, don't use plastics, but your trash trucks now we get I guess there's less pollution because we only

get one pickup. Thank you, board, but you have more plastics dropping out of those trucks because they're dropping out of the cans. And that's what I've noticed in in my day-to-day life running around Middletown. So, I really think we should have more responsible leadership and go back to two two times a week. Charge me more. I mean, you're going to charge us anyway because I didn't get a discount for one pickup. So, we do that. That's less plastic on at least my street, my neighborhood, the little little neck I live in, and less in yours. The trash trucks themselves do a wicked amount of uh polluting. When I say that, I mean from trash being blown out that top and plastics being kicked out of the truck when when they're in operation and even when they're driving. That's just my experience. I think waste management can be a lot more responsible and start handling these plastics properly. Now, waste management is not and neither is any other company out there that has a bazillion dollar mound of dirt and a millions of dollars of equipment running a running a dub site going to do this for us. So, it's going to take intelligent leaders like yourself to to try to make a dent. And God bless you because this is serious issue here. I didn't hear anything about uh anything being discussed with medical professionals, but I would suggest if you do get into this, you you speak to some medical professionals.

Philadelphia area, the biggest medical best around town. I would just suggest start with the cancers. That's where you're you're you're going to find a lot of this microplastics. And that affects all of us right across the board. Smoker, non-smoker, drinker, non-drinker, health fanatic, not so healthy fanatic. So that it's an issue. It's in fish. It's in every animal. But nobody really concentrates on the human. I mean, I hear about the streams and and believe me, I I understand. Nothing aggravates me more seeing somebody throw out the stuff on the ground. It's just that's irritating. They throw it out their car windows. I wish they'd get a nice ticket for that. Matter of fact, I think they should get locked up, but that's just me. I think the discipline and what you're looking at here on the single source plastic, I'll tell you a quick story, you know, between travel and in different areas in different states. You go in and you're going to run in. I'll call Waw Wa because I love Waw Wa. Nothing against 7-Eleven. They didn't have the bags. I try to walk out with everything that I I wanted to get, you know, for the kids and everything. And it was it got a little tricky of course now you go to another state like Delaware say and they don't have bags or as I go to uh in New Town like I do buy less. This is going to hurt the retailer. But I'm I'm really starting to believe I at first I was irritated and then I kind of come to learn that it it is a change of behavior. That's that's the responsibility you have. But I understand

what the real purpose is. Plastics are dangerous. If you see plastic, that water bottle right there, that hand sanitizer right there, that little water jug with the plastic lids, those microplastics are wicked on the body. And you're going to find sicker generations. You're we already deal with heavier uh children. and out of out of weight, out of uh overweight. So, I think you should really consider it, but ban it with education behind you, and I think the public would support you. Uh I don't think anybody thought I was going to go that way on this one uh from earlier, but I hope you really do consider it because we're a sicker generation and our kids are sicker. Uh, everybody's kids are sicker. So, thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Michael Lamik, and I would like to uh encourage you to finish studying and support this ban on single-use plastic. Um, it'll be wonderful to have the plastic out of the parks and the roads and the streams here, but that's also going to be a big help for the environment in general and the ocean as we've been hearing. Um, you've heard about the great gys of plastic in the oceans. It's just amazing to me that there's going to be more tons of plastic in the oceans than fish in not too long. Now, it's funny. I think at least people on the internet are arguing, is that going to happen in 25 years from now or in 50 years from now? I I don't think it matters. It's it's too much. Um, you've already heard that these plastics don't really go away for hundreds of years. They get broken up into smaller little pieces. That's a real problem for wildlife and uh eventually gets back to us as you've heard. So, I think that it it's only going to keep getting worse with the accumulation of plastic and it's time for that to stop. So, I'd like to thank you very much for your study and support of this ordinance

and I will just follow up on my friend Michael. Uh, microphone.

Oh, I will follow up with my friend Michael here. Uh, it is one thing to endanger our lives. We choose to be stupid and but what we're doing to the innocent wildlife and marine life is unconscionable. And actually I'm saying without looking at any words, it's what what team do you want to be on? Do you want to be on the team that protects life or do you want to be on the team that doesn't care? And I think the single loops the single use plastic bag is the beginning. is like making a statement. I am not um an activist. I'm lazy. But I care so much about wildlife uh that I make the effort I go out of my way to shop at stores that I knew I know uh uh encourage paper bags and sell recyclable bags and you can bring your own bag in your own car. you know, you're not you don't have to wear a backpack particularly. And uh so I just want to read um what is happening. I mean, we all know what's happening to the wildlife and the fishes, but how can you how can we in good conscience read these statistics and say, "Oh, well, who cares?" Um for wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous. When eaten, they can easily accumulate inside an animal's body and cause serious health issues like fatal intestinal blockages. The impacts can have ripple effects throughout the wider ecosystem. Scientists have also found that microplastics harm plants and soil, changing the soil structure, the flow of water and nutrients through the soil and the array of bacteria, insects, and other organisms organisms that live in

the soil. Marine animals also bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats and millions die each year each year because of plastic entanglement and other impacts. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash as have dead seabirds, turtles, and many other creatures. In fact, at least 1,565 wildlife species have been found to have accidentally ingested plastic. This is not just a money, do we do this, do we do that. It's a moral, it's our moral conscience to take care of the earth we live on. And I have complete confidence that middle township wants to join the other four uh the other four in Bucks County or you will find that many of us don't shop here anymore. It's not so far away to go into New Jersey. It's not so far away to go to New Town or Giant and in the Summit Square or Doylestown. Why would people come here to shop if around the corner is a more thoughtful alternative? And um so there it is. Good night.

Thank you.

Good evening. I'm Todd Weman. uh have lived here in Middletown Township for 12 years. In the 1950s when I was 15, I took my 10mi hike for the boy for boy scout badge leading up to Eagle. I saw a lot of beautiful things on that hike. But you know what I didn't see? I didn't see plastic trash. You know why? because plastic was brand new. If I went on that same uh hike today, I'd see plastic all over the place. I don't Well, that was 68 years ago. But now we humans are making over two trillion plastic bags a year, half a trillion utensils, 15 million tons of styrofoam, 20 trillion plastic straws. So what you may say well pro production of plastics is increasing exponentially. If we don't put limits on ourselves then nature will and it won't be pretty. Now, if you and I went on that same hike, we'd see plastic waste everywhere in the marshes and fields and besides the roads, even in birds nests and the oceans, of course, because everything is connected to everything

else. You remember seeing that sickening picture of the sea turtle with the straw up its nose? Yes. Well, if we put limits on the sale of these items, we also limit their production, their consumption, and their waste. Now, the country of Bangladesh banned them in 2002. Let's do it in 2026. Thank you. Thank you,

Joe Fitch, Wyoming Avenue. So, as much as, you know, I want to say yes, you know, we need to be careful with the plastic, um, I I I think we need to be realistic here, you know. Um, take a look at the Waw Was and and McDonald's and all of the trash that blows out of their dumpsters. You know, I don't necessarily know if it's the population of people as much as it is the businesses. You get a windy day and the next thing you know that dumpster lid's flying up and the trash is coming out of there. Um, I know the Waw Wa, right, that they just built on Root across from the Taco Bell they're talking about. I've went to the management multiple times about all the trash that I don't know if it's people throwing their trash, but the dumpster's right there and leads right into Delaware Park, but you got um you know, store the storage facility on Flowers Mill Road. I've talked about that. You got tenants that don't want to take their stuff and they just throw it over the the fence and it's going to go into Mil Creek. Um, you know, people with their trash cans, the trash cans blow over. They don't go out and pick them up and pick up their stuff. Um, you know, a lot of times when I go to work, I got to eat in my car for the day. So, what am I going to do? Do I got to worry about, well, which utensil do I bring from my house that I can't get a thing of soup or a salad fork that I got to worry about, you know, throwing it away or or whatever. As as far as the wildlife, the biggest problem with the wildlife is how we keep overbuilding everything and pushing them out of their environment. Yeah. You know what the some of the trash have to deal with some of them and and

that they get trapped in the six-pack containers or whatnot. Yeah. Um what did we do when we were kids? You had so many one-time use things there. I remember using bread bags and putting them on my feet to keep my feet warm in the winter time after they were done. Then what' you do? You threw them in the trash. You know, Dixie cups, what'd you do? You threw them in the trash. I mean, how many one-time use things did we get rid of then? You know, so to totally eliminate one-time use plastics, I I I don't think it's feasible, you know. Do you put some kind of regulations on them? Maybe. But how do you completely eliminate that stuff from, you know, society or the the township or or whatever? So, just something else for us to think about.

Thank you. Lance Quincy.

Um, I guess I'll say a couple of things as far as, um, we heard a lot about trash in the ocean. Okay. As far as I'm aware of, it's illegal to dump any trash anywhere in the United States in a waterway or in an ocean. So, unless we're going to start controlling other countries, then what Middletown Township does with plastics isn't going to make a dent in our oceans. Okay. As far as the um the litter that we find in our waterheds and and our culverts and all of those things, this ordinance would have no effect on that. Um, that's like blaming the gun for the person shooting them. You know, if we have irresponsible people that are throwing trash in our roadways and in our waterways, that that trash is still going to be there. My house backs up to New Falls Road. I clean the the egress every year and then I go out again and I clean it again. And you know what? I don't say, "Man, you know what I need is a a a ordinance to get rid of plastic bags when I go to acme." Um, what I do think is that we have some very inconsiderate people in society that don't care what they do with trash. So, that sounds more like an enforcement issue than anything. And if we had more enforcement, then we would have less of a litter issue. Um, as far as um the microlastics, that is an issue, but plastic is in everything. Literally everything, our cars, all of the products in our house. So unless we're going to start policing each individual person's house and make them live a lifestyle that we would prefer, which I don't think we're going to do that. Um that would go to my next point to say um you can control it at the source. I think he said control it at

the source, right? Control your own home. Control the things that you put in your body at your home. If you don't want to use a water bottle, great. Don't use a water bottle. Use use a glass and keep reusing it. Okay, I know me and my wife use the same cup all day. We wash it, use the same cup all day. So, we already do some of those things, but I don't need is to go to the grocery store and not be able to get a plastic bag that I'm going to throw away cuz somebody's assuming I'm going to throw it in the street and pollute our rivers and airs and things like that. If somebody wants to do that and take their own bag to the grocery store, that's great. Um so some of the um studies that they didn't give you any of the cons of this right um because they just want to push the agenda that they want to push. Um so some of the studies that have actually occurred out of this um there is an environmental trade-off in doing this and sometimes it's actually worse. Um so if you get rid of plastic bags it actually um takes more energy um as well as uses more water and is not as environmentally friendly to use paper bags. Okay. So, you're you're doing a trade-off. It's kind of like saying, "Hey, electric cars are great." And then you do the research and you you see how much diesel fuel and how much it takes to dig for the lithium that they put in electric cars. So, there is a trade-off, right? So, this is what you do with a trade-off. Um, one of the studies from California actually said people started buying the thicker plastic bags which are harder um to degrade but they would forget them and then they buy another one and buy another one and by the time they had a stack of plastic bags and then they throw all those bags away. Guess where those end up? In the dump. Um, so those are some of the the trade-offs. Another trade-off cost to businesses. those businesses pass those costs to the consumer for something that again is not

an issue. Each of us have individual liberties to say, "Hey, can you put my drink in a glass?" No, I don't want a straw. If you feel that um you know passionate about this issue, then you can exercise that individual liberty yourself instead of passing that and taking away individual liberties that other people have. Okay. Um, so those are just some of the things um that I just think it's a it's a bad precedent to start. I understand that other townships have have pass ordinance and great for them. Okay. I don't believe individual townships should be running this. If I if if there was a national um something that was coming from our government that said, "Hey, we need to really uh stake a claim in this." um maybe that would be the crux of of allowing our country to move forward, but I don't think we're moving anywhere any uh fast on this issue. And I don't think little tiny townships like Middletown Township should be driving the the ball on this. I think we should be allowing individual citizens in our township to make those decisions for themselves. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Um we are going to um skip temporary sign ordinance and underground utility road paving requirements ordinance discussion. We're going to move that to the next. Yep, that's fine. We can discuss both of those in April. Okay. Thank you. And um at this time we are going to move to department reports. So first up uh we have the police department uh Chief Butterillo.

So we'll be doing two reports tonight. Uh usually you would see sort of half of the department head has come and give a presentation but tonight uh chief is going to be delivering the annual report for 2025 for the police department and after him uh Laura Hucklebridge our finance director will be giving the quarterly financial update. Uh so those will be our two reports tonight. Chief,

good evening again Miss Hannah, fellow board members. Um I will try to move along pretty quickly. I know we're getting late into the night. So, um, we did finish our 2025 annual report. Um, we do an annual report each year. We have for the last 10 years. Um, we're going to do a little preview of it tonight and then tomorrow we will release it to the public. Uh, it's about 34 pages. We're only going to go over about maybe eight or 10 sections tonight and then we'll put it up on our uh, Facebook page and the website tomorrow. So, this is just my opening statement to the to the township. Uh, one thing I I want to say before I actually get into our annual report, like I always say, uh, I know our police department, we greatly appreciate the support that we get from you, the board of supervisors, from our township administration, and most of all from our citizens. Um, you know, we we really couldn't operate the way we do unless we had that that kind of support. So, and I think our annual report uh reflects that support in it. If you look at everything that we do throughout the year, all the accomplishments that we make and the ways that we serve the township. So, we can go on. Are you controlling it, Nick?

All right. Can I got it? Okay. So, uh these are pages five to seven and and this is basically uh our command staff. I can make jokes. Four good-looking commanders and then me. So, um, but anyway, uh, in the middle are our rookie officers, uh, that we hired. And the big mean guy in the center is actually a general giant, uh, officer Matt Johnson. He's a 20-year military veteran. Um, but all of our rookies, um, we're happy to have him. We are doing a lot of hiring. One, two, three, four of them are in the academy. Gianna at the top left actually graduated already. Uh, and then two of them are graduating very shortly. And then on the right, um, Zach Brochious, who's here tonight. Lieutenant Zach was promoted this past year, and those are our retirements. Um, the officers that retired last year who he uh recognized. Okay. Uh, next are our commendations. Um, we we have a a once a year a departmentwide meeting where we give out accommodations to our officers. We did it last year in April. um our our commendations from then uh a lot of them were for the fire response in Langghorn Burrow. Um I know one was an outstanding arrest that our detectives made of a violent sexual predator who got 35 to 88 years. Uh there was also uh our acco Cheyenne Keane was given the person of the year award at the Phil uh Philadelphia Phil Philadelphia Union game. And then we also did milestone recognitions, 30 years of service, 20 25 years of service. That's all in our annual report. You can read about each commendation, what each officer was awarded for and or recognized for. And then, as you all know, uh you have attended our memorial services. We always make it a point each year to

celebrate the life of Detective Christopher Jones. We do it three times a year. We most recently did it January 29th. Thank you, Mr. Gallardo for uh speaking at our uh memorial service. Uh we never want to uh forget what Chris means to our township, what he meant to our community. So we always make it a point to remember him in our annual report. And then also uh we did lose three department members last year. Uh to the left there is retired public safety director, Lieutenant Pat McGinty. Pat worked here for 37 years. He passed away last February. I think it was February 26th um from cancer. In the center there is our records clerk Annie Wells. She passed away last spring. She worked for us for 26 years. And to the right is Lieutenant Leroy Alexander. Lee actually retired in 97, but he worked for our department from 72 to 97. And before he worked for us, he served four years in the Air Force. So we had the honor of being there, being very involved in all three of their of their funerals. and our department paid great tribute to all three of them. Uh our crime statistics. So basically uh what we do in our annual report we give our current year and the previous year our our crime for the last 5 years has been very steady. We've been somewhere between 800 and a,000 total crimes. If you look at our total crimes, they're really driven by three specific crimes. um to a smaller extent DUI related offenses, but to a larger extent fraud and theft. Know they just had a very big fraud prevention seminar today that the attorney general himself was at in our public hall. Was very well attended. So you can see that fraud affects uh a great number of people in Middletown and throughout Bucks County. Uh and that is one of the big drivers of of uh our crime in in Middletown and also theft. So, uh, as far as dispatch calls, 31,510

calls for service. That that equates to about 86 calls per day. So, our police department responds to to 86 calls every day of the year. Um, we wrote 3,380 traffic tickets. Those are moving violations. That was up significantly from last year. So, we are definitely making strides in keeping our road safer. And uh we're going to make it a a point to um try to conduct even more targeted enforcement this year because the roadways are getting very dangerous. I will touch um very briefly on bus patrol. So I know we talked about it um over the summer. It's been a great success for us as a department. Uh I you know I I know as far as the annual report um we only reported to the the end of the year but I believe we're up to somewhere last check around 1,900 total citations that we've approved. Uh and that's out of maybe about 2500. You know you have to you have to review each one. It's it's pretty uh involved. There's a lot of video to review. Uh I can also report that we have done it without spending any overtime. So we kind of achieved that objective. I know that was a concern, but we have approved 1,900 citations and I I do think it's a very effective program. One of the things I do want to emphasize because sometimes the public does ask this question. I'll touch on it real briefly. If it's a serious enough violation, we won't just send the computer generated a 300 $300 ticket. We'll actually write the actual state citation. That has a lot uh more weight to it. That's going to require a court appearance. So we do do that as well, but that's been a very successful program for us. So thank you for approving that uh last year and getting us started in that. All right. C, which is our detective division, uh they are very busy. In 2025, they had

about 456 cases referred to them. We have six detectives. And you know, if you ask our detectives, they'll tell you they have trouble sleeping at night because they bring all their cases home with them. They do an outstanding job. They really do. For for six detectives to be burdened with that kind of case load, uh they do a tremendous job. Uh any incident in Middletown that requires a more in-depth investigation gets referred to C. They take the case and they conduct, you know, in-depth investigation. Sometimes it takes weeks or months to uh handle some of these cases. Uh there are some notable cases and arrests that they made contained in our annual report. just for the sake of time. Yeah, I'm not going to go over it tonight. It'll be in the report that everybody can see when we release it tomorrow. And then uh we do touch on our community engagement. I think uh everybody in our community understands what a priority we place on that. Uh we have national night out. We have shop with a cop. We have coffee with a cop. We have a lot of other community events. We just had a staff meeting today where we were talking about the next five or six events that's planned for our township. I know we are partnering I I believe it's with the Bucks County Road Runners and the Middletown Community Foundation to do a 5K run to help benefit uh fundraising for our K9 program. So, we are always heavily invested in our community and things that we could do to strengthen the ties that we have as a police department with our community. And we do go over many units uh in our annual report. Uh I'm just going to go over a couple of them. One, I'm sorry about this, Pete. We didn't not covering the motors tonight, man. But yeah, uh, one is our our K-9 unit. It's actually good. I didn't plan on this happening, but our our K9 unit, our explosives detection kines have been a great help to what the FBI is doing in our township over the last two days. And uh, they have used them extensively. So, it's

it's kind of a good time to touch on um how successful our K9 program is. We have four we had five until tonight. Jester's retiring. He's not going to be replaced. So, we have four canines, one in each squad. We have two narcotics, two explosives detection canines, and um it has always been a great source of pride in our township and they do a fantastic job in helping to keep our township safe. Our four canines, hardest working dogs we have in our township. All right, SRO's. This is very important also because the incident that happened over the last couple days obviously uh was tied to the schools and our canines helped with um the bomb search. So bomb detection. So again we are heavily invested in our schools. Uh when I got here we had no presence in our schools at all. And when I proposed starting a school resource officer uh I I think it wasn't received as positively as it could have been or should have been. Uh it was a difficult battle, but we got an officer in the high school and from the start it was very successful. From there we have partnered with the school district. They helped fund our three officers. We now have an officer in the high school and an officer in each middle school. They don't just stay there. We service all of the schools in the township, even the non-public schools. Our officers will go to Holy Family Regional. They'll go to George School. They'll go to New Town Friends. They will go anywhere that requires the presence of a school resource officer. Uh they do so much for the school district. Dan Haduk there standing uh in at at the bus is a master at doing threat assessments for the high school. He does a fantastic job. Uh we do presentations for the schools and what it's allowed us to do is really connect with the students um and actually build a great working relationship with the Namid School District and our private schools.

And then last, it is National Social Workers Month. I was reminded of that today. Uh I do want to stress how um outstanding our co-responder Jess Ley is. Again, I remember back in uh 2020 when Mr. Keyzak had asked if we would be interested in starting a co-responder program. I told him as soon as I see how Ben Salem does with it, Ben Salem did really well with it. So, we revisited the idea and uh we decided to partner with Falls to start a co-responder program. And you know, again, I couldn't be happier with it. It was met with skepticism at first, but um they'll tell you in the back, Jess is as big a part of our department as any officer is. She does a fantastic job for us. All of the officers go to her for guidance. All the officers go to her for direction. and uh just for for one person the amount of benefit she's given our department from a from a social services perspective even I was skeptical at first I I don't think we could put an amount on on the return that she's given us so I am very thankful uh uh to the county to Diane Marsegia for uh starting the program having the vision to start the program and for being encouraged for us to bring it to Middletown it is it has been a great success for us and I guess that is it for me So, um I do go into uh some of the goals that we achieved in 2024 and what we're looking to do in 2025. That'll be in the annual report. Um so, board have any questions? I know it was kind of a choppy review of it. It actually flows a lot better if you read it, you know, cover to cover. It's just it's a lot to go over in in a short time. Good. Okay. Any questions from the community?

Good. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Chief. That's awesome. Thank you. You're on, Laura. Thank you. All right. We have our finance department. Yes.

Good evening, everyone. All right. I have our quarterly update. I will start with a reference to our 2024 audit report that was done in December. It is on our website. Uh we had an unqualified opinion from our auditors which means they had no findings and we are waiting for the results of the GFOA award program to see if we've received that award hopefully for the year. Okay. So we have our agenda here. We're just going to go through a couple of the funds at a high level just so we can see um where we ended up with the year. So overall for our operating funds and these include all of the main budgeted funds including the uh country club and the farm fund. These do these numbers do not include the capital fund that's presented separately. So overall our revenues were in line with budget. We had 100% of our budgeted revenues. expenses were actually two million below budget. Mainly that was from the storm water fund and kind of the delay of those storm water projects more into 2026. But we had a great performance so far for uh in 2025. This is a breakdown of where our main revenue sources are. So real property taxes and the local act 511 taxes make up 57% of our total revenue. So that's our our largest source is the tax base. There was an increase in sanitation from 2024 because we had the increase in that uh the refu fee. Here's revenue by month. Again, I say our highest months are April uh and then a little bit in September. That's when all the revenue comes in, all the tax

revenue. And almost 65% of our revenue we receive by June. So in Q4 at the end of the year, we get our least amount of revenue. When we look at expenses by month, as you see, most of our expenses are the second half of the year. And that's because we have more construction projects, more camp programs, more work that we're doing around the township in the latter half of the year once we hit those warmer months. When we look at 2024 versus 2025, our revenue was up almost $2 million. That is due to the storm water impact fee and the increase in the sanitation fee. And our expenses were about flat um year-over-year. We did have an increase in tax refunds for the Oxford Valley Mall. I know I had mentioned that earlier in 2025, but we refunded to them $358,000 of property taxes. This is just a little chart year-over-year. You can see for 2025 we were about break even, whereas 2024 expenses were higher than revenue. We look at the general fund. This is the main operating fund where all of the day-to-day operations of the township are paid out of. So we have revenue again was about break even. We were right on budget with that. Expenses came in slightly under what we budgeted which is great. This is a detail kind of by area of where our revenue comes in. So we did see a decrease from budget for the real property taxes and the act 511 taxes. There was a slight decrease which was offset by the increase in our interest earnings. Our investment portfolio did very well over the year

and our expenses. Um, that second line there, the tax collection, you see that went down year over or sorry, went up year-over-year because of the Oxford Valley tax payments that we made. And there were decreases in police service expenses, public works expenses, and also in employee benefit expenses in 2025 compared to budget. Our fund balance uh from the prior year went down $2.5 million, leaving us with a fund balance of $7.7 million. This will cover about 3 months worth of expenses, which puts us just at our fund balance policy. Um the 2026 budget did include the tax increase to help replenish this fund balance so that we can um be exceed our fund balance policy of three months and cover all of our expenses. For the capital fund, our primary source of revenue here is state and local grants. We had revenue um of 2.2 million for 2025. And this year I set in 2025, I set up um project numbers so we could more accurately track the costs of all of our capital projects that hadn't been done previously. So now we're going to be able to track our true costs against our budget by project. This is a summary of all of our grant revenue that was actually received in 2025. There were some for projects in that were completed in the prior year. The for Cythia hockey rink is in there. We received 710,000 for the community park LED project. Um what else? We had public works vehicles. So all in all, that was about $2 million in grant revenue received. The capital fund balance, it decreased

by $1 million. And that's really due to the timing. Our budget was that we would spend more than what we did this year. Again, timing of projects pushed some expenses into 2026 as we um you know, were working on engineering and things like that. our investment fund. This fund holds the proceeds from the water and sewer sale from a number of years ago. It was a $40 million sale. So, we try and keep the principal $40 million in that account. Every few years, we do use the interest to help fund the capital fund. The last time we did that was in 2024. We used $2.4 million. Um, we pulled that out. So, there was a a decrease. In 2025, there was no decrease. We didn't pull any money out, but there is a $1.3 million transfer planned for 2026. This chart just shows you the balance levels going up and down over the years. So again, Q3 of 2024 was our highest levels and then it dropped when we pulled out the 2.4 million. We've seen consistent growth in this portfolio over 2025 and we're hopeful that this continues to be a strong um source of income so that this can fund the capital project going forward. our pension plans. Our pension fund managers are working to preserve and increase our balances so we can provide for all of our retired employees. For the police police pension plan, the fund balance increased by almost $6 million in 2025 and they had an annualized rate of return of 13.07%. For our non-uniform pension plan, their balance increased by $1.5 million and they had a rate of return of 13.32%.

I went through everything pretty quickly here. We're at the end of the night, but in review high level, our revenue for 2025 was 43.3 million, which was slightly higher than our budget. Expenses were 2 million under budget. So that was wonderful. general fund balance can cover three months of expenses as of the end of the year. Our capital fund grant revenue was about $2 million and our investment fund and pension plans continue to perform well for us. Do you have any questions? N all right. Thank you very much. Thank you, Laura. Thank you.

Okay. Um with that, is there any other business? No, just a couple comments.

Uh, one, so I want to take a moment to introduce our interim director of parks and wreck, Monica Tierney, who is here. Monica, if you want to wave. Monica is a lifelong Middletown township resident and the former director of parks and wreck from lower Mfield Township, and we're super happy as part of our team and looking forward to her success in our parks and rec department and the township as a whole. So, welcome, Monica. Uh, second, we know that potholes are a challenge in our community. They're a challenge everywhere. It is a function of the weather. Uh it's been a really tough winter and of course the dramatic changes in temperature which will continue to happen because it's only March are making our roads um you know experience that. Our public works team is out there. They're dealing with it. They're doing a really good job. Uh if you haven't familiarize yourself with MTGO, which is a process where you can make suggestions or put in work orders uh on our website. Um you can sort of report a pothole there or other issues in the township that you want our public works team to get after. Uh check that out and you can submit that information there. We've also gotten a lot of complaints about um Ring Road around the Oxra Valley Mall which is owned by Simon Properties. That's not actually a public road, but we are working with Simon and they've reported that they're going to be doing some pothole maintenance work there. They actually did some last week. Um you know, they know that there are potholes there and they've committed to trying to make improvements in that and we appreciate that also. So, it's my two items.

Okay. Uh if there's no other business, I actually uh just wanted to announce that the board did hold an executive session prior to tonight's meeting to discuss uh personnel and employment matters. That was it. I try this again. Any other comments from anyone? Uh Mr. Keesler, Mr. Bella, Mr. Gallarda? Nothing further. Thank you. Okay. No. All right. No. Mr. Kac, I'm going to make a motion to adjurnn before anybody comes up with something. Yes. Okay. Motion to adjurnn. I second.