LITTLE BRITAIN TOWNSHIP
MAY 12, 2009
The Little Britain Township Board of Supervisors held its regular monthly meeting on
Tuesday, May 12th, at the Municipal Building, 323 Green Lane, Quarryville,
Pennsylvania. Prior notice of the meeting was given.
Chairman, Gregory Culler called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. A moment of silence
was followed by the salute to the Flag.
PRESENT:
Greg Culler
Randy Jackson
Jerry Emling
Jeff Wood
Margaret DeCarolis
Please see page 7
for a listing of
those present.
MINUTES: Motion made by Mr. Jackson, seconded by Mr. Emling and carried to adopt
the minutes of the April 14th meeting as presented. Motion made by Mr. Emling,
seconded by Mr. Wood and carried approving the minutes of the special meeting that was
held on April 30th.
SANITATION: It was reported that Mr. Stoner collected $525.00 in sanitation fees
during the month of April.
ZONING: Zoning Officer, Christine Jackson reported issuing 12 building, 14 occupancy
and 3 demolition permits during the month of April along with the acceptance of 1
Zoning Hearing and 1 Conditional Use Applications. Ms. Jackson also advised of the
following:
 Zoning Hearing Application received from Bennie Lapp.
 Update on the Levi Lapp zoning violation appeal. Responses by Mr. Lapp to the court
as ordered by Judge Madenspacher were enclosed for review.
 Construction quality issue on a home built for James Vasco. Per Commonwealth
Code Inspection Services, while the contractor was able to meet Building Code
regulations, the quality of the home constructed was poor and has referred Mr. Vasco
to the Attorney General’s office.
 Advised of Act 132 – The Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. She advised
that this act becomes effective as of July 1st. All contractors performing work in
excess of $5,000 per year must register with the state. Information pertaining to the
act is available in her office.
 Complaint received from resident on Little Britain Road North pertaining to the
spreading of manure in what they believed was running into the gutters and running
into the nearby stream. Ms. Jackson contacted the Lancaster County Conservation
District who investigated the complaint and found it unsupported.
 Has been advised that Areva NP, the company responsible for moving 3 large
generators from the port of Baltimore to Three Mile Island will be utilizing the old
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Little Britain Elementary School as an overnight facility. Whatever changes are made
to accommodate them during this time, will be removed and the property restored to
its original condition when work is completed.
TAXES: Tax Collector, Charlesie Coates reporting collecting $44,504.79 in Real Estate
tax and $214.67 in Interim tax during the month of April. Ms. Coates also advised of a
training session that she wished to attend in York. Motion was made by Mr. Emling,
seconded by Mr. Wood and carried authorizing Ms. Coates to attend the seminar as
requested.
ROADS: Roadmaster, Jerry Emling reported on the following April road crew activities:
 Opened up Park turned on water and mulched limbs.
 Hauled ½ inch stone to Township building.
 Cut low limbs on and widened Dogwood Rd.
 Swept development roads for skin patching.
 Hauled recyclables and tires to landfill.
 Skin patching in West Nottingham, Fulton, Drumore, East Drumore and Little
Britain Townships.
 Back dragged Scott, Eagle and Fern Crest Rds.
 Performed routine equipment maintenance.
 Filled in potholes.
 Mowed road banks.
 Attended PSAT’s Convention in Hershey.
 Took off bank and seeded Ashville Rd.
 Widened and installed inlet boxes on Dogwood Rd.
 Relocated stone to salt shed.
 Cleaned side gutters on Ashville and Springhill Rds.
 Replaced brushes on sweeper.
 Filled in holes on Honeysuckle Rd.
PLANS FOR JUNE/JULY
 Widen and pave Shady Rd.
 Work on Camp Rd Bridge.
Mr. Emling advised that the takeback of Lloyds Rd has been approved. He further stated
that once funding for the project is received, he would advertise for bids and notify
residents of work to be done along with a timetable for the project.
PAYMENT OF BILLS: Mr. Wood inquired as the proposed payment to West
Nottingham Township. Mr. Emling advised that this was for the emulsion oil that was
used for the skin patching. It was further noted that approval was given when contract
bids were awarded for the Township to purchase its oil from this Municipality based on
the significance of their contractors bid price. Motion made by Mr. Jackson, seconded by
Mr. Emling and carried authorizing the payment of General Fund checks 6974 through
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7007 in the amount of $23,788.92 and State Fund checks 1785 through 7839 in the
amount of $33,812.25.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Park Board member, Pat Wood advised the Board that the
Egg Hunt had gone well and thanked all of the volunteers who helped that day. Judge of
Elections, Linda Bolt reminded the Board of Election Day on Tuesday, May 19th and
inquired about obtaining a key. She will obtain that from the Secretary/Treasurer as in the
past. Jeff Wood acknowledged the clean-up work that had taken place at the park. He
thanked the volunteers from both Saturdays and indicated that the pigmy goat club and/or
their parents were extremely helpful.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: At 7:15 p.m., Mr. Culler called an executive session for the
Board to discuss personnel issue. The meeting was reconvened at 7:26 p.m.
SUPERVISORY OPENING: Mr. Culler advised that the Board had held the executive
session to discuss the opening on the Board of Supervisors due to the death of Mr. Eller.
He further indicated that due to Mr. Proffitt’s wife being a distance relative of his wife’s
that should he become a nominee for the opening that he would abstain from voting to
avoid any possible appearance of conflicts of interests. He indicated that he has consulted
the Township Solicitor pertaining to this matter and was advised by legal council that all
Board members should abstain from voting on the appointment or hiring of any family
member. Additionally, he stated that due to the relationship between Mr. Wood and Mr.
Groff as well as himself and Mr. Proffitt that per attorney recommendations neither of
them should be participating in any discussions or voting on an appointment involving
relatives. Mr. Culler further indicated that the Board had held a public meeting on May
30th at which time Mr. Curtis Jones was appointed as the replacement for Mr. Eller. Since
that time, Mr. Jones has confirmed that he is unable to accept the position due to
scheduling conflicts with some of his other obligations and was uncomfortable by the
negative press since the announcement of his appointment. Therefore, he was opening up
the floor for nominations. Resident, Harry Eller commented on Mr. Culler’s statement of
abstaining from voting due to family relations and questioned why Mr. & Mrs. Jackson
were both employed by the Township or why Curtis and Troy Jones both being
employees of the Township didn’t pose a problem. Mr. Culler advised that Zoning
Officer, is appointed by the Board of Supervisors for that position and that Ms. Jackson
has served in that position nearly 10 years. Mr. Jackson serves as Supervisor, which he
was elected to serve for. Additionally, Mr. Jackson has not voted on any matters that
could have a personal financial effect on Ms. Jackson. As for Curtis and Troy Jones’
father and son relationship, Curtis Jones is no longer in a position to have any say of
work being performed by the Township and when he did serve as a Board member, he
also abstained from any issues that could have effected Troy’s position with the
Township. Mr. Eller then stated he would like to nominate Christ Groff as a candidate for
the opening on the Board. He stated his belief that Mr. Groff was a lifelong member of
the Township and qualified to serve on the Board, would reflect the positions that David
Eller represented and requested that those in attendance be allowed to vote. Mr. Eller was
advised that the nominations being sought this evening were from the Board, not the
residents. The person being appointed this evening would serve at the Boards request
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until the end of the year. The residents would be able to voice their choices on filling the
opening in the November election when a vote would be held for someone to fulfill the
final 4 years of Mr. Eller’s term. Resident, Thanh Tran inquired whom the Board was
considering for the position. Mr. Emling advised that he had nominated Mr. Jones due to
the number of years he had previously served on the Board and his ability to step into the
position with knowledge of the issues facing the Township. Additionally, he indicated
that the difference of votes between Mr. Jones and Mr. Eller in the previous elections
were minor and felt that due to the substantial number of votes he received he obviously
had support of Township residents. Numerous other residents stated their support of Mr.
Groff and commented on their desire to see him serve. Mr. King, the Township
Republican Committeeman advised the Board of the State Ethics Code, which he read
from as it pertained to conflicts of interests and what constituted a family member.
Following a lengthy discussion, Mr. Culler motioned to appoint Mr. Groff to serve as
Supervisor until the end of the year. Mr. Wood seconded the motion. Mr. Emling and Mr.
Jackson opposed the motion, which failed to be carried. Mr. Emling then indicated he
would like to nominate Erwin Saniga who he advised had also served as a Board member
for 12 years and also obtained support in the primary election 2007. Following Mr.
Saniga confirming that he was willing to serve the Township in this capacity at the
request of the Board after concerns had arisen from those in attendance as to his
willingness to accept the position Mr. Emling motioned he be appointed for the opening.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Jackson and carried. Mr. Wood opposed the motion.
Several comments following the vote were stated when Mr. Culler advised that the Board
has always during his tenure as Supervisors worked for the best of the residents it serves.
He further stated his dismay by those who attend meetings merely to complain and
attempt to have the regulations in force voided on their behalf. He further defended the
concerns stated over the years pertaining to Zoning and Building Code issues. He clearly
indicated his belief that the current Zoning Officer performed her duties with integrity
and fairness to all. Additionally, he explained that while the Board may or may not be
pleased by some of the regulations they are forced to work within due to State or Federal
mandates that it was their responsibility to ensure that they as well as all of those
employed by them to abide by all legal requirements and to ensure that all of them were
consistently applied to everyone equally.
RESOLUTION #8-09: Electronic Access to PennDOT Systems – Following a review
of the resolution which authorizes the Secretary/Treasurer access to the PennDOT system
for form completion and relevant information needed by the road department a motion
was made by Mr. Wood, seconded by Mr. Emling and carried adopting Resolution #8-09.
RECYCLING TRAILER: Mr. Culler advised that a public meeting was held to discuss
concerns over the current recycling trailer. Mr. Aument from Fulton Township attended
the meeting and stated that his Township would be agreeable to taking the trailer and
continuing its recycling program with it, however, he did not feel that any financial
considerations were warranted as the trailer had been purchased primarily through grant
funding. Mr. Proffitt of Econ Refuse Service had also attended the meeting and advised
that his company could provide a trailer and all required service for the disposal of the
recyclables for approximately $2,000.00 a year. Mr. Emling stated his thoughts that
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recycling should be handled by a private business and not by government and motioned
to allow Econ Refuse to provide the service to the Township. Mr. Wood stated his
concern over the expense and indicated his desire to ride along the next time the trailer
was taken to be dumped. Following a brief discussion, Mr. Culler indicated his belief that
due to the expense that the matter should be placed for bid. Mr. Wood then motioned that
the matter be tabled until additional information pertaining to this could be obtained. Mr.
Jackson seconded the motion, which carried. It was also noted that volunteers were
needed to man the recycling during July and August. Mr. Culler indicated he would cover
the first Saturday in July and residents Jim and Sue Bullitt agree to man the recycling day
in August.
SPRING CLEAN UP DAY: It was noted that approximately 95 residents participated in
the event this year. Total expenses for the event were $1,833.23 with $1,025.23 being
paid by the Township for costs not covered through fees charged. There were 61 tires
collected the day of the event and 16.13 tons of other items disposed of following the
clean up event. It was noted that 2 individuals disposed of items free of charge as they
had collected them while cleaning up the roadsides on Kirks Mill Rd.
FARMLAND PRESERVATION TOWNSHIP CHALLENGE GRANT: The Board
was advised of information received from the County announcing the 2009/2010
Farmland Preservation Challenge Grant. The memo indicated that Townships would need
to contribute 50% of the funding required in preserving farmland. Ms. Jackson, Zoning
Officer indicated that she had contacted the County expressing concerns over the
financial obligations being requested through this program and inquired how the
Townships inability to participate in the program would affect residents seeking to have
their farms preserved. She was advised that Townships willing to participate in the Grant
Challenge program would see residents from their municipalities moved up the list.
Following a discussion, the Board confirmed they the Township would be unable to
participate in the program due to the funding requirements.
INTER-MUNICIPAL COUNCIL: Mr. Wood indicated that he attended the last
meeting of the Inter-Municipal Council where they discussed a cost sharing health
insurance plan. While he indicated he did not understand all of the information presented,
he felt that it would be a good idea for the Township to provide the information being
requested to confirm what type of plan the representative of the insurance company
would proposed and what expenses for such a plan would be. Mr. Emling stated this was
the type of insurance provided by School Districts and had they had been laden with
problems. Following a brief discussion, the Board indicated they would provide the
information being requested and see what programs were recommended as a result. Mr.
Wood advised that an additional meeting would be held on June 16th at the Quarryville
Library with further information if other Board members were interested in obtaining
more information.
TOWNSHIP WEBSITE: It was noted that the person who had been maintaining the
Township Website had been unreachable and updates to the site have not taken place
since January. Numerous attempts have been made to reach the person via phone and e-
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mail to no avail. The Secretary/Treasurer requested approval to seek another person or
company who could provide updating services for the Township. Mr. Saniga advised that
he could possibly obtain a college student to update the site and train individuals on
updating the site internally going forward. Resident, Mr. Tran indicated that no one at the
Township was IT expert, which is beneficial in maintaining a website such as the
Townships, and highly recommended a consult be hired for that work.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Mr. Emling stated his concerns over the amount of
financial responsibility it appears the Township would be forced to encounter under the
proposed plan. Zoning Officer, Ms. Jackson advised that the Township has the ability to
establish what figures it chooses to input into the implementation boxes within the plan.
The Board agreed to establish a date for a public hearing on the Proposed Comprehensive
Plan. They will check their schedules and advised of available dates so a hearing can be
scheduled. It was also noted that the Road Opening Ordinance also required a hearing
and will therefore be scheduled for review at the same time. Resident, Pat Wood inquired
if the Township Zoning Officer would be revised once the comprehensive plan is
adopted. The Board felt confident that the current Zoning Ordinance would be opened for
review following the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan.
PLANNING COMMISSION: Motion made by Mr. Emling, seconded by Mr. Jackson
and carried adopting the minutes of the April 28th Township Planning Commission
meeting.
RELEASE OF ESCROW: Following a review of comments provided by Township
Engineer, Ed Fisher motion was made by Mr. Wood, seconded by Mr. Emling and
carried authorizing the release of escrow being held on Daniel Miller and the Jesse and
Ruth Ann Wood subdivision.
TRAINING/SEMINARS: Upcoming training and seminars were reviewed.
ANNOUCEMENT: Resident, Christ Groff advised that he would be seeking the
remaining 4 years of Mr. Eller’s term as Supervisor on the November ballet. He further
indicated that as a business owner and long term resident he felt he would be able to
assist in the daily operations of the Township. He indicated he did not wish to replace
employees or “bully” anyone, he just desires to be able to give back to his community
through his service as a Supervisor.
ADJOURNMENT: At 8:30 p.m., being no further business, motion was made by Mr.
Wood, seconded by Mr. Emling and carried to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
Margaret D. DeCarolis
Secretary/Treasurer
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THOSE IN ATTENDACE AT THE MEETING
Linda Bolt
Ron Bolt
Larry Brown
Mark Brown
Jim Bullitt
Sue Bullitt
Charlesie Coates
Angel Coldiron
Scott Coldiron
Harry Eller
Pat Eller
Christ Groff
Lisa Groff
Rosemary Groff
Debbie Housekeeper
Larry Housekeeper
Troy Jones
Benuel King
Bernie King
Christine King
Daniel King
Kenny King
David Knight
Daniel Miller
Allen Monk
Dan Proffitt
Debbie Proffitt
John F. Stoltzfus
Bill Sumner
Louise Tomlinson
Thanh Tran
John Wagner
Jesse Wood
Jesse James Wood
Pat Wood
Tammy Wood
Ed Wylie
Gerald Y
Ira Zimmerman
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