At the meeting held Tuesday morning, talk began on the formation of a planning commission to work on a proposed zoning ordinance for Snyder Township.
The planning commission itself is made up of three to nine members, with some as township supervisors and the others as not otherwise elected officials. A planning commission is created by ordinance by the supervisors.
Township solicitor Allen Gibboney advised the supervisors to discuss the idea of the planning commission before making an ordinance.
Issues that needed to be worked out included the number of people to serve on the commission, whether or not to pay the commission members and who would serve on such a commission.
Supervisors approved the motion to create a planning commission and decided that seven people should make up the board. Of those seven, only two can be Snyder Township officials and the rest should be Snyder Township residents.
It was also decided the positions would be voluntary, so the township would not reimburse the commission members for their work.
The next step in the process is finding dedicated volunteers who are willing to serve on the planning commission. Currently, supervisors are looking for interested individuals to serve on the planning commission.
Gibboney will continue to work on the ideas of the planning commission for the township.
Another topic that was discussed at the meeting was the pumping of septic tanks by the residents of the township.
Engineer Bill Gohn of the EADS Group, Inc., asked the supervisors what they were going to do about the septic tank ordinance that was passed in March of 2001 that required residents to have their septic tanks pumped within 12 months of the ordinance being passed.
The ordinance states that septic tanks must then be pumped once every five years.
He informed the supervisors that it has been two-and-a-half years, and two more notices have been sent to those residents who have not yet pumped their septic tanks.
He also said the township is currently in violation of Act 537 of the Department of Environmental Protection because the septic systems were not pumped within a year.
Supervisor Jim Chronister asked Gohn why the township even needed to have this type of ordinance when other townships do not.
Gohn said this type of ordinance is sooner or later going to be required for all townships because it is the upcoming thing to do. He also said the reason Snyder Township needed the ordinance was because some septic systems were malfunctioning which caused contamination of wells in the area.
Gibboney advised the supervisors to develop a method for dealing with the septic tank ordinance so that notices can be given, and this situation does not happen on a continuing basis.
The supervisors needed to decide what type of notice would be sent out, who would send it, how long would the residents have to comply, etc.
However, Gibboney advised the supervisors to send one final notice to clean out the septic tanks before those who do not comply are penalized. The notice will be sent two ways, by certified mail and by regular U.S. mail.
The fine for not complying with the septic tank ordinance is $500 and no more than $1,000. According to a resident at the meeting, it costs approximately $170 to get a septic tank pumped.
The township secretary Viola Dysart and Gohn will work on the notice together, and it is scheduled to be sent on September 12. The deadline to comply is October 31, 2003.
Gibboney said it is important to then follow up with prosecution if the ordinance is not followed.
