PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS
175 OAK GROVE ROAD, PINE GROVE, PA 17963
REORGANIZATION MEETING MINUTES – JANUARY 5, 2004
Larry Zimmerman was appointed Temporary Chairperson.
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Larry Zimmerman called the January 5, 2004 Re-organization meeting to order at
7 PM. Attending were Allen Aungst, Herm Clemens, Diane Tobin, Kathy Ferguson, Judy Lehman, John Heinbach,
Clint Koontz, Donna Chamberlain, Bonnie Brown, Heath Machamer and list of residents attached.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS - No comments.
AGENDA ITEMS
Nominations for Chairperson - Herm Clemens nominated Tobin, motion died for lack of second. Allen Aungst
nominated Larry Zimmerman, Diane Tobin seconded, all in favor, motion carried.
Nominations for Vice-Chairperson - Herm Clemens nominated Diane Tobin, Zimmerman seconded, motion carried.
Appointment of Secretary / Treasurer - Allen Aungst nominated Kathy Ferguson, Diane Tobin seconded, all in favor,
motion carried.
Appoint contact person for CDL Program - Larry Zimmerman noted that the Secretary held this position and all
agreed to have the Secretary continue to fill this position.
Establish Compensation for Secretary for meetings - Allen Aungst made a motion to keep the rate the same
(currently $45 per meeting), Tobin seconded, all in favor, motion carried.
Establish Compensation for Landfill Inspector, Roadmaster, and Zoning Officer for Meetings - Clemens motioned to
keep the same rate, Aungst seconded, motion carried.
Establish Compensation for mileage reimbursement - Zimmerman motioned to change it to 37.5 cents per mile, Tobin
seconded, all in favor, motion carried.
Set Wages of Employees / Re-appointments:
· Township Secretary - Aungst motioned to increase the wage to $12.00, Zimmerman seconded, Clemens and
Tobin opposed, vote is tied. Clemens motioned to increase the wage to $12.25, Tobin seconded, Zimmerman
opposed, and motion carried three to one.
· Allen Aungst made a motion to increase the Roadmaster John Heinbach’s and Rod Fidler’s rate to $13.00,
Clemens seconded, all in favor, motion carried.
· Aungst motioned to increase Deryl Fessler’s rate to $12.50 and Ralph Geist’s rate to $12.40 (due to lack of
tenure), Tobin seconded, motion carried.
· Zoning Officer (Clint Koontz) – The Board of Supervisors asked Koontz if he has incurred extra expenses,
Koontz noted he plans to ask the Board for a cell phone. Zimmerman motioned to increase the Zoning Officer’s
salary by $20 per month to $570 per month, Clemens seconded, motion carried.
· Landfill Inspector (Judy Lehman) - Tobin motioned to increase Judy’s rate to $16.45 per hour. Zimmerman said
because of the raise given last year, he feels the rate should stay the same. Clemens seconded the motion, Aungst
and Zimmerman voted no, vote was tied and died for lack of majority. It was decided to address the issue later in the
meeting.
Cleaning Person (Tammie Todero) – Allen Aungst made a motion to increase her rate from $8.00 to $9.00 per hour,
Clemens seconded, all in favor, motion carried.
· Appoint Sewage Enforcement Officers (Light-Heigel & Assoc. and Fisher Engineering)
Tobin motioned to keep the same firms, Zimmerman seconded, motion carried.
Zimmerman motioned to approve the following items, Aungst seconded, all in favor, motion
carries.
· Amount of Treasurers Bond shall remain the same at $500,000.
· Appoint Kathy Ferguson as Chief Administrative Officer (for Insurances, pensions etc.)
· Legal Counsel is Pfeiffer, Brown, DiNicola & Goodman.
· Engineer is Alfred Benesch & Co. - Aungst suggested a committee look into other firms; Zimmerman
volunteered to be on the committee. Benesch will remain the Township’s Engineer for the present.
· Tax Hearing Officer is Berkheimer Assoc.
· Chairperson of Vacancy Board (Larry Barr, Sr.) – No objections to keeping same person.
· Planning Commission member Tom Daubert appointed to another term.
· Recreation Board members Dennis Fidler and Sharon Olt were approved for another term.
Health Officer is Todd Evans - Discussion noted the Health Officer has not submitted a report. and has not been
paid. It was agreed to table this item for further discussion.
Zoning Hearing Board: Zimmerman motioned to accept Larry Brindle for a 3 year term, Aungst seconded, motion
carried.
Select Depositories: Zimmerman motioned to keep Lebanon Valley Farmers Bank, Sovereign
Bank, and PLGIT, Clemens seconded, motion carried.
Establish Times, Dates, and location of monthly meetings: Larry Zimmerman motioned to
keep it the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM, Clemens seconded, motion carried.
Certify Delegates to State Association Annual Convention in Hershey; choose voting delegate:
Larry Zimmerman motioned to choose Diane Tobin as the voting delegate, Herm Clemens seconded, motion carried.
Determine Holidays for township employees: Zimmerman motioned to keep the same 10
holidays as last year (New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Primary Election Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day,
Election Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day), Clemens seconded, all in favor,
motion carried. Zimmerman noted that if a holiday falls on a Saturday, employees get Friday off, if the holiday is on a
Sunday, employees get Monday off.
Select Committee Representative - Zimmerman said he feels there is no need for a Supervisor to watch over the
committees. Clemens said he agrees with the concept of the supervisors being able to go to any of the meetings.
Aungst said he would see more value in meeting with the fire companies and other areas that the supervisors could
look at. Zimmerman suggested one night a month might be better spent reviewing the insurance program, new
equipment for the Township and financial matters. Tobin said she feels it is an opportunity for the Supervisors to
learn from the committees what the Township is all about. Aungst agreed that this was especially true with the
Planning Commission. This issue was tabled after discussion.
Landfill Inspector Judy Lehman salary - Lehman reminded the supervisors that DEP reimburses half of her salary
and the Township is actually only paying her $8.00. Zimmerman said he has not changed his mind. Clemens said
he felt a raise should still be given. Aungst said last year’s increase was on the high side and he is reluctant to give
a raise this year. Tobin said she also did not change her mind. Because of the tie vote earlier, this was tabled until
next meeting.
Public Comments
s Aungst said the appointment of Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator should be added to
next year’s agenda.
s Ferguson reported that the Nestle agreement is here for the Supervisors to review.
s Ferguson asked the Supervisors to review the amount of money in lieu of health benefits, noting that she had
asked Aungst about this before the December meeting and again before the end of the year. Ferguson said the
current form for employees to sign choosing the money in lieu of health benefits is not accurate since the decision is
made the last two weeks of the year and it should actually be made two weeks before the renewal of the health
insurance policy which was in October. The secretary said the amount of money has never been increased even
though the health care benefits cost has risen every year and added that some employees are interested in the
option which would substantially lower costs to the Township.
Zimmerman said this is the first place he worked that had the option of getting the extra money and feels it should
stay the same amount.
Ferguson said if you look at the money as a benefit, then you can’t consider it as part of the salary. She said that
when she was hired it was presented to her as $2 per hour extra if she didn’t take any health benefits; otherwise she
wouldn’t have taken the job at the low salary offered.
Aungst said we have to watch that we don’t get ousted from our insurance company because we don’t have an
adequate number of people on the plan and our benefits with the exception of a 401K plan are comparable to other
large companies.
Tobin said we need to base it on other municipalities and not on other large companies. Zimmerman said the book
says to base it on the local area.
Ferguson noted that if you base it on the local area, the salaries are pretty far off base too. Tobin said she would
check into other local municipalities and see what they do. The matter was tabled.
s Ferguson thanked the supervisors for the raise she was given. Ferguson noted that she is currently
performing all the duties of township manager according to the job qualifications for manager as listed in the minutes
with the exception of making changes to the health plan. She feels that the Board of Supervisors is doing her an
injustice; Zimmerman by opposing her raise and the Supervisors by not bringing her up to the average wage (per
PSATS) for secretary / treasurers in 2002.
Aungst said the raises she has received since she started were high. Ferguson noted that past raises have nothing
to do with it and she is not happy with their decision.
s Donna Chamberlain said she is disappointed that the Board of Supervisors has reappointed the same legal
counsel and hopes it can be reconsidered. Zimmerman said that it is open anytime.
s Chamberlain questioned why public comment is at the end of the agenda when according to Act 98 townships
should encourage public participation prior to all decisions. Zimmerman said that is why public comment is asked for
at the beginning of the meeting. Chamberlain said it is not on tonight’s agenda. Zimmerman and Tobin said it was
on the supervisor’s copy and Zimmerman stated he did ask for public comment tonight. Chamberlain said it is difficult
to interject comments when the board is discussing things. Zimmerman said the public comment on agenda items is
for someone to tell the board that they have a comment on a certain item on the agenda and then the board will
acknowledge them before they make a decision on that item.
s Bonnie Brown said that Ferguson has had two raises since she started, the landfill inspector hasn’t had a raise
for two years and Kathy should be happy with her wage as a secretary with a job close to home and working no
weekends or holidays. She agrees with Aungst and told Ferguson that if she is not happy with her job she obviously
should resign.
s Lehman noted that she is still being paid only $8 per hour by the Township after the reimbursement from DEP.
Aungst said it doesn’t matter where the money comes from, the township still pays her. Lehman said her current
salary is the minimum salary that DEP encourages townships to pay for inspectors per the memo she had previously
given to the supervisors. Aungst said it was the average and Lehman said again that it was the minimum.
s Heath Machamer said he is submitting new contact information to the township to be considered as their
engineer. Zimmerman said he and Clemens would look at the information.
s Clemens said the secretary’s job is largely misunderstood, because you can’t compare it to a large office
where they primarily do correspondence. The secretary here has to run the whole show, know everything the
supervisors know and more. It is a stressful job and a lot of deadlines have to be met. He added that a lot of things
were not getting done in the office and now it is better than it has been in years.
s Tobin agreed that Ferguson is doing a good job.
Adjournment - Aungst motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 PM, Zimmerman seconded, all in favor, meeting
adjourned.
Submitted by Kathy Ferguson, Secretary / Treasurer
Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to webmaster@pinegrovetownship.com
Copyright © 2004 Pine Grove Township. All rights reserved.