The Northampton Township board of supervisors unanimously approved preliminary and final land development for projects at Richboro and Hillcrest elementary schools.
A presentation was made during the supervisors’ Nov. 18 meeting by Doug Taylor, director of operations for the Council Rock School District. He said the infrastructure of both buildings, which were constructed in the 1980s, is growing “tired.”
“The primary purpose of these projects is not so much a major renovation that you saw at the Holland Middle School or at the Rolling Hills Elementary School. The key is to replace the infrastructure, new HVAC systems, new air conditions in these buildings that aren’t air conditioned,” Taylor explained. “We really are working within the footprint of the building. We’re respecting the partitions within the building, we’re improving the entrance, the secure entrance vestibule, and we’re increasing the mechanical space to facilitate the new equipment that we need to support all that.”
At Richboro Elementary School, located at 125 Upper Holland Road, the board approved a 2,685-square-foot building addition for mechanical equipment, a 986-square-foot improvement to the building entrance and an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk. Meanwhile, at Hillcrest, 420 E. Holland Road, there will be similar additions as well as a looping driveway with more parking. Both buildings will receive air conditioning and enhanced outdoor signage.
Council Rock is working with Terry DeGroot, a civil engineer with Terraform Engineering. DeGroot said Terraform agrees to comply with all comments and concerns of township staff and consultants.
Supervisor Barry Moore proposed the township waive the Parks & Recreation fee, and reduce permit fees by 30 percent. This was unanimously approved.
“The township always takes the position that we want to work as well as possible with the school district,” he said.
Construction at Hillcrest will begin in summer 2021 and last through the following summer. At this point, work would begin at Richboro, which is slated to be completed in summer 2023.
Also during the meeting, township manager Robert Pellegrino presented the 2021 preliminary budget, which the supervisors approved and is now available for public viewing and comment.
In summary, if the budget is passed, there will be no tax increase, existing services will be maintained, the road maintenance program will continue, and there will be no personnel reductions. The total budget would be $43.3 million (the budget for 2020 was $45.4 million).
Within the budget, Pellegrino included a number of infrastructure projects – Township Road extension and roundabout; Buck Road streetscape improvements; left turn lane on Holland Road at East Holland Road; Richboro sidewalk project; Ironworks Creek sidewalk project; and 10 miles of paving and micro surfacing.
According to Pellegrino, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the closure of the Northampton Township Country Club and cancelation of Parks & Recreation events, the township’s general fund balance going into 2022 is projected to be very low at less than $600,000. The preferred balance is over $2 million. This fund, he said, is used for cash flow, covering appropriations not covered by revenue and emergencies, including COVID. While he didn’t suggest immediate action, Pellegrino said the township should eventually work on a plan to develop an adequate fund balance.
Regarding future budget impacts, he added that acquiring more paid staff for local fire and EMS services will be strongly needed in the next decade. According to the PA Fire & Emergency Services Institute, there were 300,000 volunteer first responders in the 1970s. Currently, there are about 37,000.
There will also be future construction on Station 3 in Richboro and Station 73 in Holland, both of which were built in the 1960s and lack adequate facilities for men and women, bunk rooms and more. The design and cost of these projects are slated to be finalized by early 2021.
“I think it’s a solid plan with no tax increase, no reduction in services,” said supervisor chairman Adam Selisker. “We’ve weathered a global pandemic, and global pandemics have local implications. We weren’t immune to that and we’re doing a great job of managing it. It does pinch us at times, but I think we will get through it. It might take a year or two to get out of this, but we will weather it together, there’s no question about that.”
In other news, the supervisors announced several holiday happenings in the township. Parks & Recreation has a direct hotline to Santa and his elves. Call 215-357-3465 anytime from Sunday, Dec. 6 through Thursday, Dec. 24 to hear updates on the North Pole and Santa’s big trip around the world.
Also, from Dec. 8-18, stroll through the Municipal Park. Features include recordings of Christmas carols by the Bucks County Women’s Chorus at different stations, and decorations on the trees along the pathway leading up to the Wetzel Pavilion. Troops from the Council Rock South Girl Scout Council will adorn the mall area with holiday surprises.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
