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JANUARY 18-24, 2024
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George Wolf and Moore Bath Borough Council holds Elementary schools hold Reorganization and special Annual spelling bees Stormwater management meetings
Moore winner Madison Wasilewski
George Wolf winner Michael Goldberg
Submitted by CHRISTOPHER HOENSCHEID The George Wolf Elementary School spelling bee was held on Tuesday, January 9, and the Moore Elementary School spelling bee was held on Wednesday, January 10. The fourth and fifth grade classroom champions and runners-up competed. The George Wolf winner was fifth grader Michael Goldberg. (Michael also won last year as a fourth grader
and advanced to the regional spelling bee.) The Moore Elementary winner was fifth grader Madison Wasilewski. Michael and Madison will now compete in the online qualifier round in an attempt to advance to the 4th Annual Diamond City Regional Spelling Bee in WilkesBarre on March 10. The winner of the regional spelling bee will then compete in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland.
President Biden visits the Lehigh Valley By HOME NEWS STAFF On Friday, January 12 just after 1 p.m., Air Force One touched down with President Joe Biden at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. During Biden’s brief stop in the Lehigh Valley, he visited local businesses in Emmaus including Emmaus Run Inn, Nowhere Coffee Company and South Mountain Cycle.
Next Biden and his motorcade made their way to the Allentown Fire Training Academy before departing from LVIA at 4:25 p.m. Biden’s visit was met with crowds of his supporters in addition to crowds of people voicing their opposition to him and his visit. Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered.
By SAVANNAH BROWN The Bath Borough Council met Tuesday, January 2 for their reorganization meeting and regular monthly meeting, and then again on Wednesday, January 10 for a special meeting. As the first order of business, Councilpersons Emanuel Mirabito, Frank Hesch and Samantha Angst took their Oath’s of Office. Lauren Bullsnake was sworn in during the special meeting. The reorganization of officers included the election of Frank Hesch as council president, Michele Ehrgott as vice president and Emanuel Mirabito as president pro-tempore. Other appointments included the following: renewal of Borough Manager Bradford T. Flynn’s employment agreement; reappointment of James F. Kratz from Stevens E. Lee P.C. as borough solicitor; reappointment of Ron Madison from Colliers Engineering & Design Inc. as borough engineer; Christopher Taylor, Scott Brown, Jacob Schray, Justin Robins and Luke Eggert from Hanover Engineering as sewage enforcement officers; reappointment of Shawn Leidy from Barry Isett UCC/BCO Plan Review Office as the code and zoning enforcement officer; reappointment of Phillip West and Christopher Butera to three-year terms on the Planning Commission; and reappointment of Molly Bender as a board member off the Zoning Hearing Board. During the special meeting, Attorney E. Lee Stinnett from Salzmann Hughes P.C. provided an
in-depth presentation on the borough’s municipal separate storm sewer system management dilemma. Stinnett was hired by the borough to help develop the MS4 program, a potential stormwater fee, the Municipal Stormwater Authority and any agreements needed in relation to stormwater management. The MS4 program regulates stormwater runoff at the municipal level to reduce pollution discharged into U.S. waterways and is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The permit requires municipalities to develop and implement a stormwater management plan based on six minimum control measures as mandatory elements. Based on the regulatory requirements, the borough has several large projects that it must complete by the end of 2027 or they run the risk receiving hefty fines. The dilemma the borough is faced with is finding funding for the MS4 projects due to limited grant opportunities. Additionally, the commonwealth does not permit municipalities to charge a utility or stormwater management fee to residents under the Borough Code and ongoing litigation has been moving slowly since 2018 to provide municipalities with direction on how to move forward with funding for MS4 projects. However, under the Municipal
Authority Act, certain municipalities may charge a utility fee for stormwater management if they are part of a stormwater authority. The act states that municipalities may “exercise all powers necessary or convenient for fixing, altering, charging and collecting rates and other charges in the area served by its facilities at reasonable and uniform rates to be determined exclusively by it for the purpose of providing for the payment of the expenses of the authority, the construction, improvement, repair, maintenance and operation of its facilities and properties. Moreover, under the Second Class Township Code that the borough falls under, the code asserts that “for the purposes of funding the construction, maintenance and operation of stormwater management facilities, systems and management plans authorized under this article, a township may assess reasonable and uniform fees based in whole or in part on the characteristics of the property benefited by the facilities, systems and management plans.” The code also states that the fees assessed shall not exceed the amount necessary to meet the minimum requirements of the Continued on page 5
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