Borough Council Meeting Prep Session--Blog Format

Welcome back. As I sit here preparing for the meeting tonight, I thought I would let you in on that process to see what all goes on "behind the scenes". I have three matters to bring before the Council tonight. Under old business, I will be asking what progress is being made to the Borough's Municipal Website. It was discussed in previous meetings last year that the website hosting the 250th Celebration, which ended last August, would be donated and converted over to the Borough website, and plans were established to build content on this site. As of this time, this project is still not complete. I will be asking how I can personally assist in making this happen for The People of our community.  The second matter involves documents from the McSherrystown Moose pertaining to their funding pledge to our "K9 Trust Fund".

The 3rd matter is just an idea that I had to help stimulate the local economy in the immediate future. 

I held a Yard Sale event this past weekend, just for one day, to experience the process first-hand, but also to get rid of some clutter and create some personal revenue! During that process, I pondered a thought to increase local revenues as well. What I developed, I titled "McSherrystown SALES":

McSherrystown Stay of Application for Local Economy Stimulus (McSherrystown SALES) 

Every member of this Council is aware of the dire situation in which our economy is in, not only on a National level but here in our Borough as well. There are fewer jobs to be had, and those available are sometimes not providing enough to sustain a family’s budget. More and more, we see an increase in the participation of such programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other governmental programs designated to lend aid to those who cannot provide for themselves. These programs are designed to help our citizens while they put forth efforts to better their situations and hopefully, eventually, find work that will sustain their families. 

Unfortunately, many of these families do not find adequate employment, and are stuck in the vicious cycle of relying on the government to procure funds for their basic needs. In these instances, there is no way for them to find a path towards independent financial sustainability. It is the true function of government to create an environment in which the individual may utilize their entrepreneurial savvy to better their financial situation and increase their wealth, but not to provide that wealth directly. The Market, which is touted to be Free in this country, is the only viable arena in which an individual may hope to secure a profitable niche amongst his neighbors, and in doing so, obtain the necessary independence to accumulate personal revenues with which to provide for themselves and their families. 

 It is in the spirit of this function of economics that I propose this Council adopt and enact the McSherrystown Stay of Application for  Local Economy Stimulus Under this proposal, the residents of McSherrystown Borough will be exempt from the conditions for sales listed in Chapter 215, Article XVII, Section 113 of the McSherrystown Borough Code during the specified time frame, waiving the current application process and fee associated with the procurement of a Garage/Yard Sale Permit during the month of June. Furthermore, during said time period, there will be no restrictions on the number of days during which a citizen of the Borough may hold a sale at their residence. This proposal will not negate the established regulations associated with the hosting of such an event, and anyone holding a sale will still be expected to abide by those regulations of conduct as denoted in Chapter 215, Article XVII, Section 116 of the McSherrystown Borough Code, and as outlined in the Garage/Yard Sale Information publication; specifically Numbers 5, 7 and 8 of said document. In addition, any sale held during this time frame will be exempt from the 2 sale limit described in the above documents. 

 Not only will this proposal directly aid our citizens in procuring additional funds with which to use towards their pursuits of life, liberty and happiness, but it will furthermore attract those from outside our Borough, bringing in additional traffic and revenues to our local businesses. In turn, the increase in local sales will generate more revenue for the Borough in the form of local sales taxes generated from the increase in business activity. 

 A government FOR The People, which has the ability to create the environment in which our citizens may motivate themselves and better their standing through their own individual efforts, should consider nothing less than that for which this proposal stands. I implore this Council to adopt this proposal to stimulate our local economy and to promote the financial well-being of our citizens. 

David W.S. Bolton 

McSherrystown Borough Council member and Citizen 

Presented this 28th day of May, 2014

I hope that you will attend the meeting in support of my efforts to serve YOU, but if you cannot attend, please let your voice be heard concerning these matters, and let us know if you support these efforts by emailing us at mcstown@comcast.net or call 717-637-1838.  As always, you can contact me directly via the numerous communication channels available to us in this day and age (Phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, or just knock on my door if I'm home). Thank you once again for allowing me to serve you.  DB.

Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs Annual Conference--Initial Report

Thank you for tuning in to my current blog entry. I would like to submit for your perusal a brief listing of highlights from the PSAB Annual Conference. As this was a five day event for me, you can imagine that there are MANY words I could share on the many subjects covered. At this time, I will simply outline my involvements, and hope to expand on the subjects in later entries.

Saturday, April 5, 2014:  Arrive in State College around 12:15pm.

--Board of Director's Photo Shoot.
--Board of Director's Meeting - Annual Report.
--Board of Director's Dinner - Tara and I were invited to sit at the Officer's Table with PSAB President Kathy DePuy, 1st Vice-President Edward Child, 2nd Vice-President Jack Lawver and Linda Book, 2013 PSAB Service Award winner.

Sunday, April 6, 2014:

--Resolution and Policy Committee Meeting - PSAB Resolution 2014-2 (aka Municipal Radar Resolution, submitted by Adams County Boroughs Association's Legislative Committee). I presented copies of the resolution signed by 8 of 13 Adams County borough councils and one letter of support. Measure passed unanimously.
--Opening General Session - Met Dr. G. Terry Madonna from Franklin and Marshall College.

Monday, April 7, 2014:

--State Agency Briefing - Reports from executives from the Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PennDot, Department of General Services and CoStars. New funding opportunities available this coming budget year which may benefit our area.
--PSAB Business Meeting - Opening Business
--Association of Mayors of the Boroughs of PA meeting (by invitation) - "Eliminating Gun Violence from Illegal Weapons".
--Roundtable Discussion - State legislation and its effects on Boroughs, the benefits of education for staff and elected officials, the hurdles of police mergers, Fire Department budget shortfalls and solutions, use of internet and social media to keep The People informed.
--Mock Police Contract Arbitration - common impasse causes and mutually equitable solutions.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014:

--I was joined by Dave Wheeler, Littlestown Councilor and PSAB alternate delegate.
--Educational Sessions - Duties and Responsibilities of Council, Preparing for Borough Meetings, Effective meetings using Parliamentary Procedure.
--PSAB Legislative Meeting - Municipal Radar Resolution (PSAB 2014-2) is best served by HB1272, Senate bill being authored and sponsor identified and committed.
--H.A. Thomson seminars (Certified Boroughs Official's credit seminars)
     --PA Worker's Compensation Coverages for Volunteer Fire Companies.
     --Municipal Liability (Protecting your Municipality from Lawsuits).
--Awards Luncheon - surprise guest speaker Penn State Football Coach James Franklin
     --McSherrystown's Fred Walters awarded the 2014 PSAB President's Award for 40 years of service.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014:

--Closing Session
     --Sunshine Act: Adherence and Case Law presentation.
     --Votes on Resolutions by General Assembly - PSAB 2014-2 (Municipal Radar Resolution), Unanimous
     --Next meeting - October 17-19, 2014 in Gettysburg, PA.

I met a lot of very dedicated elected officials who come from many different walks of life, but share the common bond in a love of service to their fellow man. There is so much I learned from this experience, and I hope to share much more in detail in the near future. I want to thank The People of McSherrystown and the Borough Council for allowing me to represent them as the Voting Delegate in the General Assembly, as well as The People of Adams County and the Adams County Boroughs Association for allowing me to represent them as the Voting Delegate to the Conference. I will be sure to use the information presented at these functions to fulfill my duty of service to you all.  Please check back often, reread some of my previous entries, contact me with any questions or concerns, but most of all, please accept my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to represent you.

David "Scotty" Bolton

McSherrystown Borough Councilor and Citizen
councilmanbolton@gmail.com

100 Day Report

Technically, I've only been in office 83 days this year, but I thought I would get ahead on my 100 Days in Office report. I have not blogged since December, for reasons of promoting the peace. It seems that my last blog and subsequent local newspaper coverage of its topics was not received well by some, and as such, I decided to let some time pass in efforts to heal the wounds of some who feel they incurred injury from it. A single description of my perspective of a meeting, about which I gave "Kudos to Councilman-Elect Doug Duvall and citizen Rick Groft for standing before Council and asking the tough questions, even if they didn't get the clearest or truest answers.", was the purported reason. There were some who took offense to this, and even took it personal. I did apologize to those people personally if that was how they took my comment.

Since my last blog, the Gettysburg Times reported on what transpired at the following Council meeting. Their article, as published January 31, 2014:

Tempers flared at the McSherrystown Borough Council meeting Wednesday over a letter to the editor of the local newspapers written by one of the councilmen. Several councilmen expressed concern that David Bolton, councilman, was calling them liars in his Dec. 13, 2013 letter to the editor. Bolton, in his letter, suggested council had not given the "truest answers" to questions regarding the cost of a roof replacement on the municipal building and not agreeing to his suggestions for increasing income to repair the sewer lines in the borough. Bolton voted against the tax and sewer rate increases as well as the 2014 budget.

"I take exception to what he put in there. I'm not untrustworthy. I've been here 26 years and nobody has ever played politics in a letter to the editor. If you have a problem, air it out here," said Stephen Weaver, councilman.

Anthony Weaver said he has been involved with borough affairs for many years, initially as a police officer and later as a councilman and now as mayor, and at no time during his tenure has anyone ever resorted to mudslinging in the newspaper. "I've been through so many battles here councilmen yelling at each other, but I can honestly say no matter what side I was on, whether I was on the borough side or the police side at the time, it was never taken out of here, and it was never for self-promotion. The people in here can be trusted," Mayor Weaver said. Mayor Weaver said many council members have disagreed over the years, but "we kept it civil and we kept it in here."

James Forbes, a longtime councilman, said he was in agreement with the others. "We've had battles in here but when we went out that door we remained friends. We did business and this is a business and we try to run it like a business. And I don't appreciate your remarks and I agree with Steve, if you have something to say to us, say it. It's always been that way," Forbes said.

Bolton said the only thing he did was express his opinion of what transpired in the council meeting the end of last year. Several councilmen started speaking at once with no one specifically having the floor, so Bolton shouted, "Let me finish my thought." When quiet prevailed Bolton continued, saying any politician in this country does the same thing "They reach out to their constituents and tell them what they think, why they think that way and the direction they think it should go," Bolton said.

Mayor Weaver said that was all well and good, but Bolton had crossed a line. "I think that's all fine. We disagreed a few times, but the thing about it is, putting it in your blog is one thing, putting it in the paper is another thing. You say not the truest answers were given. That's a slap in the face to some of the people who sit here," the mayor said.

"Somebody here you called a liar," Stephen Weaver said.

Bolton said as an example of what he was talking about was the roof repair estimate, saying one amount was given at one meeting and later another, higher amount was cited but no new contractor's estimate was presented to show the increase. At the Wednesday meeting, and at a December meeting, it was discussed that the estimate was several years old and the cost would have gone up. Scott Cook, borough supervisor, also noted that the prevailing wage was another determining factor as well as cost of materials, particularly rubber roofing which is tied to petroleum costs. Bolton said he objected to the amount of money transferred when an exact cost was not known. Cook reminded that the money was put into the miscellaneous fund so it would be available, and that it might not even be enough with current costs.

"That was my objection, because we moved money from one account to another, to cover that cost, and we didn't know what that cost was going to be. That was my objection," Bolton said.

(http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_fea62b05-c7e6-50d2-a103-7c839b24451d.html?_dc=518660677364.09607)

I will make this statement on the matter: I used the words "clearest or truest answers", and I stand by my words, without calling anyone a liar or untrustworthy. The costs of the repairs were not concrete, and several numbers were thrown around, from a quote of $27K to an increase for inflation/costs from $30-40K to $50-70K in another meeting.

It was not "clear" to me how much it was going to cost, and I do not believe that we had a "true" idea of how much we should budget for the project. It was not the members of Council that I was calling into question; it was the costs. None of us at that table had the answer to that. I objected because I felt that we should have those answers prior to moving any funds around to cover the costs that were undefined at that time. I would expect any responsible steward of the public trust to do the same. As you have entrusted me with the ability to do so, I have taken pride in fulfilling my duties to you, The People.

Thank you for allowing me four more years to continue that work. So now, I will move forward and explain some of what I have been doing so far this year...

At the January 20th meeting of the Adams County Boroughs Association, I was asked to author a Resolution through the Legislative Committee in favor of the use of Radar by Municipal Police. This Resolution would be distributed to the municipalities in Adams County for individual adoption, and copies would be presented to our representatives in State Congress. This Resolution was also submitted to the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs' Resolution and Policy Committee. It will be voted upon at the Annual Conference April 5-9, and if adopted, the PSAB will actively lobby Congressional leaders to support a change to the Motor Vehicle Code allowing for Municipal Radar.

As of today, I have received copies of the signed Resolution from 6 municipalities, as well as one letter of support for municipal radar use. I have also received notice that the PSAB R&P Steering Committee have accepted the resolution and are recommending adoption at the conference.

As I am the McSherrystown and Adams County voting delegate to the PSAB, as well as serving on the R&P Committee and the PSAB Board of Directors, I will personally be attending the conference and will make sure the voices of Adams County are heard in this and other matters. I will be joined at the conference by locals Dave Wheeler, Councilor from Littlestown, Perry Shearer, former mayor of Abbottstown, Debbie Shearer, former President of the Abbottstown Council and my predecessor in the PSAB, and Fred Walters, long-time McSherrystown Councilor and recipient of one of PSAB's Lifetime Service Awards.

I will also be meeting with Christopher Capp, Executive VP of the PSAB prior to the conference to discuss any questions I may have concerning the future of the organization. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve The People of McSherrystown, Adams County and Pennsylvania in such capacities. I will take the next two weeks to review and acquaint myself with Financials, research other proposed Resolutions and decide what seminars to attend at the Conference. After 5 days in State College, I will return the evening of the 9th for our Borough Council meeting, so I am sure to have a lot of information along with me at that meeting.

Hope to see more people in attendance at the Council Chambers!

Respectfully Submitted,

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Councilmember and Citizen
VP and Legislative Committee Chair, Adams County Boroughs Association
PA State Association of Boroughs Board of Directors, Resolutions and Policy Committee
Adams County Transportation Planning Organization-representative
Hanover Regional Economic Development Committee-representative

An Open Letter Addressing the 2014 McSherrystown Borough Budget, Tax and Sewer Rate Increases

"Steamroller Policy" enacted by "The Few"

The votes concerning the Tax and Sewer Rate Increases, and the passing of the 2014 Budget which contained revenues from both, were not unanimous, with Council member David Bolton opposing the tax increase, opposing the sewer rate increases as presented, and also opposing the overall budget, as it included funds from both of the previously mentioned items. 

It is also noteworthy that the replacement costs of the municipal building roof went from $30K (when first discussed at the previous meeting), to $50K-$70K as presented at this meeting, without a single educated quote from any contractors as to the estimated amount it will cost the Borough to have the work done. 

It is also noteworthy that the items in the 5 Year Comp Plan, which were used as the reason for the tax increase, were already accounted for in the first draft of the budget, prior to the revenues from a tax increase being placed into said budget, as the Plan was already presented prior to the formation of the budget.

In addition, if the sewer upgrades are of dire importance (which they are), why did the Finance Chair recommend (and ultimately got approval for) the transfer of $58K from the Sewer Reserves to a "Misc Reserve" fund, replacing it with approximately $27K in NEW revenues from the proposed (and now passed) sewer rate increases?  (It will be noted that the Finance Chair was not present at the meeting to answer questions concerning or to pass the budget he proposed).

Also, why did the Council jettison the plan proposed by the Sewer Committee Chair for raising the funds for the sewer repairs, which would have adjusted the sewer rates to reflect the 2007 Hanover Borough rates (remaining less than Hanover's current rates), while not raising rates on lower-usage, fixed-income residents, and would have returned those rates back to current levels after 2-3 years of reserves to identify and repair the I&I issue?  This would have negated the need to raise the millage tax and would have placed the burden of expense on those who use the system the most, and would again safeguard those responsible citizens in the Borough who are already strained financially with fixed budgets of their own.

The "unfunded mandate" concerning the gas tanks was a new piece of the puzzle only first presented at this meeting, and were not a consideration when the discussion of budgetary matters occurred over the past few meetings, and there has been no documentation shown that says the State is mandating these upgrades at this time.

When Councilmember Bolton raised these questions and opposed the advertising of these new increases, a remark was made after the vote in General Session, "He's allowed to do that; that's his right".  Knowing that the measures would still pass with only one dissenting vote, this comment demonstrated an air of smug arrogance towards any opinion differing from the "Establishment" leaders on Council.

At least we had one Council member in there questioning and opposing this "Steamroller Policy". Kudos to Councilman-Elect Doug Duvall and citizen Rick Groft for standing before Council and asking the tough questions, even if they didn't get the clearest or truest answers.  

One thing is certain; "The way we've always done it" will continue only as long as we have members of the Council that have "Always been there" to do it "The way it's always been done".  With a new member joining the Council next month, perhaps we have finally started to see a changing of the guard.  Hopefully, we will see an increase in the involvement of the public at these Council meetings.  Perhaps the heavy-handed governing of "The Few" will finally give way to a local government "For The People, By The People". 

David "Scotty" Bolton 

McSherrystown Borough Councilmember and Citizen

VP and Legislative Committee Chair, Adams County Boroughs Association

PA State Association of Boroughs Board of Directors-member

Adams County Transportation Planning Organization-member

Hanover Regional Economic Development Committee-member

Contact me with your concerns at:

councilmanbolton@gmail.com

717-634-8726

Higher Sewer Rates and Tax Increases...Here They Come!!!

**SPECIAL NOTICE: Due to a procedural error at our last meeting, the vote to advertise the budget was never formalized, because it was never officially stated that the motion carried...so there will be a "Special Meeting" on Wednesday, November 20th at 7pm to vote on advertising the budget. We will be conducting the remainder of business that night and the meeting scheduled for Nov. 27th will then be cancelled. Please make this change on your calendars!  DB 11/15/13

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog. I want to start today by thanking the good people of McSherrystown in their support of my re-election. I was at the polls all day, and had the chance to meet with many of you and discuss the various situations facing our community. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't mention how much we could use a leash law in our Borough, or how glad they are that someone is representing the "little guys" and defending their rights. It is true; I have faced some staunch opposition in my first two years on Council; from the proposed dog leash law, to my opposition of government infringement on your right to use the furniture you want on your private property, and my stance to bring voter referendum to our polls. Although I may have "lost" on each of these and other topics, I am filled with a sense of accomplishment in knowing that I have made the voice of The People heard, even if we were defeated by the long-standing figureheads with whom I serve. I will continue to serve YOU as the Vice-President of the Adams County Boroughs Association, the Legislative Committee Chair for Adams County to the PA State Association of Boroughs, on the Hanover Regional Economic Development Committee, and other assignments to come.

Today, however, I put any celebration aside, and am now ready to focus on the next four years of service to you.  It appears that the very figureheads I referenced above have specific plans for how our community government will be run during that time, and are opposed to implementing any suggestions that are not in-line with what "they" want for McSherrystown. I speak of the Municipal Budget for 2014.

I will be brief in my explanations of such, and as always, I am available to elaborate on anything that is not clear, for which I will back up my views with numbers and statistics, not opinion and personal fancy.

The first draft of the Municipal Budget allowed for a $28K deficit, of which I had addressed on Facebook previously (www.facebook.com/CouncilmanDavidBolton). In efforts to be a responsible steward of the community, I engaged on a week-long trek to find and eliminate any overspending to bring the budget to balance, as I had made it very clear that I would not vote in favor of any budget that is not so.  I am happy to report that the subsequent draft of the budget eliminates the "red", and I would like to thank Borough Manager Scott Cook and Secretary Luanne Boring for contacting the County Assessors, and for their investigation into the matter, which resulted in the discovery of additional revenues which were not accounted for in the first draft. These new numbers created a balanced budget, and as such, I will be supporting its adoption.

However, the reason for my blog today is not to gush over how good we, as administrators of the public trust, are doing a great job for The People, but to inform you of the instances of yesterday's Council meeting, and the subsequent recess to discuss the budget, followed by a re-convening of the stated meeting, in absence of the public or press, where the Council made motions to advertise not only the Budget, but also a change to the Tax Ordinance (with an increase of 1/2 mill for 2014) AND an increase in sewer rates within the same calendar year.

I will say this to begin: I do not want to increase any fiscal burdens on The People of McSherrystown unnecessarily, but I do recognize that our antiquated sewer system, which is well over 80 years old, is in dire need of repairs. These repairs are necessary if we are to provide adequate infrastructure to our community. The Council has been very frugal in their upkeep of this system, and with increased I&I each year (146% increase in 2011) contributing to the costs incurred by our residents beyond their actual water usage, it is imperative that we identify and mend the parts of our sewer system that create these increased costs, which will only become more of a burden the longer we ignore it. As such, I investigated the systems in place in our neighboring municipalities to fund such projects and devised a plan to generate the funds necessary for our system's improvements.

Currently, we have a two-tier system. A base rate of $35.60 for up to 4k gallons of usage per quarter, and then a $4.20 charge per 1k gallons thereafter. It was very important to me that we do not increase this base amount, as we have a large percentage of homes with fixed incomes and which do not generate a surplus of usage. We also have some very conservative homes that are conscientious of their usage. Therefore, I proposed two base rates: the first, being our current base rate, as a discounted base rate, so that these folks did not see an increase in their quarterly bills. The second tier base, which models that of Hanover Borough, would be set at 7k gallons for a flat rate of $54.00. Thereafter, the "per 1k gallon" cost would be set from $4.20 to $5.80 (which is $.95 less than Hanover Borough and in line with their 2007 rates, prior to their last increase). This rate would apply to usage up to 25k gallons, while the last tier would discount the "per 1k" rate to $5.70 (again, nearly a dollar less than Hanover Borough, from where our water comes and to where our waste goes). It is important to keep these rates competitive in order to attract new homeowners and businesses into our Borough, which will expand the tax base and lessen the tax burden on the individual (which is why I am so active in the Regional Economic Development Committee). These increased user rates would then fund our sewer repairs. The burden of the cost of the repairs would be on the shoulders of those who use the system the most, and would safe-guard our elderly and our conserving citizens. This plan would generate an estimated $80k to be used for this purpose, as the funds would be ear-marked to the Sewer Reserves account for the work to be done, which would include continuation of the camera work to identify sources of I&I, engineering fees to develop the plan of attack for the repairs, and of course the manpower and project costs to fix the system.

It was argued by a non-Council member in the meeting that he is "tired of hearing about a user-based fee. Yes, there are people with fixed incomes in town, but they should have to pay for the system also, regardless of how much they use. Are we going to strap the costs on a family with two or three kids that are already struggling just because they use more water?". My rebuttal was, "I AM one of those people you mention, and I would rather pay for it than to have someone on a fixed income give out more of their money, especially when they are keeping their usage to a minimum, which does not contribute to the wear and tear of the system as much as those who use more water."  Obviously, I lost the argument that we were undercutting our sewer rates and that we should follow my plan to generate revenues for the repairs, because the Council decided to increase the base rates from $35.60 to $42.40 on EVERYONE, while not increasing the "per 1k gallon" rate of $4.20 a single cent. This plan creates less than $9k in additional revenues and burdens those who have the least in our community. (In comparison, Conewago Township charges $.67 more per 1k gallon over 8k, and Hanover Borough charges $6.75 per 1k gallon over 7k gallons). So, how were we going to generate the remainder of the funds needed for the repairs?

It was suggested by the Finance Chairperson that, in addition to these sewer base-rate increases (which he proposed), we should raise our taxes in the Borough by .5 mills to generate the remaining funds, but not only for the sewer repairs, but to put more revenue into the General Fund for "other future endeavors". My argument was that if we were raising funds for the sewer repairs, then the sewer rates should generate those funds. However, those funds would be placed in sewer reserves and would not be accessible to the Finance Committee to fund the other "endeavors" without a full, public vote from the Council. Those "endeavors" were not specifically named at this time.

I was NOT the only current Council member to oppose this increase. If we do not have a current deficit, and we have an adequate amount of reserves currently, why do we need to raise taxes on EVERY property owner under the guise of sewer system repairs?  The funds to be raised by his proposal would generate roughly $70k-75k in new taxes that would NOT be specifically earmarked for anything in particular, although I was "re-assured" that monies would be placed into the sewer reserves for the repairs.

My apprehension to this idea is this: If these funds are not being raised and reserved for a specific purpose, with no restriction on what they can be used for, how can we be reassured that these funds will not be kept from their intended purpose of sewer system repairs?  An even larger question than that: What happens when we do need to raise taxes for a specific purpose in the future?

I believe that my proposal, whether you agree and want to call it a "user-fee" or not, is the most reliable and sensible plan to generate the funds needed for our sewer repairs. Once the repairs are completed, we can easily reduce the rates back down to a "maintenance" level, if you will.  However, what municipality has EVER reduced their tax rates, especially when they raised them under the guise of a repair project?

Our next meeting is Wednesday, November 27, the day before Thanksgiving. This will be the day that our leaders will vote on whether to raise your taxes and whether to burden our elderly and other responsible water users with increased base rates. If you have never been to a Council meeting, this is one that should start a trend for you. YOU have a say; YOU can stand before Council and tell them what you think.  I am out here voicing your concerns and defending those in the community that cannot defend themselves. I asked for your support in my re-election, and you gave generously. I now ask for your support in upholding my promise to represent each one of you in finding the best ways to make our community better for the future. The power of government lies in the hands of the governed. Let's join those hands.  PLEASE join me at that and all other meetings and make your voices heard!

Thank you.

For Liberty,

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Council and Citizen
717-634-8726
councilmanbolton@gmail.com

Hanover Regional Economic Development Plan update (video)

Thanks for visiting my blog. As you know, I will be up for re-election to the McSherrystown Borough Council on Tuesday, November 5th, at the Knights of Columbus (rear entrance) polling station. I hope that I have served our community on Council and also as Vice-President of the Adams County Boroughs Association well enough to warrant your support for another four years. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, and I ask that you spread the word about my re-election efforts with your friends on social media. Have a Super Day, and again, thank you for allowing me to serve The People.



David W.S. Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Councilman and Citizen
717-634-8726
councilmanbolton@gmail.com

Legislation, Information and Appropriation

Thank you for tuning in to my blog. I appreciate your interest and thank you for allowing me to continue to represent you.

I have several topics to discuss in this issue. I would like to begin with the meeting I attended last Thursday with the Hanover Borough Water and Sewer Committee, where I was afforded the opportunity to gain some specific answers on the questions I had previously posed concerning the Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement, followed by a recap of my concerns with the Nuisance Ordinance Amendment as it pertains to furniture, then touching on some of the specifics within the 2013 Borough Budget, a few notes on the Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee, and lastly looking forward to the Adams County Borough Association meeting to be held this evening.

Hanover Regional Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement

I would first like to thank Barb Krebs and Ed Reed for the invitation to attend their committee meeting last week. They were not only cordial and accommodating, but very thorough in their explanations concerning the Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement.

Specifically, I had posed the question asking why the audit procedure lumps the municipalities into one audit instead of separately as the original document dictates. The current audit DOES list each municipality separately, however, only one audit is completed in order to reduce the costs of having four individual documents produced. This makes complete sense, and still allows for the proper financial distributions to be displayed for public record.

I had also questioned why, after 25 years, do we need to document these abberations to the original agreement in writing, as opposed to amending the original document. It was explained that some 25 years ago, the relationships between the municipalities were such that an agreement on a handshake was as good as a legal document today. However, in today's legal environment, a handshake agreement does not pull weight with auditors who must abide by the rules to which they are bound. As such, the agreement, which has been in effect since that time, had to be formalized. When I questioned why the original document was not re-written, it was explained that in order to do so would constitute a new document in the eyes of the DEP and other regulatory establishments, and would be subject to the entire process of review and approval. This process would cost the municipalities much time and money, and would also subject the agreement to newer and possibly more restrictive guidelines, as some of the policies and allowances of these regulatory establishments have changed over the years. This also makes sense to me.

My other major concern was in regards to the Conveyance System Charge. It is currently being distributed on a percentage of the original Capital Contribution each municipality gave towards the construction of the system. I wondered why, since we meter the amounts coming from each municipality, do we not charge for this as stated in the agreement the same way we charge for the metered usage. It was explained that this Conveyance Charge is such a small amount compared to the total that it is more intensive to calculate the exact number, which would not actually change enough to warrant the labor it would take to keep track of it. Ideally, we are really talking a matter of several dollars; not hundreds or thousands of dollars. In efforts to streamline the process and reduce costs for its administration, it was decided to fix that amount each year. Once I was given the opportunity to see exactly how that works, this also makes sense.

Had I been afforded these answers PRIOR to voting on the Agreement, I would have been in favor of its signing. However, I will NEVER agree to vote on any legislation without fully understanding its impact on the constituents of this town. I would like to again thank the staff and municipal leaders of the Hanover Borough for affording me the opportunity to gain clarity concerning these matters, and look forward to working with them on the many joint projects we have together in the future.

Nuisance Ordinance Amendment

As this legislation did pass at the last meeting, with myself as the only dissenter, I will not spend a lot of time here in defense of my stance; many of you have read my comments previously concerning this topic. I would like to state that, in the Gettysburg Times, Dick Watson wrote that I was not in favor of it because of the wording. This is somewhat true.

I would have been in favor of passing this Ordinance had it not specfied which type of furniture would be banned, but if it would have stated more about the CONDITION of the furniture being used. Some on Council, after hearing my remarks against the legislation, said that we needed to be able to take action against those who did not keep their furniture in good condition, so as to avoid bugs, pests and disease. My comments were that the current Ordinances already address these concerns and give the Borough power to act when the need arises.

It is my belief still that the wording of this Ordinance is inappropriate and violates the rights of our citizens according to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If the furniture you use outside your home creates no threats to the life, liberty or pursuit of happiness of your neighbors, then it is of no concern to anyone what type of furniture you use on your own property. This Ordinance should have identified furniture that posed such threats, and not specific types of furniture.

2013 Borough Budget

I am happy to report that we have reviewed a Borough Budget which will be balanced and will not dictate any sort of tax increase for this next year.  It has been proposed that there will be funds to establish a Borough website, which should come to fruition by mid-next year. I would like to thank the other members of Council for seeing the Borough website as a useful tool to keep the people of McSherrystown informed, and to help promote our town to outside businesses who may want to come establish locations here, as well as attract homeowners and families to live here.

I will have more on the budget specfics once it is voted on and approved later this year.

Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee (HARED)

I was also in attendance this past week with members from Conewago Township, Hanover Borough, Penn Township, York County Planning Commission, Adams County Planning Commission, York County Economic Alliance, Adams County Economic Development Corp., and the York/Adams Regional Smart Growth Coalition as we collaborated on the establishment of a Regional Economic Development Plan for these four municipalities. It is the first time in Pennsylvania state history that such a plan is being developed across county lines.

We reveiwed the process needed to put this Plan together, and the associated costs to each municipality. This Plan would help our area identify our facilities, infrastructure and resources which would attract businesses to establish here, creating jobs and expanding the tax base in our immediate area. It would also give us direction as to how to reach out to specific industries in efforts to bring them to our municipalities.

The costs associated with this endeavor would total $16,625. This cost would be distributed among the municipalites, with Hanover and Penn Township giving $4,421.25 each, and Conewago Township and McSherrystown giving $3,891.25 each.  As members of the York County Economic Alliance, Hanover and Penn Township's contributions would be covered by that body.

To these ends, Shanna Terroso of the York/Adams Regional Smart Growth Coalition applied to the National Association of Realtors for a grant to cover the costs for McSherrystown and Conewago Township. If granted, this would mean that there would be no municipal contribution towards this project for the coming year. Shanna is hopeful that the grant will be approved by the end of November, and plans will be made to establish a Steering Committee by February, 2013 to start the Visioning Process and to study the Market Demand and Land Assessment in this region.

I am very excited about the opportunities this presents for local business leaders and residents alike to take an active role on this Committee. I will be actively communicating with the people of McSherrystown to see who is interested in joining me on the Steering Committee this coming Spring.

Adams County Borough Association

This governmental group is made up of representives from all the Borough Councils and Mayors in the county, as well as the local State Representatives Moul and Tallman, Senator Alloway, the Adams County Commissioners, Adams County township representatives and other important County officials. Reports are heard from the AC Radio Communication Group, AC Economic and Community Partnership, AC Transportation Planning Organization, AC Council of Governements, AC Tax Collection Committee and the Penn State Cooperative Extension.

By bringing together the elected leaders from the county municipalities, we gain greater insight as to the pertinent issues facing us individually and collectively. We are able to identify our strengths and opportunities for improvement, and to gain clarity on the impact of the legislation passed down to us by the state government. We are afforded the invaluable occasion to discuss these matters with our County Commissioners and our Congressional leaders, so that they can best represent the voices of our constituents.

At tonight's meeting, I will be accepting the nomination to become the Vice-President of this organization. In doing so, I hope to continue to serve not only the people of McSherrystown, but the people of Adams County as a whole, in efforts to promote the common good and to establish the means of creating an environment in which ideas will thrive, and where the actions that we initiate bring properity to the people, so that they may continue on their personal pursuits of happiness.

I am thankful for this opportunity, and I look forward to the great and wonderful things we can accomplish together for the good of our county.

For Liberty,

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Councilman and citizen

Inter-municipal Agreement Auditing and Budgeting Procedure

I'm glad to have you back at my blog. Let me first apologize for not posting sooner after last week's meeting. With the National Elections fast approaching and an increase in personal life activity, it has been a chore to get everything done recently. I do have a very important matter to inform you about, and I hope that you will take some time to consider these points herein, and to garner attention to the facts at hand.

At the October 24th meeting, Council received communications from the Hanover Borough pertaining to the Hanover Area Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility's budgeting, payment and auditing methods. The communication outlines how, for the past 25 years, the Borough has figured these numbers. It also states that some of these calculations and methods are NOT in exact conformance with the Inter-municipal Agreement which all municipalities involved signed on November 15, 1982.

Specifically, the document tells us there are three areas which the auditors informed the Borough of Hanover were not being followed, and they were instructed to inform the municipalities. Those areas are:

1) The Regional Plant funds are being audited as part of the Borough of Hanover Audit and not separately, as required in Article VII, Section 7.04, Audited Statements which requires an audit by March 31st of each year.

2) The cash balance is being applied as a credit against the treatment charge in four equal installments in accordance with each municipality's flow share rather than being applied after March 31st on account of the next succeeding quarterly installments of the estimated Treatment Charge, in chronological order there-of as stated in Article VII, Section 7.05, Payment of Final Charge; Credit for Over-payments.

3) The conveyance system charge is being distributed amongst the municipalities based on their respective capital constributions to construct the conveyance system and pump station rather than being distributed based on the actual flow contribution from each municipality into the respective sections of the interceptor system and the pump station as stipulated in Article VI, Seciton 6.01, Treatment Charge.

As this was a notification from the auditors to the proper procedures to be utilized, which were not in standing with the original agreement, and as it has somehow taken 25 years to identify this anomoly, I had a few questions of my own. Listed under the same numbers as above, the questions I posed were as such:

1) Is each municipality to audit their share each year or is Hanover responsible to do so? I was told that Hanover is to do the audit, but that each municipality is to be audited separately. To date, Hanover has lumped this audit all into one report. I also asked why have these audits not been done according to the agreement and why has it taken 25 years to identify this aberration? As no representatives from Hanover Borough were present, and no one on our staff or Council had the answer, Scott Cook, McSherrystown Borough Manager, said he would talk with Ed Reed, Asst Borough Manager for Hanover, to find out.

2) I was in favor of the method currently employed in the second bullet point. This seems to be a more efficient and accurate method for this procedure. However, I DO NOT like the fact that "This process was agreed to verbally some twenty years ago when it was discussed by the members of the committee who authored the inter-municipal agreement" (text directly from the document). I made the statement that verbal agreements are not a good way for government to do business and this should be amended in the original agreement as an addendum, or the original be re-written and re-signed. I believe we leave too much open to speculation and manipulation when we enter into verbal agreements in government, especially when those agreements were over two decades ago by people who are no longer part of the process.

3) How does the current method used to calculate the conveyance system charge compare to the charges of actual use to our citizens? If it is being calculated on respective capital contributions to construct the system, which is based on a one-time percentage, it cannot fluctuate for the growth of other municipalities and increased flow from them, which would reduce the percentage of use by the smaller, slower growing municipalities. If the original agreement calls for calculations based on actual flow contribution, then we should respect the agreement, as I believe that is a fair and equitable means of charging for the system usage. I was told that the Hanover Borough DOES actually meter the flow, but according to this document, they do not use it to determine the charges as stated in the agreement. One person stated that we are only talking about a few hundred dollars here, but when it comes to taxpayer money, every dollar counts to me. I was told that I would get more information on this before next discussion.

With all of these questions unanswered,  and the fact that I had reached out to several Council members and staff of the Hanover Borough in order to attend their meeting to discuss these questions (I was never given any information on meeting place/times and my questions have since gone unanswered), I moved that a vote on accepting these erroneous procedures be tabled until such time that we can get those answers.

The Council has also been presented with a budget for the 2013 operating year. We will be voting on this budget at our next meeting, November 14th. Anyone with any questions or input may always contact me at councilmanbolton@gmail.com, or can grab me while I'm out for a run.

I hope to see everyone at the polls on Tuesday. It is less important to me for whom you vote as it is that you exercise your right to pick our leaders. A choice not made is a choice in itself, but I truly believe that we get it right more often when more of those who have a say stand up and voice their opinions. That is the only way our leaders can truly represent their people. Thanks for reading, and check back often for updates.

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Council member and citizen

2012 Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Program

Welcome back!

At tonight's Borough Council meeting, I seconded a motion to accept the bid from Utility Services Group (USG) to perform our Sanitary Sewer Maintenance for the amount of $9,906.65. This motion was passed by unanimous consent.  This amount is well under the budgeted amount of $25,000 the Council had previously approved for this project.

We received five bids for the program, ranging from the accepted bid to $26,758.75.  The winning bid comes from a company in Camp Hill which has done this type of work for other local municipalities. The bid includes Linear Cleaning of 12,605 feet of municipal lines, the cleaning of 47 manholes and visual inspection via camera telescoping of the 8" diameter pipes (12,605').  This maintenance is necessary to keep accumulations from building up inside the piping. USG was one of the only companies to actually come to our Borough and inspect the work they were bidding on, in order to have all the information necessary to give the most accurate, and in the end, best bid.

The alternate bid was also awarded to USG for the amount of $2,515.60. This bid includes the same services, but for 3,220 linear feet of pipe and 11 manhole covers.  The alternate bids ranged from the accepted bid and $6,735.00.

The disparitiy between the bids had to do mostly with the company's proximity to our area. The other bids from companies outside the area included travel and lodging costs for the workers, which inflated their amounts.

In other business, the Council will be putting together the 2013 Budget for the next meeting to be held on October 24th. Borough Manager Scott Cook will be meeting with Council members over the next two weeks to gain input on the budget so that it can be presented by the next meeting.  Also, Borough Solicitor Campbell informed the Council that the ordinance proposed previously concerning couches on porches could be incorporated into current ordinances for rubbish and debris accumulation on properties. Council approved advertising the amendment to the current ordinance for a future vote.

I am happy that the Council was able to save the Borough over $15,000 in budgeted expenses on the Sanitary Sewer Maintenance program. These savings can be put to use to provide other much-needed services for our citizens, such as the Internet Communications Platform Resolution which I have been trying to pass through the Council the past few months, participation in the Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee, new membership in the Adams County Council of Governments (McSherrystown is one of only three municipalities in the county who is not a member), as well as other worthwhile endevors.

I invite anyone who has comments, questions or concerns to contact me via email at councilmanbolton@gmail.com.  Thanks for reading my post, and thank you for allowing me to serve the community.

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Council member and citizen

Introduction

Good day to all who happen upon my blog. I have created this site so that I can effectively communicate my thoughts about the political environment effecting the citizens of McSherrystown. This site is not supported or maintained by the Borough of McSherrystown, and is solely a means of my individual communication with the people I represent.  As you may already know, I was elected by a write-in campaign, in which I went door-to-door to meet many of my constiuents, get their thoughts and views on what was important to them, and let them know a little about myself and the ideas that I have to move us forward. I have been on the Borough Council now for nine full months, and I wish that I could say that everything is going great. Sure, I like talking with the other council members; they have lived here a long time and have many wonderful stories and experiences to share. I feel it is important to use that nostalgia as a motivation to make sure the quaint little town they remember in their stories is here, vibrant and robust, for the coming generations.

Let me begin by telling you what I have been doing in the past nine months to serve the good people here in town. Back in February, I attended the Newly Elected Municipal Official's Training course in Gettysburg, which was presented by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, and the course was taught by Judy Chambers, who is an active member with the Penn State Extension here in Adams County. You may also know her from the Adams County Connected (Broadband Task Force). She instructed me on the ins and outs of municipal law, the powers and duties of its officers, and many more topics which have proved useful in my current position as Councilman. She asked me to join the ranks of those who started the Broadband Initiative, which was later embraced by the County Commissioners' Office and made into an official County Task Force. Why is all this important to people in McSherrystown? I will explain a little further along....

I was also introduced to the Adams County Borough Association, where representatives from all the county municipalities meet and discuss legislation vitally important to our people. Very often, we are joined by State Representatives and Senators, giving us the opportunity to represent the voices of our voters to those very important officers. Senator Alloway, Reps Tallman and Moul are usually in attendance or represented there, as well as County Commissioners Phiel and Martin. I have made some very good friends and collegues through my involvement with this group, and have attended many of their local community functions as a result. By bringing together a collection of people who are dedicated to the advancement of our local and county welfare, we are able to share ideas and find solutions to many of the issues facing our constiuency.

I have also recently become involved with the Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee. Being the first intra-county EDC in state history, it is an honor to represent McSherrystown and their interests. The HARED Committee is pooling the resources of Penn and Conewago Townships, and Hanover and McSherrystown Boroughs, to attract businesses to our area in efforts to create job opportunities for our citizens.

I have also been pounding the table to get a municipal website established for the Borough. Being in the Information Age, I feel it is vitally important that the people of our town have access to the budgets, meeting minutes, emergency information, and so much more, simply by logging on to their computers. The best way for me to represent the people who elected me is to be able to inform them of the situations facing us, and be able to communicate with them to find the best solutions. I am only one man, and by no means do I think that I have all the answers...the answers come from the conversations had by the whole of the town. A municipal website will promote that communication.

Now, let me piece it all together if I may. Our website, which gives information, is only as good as the connection to the internet the people use to access it. This is one reason why the Adams County Connected project is important to me. Also, if we are to hope to attract businesses to our area, we must have adequate infrastructure for them to do their business. That is another reason why the Broadband Initiative was started. So, the HARED Committee will identify and attract businesses to our area. Those businesses will check our municipal websites to see if our communities are conducive to their needs (infrastructure, community involvement, etc.).  With a more informed public, we are able to identify and communicate the skills that they possess in order to attract the right businesses to our area. This in turn will create more jobs, expanding the tax base, and thus reducing the individual tax burden on citizens and businesses.  So you see, my involvement in all of these functions is with the goal of putting more money in the pockets of our people, and reducing the individual taxes paid by them.

There is another piece to this puzzle...concerning infrastructure. That is the Small Games of Chance Bill that was signed into law by the Governor and will take effect in February. The Southeastern Adams Volunteer Emergency Services (SAVES) will lose a lot of their operating budget if this Law is not repealed. Having attended their meetings, it is evident that SAVES $1.3M a year budget will be drastically effected if they are unable to raise the $616K that they currently get at fundraisers from small games of chance. In addition, the local clubs, being effected by the same legislation, will not be able to provide the almost $50K in donations they generate from small games of chance. Taking away half of SAVES' budget will essentially put them out of business. Without this valuable piece of community infrastructure, how are we to attract the businesses we need to employ our people and get our local economy back where it should be?

These are the matters of importance that I have been trying to communicate with the people of McSherrystown. This is why I feel it is important for us to have a municipal website, and important for our citizens to have a means of communicating their thoughts and opinions with our elected officials. I hope that you will speak out in support of these efforts, and I hope that you will stand beside me as we take McSherrystown into a better and brighter future.

For Liberty,

David "Scotty" Bolton