Lower Allen Web Log

Monday night's BOC meeting featured plenty of meaty conversation about budgets, staffing, capital purchases and the like. I've touched on a couple of those issues already this week in previous posts.

Here's some other snippets:

• Elmer Blumenstein, a resident of Rana Villa South, visited the meeting to share his views on the condition of roads in his neighborhood, and to ask that Glenwood Avenue be made into a walkway after PennDOT is done with the Rt. 15/581 project. Glenwood is the street which ran parallel to Rt. 15, and is now being used by workers to travel beside the highway. Mr. Blumenstein suggested the Township could put down some gravel or wood chips.
• Thomas Blaine of Kent Road, a 45-year resident of the Township, offered some comments on the recent tax increase. Mr. Blaine compared LAT taxes to those he pays in other municipalities on properties he owns.
• Both variances requested in Zoning Hearing Board Docket #2009-03 were denied at the recent ZHB meeting. The variances involved a proposed home business on Candlewyck Road in Allendale. I asked about an alleged home business operating in The Cliffs, but staff said they had no knowledge.
• LAT will see its property and liability insurance increase by just 0.2% for the 2009 renewal. The policy's premium premium will increase just $392

As referenced in a Tuesday post, revenues in the first two months of 2009 are down compared to last year, but not more than expenses have been reduced.

• Revenues, 2008: $418,816
• Revenues, 2009: $242.647, -$176,169
• Expenses, 2008: $1,241,554
• Expenses, 2009: $820,998, -$420,556

As you can see, staff is doing a fantastic job of holding the line on expenses.

I asked about the possibility of emulating Mechanicsburg Borough's apartment inspection program. The idea is to charge landlords for the privilege of inspecting rental properties to make sure they are up to code. It is a program which ensures the health and safety of LAT residents while bringing in some much needed revenue.

Reports from a friend on the Mechanicsburg Borough board indicate their program is running well. They stretched the inspections out over several years to make them more manageable and limit the burden on borough landlords.