Plumsted raises speed limit of Tower Road

The speed limit for Tower Road will be established at 35 miles per hour if a new ordinance introduced at Monday night's Plumsted Township Committee meeting is approved.

Deputy Mayor Joseph Przywara explained that the speed of the length of Tower Road which was vaguely established at 25 miles per hour would be raised to 35 miles per hour.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held on February 14.

A new ordinance also introduced on Monday clarified the wording of transformers, generators and kilowatt power regarding electrical inspections

Electrical inspection fees in the township from one to five motors greater than one horsepower is $35 each. The new ordinance would not raise the fees but clarified the text of the ordinance according to Township Business Administrator Richard Kachmar.

A public hearing on that ordinance will be held on February 14.

Another public hearing will be held for the township's Community Development Block Grant applications for handicapped bathrooms in the New Egypt Fire House on Main Street and the New Egypt Historical Society Headquarters ramp and parking on Evergreen Road. Another project under consideration is a handicapped accessible rest room and Senior Citizen Pavilion project which would tie in the septic system near the New Egypt First Aid Squad.

Kachmar explained that "Rec Field doesn't have enough bathroom facilities and this is something the township is looking at." The Historical Museum project was first introduced last year and is part of a two year project under the CDBG program.

Resident Mitch Geier urged the mayor and committee to propose a resolution concerning campaign reform. Geier said he recently read an article from a daily newspaper which focused on the issue which reported on the use of "soft money" by a citizens organization to influence voters in the coming election.

"We want to see campaign reform out of Washington and the State House. We haven't seen anything yet (form the League of Municipalities) but we can ask them to move on something," Mayor Ron Dancer said.

The township is also looking at establishing a domain name for itself and its new web site which will feature information on pending ordinances, township committee agendas and other municipal business.

Currently, the township uses a local website through Mainstreetsusa owned by New Egypt resident and businessman Vince Lotito. Over the last several years the state has been urging all municipalities to develop their own web site so that residents have electronic access to information.

Committeemembers also approved a measure to give compensation to township employees for unused sick time.