Peter Barsz

This document details a public workshop for the Franklin Township Comprehensive Plan, focusing on identifying key strategic areas for the township's future direction. The discussions center on preserving the rural community character, maintaining natural resources (including woodlands, wetlands, and streams), protecting historic resources (especially buildings in Kimblesville village), managing land use and development, and supporting agriculture as an industry. The plan aims to gather community input on aspects to retain, enhance, or improve across these vital topics.

The meeting began with the call to order and confirmation of attendees. A disclosure was made regarding a prior executive session on January 14th concerning processes and procedures. Key discussions focused on public comments (though none were registered for agenda items) and the approval of previous meeting minutes, specifically for the December 17, 2025, Board of Supervisor meeting and the January 5, 2026, organizational meeting. The Treasurer's report for December 2025, detailing disbursements across multiple funds (General Fund, Park and Wreck Fund, Open Space Fund, Capital Reserve Fund, Fire Hydrant Fund), was reviewed and approved. The zoning report for November and December 2025, summarizing permit issuances and inspection numbers, was also presented. A significant portion of the meeting involved a discussion proposing a change to the structure of the Pro Committee for 2026, suggesting township staff manage volunteer projects to improve efficiency, as the current committee structure was deemed dysfunctional due to overly diverse interests causing lengthy meetings and inaction on projects like the Easter egg hunt. The board acknowledged the value of volunteers and proposed a mechanism, possibly as a pilot program, to funnel volunteers into specific activity groups managed by staff, requiring an ordinance change to eliminate the existing Pro Committee structure. Approval was granted for a resolution recognizing April 2026 as PA 811 Safe Digging Month.

The meeting commenced with public comments, including testimony regarding the dissolution of the Parks Recreation Open Space (PRO) Committee, where a resident recommended redefining the committee's charter based on the comprehensive plan, or forming a dedicated Trail and Open Space Committee, noting concerns about staff managing volunteers and the PRO committee's diverse scope. Following public comment, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the amended January 2026 board meeting minutes. The Treasurer's Report for January 2026 was presented, detailing disbursements across various funds, totaling a balance of $2,837,351. The Planning Commission did not meet. The Zoning Report for January 2026 indicated 10 permits issued and $7,342.50 in fees collected. An update on a major snowstorm from January 24th and 25th was provided, acknowledging challenging conditions and commending the public works department and a specific crew for their management of the event. A major agenda item involved a proposal for educational farming on 26 acres of the Franklin Preserve, with presentations by a representative from the Conservation District and a local farmer, Kenny Roberts, who agreed to manage the tilling, nurturing, and harvesting to control invasive species. This proposal included developing a five-year lease agreement. The conservation plan presented detailed crop rotations, soil loss calculations (Russell 2 calculations) showing compliance with state regulations, and established that walking trails would remain maintained and excluded from farming activities.

The meeting commenced with a reorganization of the board, including the selection of a chairman, secretary, and vice-chair, and the retention of Vicky Custo of Clemens Richter and Rice as solicitor. The main agenda item involved a formal hearing regarding an appeal by the Revocable Trust of Jonathan and Dwan Stahl for property located at 552 Chesterville Road (Tax Parcel 72-5-32.1G) in the LDR district. The applicants requested variances related to driveway slope gradient, and the percentage of moderately and severely steep slope area disturbance to permit the construction of a single-family dwelling. They also sought a special exception for accessory residential uses within a severely steep slope area. The applicant testified regarding the steep slope characteristics of the property as the basis for the hardship claim, confirmed ownership by the trust, and presented exhibits detailing the property layout, proposed house design, and an existing Highway Occupancy Permit from PennDot for the driveway access, which expires in November 2022. The applicant also confirmed speaking with one neighbor who provided access for soil testing and had no objection to the proposal.

The workshop meeting addressed internal administrative policies, specifically focusing on the proper procedure for distributing presentation materials to staff prior to meetings and the requirement for supervisors to use official Franklin Township email addresses for all township business to ensure compliance with public records laws. The main discussion centered on the increasing costs of emergency services, specifically EMS, which are projected to result in a $228,000 deficit covered by the general fund in 2026, as the dedicated EMS real estate tax allocation is maxed out by state mandate. Historical budget data illustrated a consistent upward trend in emergency service expenditures from 2022 to 2026 requests. Furthermore, the supervisors discussed the ongoing fire company consolidation between Aenddale and West Grove, noting that consolidation is targeted for completion by January 2027 but is not expected to reduce costs; rather, costs are anticipated to increase as they transition to full-time staffing and standardize equipment across stations, which will remain open.