Township Announces Five-year Capital Spending Plan

Emergency radios for police and firefighters and the renovation of the office at Tamanend Park are the biggest ticket items in a five-year capital spending plan recently formulated by the township.

But a vehicle maintenance plan, if approved, would carry an even higher price tag.

The radios and office expenses are each estimated at $180,000, with the radios expected to be purchased next year and the renovation tentatively planned for 2015. The radios are needed by 2013 because the county has changed its system, township officials have said.

Finance Director and Assistant Township Manager Ann Alker told the Board of Supervisors last week that other spending priorities include new vehicles and equipment for Public Works; upgrading the Police Department's two holding cells; LED street lights; and more space for the Licenses and Inspections department.

Township Manager Joe Golden has stressed that the five-year plan, which is the municipality's first, does not commit the township to any specific spending.

“We're taking a peak into the future,” Golden said this week. He also confirmed there may be grants and state funding available to cover some of the expenditures.

The summary does not show vehicle costs. Alker said this week that the amount needed to begin a vehicle replacement schedule next year is $509,275.

“This is the amount which would be required if the township chose to put money aside for each and every vehicle and major equipment,” she said.

As the five-year plans progress, she said, the annual amounts would decrease, for example, to $389,575 in 2013, $338,625 in 2014, $273,409 in 2015 and $234,459 in 2016.

“As the years progress this amount would continue to decrease,” she added. “The money would then always be available when a vehicle would need replacing.”

The summary includes a $4,000 line item for updating the police holding cells next year. The improvements are the last step required for the department to get accreditation, possibly by next spring, from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Chief Ron MacPherson explained.

But that $4,000 cost is dwarfed by $14,400 spread over this year and 2012 for new bullet-proof vests for police.

The summary shows the biggest Public Works line item to be air conditioning at the administration building, with an estimated cost of $10,000.

New windows are a more expensive need at the administration building, with $49,387 spread evenly over the next five years.

The township plans to spend about $15,000 next year for an architect to estimate the costs of possible changes to the Community Center to improve its usage for the residents, along with $16,000 for meeting room dividers for the center.

In 2015, the township is tentatively planning a playground at Schaefer Field, with an estimated price of $40,000.

Lions Grove is tentatively targeted for improvements in 2012, with both a renovation of the snack bar ($15,000) and drainage repair ($7,000) listed in the summary.

The LED street lights are not listed in the summary. Golden said this week that the township is talking to various vendors and the goal is significant energy savings.

“We've done traffic signals and that is expected to render an 80 percent reduction. The street lights could save 40 to 50 percent,” he added.

Also, not seen in the summary, is the new space for the Licenses and Inspections department. Golden said township officials are not sure what they are going to do to create more storage space for records of that department.