[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6061868,"mediaKeyId","3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c","parentId",3281001,"title","Borough says stormwater channel on North Constitution is vegetated; closing work under way with DEP and Army Corps","audioSeconds",89,"startMs",6127000,"endMs",6216000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c&start=6127&end=6216","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c/thumbnail_6127000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6061868/New-Freedom/York-County/Pennsylvania/Borough-says-stormwater-channel-on-North-Constitution-is-vegetated-closing-work-under-way-with-DEP-and-Army-Corps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6061868-299b21ab56cafbece6176ae79affc30f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443062&Signature=jBTUg3bYYw4IBYh9O9qyO9hOJ2Wh0Yc8FVQC3dq~00UMzZvtpgj1VcSq7G6pPJPYYAhjZzyv31AYM5zIlt3i8oQMTSDMhVIeGGWfpxWCM6rM7Ds-KBgvU8kvtEkEaw4PzaNXfvZb1Nvmv9W6MbDzGBtZ9SygNL4M3qjB~mdo-94FGnTHfCm2Fwe9N-N4fPX3~l9d5-alhsj~e-OyWR-Ce2teMnLMg6k2evp4hmnUFoju6zji1JBmI5umtLlcgAYkN2SbDo-cfSVI-F62qChsL5IQ0btCFZmoAQi1PPToPNc0KPsGeEpRKHqLQ1ta28wCYuZh-bU8S-BdG~VO8SICkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Freedom Borough, PA","date","2025-05-13T12:03:30Z","article","Borough public-works staff told council May 12 that vegetation in the North Constitution stormwater channel has regrown and the channel is performing as designed, and that the borough is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete required monitoring and close out the project.

Public works reported that periodic removal of accumulated sediment after heavy storms will be part of routine maintenance and that the channel’s performance is within the original design guidelines. Staff said final administrative items remain while the DEP and Army Corps review the closure documentation.

Councilor discussion was limited; public-works staff asked to keep the channel on the monitoring list until formal closeout is complete with state and federal partners. The council did not take formal action beyond receiving the update.

What happens next: public works will continue periodic inspections and sediment removal after heavy storms and will coordinate final closeout steps with DEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Freedom Borough Council Meeting - May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public works reported vegetation recovery in the North Constitution stormwater channel and said borough staff are coordinating with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to close out required monitoring and remediation tasks.","taxTitle","New Freedom, York County, Pennsylvania","taxId",74526,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6061873,"Auditor issues clean opinion as council reviews borough finances, debt and pension notes",5429,1140000,6569000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c&start=1140&end=6569","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c/thumbnail_1140000.jpg","/articles/6061873/New-Freedom/York-County/Pennsylvania/Auditor-issues-clean-opinion-as-council-reviews-borough-finances-debt-and-pension-notes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6061873-3f2a2b5e26a070e3ede7ffc2cf3f6e7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443062&Signature=ZQO0SnDKtwvbbXMVGP0zclLIcFgD6phjCiokJPQiionNn7KlfKisDc3NUE9xtqss4pyisZSUGAzsbId3OTTXmgT0RD~RZDrHuojrnTH8Omyz~6lE54Acg8LyAqqh~qDtjDWJgHi1nn9HqN8gehAnVdmQ4PUdyARkTp3IZOOXn81eJf8Ktbupae1xwkjFo8OALVbYqPYwiIe~~eAUNlYthv91Xnvb2EySvoU2vH10193AXyugmBUOk9gtV5-HVFH1hIiD6N6-tL-ybia3CVj8hvn3S8ds8NuFGKm3OU98g0h5-CkpSidTZpT~b7eMinVGOdaSJ5e-BMaeTtXDWPiE4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The borough’s external auditors presented New Freedom Borough’s 2024 financial audit May 12 and reported a clean opinion with no material findings, councilors heard.

Mark Kephart, the auditor, summarized key figures: the borough reported total assets of roughly $14 million, about $7 million in cash and nearly $7 million in fixed assets net of depreciation. Notes payable taken on for sewer and water improvements totaled about $7.4 million, and combined revenues were listed at about $7.7 million with expenditures around $6.5 million, producing a reported excess of approximately $1.2 million for the year. Kephart also noted capital additions of about $314,000 and depreciation of about $228,000 for the year.

Council members pressed for trends and implications. Kephart said the sewer fund holds the majority of cash (approximately $4.5 million) and that a large portion of bond proceeds received in 2023 remain in the sewer fund awaiting project spending. He flagged that sewer revenues and the structure of intermunicipal payments (Shrewsbury Borough and others that use the plant) are included in those enterprise fund numbers and that related long-term principal payments are shown in the audit’s amortization schedules through 2041.

On pension issues, the audit included actuarial notes showing plan assets valued at about $4.8 million versus actuarial liabilities around $4.7 million at the valuation date cited in the report. The auditor said that valuation updates will appear in next year’s statements and noted about 13 terminated employees who are entitled to pension benefits but had not yet begun receiving them per the actuarial schedule.

Council also discussed specific line items and internal control points: cash reconciliations, recognition of real-estate tax revenue when received, and the transition to capitalizing fixed assets (modified basis of accounting started in 2023). Kephart said auditors reconcile major assets, review debt principal and interest payments, and perform sampling on payroll and paid bills for approval and documentation.

Although the audit was presented to council, Borough Manager Andrew Schafer reminded members that borough code and state statute require that the audit be filed with oversight agencies and that council’s role is receipt of the report rather than formal adoption.

Council took several finance actions related to projects discussed during the audit presentation. Members approved payment application No. 2 to PSI Pumping Solutions for Phase 1 aeration upgrades in the amount of $13,489.62. Council also approved release of the borough’s May allocation to the Paul Smith Library (motion passed) and voted to submit the draft regional comprehensive plan to the York County Planning Commission for review. The council reappointed an outside solicitor (Walt Tilley) and approved a resolution supporting America250PA.

Grant and capital spending timing drew follow-up requests from councilors. Schafer and staff said that the borough had been awarded multiple grants, including a FEMA Hazard Mitigation grant referenced in the packet; staff noted that large awarded grants (including wastewater bond proceeds and FEMA funding) are staged across 2024–2026 project activity and that the grants report will be clarified to show award year and funding status more clearly.

What happens next: staff will provide the audit report to required agencies, incorporate council feedback into budget planning and project cash‑flow forecasts, and process the approved vendor payment and library allocation.","An external auditor gave New Freedom Borough a clean opinion for fiscal 2024; council members pressed for clarity on sewer/water debt, pension valuations and timing of grant spending. Council approved several routine payments and actions tied to capital projects and grants.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6061878,"New Freedom schedules separate public meeting after heated debate over proposed renter ordinance",3521,255000,3776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c&start=255&end=3776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281001-3942995065ed6af6782105ad73bd058c/thumbnail_255000.jpg","/articles/6061878/New-Freedom/York-County/Pennsylvania/New-Freedom-schedules-separate-public-meeting-after-heated-debate-over-proposed-renter-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6061878-57c64b701f1e78ca4601b1f79b3a6f0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443062&Signature=H6BpkTTqvsRCmbmKn6YfDhHQBzu4tyaM~s~75u5x-WQaiqxQAjjFRbUpQU~LMcftUT295x55N2nfH7WOpYBx3PJfcYV7TACC2k3BG0ssT7ZT9sOLG4qNkOgW4xxr2o-BCba~oP24Rjny01dtbLQKdvNl9w0LjEGgkkrxTlZdoGO-F7zJx9yfDf5sCHq81ByfUzPpgildq~2ExLkZOK9sAlD~ulQ6Gg9SPKK2gk-tUxlBxRrbyMU22K-KkopVJhF3p-jyhQStrlUCgdXso-syeovyggXV4RsyTuGinmjef8BXTLKtGMy78q20xkd5NjQpd5ZgmMTKXPMl8uoc4Xxnyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","New Freedom Borough Council voted May 12 to schedule a separate public meeting to continue work on a proposed rental-housing and occupancy ordinance after more than two hours of public comment and extended council discussion.

The council agreed the item needs more public input and policy refinement rather than immediate adoption. Mayor Kim Butcher and Borough Manager Andrew Schafer said the draft shown at the meeting had been revised since it was posted, and solicitors’ suggestions narrowed several inspection provisions. Council then approved a motion to hold a standalone public meeting (targeted for roughly 45 days from the May 12 meeting) to take further public comment and refine the draft.

The proposed ordinance would require owners of rental property to register units with the borough and sets an enforcement framework for property maintenance standards already enforced through the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) and other state and local codes. Solicitor Walt Tilley told council he had recommended edits to the draft to make inspections more predictable and to limit the local standards to enforcement of existing codes rather than a new set of requirements.

Residents and landlords gave sharply different views during public comment. Sherry Miller, who identified herself as a landlord with property in the borough, urged the council to “craft an ordinance that does not punish the many for the negligence of a few,” arguing that blanket inspection rules and high fees would burden responsible small landlords. Christie Smith, who said she rents in the borough, opposed a provision she described as allowing inspection “at any reasonable hour,” saying it would intrude on renters’ privacy and asked the council to clarify whether inspections would require prior notice. Devin Taylor, who said he is a borough renter and a veteran, said he strongly opposed the draft as an overreach of government authority.

Councilors and staff spent much of the discussion on three recurring concerns: when inspections may occur, who may trigger a complaint-based inspection, and how fees and fines would be set and applied. Several council members and Solicitor Tilley emphasized that the draft presented at the meeting had been pared back from more expansive versions used by neighboring boroughs. Tilley said the draft was intended to: focus inspections on the property-maintenance standards that already exist, allow inspections primarily between tenancies or in response to a tenant complaint, and provide tiered enforcement with re-inspections after violations rather than automatic punitive steps.

Councilors and public speakers repeatedly raised the possibility of legal challenge. Commenters cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s Camara decision on administrative inspections and warned about Fourth Amendment concerns if warrantless entry were allowed. Councilors responded that the revised draft would clarify that inspections would be performed either in response to a tenant’s complaint or at scheduled times when a unit is unoccupied, and that staff would bring a further refined draft and supporting materials to the separate meeting.

No ordinance or regulation was adopted at the May 12 meeting. The council’s formal action was to approve a separate public meeting (a motion passed by voice vote) to gather further input and return with a revised draft. Council members asked staff to circulate existing state and federal materials, related municipal ordinances from surrounding communities and the solicitor’s mark-up to give residents more time to review before the standalone meeting.

The council instructed staff to publicize the planned meeting on the borough’s notification systems; a date around June 24 was discussed as fitting the 45-day notice window councilors requested but had not been finalized in the meeting minutes.

What happens next: the council set a process step — not a policy change — and directed staff and counsel to prepare a revised draft and background materials for the standalone meeting so residents and landlords can comment in a focused forum.","After more than two hours of public comment and council discussion about privacy, inspection timing and fees, New Freedom Borough Council agreed to hold a separate public meeting to continue work on a proposed rental-housing and occupancy ordinance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Borough says stormwater channel on North Constitution is vegetated; closing work under way with DEP and Army Corps

Auditor issues clean opinion as council reviews borough finances, debt and pension notes

New Freedom schedules separate public meeting after heated debate over proposed renter ordinance