Residents press Lower Paxton on canceled fireworks and a disputed stormwater bill

Several residents used the public-comment period at the Lower Paxton Township meeting on June 9 to press officials about two separate community concerns: the absence of a township-sanctioned fireworks display for Independence Day, and an unresolved stormwater-fee balance on a property recently acquired by a third party.

Alan McCormack told the board he had been told there was no fireworks scheduled and called that an "abomination," saying the township should have been more transparent about the decision. He also described a dispute over unpaid stormwater fees on a property purchased via quitclaim by an entity he referred to as "HPAL." McCormack said the township did not place a lien on the property when the fee was unpaid and that an original balance of about $12,000 was later adjusted down to roughly $4,000 as staff applied statutes of limitation or other legal "quirks." He argued that the municipal authority could vote to waive the fees and that the township board has authority to accept such a recommendation.

Township officials and other supervisors discussed the history: one supervisor said the township previously conducted a community survey and concluded residents preferred not to hold fireworks; another said personal-safety concerns and crowd management at dusk were factors in declining to pursue fireworks. On the stormwater matter, Mr. McCormack said staff could not later verify whether someone from the buying entity called the township before purchase; supervisors suggested the township needs a clearer, consistent lien-and-collection policy and proposed scheduling a workshop to address collections procedures.

The board did not take formal action on either the fireworks scheduling or the specific stormwater debt during the meeting; members suggested further administrative follow-up and a possible future workshop on collection practices.