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Dickinson supervisors set monthly workshops, outline priorities including Barnitz Mill, Lindenwood Park and trash-contract planning
Summary
At a Feb. 5 workshop-style meeting, Dickinson Township supervisors agreed to hold monthly workshops at 6 p.m. and identified 2024 priorities: resolve Barnitz Mill options by year-end, phase Lindenwood Park improvements, begin bids for a new trash contract ahead of the March 2025 expiration, explore a composting site, and pursue roads-and-bridges planning and farmland preservation research.
At a workshop-style Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 5, Dickinson Township supervisors agreed to hold workshops on the first meeting of each month at 6:00 p.m. and began prioritizing topics to guide planning over the next three to five years.
Chairman Rob Kole said the session was intended as an informal opportunity to gather input from boards, commissions and residents. The Board recorded a consensus to schedule workshops on the first meeting of each month at 6:00 p.m., with the option to cancel if no items require discussion.
Supervisors identified a preliminary list of priorities for 2024 and beyond. Vice Chairman Robert Line III asked the Board to decide on a course of action for Barnitz Mill by the end of the year, weighing options to save, stabilize or demolish the structure, evaluate potential uses, and estimate maintenance and financial impacts; the Board will continue working with the Friends of Barnitz Mill on a request to place a sign at the mill. Chairman Rob Kole asked staff to review phasing for the Lindenwood Park master site plan, estimate projected costs for each phase, and establish a timeline for implementation.
Vice Chairman Line flagged the township's trash contract with Waste Management, which expires in March 2025, and recommended that bids be solicited starting in summer 2024 to allow time to secure a multi-year contract. He noted concerns about rising service costs and the possibility of shifting billing responsibilities to the township as one option to consider. Chairman Kole said a composting site has been requested by several residents and directed staff to compile a list of options this year that considers land requirements, staffing, equipment and possible cost- or service-sharing with neighboring municipalities.
On roads and bridges, supervisors said they need a long-term strategic plan and to explore grant opportunities to lessen the budget impact rather than increase taxes. Chairman Kole also asked staff to research whether the township could contribute funds to farmland preservation efforts. He asked the Park & Recreation Board to expand resident activities, consider participation in neighboring municipalities' events, explore south-side recreation options and evaluate a long-term lease of the South Dickinson school property currently used for storing equipment and road materials.
The minutes note a Private Well testing workshop will be held March 20, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.; the Board also discussed whether to continue posting meeting recordings and agreed to revisit communication enhancements and priority ranking at the next workshop. Chairman Kole noted he will be out of the country for the March 4 meeting.
