A productive six years in East Penn Township
Dear Editor:
As I am nearing my term of almost six years, I am writing to thank the residents of East Penn Township for allowing me to serve them as a township supervisor. I urge them to give the same support that they have given me to Jake Nothstein and Dean Kercsmar as they join our township board of supervisors.
While at times it has been frustrating and at other times rewarding, I am attempted to work with all groups and factions for the betterment of the township. Together, the township made great strides by putting aside personal feelings. Looking back at what working has accomplished during my term, I am particularly pleased with the following:
1. Painting the inside and outside of the municipal building for the first time in 50 years.
2. Remodeling offices to allow computerization and a new telephone system.
3. Construction of a pole building so 14 pieces of township equipment could be stored under cover - extending their useful lives.
4. A new second salt shed which allows large, more economical purchases of salt and cinders.
5. Reroofing and exterior painting of social hall.
6. New updated road equipment including backhoe and vibrating roller, along with several trucks.
7. Resurfacing of Smithlane Road.
8. Completion of dirt road project of Blue Mountain Road through a grant.
9. Riverview Park Development including construction of a boat launch and park development through grants totaling over $200,000 and soon pavilions, athletic fields and disc golf course to be completed at no cost to the township.
10. Veterans Monument and updating of Marvin Gardens Park through grants.
11. Development of three miles of trail along the Lehigh River at the Delaware and Lehigh Trail Park from Route 895 to the Lehigh County line.
12. Two time state recognized award winning township newsletter.
13. Community calendar.
14. Community breakfasts.
15. Uniform park signage.
16. Progress on West Bowmans sewer system (with 100 percent financing by grant approximately $3,000,000).
17. Adding full time officers and equipping them with three vehicles.
18. Minimal tax increases over the years.
19. Refinancing of debt to reduce township annual capital debt service.
20. Joining in a reginal comprehensive planning committee that is being financed through grants at lower expense than if township did it by itself.
21. New signs at municipal building.
22. Police parking lot and separate entrance to allow better privacy.
23. Police vests obtained through grants.
24. Click It or Ticket grants to help finance police department.
I wish more could have been done with our roads, but the state reduced our funding over the last several years. All too often we only remember problems. I thought at this time we should remember our accomplishments.
In closing, I want to thank my fellow supervisors for the opportunity to work with them over the years to make East Penn Township a better place to live.
Very sincerely yours,
William G. Schwab,
supervisor
