Upper Milford supervisors were told last week the Open Space Committee is supporting the idea of a ballot referendum on designating a small tax increase for preserving open space in the township.

Supervisor Robert Sentner said the committee discussed the issue at its March 9 meeting and voted in favor of a referendum.

According to Open Space Committee Chairman Francis Caputo, who was at the supervisors’ March 17 meeting, his committee would like to see the referendum on the November ballot and will spend the next few months educating the public about the idea.

In a related matter, Sentner asked assistant Township Manager Tim Haas to set up a workshop meeting with local farmers to get their input on the idea. He suggested farmers from outside the township be included as well.

Supervisors also directed township staff to write to the township’s state representatives urging support for a bill in the legislature which would exempt so-called ‘high tunnels,’ which are used by farmers, from the stormwater management act.

Supervisors Chairman George DeVault, who is a farmer, said the tunnels, which enable farmers to extend the growing season, actually improve drainage, instead of making it worse.

He called the bill, House Bill 1103, “the most commonsense thing I’ve heard out of Harrisburg in years.”

Currently, anyone constructing those tunnels has to hire an engineer, at substantial expense, to come up with a stormwater management plan for the construction.

DeVault said they are often temporary structures and a lot of them do not even have a foundation.

Supervisors also agreed to urge their legislators to oppose closing the local Penn State Extension office, which has been suggested as one way to reach an agreement on the state budget.

In other business, Township Manager Daniel DeLong said the township engineer has completed a packet of information on the Fields at Indian Creek, the active adult community proposed at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Cedar Crest Boulevard, answering many of the questions supervisors have posed about the development.

DeLong said there are still a lot of unanswered questions, particularly related to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s plans for replacing the Chestnut Street railroad bridge. He said Kay Builders, the developer, wants to be at the next supervisors meeting where the plans are discussed.

Supervisor Daniel Mohr, who is active in the Vera Cruz Community Association, said the association’s Easter egg hunt March 26 starts 1 p.m., not noon as reported in the township newsletter.