In a cover letter to supervisors regarding the tentative 2017 budget, Township Manager Daniel DeLong announced his intention to retire no later than at the end of 2017. Therefore the $2.7 million budget includes a one-time line item to fund a replacement person for approximately six months, at the board’s option.

Supervisors adopted the budget, which includes no tax increase, but made no comment on DeLong’s announcement.

The budget will be available for review before its final adoption at the supervisors’ year-end meeting Dec. 29. The Dec. 15 supervisors’ meeting has been canceled.

The budget includes the estimated revenue from the earned income tax increase of 0.1385 percent approved by voters Nov. 8 to be used for the acquisition, protection, conservation or preservation of open space. Supervisors also authorized the solicitor to prepare an ordinance establishing that tax.

In other action at their Nov. 17 meeting, supervisors approved a policy to allow full-time employees to opt out of the healthcare insurance provided by the township if they have comparable insurance through their spouse or other sources. Any employee opting out would receive an annual payment of one-quarter of the value of the insurance coverage, currently about $6,000, township Manager Daniel DeLong said.

In other business, resident Jason Jenkins repeated his complaint of a couple of months ago about the condition of the property at 6625 Kings Highway South. He said he submitted a zoning complaint, as supervisors had advised him, over a month ago, but Zoning Officer Alan Brokate has taken no action.

Jenkins complained Brokate hasn’t contacted the owner of the property in question. “It’s been five weeks and nothing has been done,” he said.

He said there are broken windows, trash and animal carcasses on the property which are visible from the road.

Supervisor Robert Sentner said part of the problem might be the township has no property maintenance ordinance. Supervisors Chairman George DeVault said they would contact Brokate about the issue.

Supervisors also approved upgrading the lighting in the public works garage, at an estimated cost of $15,000. In presenting the proposal to replace the existing lighting with LED lighting, treasurer Jessi O’Donald said the new lights will pay for themselves in the long run.

The cost to run the existing lighting, she said, is $11 per day, while the cost to run the LED lights will be $4.50 per day. The lights will also include motion sensors, so the employees won’t have to leave them burning. O’Donald said two of the new lights have been installed as a test and the employees are very happy with them.