Salisbury Township will spend nearly $300,000 to repair manholes.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 3-0, with two commissioners absent at the June 22 meeting, to approve a motion to award the 2023 Sanitary Sewer Manhole Rehab Project to Standard Pipe Services, LLC, Newark, Del., for the bid (plus Alternate No. 1) in the amount of $285,400.

Commissioner Alex Karol made the motion, seconded by Alok Patnaik, to bring the motion to a vote.

The project is supported by a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant Program, said Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus, adding, “It doesn’t cover all of it, but it helps.”

“We bid the project out. We reviewed the bids,” Stan Wojciechowski, Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer said.

Wojciechowski is department head, municipal engineering services, Barry Isett & Associates, Inc.

Repairs to some 228 manholes are to include linings, cracks and tops of the covers.

Commissioners voted 3-0 to authorize the Salisbury Township Planning Commission to act on Franko Park Subdivision and Land Development Projects. Patnaik made the motion, seconded by Karol, to bring the motion to a vote.

“This has to do with the Salisbury Township Police Department Project,” Commissioner Heather Lipkin said before the vote, referring to the police training facility at Franko Farm Park.

Lipkin, board of commissioners president pro-tempore, chaired the commissioners meeting in the absence of President Debra Brinton and Vice President Rodney Conn.

“We have to apply and record our plan with the courthouse,” Wojciechowski said.

“Because it’s our own plan, it has to go to the planning commission,” Attorney Jason A. Ulrich, Salisbury Township solicitor said. Ulrich is a partner with Gross McGinley, LLP, Attorneys At Law.

Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the removal of the Act 319 designation on the McAuliffe Properties recently purchased by the township. Karol made the motion, seconded by Patnaik to bring the resolution to a vote.

Salisbury Township acquired the title April 6 to real estate previously owned by McAuliffe Asphalt Paving, Inc., 155 E. Rock Road, 145 E. Rock Road and 100 Mountain Park Road.

The property had been entered in the Act 319, Pennsylvania Clean and Green Program, by the prior owners Oct. 4, 2012.

According to the resolution, “Salisbury Township plans to develop the subject property in a form which would not be in conformity with Act 319 and, therefore, wishes to have the subject property removed from this classification,” and “Salisbury Township is a tax-exempt municipal corporation, and as such, the subject property is tax exempt regardless of its classification under Act 319.”

Before the vote, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said, “Three of the eight parcels that we purchased are enrolled in the Clean and Green Program. It places restrictions on future use of the property.”

“Cathy [Bonaskiewich] had me review this with the county assessment office. It will be under the municipal tax exemption, which is preferable,” Ulrich said.

After the vote, Kevin Stanley, who with his wife lives in a residence adjacent to the property, objected to the classification change, citing runoff problems from the former McAuliffe property.

“Everything that leaves that property ends up in my yard,” Stanley said, adding, “I have to clean up mud.

“This has been going on for 20 years,” Stanley said.

Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager, Director, Community Development Sandy Nicolo said, “We have talked about doing things over there to address runoff.”

“We want to improve the property,” Lipkin said of the former McAuliffe property.

“We don’t have any plans,” Bonaskiewich said.

“It allows us to develop it,” Ulrich said.

“At this time, we wouldn’t have a plan. If we would decide to do something, it removes all impediments,” Karol said.

The deadline for the former McAuliffe property to be under the control of the township is Aug. 6.

“Give the township some time to develop a runoff plan,” Karol said.

“Now it’s with the township. We’ll do the right thing,” Patnaik said.

“If there are a lot of problems, we can address it,” Karol said.

Lipkin concluded the meeting by saying, “I’d like to thank Sandy for the EAC [Environmental Advisory Council June 21 meeting].

“Two gentlemen offered to clean up Walking Purchase Park every two weeks,” Lipkin said.

Ed Del Viscio and John Eberhard presented the proposal at the EAC meeting.

There was no workshop following the June 22 commissioners’ meeting.

At the June 8 commissioners’ meeting, commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent, to approve:

- Resolution to recognize the years of service and to accept the retirement of Alan Sulzer. Vice President Rodney Conn made the motion, seconded by Patnaik.

- Motion to hire entry-level police officer Eric Laub from the eligibility list. Patnaik made the motion, seconded by Conn.

- Motion to accept the resignation of Nicole Ortiz from the Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board. Ortiz, her husband and family are moving from the township. Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Patnaik.

The June 8 workshop included discussion of revision and consolidation of township construction standards.

The 7 p.m. June 28 Salisbury Township Planning Commission meeting is canceled.

The 7 p.m. July 12 Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting is canceled.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners’ next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. July 13 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.