West Lawn Park Play Equipment Replacement Project

On Monday, January 23rd, 2012 the Board of Supervisors authorized the purchase and installation of new play equipment for West Lawn Park.  The old equipment is being removed by the Public Works Department and the new equipment will be installed by a licensed playground equipment installer.  The new equipment will be handicap accessible and will also meet the current Consumer Product Safety Guidelines for Public Play Equipment.  Depending on the spring weather, the project is scheduled to be completed by June 1st, 2012.

The new equipment consists of a pre-school age unit, a school age unit and a swing set with toddler and youth swings.  Since these units are more compact than the current layout, the Department will be able to increase the amount of open green space in the park. 

We ask for your patience and understanding as we proceed with this project.  If you have any questions regarding the West Lawn Park Play Equipment Replacement Project, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 610-678-5399 or parksandrec@springtwpberks.org.

We look forward to seeing you in West Lawn Park!

ACT 129 ELECTRIC UTILITY REBATE PROGRAM

Act 129 requires electric utility companies to offer a rebate program under certain situations and conditions to their customers. The purpose of this program is to encourage you to improve and increase energy efficiency in your homes and businesses thereby reducing your electric costs.  Program pre-approval is not required for projects completed (installed) before May 31, 2010.  After May 31st there will be a pre-approval process that must be followed prior to the purchase and installation of equipment to be rebate eligible.  Please visit the following website www.pplelectric.com/e-power/ for more information.

Western Berks Ambulance Association

Open Records Information and Access Request Form

Passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature, Act No 2008-3 becomes effective January 1, 2009, requires the Township of Spring establish written policies necessary to provide for access to public records of the Township.  All requests must be made in writing, verbally (in person or telephonically), or by facsimile.  Leon Mazurie has been designated as the Township’s Open Records Officer.  Requests for access to public records shall be directed to Mr. Mazurie at the Township of Spring, 2800 Shillington Road, Sinking Spring, PA  19608; telephone: 610-678-5393, facsimile: 610-678-4571, E-mail: contact@springtwpberks.org.  When a request is received for access to public records, the Township will make a determination within five (5) business days of receipt of the request, to grant or deny the request.  The person or entity requesting the information will be promptly notified of the Township’s decision.  Township of Spring Resolution No. 2008-19 which provides the Township’s policies relative to access to public records is available in the Township Secretary’s office at the Municipal Building at 2800 Shillington Road, Sinking Spring, PA  19608.  The “Request for Access to Public Records Form” is available below and also in the Township Secretary’s office at the Municipal Building.
Request for Access to Public Records Form - Word Document Fill In Form or PDF version
* Options available for submission of Request for Access to Public Records Form are:
1. Download Word Document. Fill in form (use tab key to advance) and submit electronically as an attachment to: contact@springtwpberks.org.
2. Download PDF version.  Fill in form manually and submit via regular mail, facsimile or in person. 

Yard Waste and Recycling Information

**Yard waste recycling site is now open on Yeager Blvd.
(opposite the State Hill Giant Food Store)

Reedy Road recycling site will be closed permanently Oct. 13th for waste water treatment expansion. Township residents please use Goose Lane recycling site for yard, shrubs & limb waste.

Property owners in Spring Township are responsible for removal of all tree and limb debris caused by the recent snow event.  Tree and limb debris is to be taken to the to the Goose Lane yard waste site.  See directions to site below. 

FROM:  Township of Spring Police Department– 2800 Shillington Road, Sinking Spring, PA


Exit parking lot and turn left onto Spohn Road

Turn right at traffic light onto Shillington Road (Rte. 724)

Merge on to Rte. 222 South toward Lancaster

Follow Rte. 222 South to the Mohnton Exit – bear right onto exit ramp

At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Grings Hill Road

Turn left at the stop sign onto Old Lancaster Pike

Follow Old Lancaster Pike to Goose Lane Extension

Turn left onto Goose Lane Extension

Follow Goose Lane Extension – it becomes Goose Lane

The Yard Waste Recycling Center will be on the left hand side of the road.

Printable Directions

          Property Tax/Rent Rebates

Eligible older adults and residents with disabilities can now check the status of Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications online at www.papropertytaxrelief.com

“Our commitment to property tax relief is unwavering, and this new Web tool enhances customer service for the older adults and people with disabilities who rely on these annual checks,” Governor Edward G. Rendell said, introducing the new tool in late April.

Six weeks after submitting a Property Tax/Rent Rebate application, the applicant may visit www.papropertytaxrelief.com and check the status of the rebate by entering his/her Social Security number, anticipated rebate amount and birth date. Applicants may use the Web site to confirm claim status, rebate amount and the date a rebate is expected to be mailed or direct-deposited. Rebate checks will begin being distributed to early applicants on July 1.

Through a similar automated phone service, Property Tax/Rent Rebate applicants can check rebate status by calling, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES.

The new online tool to check rebate status has the potential to reduce administrative costs for the Revenue Department. The online service is maintained at a minimal cost, while each toll-free phone call from taxpayers costs the department about 3.1 cents in phone charges, plus costs associated with staffing.

The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. A 2006 program expansion increased the income limit from $15,000 to $35,000 (which excludes half of Social Security income) for homeowners and raises the maximum standard rebate for both homeowners and renters from $500 to $650. The income limit for renters is $15,000.

The program expansion also provided for supplemental property tax rebates of up to $325 – on top of the standard rebates – to homeowners in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton and to those in other parts of the state who pay more than 15 percent of income on property taxes.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms (PA-1000) and information are available online at  www.papropertytaxrelief.com and by calling 1-888-222-9190. Forms and assistance also are available at Department of Revenue district offices (listed in the government section of local telephone directories), local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.

The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2008 is Dec. 31, 2009.

NOTICE:  BERKS LANDFILL DELETED FROM SUPERFUND SITE LIST
The EPA has filed a Notice of Intent to Delete and Notice of Deletion of the Berks Landfill Superfund
Site from the National Priorities List.  Public is invited to review this documentation at the Spring Township Municipal Building in the Engineering and Planning Department and submit questions and comments
to the EPA.

              8-1-1: Alliance Launches New
   Call-Before-You-Dig Telephone Number
There’s a new number in town, and the Common Ground Alliance is urging the public to dial it before they dig.
      CGA, a utility damage-prevention coalition in Alexandria, Va., and its partners launched  8-1-1, the nation’s new standardized “Call Before You Dig” number, this past spring. Already, it is available in much of the U.S, including Pennsylvania. 
      The organization is hoping that more people will use the three-digit alert — much like they dial 9-1-1 in an emergency — to prevent unnecessary injury, protect underground utilities, and avoid expensive repairs and fines when excavating. “Every minute, 680,000 utility lines are damaged nationwide, and 40 percent of the damage is caused by people who fail to call before they dig,” says Khrysanne Kerr, CGA’s director of program development. These statistics, she adds, were alarming enough to prompt Congress to mandate the creation of 8-1-1 in 2005. 
      Now, CGA is on a mission to educate the nation, particularly do-it-yourselfers, about the phone number and the need to make that all-important call. The effort includes a large-scale public awareness campaign and a Web site, www.call811.com. According to CGA, roughly 90 percent of homeowners are unaware that they must dial 8-1-1 when they intend to move dirt, even if it’s for a small project, such as planting a tree or installing a mailbox.
“We realize it will take time to change behavior,” Kerr says, “so we’re on a marathon, not a sprint.”
      Although in its infancy, the campaign appears to be working: 8-1-1 has been dialed more than 5.7 million times since it was introduced earlier this year, according to the Web site. 
“Now that there is a single number to call, any time, there is no excuse for putting lives at risk by striking a utility line,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said at the 8-1-1 launch event. “If 9-1-1 is the number you call to report emergencies, 8-1-1 is the number to call to prevent them.”

ILLEGAL DUMPING OF TRASH

As many of us know, illegal dumping of trash is a problem throughout the County, including Spring Township. While our residents should report any case of illegal dumping that they witness, we all know that some do not make the report.

Crime Alert Berks County has stepped up to the plate by offering rewards of up to $5,000.00 for tips of illegal dumping. The Berks County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution urging municipalities to pass a resolution in support of this program.

On August 13th, the Township of Spring Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in support of this program. You are strongly encouraged to report any illegal dumping you witness by calling 1-877-373-9913 or 888-NEXT TIP.
Remember…you can now receive a reward for reporting this activity.