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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
onto Newtown News of Interest November 6, 2024 10:08 AM
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Although #NewtownPA Township is making progress dealing with pedestrian safety issues on major roads, many residents feel enough is not being done within residential neighborhoods. I summarized the issue in my blog post "Pedestrian Safety Issues in the Neighborhoods".
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Newtown News of Interest
These Scoops are excerpts from articles published in local newspapers and other sources that may be of interest to Newtown area residents. Please click on the "From" link to access the full original article. Any opinions and "insights" appended to these article summaries are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity. Curated by johnmacknewtown |
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
January 17, 10:07 AM
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As you may know, the Newtown Joint Municipal Authority is engaged in an ongoing project to build their own wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in a location that is immediately adjacent to Middletown Township.
At the 13 January 2025 Middletown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, the township's Solicitor and Engineer reviewed plans for how the township can make sure it is involved in the approval process and make their feelings known, especially with regard to the environmental impact.
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
January 14, 7:19 AM
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Calling itself "Stop the Newtown Sewer Plant," the group sent out a flier announcing plans to organize against the project (see image above).
“It is our hope that creating this network will help us to spread accurate and crucial information regarding the sewer plant project to the residents of our neighborhoods,” said the flier.
Related Content:
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johnmacknewtown
January 11, 8:04 AM
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[Published in Bucks County Courier Times on Sept 15, 2013]
A seeming tidal wave of resident opposition swayed the Newtown Township supervisors to unanimously give a thumbs down to a proposed sewage treatment plant in the township.
The plant had been proposed by the Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority for a spot on the south side of the Newtown Bypass between Routes 413 and 532. The NBCJMA serves more than 8,600 sewer customers in Newtown Township and Newtown Borough.
At Wednesday night’s [Sept 11, 2013] standing-room-only meeting, after almost two hours of public comment almost all against the plant, the Newtown Township supervisors voted 5-0 to not include the treatment plant in the township’s upcoming 537 plan update that will outline how officials plan to handle sewage in the future.
Also, the supervisors directed township Manager Kurt Ferguson to send a letter to the Newtown authority asking it to “cease any further exploration” of the treatment plant proposal.
Also see the Minutes of 11 Sept 2013 BOS meeting...
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
January 10, 9:32 AM
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This is my personal summary of the January 6, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
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johnmacknewtown
January 10, 9:28 AM
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Depending on the weather, two pedestrian safety projects may not begin until spring, the township's engineer told the board of supervisors this week.
In his report to the board, engineer Dominic Cundari said the contractor is looking for a good stretch of weather to break ground for the installation of warning beacon lights at Silo Drive and North Sycamore Street and at a mid-block crosswalk at Tara Boulevard and Newtown-Yardley Road.
“There is a significant amount of concrete work so we want to wait for some good weather, some warmer weather,” said Cundari. “We’re waiting for a good window of opportunity to start now that the holidays are behind us. We don’t want to start until we know we can complete it without any delays.”
See Engineer's Report discussion at the 6 January 2025 Newtown BOS public meeting.
The Engineer actually claimed work cannot proceed now for “safety” reasons. But the work is needed to be done ASAP exactly for safety reasons! Catch 22!
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
January 9, 11:11 AM
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What Residents are Saying about Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant, Year 2024 in Images, Middletown & Newtown Need to Collaborate to Improve Pedestrian Safety Crossing the Bypass!, more...
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johnmacknewtown
January 7, 1:17 PM
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At the 6 January 2025 Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) public meeting, David Hardeski, Chief of Surgery at the St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown, expressed concern about the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) proposed by the Newtown Sewer Authority. For more on that, read "Residents Have Concerns Regarding Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant"; https://rebrand.ly/WWTPsvy_PatchArticle
"This 'smell radius' may extend into the property currently occupied by St. Mary's Medical Center and I worry about the impact on this institution," said Dr. Hardeski.
In an email to the BOS prior to the meeting, Dr. Hardeski wrote:
"My name is David Hardeski. I am a lifelong resident of Bucks County, a current resident of Langhorne (less than 1/2 mile from the planned site for the sewage treatment plant), and currently the Chief of Surgery at St. Mary's Medical Center.
"I have two concerns based on the comments made by residents from the last Middletown Township Board of Supervisors meeting and what I have learned from my own research.
1) What is the plan if the smell from this plant is poorly controlled? The committee at Middletown's meeting informed the Board they visited a site in Kansas and they could not smell any foul odor. However, several comments made by individuals with quite an impressive background with these types of facilities stated that all sewage treatments will have smells with a varying radius of effect and intensity. What will we do if and when this occurs?
2) This "smell radius" may extend into the property currently occupied by St. Mary's Medical Center and I worry about the impact on this institution. I can't imagine we will be able to continue to grow our hospital in the setting of rising costs and decreasing insurance reimbursement if patients are reluctant to utilize our facility because of a foul odor. Hospitals across the nation have been struggling ever since the pandemic, and the rate of hospital closures is quite concerning.
This is in no way an indication that St. Mary's is in dire straits, but I cannot imagine a scenario where a decrease in patient visits will not impact our ability to thrive. Thank you for your attention, David Hardeski
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johnmacknewtown
January 6, 10:30 AM
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At the 16 October 2024, Newtown Sewer Authority Board meeting, Mr. Mark Friend, who lives at 15 Stoopville Rd in Newtown, questioned the high increase in his sewer bill. Mr. Friend has well water. His sewer rate increased from $90 per quarter at the end of 1992. In 2023 the rate went up to $125. Now (2025) the rate is $183 per quarter. A 100% increase over 2 years. Hear what the sewer authority told him.
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johnmacknewtown
January 1, 9:04 AM
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The Newtown Sewer Authority presented details of its plan to build a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) on Lower Silver Lake Rd at the December 11, 2024, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting where several local area residents spoke up against the plan.
I was interested in what other residents had to say about this plan. So, I created a Sewage Treatment Plant Survey. I asked respondents what, if any, were their concerns and questions. To date (1/3/25) 171 responses have been collected.
I summarize the results, including comments, in this Patch article...
Further Reading:
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
December 29, 2024 8:43 AM
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In 2024, I spent a total of 420 hours (an average of 35 hours per month) engaged in official Supervisor activities that included preparing for and attending meetings and interacting with residents.
What else did I do? Find out here...
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johnmacknewtown
December 24, 2024 7:32 AM
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Welcome to “The Year 2024 in Images.” There were many unique and interesting issues that I as a Newtown Township supervisor confronted in 2024. This is a selection of images and stories that document what I consider the most important news items and issues of interest to Newtown Township PA residents.
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
December 21, 2024 10:50 AM
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The township needs to do a better job protecting its digital assets including the website. This is not the first time that the site was hacked.
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johnmacknewtown
December 21, 2024 8:43 AM
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At the 16 December 2024 Middletown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Middletown Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Vice Chair Andy McAloon expressed concerns about potential flooding caused by the plant, which will dump million of gallons per day of effluent into Core Creek.
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johnmacknewtown
December 20, 2024 10:06 AM
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At the 16 December 2024 Middletown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Kevin Deeny - a member of Middletown's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) - expressed concern about the environmental impact of the planned sewage treatment plant on Lower Silver Lake Rd bordering Middletown.
The Newtown Sewer Authority kept saying that plans are only "preliminary." Gary Sondermeyer, a former director of operations for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, had a different opinion.
“I don’t agree it’s preliminary,” he said. “They used condemnation to buy the land. They’ve hired a financial advisor. They’ve hired a public relations firm. The next thing you know they’ll have a permit application with the state.”
Read: “Proposed sewer plant in Newtown Township inflames Middletown residents“; https://rebrand.ly/Herald_WWTP
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johnmacknewtown
December 18, 2024 6:40 AM
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Middletown Township residents packed the Board of Supervisors meeting Monday evening to sound off against a planned wastewater treatment plant.
The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority, responding to an invitation from local officials, detailed plans for a $128 million wastewater treatment facility intended to address capacity issues and provide greater local control over wastewater management.
Environmental Concerns
Andy McAloon, the vice chairperson of the Middletown Township Environmental Advisory Council, raised concerns about flooding that could come from the plant putting water in area waterways, like the Core Creek.
Kevin Deeny, a member of the Middletown Township Environmental Advisory Council, said he only heard of the plan after reading news reports about it recently. He stated that he has concerns about environmental impacts of the plant, including potential water quality impacts on Core Creek Park.
[Read FULL TRANSCRIPT of their comments.]
WHAT DO YOU THINK? TAKE MY SURVEY!
Related Content:
“Middletown residents cry foul over proposed sewer treatment plant in Newtown Township”; https://rebrand.ly/Burbs_MTvWWTP
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johnmacknewtown
December 17, 2024 11:47 AM
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It was standing room only at the 16 December 2024 Middletown Township Board of Supervisors meeting. Dozens spoke out against the Newtown Sewer Authority's (NBCJMA) proposed sewage treatment plant to be located on the border with Middletown. Here are just a few short snippets of comments I heard:
“…it’s been said that nobody in Newtown Township is affected by this… but, I’m upset because it affects Middletown! Newtown – be neighborly and consider your neighbors!”
“Remember Elcon! Pass a resolution opposing this plan.” [Read “Victory! Falls Supervisors Reject Elcon Plan”; https://sco.lt/5QNYOG]
“State of the art does not mean odor free!”
“That stink goes a lot further than a mile!”
“…address the flooding problem.” [Environmental Advisory Council member]
“We're interested from a water quality standpoint from environmental standpoint…” [Environmental Advisory Council member]
“It is late in the day… go to court. Let them eat that!”[Free advice from a lawyer.]
“When I saw those charts, which were thoroughly disingenuous, my eyes almost popped!” [Banker who works with numbers all day]
“We have a rule in the classroom… clean up your own mess! If you build a sewage treatment plant in Newtown and you leave your mess for Middletown to clean up, you're not playing nice in the sandbox.” [Former kindergarden teacher]
“The sniff test is subjective. Children on the spectrum ]at a school 900 feet from the proposed site] can be hypersensitive to smells and can smell things that you or I cannot smell. Consider those with special needs.”[Psychologist]
“What was missing here was the study. A lot of stuff is being done under the table. We really got to know what’s going on. Time is of the essence. When shit hits the fan it will be too late.” [Retired engineer]
“What I’ve seen here today is lack of credible data to support their project. There has to be a risk analysis study.” [Actuary]
Many residents did not hear of this project until a flyer was published urging them to attend the meeting. Read the flyer...
I'll have more to say about this - including results of a survey - later. Stay tuned!
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johnmacknewtown
December 14, 2024 6:43 AM
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This is my personal summary of the December 11, 2024, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS).
Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More
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johnmacknewtown
December 13, 2024 7:49 AM
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At the 11 December 2024 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, several knowledgeable Newtown and Middletown residents made comments regarding NBCJMA's (aka Newtown Sewer Authority) proposal to build a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant on Lower Silver Lake Road.
See the NBCJMA's presentation before the BOS...https://rebrand.ly/NBCJMApreso11dec2024
Newtown resident Frank McCarron had concerns about the cost estimates and especially regarding the projected rate increases. Middletown residents - including Gary Sondermeyer and Peter Jordan - were concerned about the odor and were skeptical that there would not be any odor. Mr. Sondermeyer is an expert in these matters.
Related Content:
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Scooped by
johnmacknewtown
December 12, 2024 6:57 AM
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This Zoom meeting focused on environmental impact of proposed sewage treatment plant, Newtown-Yardley Road sidewalk proposal, gas leaf blower survey results. more..
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johnmacknewtown
December 11, 2024 7:58 AM
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Aqua Pennsylvania has completed a PFAS treatment system at its Hatboro well station in Montgomery County, the fifth facility updated to meet national drinking water standards. The new system removes PFAS —known as forever chemicals —from drinking water sources from two wells serving nearly 13,000 people in the Hatboro area.
Aqua Pennsylvania secured $5.5 million in grant funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to construct the facility at no direct cost to customers.
“Aqua Pennsylvania is doing everything possible to ensure customers are not saddled with the cost of construction for PFAS removal,” Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca said said. “We have and will continue to aggressively seek grants and low-interest loans to keep these necessary improvements from becoming a financial burden for our customers.”
Unfortunately, Newtown residents will have to pay for a similar system being installed at Newtown Artesian Water Company. Representatives from Artesian informed Supervisors at the November 26, 2024, BOS meeting that the costs for its filtration system will be passed on to consumers via rate hikes.
Related Content:
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johnmacknewtown
December 4, 2024 9:05 AM
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This is my personal summary of the November 26, 2024, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.
Access the 2024 BOS Chronicle for detailed summaries of all 2024 BOS meetings to date. Also, access the (UNOFFICIAL) 2024 BOS Voting Record.
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johnmacknewtown
December 1, 2024 10:47 AM
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At the 26 November 2024 Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting, Township Engineer Dominic Cundari gave an update on the Business Commons sidewalk project.
As to using excess grant funds to extend the sidewalks with safety curbing along Newtown-Yardley Road, Mr. Cundari indicated he did a preliminary some preliminary specifications of what the cost would be I and that the next step would be to stay in touch with PennDOT "to see if we could get those funds approved ... from from the previous Grant and secondly ... to do some specifications for a bid package ... it would be it would be a separate project."
More...
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johnmacknewtown
November 30, 2024 2:54 PM
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At the November 26, 2024, BOS meeting, Swan Point, Middletown resident Bill Everett expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed sewage treatment plant on Lower Silver Lake Road.
Mr. Everett spoke about the impact on Core Creek - the “Crown Jewel” of the Bucks County park system. He noted that the delay in Wawa construction was due to the need to drill a waste water tunnel in bedrock UNDER Core Creek. He recommended an INDEPENDENT environmental impact analysis.
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johnmacknewtown
November 27, 2024 8:17 AM
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At the 13 November 2024 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) public meeting, Friends Village residents Tom Cadwallader and Kip Cherry as well as Terry Christiansen requested that the township pass an ordinance to ban gas-powered leaf blowers. Read more about that...
Newtown Township residents think such a Gas Leaf Blower Ban would be "Ridiculous" & "Overreaching" - Newtown, PA - Over 300 Newtown Township residents responded to my Gas Leaf Blower Ban Survey. Many were not in favor. Read what they had to say: https://rebrand.ly/BlowerSvyResultsArticle
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johnmacknewtown
November 26, 2024 6:21 AM
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Summary of 13 November 2024 BOS Meeting This is my personal summary of the November 13, 2024, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary. Access the 2024 BOS Chronicle for detailed summaries of all 2024 BOS meetings to date.
Further Reading