Clifford Township Susquehanna County Pennsylvania

CliffordTownship.com cliffordtwp@yahoo.com

Clifford Township Municipal Building
119 Cemetery Street (State Route 2050)
Between State Route 106 and State Route 2012
Clifford, PA 18413-0339
United States
ph: 570-222-9364
cliffordtwp@yahoo.com

Information on this page is submitted by independent entities throughout the township and does not represent the opinions of the township governing body. The township is not responsible for any of the content in articles displayed below.

Advisory Committee of Clifford Township Minutes of Meeting January 5, 2012

The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, January 5, 2012 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.

The first order of business was to determine who should be leading the efforts in the development of the Comprehensive Plan for Clifford Township. Originally it was thought that it should be turned over to the Planning Commission. After an in-depth discussion and referring to the Comprehensive Plan in Pennsylvania, Planning Series #3, guidance states the planning agency acts as an advisor, however, in order to be successful it must have the input of the citizens. The guidance also states that the government must be involved and that the process relies heavily on volunteers from the community. With that, the ACCT currently has representation from the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and volunteer citizens. The final decision was that the ACCT will continue to host the process. If you would like more information, Planning Series #3 can be found at http://www.chesco.org/planning/lib/planning/kennett/pdf/PaCompPlans.pdf. Refer to the Chapter on Implementation and the section titled Citizens, Planning Agencies, and the Governing Body. The official Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Act 247 can be found at http://www.alleghenyplaces.com/pdf/MPC_Sept.pdf.

Note: One of the most important pieces of information the committee wants the community to understand is that a Comprehensive Plan is not zoning.

The meeting was then turned over Mr. Tom Shepstone of Shepstone Management Company. Mr. Shepstone provided a draft Clifford Community Survey to the committee for their review. Examples of questions pertain to: residency; number of children; business owners; occupations; quality of services; and asking for thoughts regarding improvements for the township. There are a total of 27 questions that will help the township leadership plan for the future. The survey will be posted on-line and there will also be printed copies available at strategic locations for those residents who do not have web access. It is important to note that survey should be filled out by each resident, not just one per household. Mr. Shepstone will prepare news releases to be published in area newspapers when the survey is completed.

The next ACCT meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 22, 2012 at 7 pm in the Municipal Building. The focus of the meeting will once again be the Comprehensive Plan.

Point of contact for this correspondence is Sally Roberts, sroberts@nep.net. Minutes approved by Mark Wilmot, mswilmot@nep.net

Attendees: Buzz Boomer, Bob Clementoni, Sally Fischbeck, Fred Lyon, Chris Marcho, Linda Parlanti, Sally Roberts, Tom Roberts, Robert Schrieber, Tom Shepstone, Sandy Wilmot, Mark Wilmot, Larry Wilson.

Advisory Committee of Clifford Township
Minutes of Meeting
October 26, 2011
The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.
The meeting was the official kick-off meeting with Tom Shepstone of Shepstone Management Company, Inc. for the development of a comprehensive plan (CP) for Clifford Township. As stated in earlier minutes, a CP is a solid base of information and documented policies for growth, development and conservation. It provides a path for future development, land use, infrastructure for movement of people and goods. This documentation also allows the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to act quickly when necessary and avoid legal actions by contractors and firms that provide services to the township.
Mr. Shepstone provided copies of Clifford Township’s Market, Age by Income, and Housing Profiles. He also included a Comprehensive Trend Report. These reports contain data regarding household incomes and the age of the householder, home values, consumer spending, population, and the number of households and more. The purpose of these profiles and trends is to document the growth and health of the township in general. They will assist in providing demographics, an important and essential element of the plan. Other elements to be included are: maps; charts; goals and objectives; documentation on natural resources; existing land use; community facilities; status on roads; environmental issues; and plans for protecting the township’s resources.
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) are required to have two public meetings, one during the development of the CP and one prior to presenting the final report. These meetings will be announced via formal news releases published in the local newspapers. The first one is planned for early spring in 2012. In addition to the public meetings, an on-line detailed survey will be developed and posted on the web site by the end of February 2012. The survey will query residents and business owners for their thoughts on where the township should focus its planning. Hard copy surveys will be placed at various locations for those residents who do not use the internet. There will be a web site to post information as we progress with this CP. The web site will be located at www.shepstone.net/clifford. There will also be a link to the survey when it is developed.
Several actions were taken by members of the ACCT to assist in obtaining documentation pertaining to the township. Status will be provided at the next working meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 7 PM in the Municipal Building.
Point of contact for this correspondence is Sally Roberts, sroberts@nep.net. Minutes approved by Mark Wilmot, mswilmot@nep.net

Attendees: Buzz Boomer, Bob Clementoni, Sally Fischbeck, Chris Marcho, Linda Parlanti, Harry Phillips, Sally Roberts, Tom Roberts, Sandy Wilmot, Mark Wilmot, Larry Wilson.

Advisory Committee of Clifford Township
Minutes of Meeting
July 27, 2011
The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from the June 22, 2011 meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Members of the ACCT are currently researching information on several projects. The status on each project is listed below.
Development of a Comprehensive Plan (CP)
Performing an extensive Heat Loss Study on the Municipal Building
Policy and Procedure Handbook for Clifford Township Property at the Municipal Building
Web site for ACCT minutes and reports

Comprehensive Plan: The committee is waiting for the contract between Clifford Township and Shepstone Management Company to be finalized. As soon as the contract if complete, the members of the ACCT will contact Mr. Shepstone to offer assistance in the development of the plan.

Heat Loss Study: The study was approved during the July Supervisor’s meeting. The Clifford Township Historical Society plans to begin making improvements to the museum in the fall
Policy and Procedure Handbook: On hold pending the development of the CP.
Web Site: Ms. Roberts, ACCT secretary, has asked Rene Reynolds, Clifford Township secretary to ask permission from the supervisors to start uploading the minutes from the ACCT meeting and other important documents to the township’s formal web site for public viewing.
Other Business: For your information, you can find forms to file for Right to Know at http://openrecords.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/open_records/4434. This information was obtained at a public meeting held in Jackson Township regarding publication of minutes of certain monthly meetings.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 7 PM in the Municipal Building.
Point of contact for this correspondence is Sally Roberts, sroberts@nep.net. Minutes approved by Mark Wilmot, mswilmot@nep.net

Attendees: Chris Marcho,

Sally and Tom Roberts

Robert Schridber

Mark and Sandy Wilmot.

Advisory Committee of Clifford Township
Minutes of Meeting
March 23, 2011
The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from the February 23, 2011 meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Members of the ACCT are currently researching information on several projects. The status on each project is listed below.
Development of a Comprehensive Plan
Performing an extensive Heat Loss Study
Preparing for the next Township Newsletter
Policy and Procedure Handbook for Clifford Township Property

Comprehensive Plan: The Board of Supervisors (BOS) have stated they will meet with Mr. Tom Shepstone from Shepstone Management Company, Planning and Research Consultants, based in Honesdale, to discuss the possibility of developing a Comprehensive Plan for Clifford Township. The meeting is expected to take place prior to the next township meeting which is scheduled for April 11, 2011 at 7 PM in the municipal building. Mr. Shepstone’s resume’ can be found at http://www.shepstone.net/Resume.html.
Heat Loss Study: Mr. Larry Wilson presented the results of the study to the BOS at the March 14, 2011 township meeting. He is now working with several contractors and businesses to develop an estimate of costs to repair the existing deficiencies, using volunteers as much as possible. The anticipated return on investment to make the repairs is relatively high given the cost of fuel in today’s environment.
Township Newsletter: The newsletter has been published and will be mailed to the Clifford Township residents and homeowners during the week of March 28, 2011.
Policy and Procedure Handbook: New business presented discussion for a project to research and develop policies and procedures for the use and management of the Clifford Township properties to include the municipal ball field and the municipal building. These policies and procedures will be placed in a handbook for public access. The handbook will also present a plan of action for continued improvements to the municipal building. The goal will be to provide an environment that will invite the community to use the building for community events and meetings to include the Boy and Girl Scout groups. More information will be presented in future minutes as the plan starts to come together.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 7 PM in the Municipal Building.
Point of contact for this correspondence is Sally Roberts,
Minutes approved by Mark Wilmot, Chris Marcho and Fred Lyon, spokespersons for the ACCT
Attendees: Chris Marcho, Tom and Sally Roberts, Mark Wilmot, Larry Wilson
April 27, 2011
The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from the March 23, 2011 meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Members of the ACCT are currently researching information on several projects. The status on each project is listed below.
Ordinance for construction of natural gas compressor stations
Development of a Comprehensive Plan
Performing an extensive Heat Loss Study on the Municipal Building
Policy and Procedure Handbook for Clifford Township Property at the Municipal Building

Ordinance for Construction of Compressor Stations: Members of the ACCT learned that a gas company intends to request approval to build a compressor station in Clifford Township. Currently the township does not have an ordinance to oversee the construction of these buildings. The impending expansion of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline also creates a sense of urgency. Two proposals were suggested to alleviate the situation. One to include provisions in the current Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, which would probably not get through the approval process in time for the start of the construction and a second to immediately adopt the Susquehanna County Ordinance temporarily until a more permanent solution can be developed. A report was filed with the Board of Supervisors (BOS) for their consideration.

Comprehensive Plan: The Board of Supervisors (BOS) met with Mr. Tom Shepstone of Shepstone Management Company, Planning and Research Consultants, based in Honesdale, to discuss the possibility of developing a Comprehensive Plan for Clifford Township. The BOS have taken the matter under advisement.

Heat Loss Study: Mr. Larry Wilson has finalized the details of the study. He is currently breaking down the results into manageable improvement projects. Each project will have a significant, short term, return on investment. Projects include but are not limited to closing off the large windows in front of the building and insulating the walls and ceilings.

Policy and Procedure Handbook: This project has been placed on hold until other projects have been completed.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 7 PM in the Municipal Building.
Attendees: Chris Marcho, Phil McHugh, Linda Parlanti, Sally and Tom Roberts, Robert Schreiber, Marvis Searle, Pat Sinco, Peg Tomazic, Mark Wilmot, Larry Wilson.
May Meeting 2011
Attendees: Fred Lyon, Chris Marcho, Linda Parlanti, Tom and Sally Roberts, Marvis Searle, Sandy Wilmot, Larry Wilson.
Advisory Committee of Clifford Township
Minutes of Meeting
June 22, 2011
The monthly meeting of the Advisory Committee of Clifford Township (ACCT) was held on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at the Clifford Township Municipal Building. Mark Wilmot, spokesperson, opened the meeting. The attendees are listed in the attachment.
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from the May 25, 2011 meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Members of the ACCT are currently researching information on several projects. The status on each project is listed below.
Development of a Comprehensive Plan (CP)
Performing an extensive Heat Loss Study on the Municipal Building
Policy and Procedure Handbook for Clifford Township Property at the Municipal Building
Web site for ACCT minutes and reports

Comprehensive Plan:
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved obtaining the services of Mr. Tom Shepstone, Shepstone Management Company during the June 13, 2011 township meeting. Mr. Shepstone will guide the township in the development of a professional, detailed CP. The members of the ACCT are prepared to assist with this project in order to keep costs at a reasonable level. The ACCT is waiting on the approved contract with Mr. Shepstone to begin assisting.
In order to begin the process the township residents need to go through the process of who they are, where they’ve been and where they want to go strategically with the management of the community. In order to obtain input there must be public meetings, focus groups, and perhaps phone canvassing, advertising in Mulligan’s Shopping Guide, newspaper articles, and door to door canvassing. There will also be a survey, however delivery method at this time is not known.
Heat Loss Study: The study is complete. To kick off the upgrading of the building, the Clifford Township Historical Society will fund and provide volunteers to make improvements to the room that has been dedicated as the township’s museum.
Policy and Procedure Handbook: On hold pending the development of the CP.
Web Site: The ACCT was formed in January 2010. Since then there have been monthly minutes and various reports developed and published via an email. Unfortunately, all the original electronic copies reside on the PC of one individual with no one in the township having access. In order to correct this, the ACCT will be asking the BOS during the July 11, 2011 township meeting for permission to put this information on the township’s web site so all residents with access to the web site can view the information. Ms. Roberts, ACCT secretary is prepared to coordinate this effort with Rene Reynolds, township secretary, if approved.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 7 PM in the Municipal Building.
Point of contact for this correspondence is Sally Roberts, sroberts@nep.net.                                   Minutes approved by Mark Wilmot, mswilmot@nep.net, Chris Marcho, Fred Lyon.
Attendees:   Fred Lyon
                     Linda Parlanti
                     Sally and Tom Roberts
                     Marvis Searle
                     Sandy and Mark Wilmot
                     Larry Wilson

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Clifford Township Municipal Building
119 Cemetery Street (State Route 2050)
Between State Route 106 and State Route 2012
Clifford, PA 18413-0339
United States
ph: 570-222-9364
cliffordtwp@yahoo.com