BOROUGH NEWS
(updated June 29, 2009)

   NEW WEB TOOL TO CHECK STATUS OF PA PROPERTY TAX/RENT REBATES

Eligible older adults and residents with disabilities can now check the status of Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications online at http://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 July 1st.
 
Through a similar automated phone service, Property Tax/Rent Rebate applicants can check rebate status by calling, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES.
 
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 http://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.

BOROUGH NEWSLETTER

The spring 2009 issue of the Borough Newsletter includes articles on the Borough's Code of Ordinances, the Eagle Fire Company, the Aquetong Watershed Association, and the Bucks County Household Hazardous Waste and Old Computer Collection Program. If you did not receive a copy in the mail, please stop by Borough Hall and pick one up at the front desk.

CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG

Pennsylvania Act 287 of 1974, as amended by PA Act 181 of 2006, requires contractors and homeowners to call Pennsylvania's One Call 811 number at least three working days before digging or excavating.The importance of safe digging cannot be emphasized enough. Careless digging causes far-reaching consequences, from serious personal injury and environmental damage to costly delays. For additional information, call PA One Call System, Inc. at 1 800 242 1776.

SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY

Advance planning and preparedness for emergencies are especially important for people with special needs, such as those who can't receive, understand or act upon emergency protective orders. Emergency responders must be able to rapidly identify the location, accessibility, and mobility requirements of individuals with special needs.

The Special Needs Registry is a free, voluntary, and strictly confidential program designed to help individuals who would have difficulty during an emergency because of physical or cognitive limitations, language barriers, or lack of transportation. Individuals or their caregivers may register by accessing www.specialneedspa.org or contacting the Bucks County Emergency Management Agency office at 215 340 8700. The information collected will not be available to the public and will be held securely and accessed only for the purpose of emergency response and planning.

Participating counties include Bucks, Montgomery and Chester.

EAGLE FIRE COMPANY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

The Eagle Fire Company is seeking volunteers who want to make a difference in their community. Joining the fire company family offers a whole new realm of possibilities that will add value to your life and the lives of those you serve within our community. The skills and training available in the fire company can advance your career, brighten your resume and build valuable and long lasting relationships. We are seeking dedicated individuals to serve as members of our firefighting and volunteer community. There is a place for everyone in the fire company. You can give a little time or a lot of time. We are a community of extraordinary people living an extraordinary life, committed to making a difference. Please consider the possibility of becoming a member of our family if you are 14 years or older. Call 215-862-2692, or email tark@pil.net, or feel free to stop by the station at 46 N. Sugan Rd. any Tuesday evening.

The Eagle Fire Company district encompasses 12 square miles and more than 10,000 residents in New Hope Borough and Solebury Township. The company operates out of two stations and provides fire protection, vehicle rescue, water/land search/rescue, and primary hazardous materials response.

LOWER DELAWARE RIVER WILD & SCENIC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Lower Delaware River Wild & Scenic Management Committee is the public body of representatives from the 2 States, 5 Counties, 26 Municipalities, and Non-Profit Organizations within the Wild & Scenic River Corridor (the Delaware Water Gap to Washington Crossing) that have resolved or entered into a Memorandum of Understanding supporting the Lower Delaware River Management Plan. Each supporting entity appoints a delegate and an alternate to serve as a voting member of the Committee.

New Hope Borough is seeking an interested resident to serve on the Committee as New Hope's alternate delegate. If you are interested, please contact the Borough at 215 862 3347 or newhopeborough@comcast.net

FALL LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM

The New Hope Borough Department of Public Works conducts an annual fall leaf collection program on Wednesdays during the months of October and December. All leaves must be placed in plastic or paper bags. Bags must be tied.

The dates for the 2009 collections will be published in September 2009.

 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Are You Ready: An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness is available online from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at http:www.fema.gov/areyouready

This publication offers a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness for individuals, families, and communities and provides important information on specific hazards such as floods, hurricanes, winter storms, and terrorism.

Additional emergency preparedness information is available on-line from BuckCounty at

http://www.buckscounty.org/readybucks/

ReadyNotifyPA - FIND OUT FIRST!

Emergencies. Severe weather. Threats to homeland security. When situations arise in Southeastern Pennsylvania that may affect you and your family, ReadyNotifyPA allows local officials to notify you quickly.

Be among the first to find out and stay informed during an emergency. ReadyNotifyPA can send an E-mail or a text message to your cell phone, BlackBerry or other E-mail enabled device. You let ReadyNotifyPA know how you’d like to be notified.

When an emergency happens, ReadyNotifyPA is your personal connection that will help you stay informed.

You choose the county or counties–Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia–that will send you alerts. Pick the county or counties where you spend most of your time–it can be where you live, work or play.

Sign up at www.ReadyNotifyPA.org.

ReadyNotifyPA is a Ready Region service funded by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force and the emergency management coordinators of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

RESIDENTS' PARKING PERMITS

New Hope Borough Council has announced the immediate availability of a new class of parking permit to encourage Borough residents to support local businesses. This permit will allow a resident of the Borough to park at any on-street metered parking space, except for special purpose parking spaces such as those reserved for the disabled, on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 A.M. to 12 Noon, and Monday through Friday, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M., throughout the year. Permits are available at the New Hope Borough Police Department, located at 41 North Main Street, at an annual cost of $25.00. Permits purchased in 2008 are valid through December 31, 2008. Proof of residency (i. e., a valid Pennsylvania drivers license showing a New Hope Borough address) must be submitted to, and verified by the Police Department in order to obtain a permit. This program is limited to one (1) parking permit per dwelling unit. The permit must be displayed on the vehicle in accordance with Police Department regulations.

AQUETONG WATERSHED ASSOCIATION

The newly formed Aquetong Watershed Association is seeking New Hope residents to join in its efforts to promote and preserve the natural environment and diverse community that is within the Aquetong Watershed. The Watershed has a drainage area of 8.39 square miles and contains approximately 23 miles of stream. About 30% of the watershed, primarily in the upper reaches of Solebury Township, is protected by conservation easements. There are about 3,000 residences and businesses in the Aquetong Watershed.

The Aquetong Watershed Association seeks to:

• Protect natural resources, restore damaged areas, and promote the preservation of open space within the watershed;

• Encourage the participation of individuals, businesses, and governments in decisions affecting the watershed; and

• Provide the community with a greater sense of appreciation for the watershed and the importance of sustainable ecological management.

Anyone wishing to join this effort or learn more can contact the Association at 215 862 7250 or aquetongwatershed@comcast.net.

STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE

The Borough's Department of Public Works schedules sweeping in the downtown area every Monday and Friday, starting at 7:30 A.M., weather permitting. Other local streets and neighborhoods are swept at four week intervals. By special agreement, the Borough sweeps the Riverwoods development four times each year.

COUNCIL PURCHASES NEW STREET PROPERTY

The New Hope Borough Council, at its public meeting of February 27, 2007, approved an Agreement of Sale with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church for purchase of a three-acre parcel located at 111 New Street in the Borough. The parcel is the former site of the St. Martin of Tours Church, which was constructed in 1885.

The 3-acre parcel is part of a larger 5.7-acre tract (Tax Map Parcel No. 27-10-12) owned by the Archdiocese and St. Martin’s Church. The Agreement calls for the 5.7-acre tract to be subdivided into two parcels—a 3.1-acre parcel to be conveyed to the Borough and a 2.6-acre parcel to be retained by the local church for continuing use as a cemetery. The 3.1-acre parcel is improved with a one-story masonry church with partial basement (c. 5,860 sq. ft.), a two and one-half story masonry dwelling (c. 3,347 sq. ft.) and a two-car garage (c. 592 sq. ft.).

The Borough plans to relocate all municipal services to the New Street site following completion of renovations to the facilities. The New Street site, unlike the current North Main Street facility, offers adequate space for current municipal services and programs and provides additional land for future growth. The upper level of the former church will provide handicapped accessible space for public meetings and a center for special community events and services.

The Borough will use grants, general obligations bonds, and parking revenues generated at the site to fund a portion of the purchase and renovation costs. Debt service will average about $172,500 annually. The Borough will cover a substantial part of the annual debt service expense through an estimated $60,000 in parking revenues generated by a portion of the 80 parking spaces available at the site. The net cost to the average Borough property owner, whose property is assessed at $47,400, is estimated at about $95.00 per year in local real estate taxes.

In addition, revenues from the sale of the current town hall, located at 41 North Main Street, will fund a substantial portion of the New Street project costs. The Pennsylvania Borough Code requires the Borough to sell the North Main Street property to the highest bidder, using a competitive public bid process.

The Landmark Towns communities, consisting of the boroughs of Bristol, Morrisville, Yardley, and New Hope, recently completed work on a strategic plan designed to encourage regional and local revitalization efforts. The plan strongly endorses and supports the concept of relocating the New Hope Town Hall to an area outside of the central business district and the conversion of the existing North Main Street facility to commercial use to expand and strengthen the downtown business community.

The excess parking spaces at the New Street site will be available for public parking on a controlled basis. This will provide a significant number of parking spaces to bolster the business community in the south end of town, which has experienced a loss of available parking in recent years due to appreciation in the value of real estate throughout the Borough.

Ownership of the 3.1 acre parcel transferred to the Borough on July 31, 2007.

DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

FLOOD MITIGATION TASK FORCE

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) recently published the final recommendations of the Delaware River Basin Flood Mitigation Task Force. The plan is available at the DRBC web site.

NEW HOPE ADOPTS REGULATIONS GOVERNING RENTAL HOUSING UNITS

New Hope Council, at a public meeting held on July 12, 2006, adopted Ordinance No. 2006-08, establishing regulations governing the rental of dwelling units within the Borough. The ordinance defines a dwelling unit as “…any room or group of rooms or any part thereof located within a building containing habitable space and forming a single housekeeping unit with facilities which are used or designed to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating for a single family or the functional equivalent thereof.”

Ordinance No. 2006-08 provides a means to determine the number of occupants who may reside in a particular dwelling unit in relation to the unit's gross floor area, requires the licensing of rented dwelling units, and allows for inspection of such units, as necessary, to determine compliance.

The ordinance prohibits a landlord, owner or a tenant of a dwelling unit from allowing a greater number of people to rent or occupy a dwelling unit than the permitted maximum number of tenants listed in the Landlord Registration Statement and License. In addition, tenants are obligated to notify landlords of any increase in the number of tenants within ten (10) days of the arrival of a new tenant. Fines for violations range from $300.00 to a maximum of $1,000.00.

The cost of the annual License is $25.00 per building, which includes a maximum of 1 rental unit per building, plus $10.00 for each additional rental unit over 1.

The Landlord Registration Statement and Application form and the occupancy standards established by Ordinance No. 2006-08 are available at Borough Hall, located at 41 North Main Street, New Hope, Pa. 18938, or on-line here. Completed Registration Statements and Applications will be accepted at Borough Hall on or after August 10, 2006.

BUCKS COUNTY WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM 

For water and sewer emergencies, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., Authority customers may call 1-800-222-2068 or 1-215-343-2538. To report emergencies during nonbusiness hours, weekends, and holidays, customers may call 1-215-343-3946.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maintenance problems on state highways should be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) by using its toll-free Roadway Maintenance Hotline at 1-800-FIX-ROAD (1-800-349-7623). Dial 9-1-1 to report accidents, disabled vehicles, or other emergencies.

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM

In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in response to the rising cost of taxpayer funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source for flood insurance in the U.S.

Nearly 20,000 communities across the United States and its territories, including New Hope Borough, participate in the NFIP by adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. In exchange, the NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available to homeowners, renters, and business owners in these communities.

Property owners are required to purchase flood insurance to get secured financing to buy, build, or improve structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA's). Lending institutions that are federally regulated or federally insured must determine if the structure is located in a SFHA and must provide written notice requiring flood insurance.

Flood insurance is available to any homeowner, renter, or business owner located in a community participating in the NFIP. Flood insurance can be purchased from a licensed private insurance company or an independent property and casualty insurance agent. Talk to an insurance agent if you have questions, would like additional information, and/or are ready to purchase a flood insurance policy.Your policy will take effect 30 days after your purchase.

If your insurance agent is unfamiliar with the NFIP or is not licensed to sell National Flood Insurance, you have several additional options:

• Find an agent serving your area.

• Find companies that participate in the NFIP and offer flood insurance.

• Contact the NFIP at (888) 379-9531 to request a referral.

GRASS AND WEEDS

Chapter 10, Part 1 of the New Hope Borough Code of Ordinances requires property owners to cut or trim all grass and weeds in excess of twelve (12”) inches in height. This also includes the grass and weeds located in the road rights-of-way, between the sidewalk and the curb. The penalty for violation is a maximum fine in the amount of $600.00.

STREET LIGHTS

The Borough maintains all street lights within the Borough of New Hope. The only exceptions to this are the street lights located in private developments, such as Village II and Riverwoods. These street lights are owned and maintained by the respective homeowners’ associations. Another exception concerns underground wiring. All underground wiring problems involving PECO Energy handles street lights. Please refer all street light outages, except those in Riverwoods and Village II, to Borough Hall at 215 862 3347. The Borough street light maintenance contractor will determine the nature of the problem and either make the necessary repairs or refer the problem to PECO Energy, if the outage is caused by an underground wiring problem. When reporting street light outages, please refer to the pole number or provide the street address closest to the defective street light.

SOLID WASTE REGULATIONS

Borough Ordinance No. 2007-11 establishes regulations for the accumulation, collection, and disposal of solid waste. Section 223-25 of the ordinance states that refuse containers must be placed at the curb for collection between the hours of 4:00 P.M. on the day prior to collection and 7:00 P.M. on the day of collection by the hauler. Individuals, who place trash at the curb on days or times prohibited by the ordinance, may be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 per violation. For additional information on the Borough's solid waste and recycling programs, click here.

PROPERTY ADDRESS DISPLAY REGULATIONS

All property owners within the Borough are reminded of the requirement of the International Property Maintenance Code to display approved addresses in a position to be plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property. The numbers must contrast with their background. Address numbers must be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers must be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch.

BUCKS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REGULATION OF PRIVATE WELLS

The Bucks County Department of Health has begun to implement regulations and standards for individual water wells for drinking water. The completion or grouting of a well must be inspected and certified by the County Health Department. The newly adopted County regulations establish minimum standards for:

1. the location of individual wells;
2. the construction, alteration, or abandonment of individual wells; and
3. the licensing of well-water contractors.

Copies of the rules and regulations and construction standards are available at the Bucks County Department of Health, Health Building, Neshaminy Manor Center, Doylestown, Pa. 18901, 215-345-3318.

EARNED INCOME TAX

Earned Income Tax: Please refer to FAQ’s or visit the Berkheimer web site for information on the Earned Income Tax. Berkheimer Tax Administrator is the appointed collector for the Earned Income Tax.