| Developer Gary Strausser earns another Express-Times Turkey Reprinted from the FAC blog 7/11/09: "The Express-Times gave developer Gary Strausser today's Turkey award for his on-going battle with Forks Township. The township's Planning Commission voted 4 to 3 to take control of Ramblewood Drive in Riverview Estates. Commissioners David Billings, Carl Dicker, and Dean Turner voted no to the Strausser proposal. Several members of the Planning Commission expressed their concern about the lingering issues between Strausser Enterprises and the Township. The main issue is Strausser Enterprise's inability to finish projects and honor its commitments with the Township." Also, please read Lynn Olanoff's Express Times article on the Planning Commission meeting itself for more on the Strausser proposal discussion. |
| Public Works Garage Update Reprinted from the FAC blog: Forks Township is seeking bids from professional architectural/Engineering firms to build the new public works building. The following is a summary of the bid notice obtained from the Forks Township website. “The Forks Township Board of Supervisors is seeking to secure the services of an Architectural/Engineering Firm to design a public works facility on a 53 acre parcel of land owned by the township. This location was designated by a 2003 Feasibility Study, commissioned by the Board of Supervisors to locate the future site of a municipal public works facility. If selected as one of the three finalists, copies will be made available, upon request at no charge to the company. This location and facility is to be compatible with at the future recreational design of the balance of the property.” However, contrary to what the above notice implies, the BoS has not yet approved a public works facility location. Residents have expressed concerns about the above noted location (it is future park land) at both the recreation hearing and the garage proposal workshop. Supervisors expressly said that the location and final design will be discussed further with the BoS, Planning Commission, and the community and that residents will have an opportunity for more input. |
Are you looking for Sullivan County, PA?
Why F.A.C.?
Much of what happens in and to our community is not found in our local newspapers. The Forks Action Committee's website
and weblog are here to fill the void. "Knowledge is power!" Our goal is to keep you informed so that you have real power,
power at the polls and power at the podium.
Much of what happens in and to our community is not found in our local newspapers. The Forks Action Committee's website
and weblog are here to fill the void. "Knowledge is power!" Our goal is to keep you informed so that you have real power,
power at the polls and power at the podium.
We welcome those of you who reached our page in error when searching for Forks Township, PA in Sullivan County. We are
the Forks Township in Northampton County! Feel free to poke around and visit any time at all!
the Forks Township in Northampton County! Feel free to poke around and visit any time at all!
F.A.C. is for everyone!
Follow the news link to the left for updates on current and proposed projects in the township... and more about F.A.C. Don't
forget to visit our forksaction weblog where you can read what others think as well as express your own concerns, ideas, and
facts!
Follow the news link to the left for updates on current and proposed projects in the township... and more about F.A.C. Don't
forget to visit our forksaction weblog where you can read what others think as well as express your own concerns, ideas, and
facts!
F.A.C. and YOU!
F.A.C. will do its best to keep you abreast of things that are happening in our township... things that impact you, the residents
of Forks. For the 2005 Board of Supervisors race, we endorsed the candidacy of C. David Howell. He WON! Read more
about the race on our Election 05 page. Is that a FAC? You bet it is!
F.A.C. will do its best to keep you abreast of things that are happening in our township... things that impact you, the residents
of Forks. For the 2005 Board of Supervisors race, we endorsed the candidacy of C. David Howell. He WON! Read more
about the race on our Election 05 page. Is that a FAC? You bet it is!
You are visitor #
If you can't get there, visit our forksaction weblog. Join in the dialogue!
Meetings are where YOU can listen and can be heard!
Meetings are where things happen and happen TO you!
| In The News - F.A.C. Surveys! A special thanks to Express Times reporter Sarah Mausolf for reminding folks that they have a place to go to express their opinions. Although our surveys are not scientific, they are always topical and often thought provoking. We hope that you continue to participate! If you have a suggestion for a survey, please send us a note either via email or the form on the Contact Us page. |
| School District Impact Assessments - An Update - 5/7/06 The Board agreed to sign the Impact Resolution (#060504) at their meeting on 5/4/06! Forks Supervisors had this as an agenda item at their meeting on the 4/20. The Board listened to grassroots activists Don Dal Maso and Richard Cowell (both of Lower Mount Bethel Township) describe the costs to our schools of new developments and the children they bring. The Board learned that other townships have already passed resolutions in support of school district impact fees. They learned that Rep. Rich Grucela and Rep. Stephen Maitland (his bill is lengthy - jump to page 24 for the meat of it) have introduced bills in support of giving townships the legal right to assess school impact fees on developers. And, most important to Forks taxpayers, our Supervisors voted in favor of a resolution supporting the concept! - Williams Township residents are starting to weigh in on it too! It's got a long way to go according to the Morning Call. An editorial in the Express Times described the proposal, the debate(s) to come, and Rep. Grucela's efforts. This is a big deal. To learn more about it, please contact Don Dal Maso directly. Please see our December 2005 Archive and our blog for more on this topic. Read Dal Maso's latest newsletter too and the Op-Ed piece in the Express Times. |
| No one knows that you CARE if you don't let them know! |
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Building Moratoriums and Impact Fees - Not Forgotten! On Wednesday, August 1st, State Representative Bob Freeman chaired a public hearing at Lafayette College to discuss allowing municipalities to impose building moratoriums while zoning and comprehensive plans are rewritten. And, on Thursday, August 2nd, both Freeman and State Representative Rich Grucela hosted a hearing on developer impact fees (a way to pay for schools when development makes expansion necessary) in Upper Mount Bethel Township. Below are links to meeting(s) coverage, some of the testimony, and the House Bills: |
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Check out our Election 05 page for more on C. David Howell's election run and his victory. You'll find charts and graphs
and even polling place details. Email us if there's anything else you'd like to see there.
Our Howell links and the election results are now in one convenient place. We hope you like it. Congratulations to all who
voted!
and even polling place details. Email us if there's anything else you'd like to see there.
Our Howell links and the election results are now in one convenient place. We hope you like it. Congratulations to all who
voted!
Lawsuit Filed - Tree Cutting! Gary Strausser - the man - and Strausser Enterprises - the company - are being sued by Forks Township. The Board voted 4:0 at its meeting on September 20th to sue both Gary Strausser and Strausser Enterprises, the developer of Riverview, for cutting the stately old township owned maples on Old River Road. Read more in articles by JD Malone (Express Times) and by Tom De Martini (Morning Call). This battle will be not be dull - Gary Asteak, Esq. represents Gary Strausser and his company. According to Township Solicitor, Karl Kline, the Township has requested a jury trial. Strausser In The News Again! The Express Times' Jimmy Miller (9/2/07) reported further on the allegations made by Strausser representative Sal Panto to the Forks Supervisors - that on at least four occasions, EMS (from outside Forks) did not arrive at the Riverview Country Club when a 911 call was made because the (still private) Riverview roads are not on the Northampton County 911 mapping system. Panto said that dispatched vehicles are not able to find the golf course country club on Winchester Drive. - Because of this, Strausser has asked the Township to take over maintenance of Riverview's roads. Barry Alberston, Jr. of Suburban EMS, said that this was untrue. Apparently there are two witnesses to one of the incidents - that of a woman fainting at the country club. Albertson said that Forks EMS called off that ALS call. .................................. Maples Gone - Strausser Gets TURKEY! The giants - maple trees that are older than any of us - are gone. Strausser Enterprises cut them down. One was 53" in diameter. Chopped to pieces. An Express Times TURKEY (August 25) went to Gary Strausser for cutting the trees and then asking the Forks Supervisors to take over maintenance of some of the Riverview roads! According to Express Times reporter JD Malone, the Township-hired arborist has finished inspecting the destroyed trees and will submit a report to the Board. This will be an agenda item at the September 6 meeting. Candidates are not quiet on the issue either. Bob Egolf's letter to Morning Call calls for vigilance when dealing with developers. David Billings' letters to the editor in both the Morning Call and to the Express Times urge the Board to take strong legal action. |
In case any of you wonder how our website and blog are doing lately, here are some graphs to view. Double click on the
images below for larger views. We are excited at the traffic we are getting. Thank you all! Tell your friends!
images below for larger views. We are excited at the traffic we are getting. Thank you all! Tell your friends!
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To those of you who have found your way here because of Sarah Mausolf's article in the 8/2/05 Express Times, we say THANK
YOU! Thank you for taking the time to see what F.A.C. is all about for yourselves. Before you dive in we want you to be aware
of a few things:
YOU! Thank you for taking the time to see what F.A.C. is all about for yourselves. Before you dive in we want you to be aware
of a few things:
- Despite what some may say, Forks Township is YOUR town. F.A.C. is here to keep you informed and involved.
- Please take just a few moments to read our mission statement.
- Like other organizations, we need you. Unlike other organizations, you can help us to help you from the comfort of your
home... and, at your convenience.
- WELCOME!
| FAC's Election 07 and Candidates In The News pages are very much alive and will remain available on this website. The four Forks Supervisor candidates waged some of the cleanest campaigns ever seen. It was truly a race among the good guys. It's too bad for Forks Township that only two candidates could win. To see the final tally, click here. To read JD Malone's (Express Times) after election interviews with Erik Chuss and Bob Egolf, click here. |
... keeping you informed!
| in beautiful Forks Township, PA 18040 |
Things YOU can do now! updated 3/7/2010
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| Meco/Sullivan traffic light is a GO - slow Update 8/6/09: Supervisors were told by Township Engineer Hay that Keystone Engineering is designing the PennDOT approved driveway entrance (Simms residence) onto Sullivan Trail. .............................................................................. Update 7/2/09: At the July 2 BoS meeting, Township Manager Schnaedter reported that the Meco traffic light permit process is ongoing and that a meeting with PennDot is upcoming with a property owner regarding the placement of the stop line on Meco east side. ............................................................................... Update 4/11/09: Township Engineer Fred Hay told the Board at its March 19 meeting that although the application is in, the rules keep changing for the handicap sidewalk ramps. The Federal government is making the State upgrade all State roads (handicap ramps). Hay said that the paperwork is horrendous. ................................................................................ Reprinted from the FAC blog 3/15/09: According to Christopher Baxter of the Morning Call, the longed for traffic light at Meco Road and Sullivan Trail will soon become a reality. Rob Leiser, owner of Leiser's Rental Barn, has approved and signed the PennDOT agreement. In exchange for his cooperation, the Township will pay for and install two new entrances to his business, one on Sullivan further from the intersection, and the other on Meco behind his business. Those of us who use that intersection owe Mr. Leiser our thanks. |
| Forks Action Committee |
| Forks Action Committee |
| An Amphitheater in Forks Future? On Thursday, at its July 16th meeting, the Forks BoS voted unanimously to hire CMX to design an amphitheater and to create the accompanying bid package for it. The $49,900 fee is being paid for with money from developer paid impact fees. Supervisors hope to raise donations and contributions to fund the building. The amphitheater is touted as a venue for free concerts and movies in the park. Please read Christopher Baxter (Morning Call) and Tony Nauroth (Express Times) for more on this newest addition to the Municipal Complex. |
| Stockertown may get Forks police coverage Stockertown has approached Forks Township to consider providing police coverage to the Borough. The Public Safety Committee continues to discuss it and the public has been told that It will be a long process as much information and data must be exchanged and reviewed. The committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 8 AM in the Municipal Building. All meetings are open to the public. Please see Chris Baxter's 7/30/09 Morning Call article for the latest update. |
| Forks sues Strausser Enterprises - again! On October 1st, the Board of Supervisors authorized Solicitor Kline to file two more suits against Strausser Enterprises. The first seeks to fund the now empty, but still required, escrow accounts for Riverview phases 2, 2C, 3, and 4. And, the second seeks to have the Court of Common Pleas confirm the Township's position, through Declaratory Judgement, that Riverview's phases 5 and 6 are no longer allowed since final plan submissions are more than three years late. Read Christopher Baxter (Morning Call) and Sarah Wojcik (Express Times) for details. |
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| Strausser Enterprises countersues Forks over 2007 tree cutting lawsuit! Defamation also charged According to the Sarah Cassi article in the Express Times (September 11, 2009), Strausser Enterprises has filed a countersuit against Forks Township for its 2007 lawsuit over the maple tree cutting on Old River Road. Christopher Baxter's September 15th Morning Call article details more specifics about the suit. Gary Strausser now accuses Forks Township of defaming him. See J.D. Malone's 2007 Express Times article for more background on the 2007 tree cutting incident and scroll down on this page for even more. |
| Strausser Enterprises just says "NO" reprinted from the FAC blog, 9/26/09: On September 17, after a Board of Supervisors Executive Session, votes were taken and unanimous approval was given to direct the Township Solicitor, Karl Kline, to write two letters to developer Gary Strausser's attorney. The first was regarding fully funding the Riverview project's now-at-zero escrow accounts. They should contain $250,000 and must be replenished by September 30, 2009. The second was to advise that whatever actions are necessary may be taken by the Township if the developer does not sign the agreement letter (last drafted in 2007) that defines the terms and conditions of extensions to the developer's PRD (Planned Residential Development) for phases 5 & 6. Final plans are 3-1/2 years late and there is no agreement in place. In the letter, the developer was asked to sign the time extension agreement by September 30, 2009. Read Christopher Baxter, the Morning Call, September 26, 2009. The article details the developer's refusal to sign the agreement and refusal to replenish the escrow accounts. |
| FAC's Election 09 page will remain available on this website. It was another municipal election in which two candidates were the Supervisor winners. In 2011, like 2005, there will only be one candidate elected. |
| Public Works garage - "green" concept approved On December 17th after hours of discussion, Forks Supervisors approved Kimmel- Bogrette's conceptual plan for the new public works garage. Residents of nearby Vista Estates expressed their concern about the proximity of the building site to their properties. Martin Kimmel said that moving the building 150 feet to the north will not cost extra and may in fact save money as the driveway entrance will be shorter. The plan as presented shows a building that is nestled into the sloping landscape and covered by a meadow grass roof that, once established, will not need mowing. Please read Sara Satullo's Express Times article for more details. On December 28th, the Morning Call published Christopher Baxter's thorough article and companion summary piece on the cost of building green. |
| KMRD appeals Procedural Challenge Decision Reprinted from the FAC blog - 1/24/2010: KMRD has filed an appeal of the Commonwealth Court ruling last December that upheld the Northampton Court of Common Pleas decision that upheld Forks Zoning Hearing Board's decision - in the KMRD Procedural Challenge. This is the challenge that originally alleged that Forks did not follow proper procedures in adopting its zoning ordinances - all the way back to 1983 and therefore they should all be thrown out and KMRD should be allowed to build under 1983 rules. KMRD had 30 days from the December 21, 2009 ruling to file their appeal to the PA Supreme Court. There is no guarantee that the court will agree to hear the case. Please see Tony Nauroth (Express Times) and Tom De Martini (Morning Call) for more. |
| PA Right to Know Law - Forks style Forks has an Open Records Officer as well as a policy for requesting public documents. Apparently, even if a form is filled out properly, there is no guarantee that a document request will be treated seriously. Attendees at the February 4th BoS meeting learned this first hand from a Forks Township Elected Auditor who reported that her document request was treated in an "extraordinary" manner. The request was neither denied nor granted. Instead our Elected Auditor received one of the requested documents and an email that read, "there are no covert plots, secret E- mails or sinister operations that have taken place.” PA law states, "A local agency may not deny a requester access to a public record due to the intended use of the public record by the requester unless otherwise provided by law.” The Elected Auditors set the wages of Supervisors who work for the Township in other capacities. Forks has two working Supervisors. One is the Secretary/Treasurer to the Board of Supervisors and the other is a part-time monitor at the Community Center. On January 5th the Elected Auditors set wages based on those positions. However, the Township website listed the Community Center Supervisor/employee as the "Office Coordinator." Our auditor was concerned that another meeting of the Elected Auditors would be necessary to reset that Supervisor's wage rate to agree with the new title. She requested documents so that she could learn more about the apparent job change. The new title is being removed from the website. Supervisor Chairman Chuss told our auditor to file another document request. Click to read our auditor's complete comments to the Board. |
| Comprehensive Plan - Approved! Forks Supervisors held a Public Hearing on February 18 at 6:30 PM in the Municipal Building - the topic was the new Comprehensive Plan. It was unanimously adopted at the regular meeting an hour later. The Forks Township Comprehensive Plan is now the guiding document for the Zoning Ordinance and SALDO (Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance) for the next five to ten years. Both the Zoning Ordinance and the SALDO will be scrutinized by the Planning Commission in 2010 work sessions to insure that all three are in agreement. Copies are available for public inspection at the Township office and on the Township website. Read more in Madeleine Mathias' 2/21/10 Express Times article. |
| Strausser sues Forks Township - Again! On December 17th Supervisors learned that developer Gary Strausser has filed another lawsuit against the Township and also against the Township Solicitor, Karl Kline, and Board Chairman, David Howell. This time Strausser alleges that he has been deprived of his constitutional rights - because the Township is enforcing its cash escrow policy and filing deadlines. See Michael Buck, Express Times, and Christopher Baxter, Morning Call for more. |
| Forks Debt Refinanced - Public Works Garage Included! On February 18th, Forks Supervisors agreed to refinance its old bonds at a new, lower interest rate, to add to the principal to cover the new public works garage, and to extend the payback time from 14 to 18 years. The interest rate change from the current 4.3% to the new 3.258% will net an interest savings in excess of $750,000. The dept changes from $7.7 million to $11.3 million. Supervisors learned that Standard & Poor's has given Forks an AA rating! Read more in Madeleine Mathias' 2/21/10 Express Times article on Forks debt and in the Everything Forks blog by David Billings. |