The West Deer Newsletter! Flooding, Etc
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WDA Newsletter for theBulletin Residents of West Deer Township July 2019 SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY TEXT NOTIFICATIONS Most residents have cellular phones -- and therefore have the ability to send and receive text messages. The Board of Supervisors felt it was impor- tant to have a method of no- tifying residents instantly of emergency situations, such as closed roads, downed trees, Welcome to the West Deer Newsletter! flooding, etc. With The Town Flyer no longer being 2. Improved website updates. The The Township enrolled in a published, the Township lost an impor- website is an invaluable tool, and it service called SimpleTexting, tant way of reaching out to residents each will be receiving greater attention. and it is free for residents to month. Not all people used computers, sign up. To do so, please send not all people used social media, but a 3. An emergency texting service. In a text message to: great deal of people read The Town Flyer. situations where, for example, a road 900-900 is closed, the Board wanted a way to and type in the keyword: The Board of Supervisors realized the notify anyone interested in knowing. westdeer information void needed filled, so they worked with the administration to come 4. A possible Facebook page. The up with a multi-pronged approach to Board realizes people use Facebook, reach as many residents as possible: and is attempting to find a way to get information out on Facebook while still 1. This newsletter. Mailed to every protecting privacy and limiting abuse. Contact Information household in the Township, it is the most comprehensive way of getting We hope you enjoy this initiative, and West Deer Township people information. find it informative! 109 East Union Road Cheswick, PA 15024 West Deer Township Road Where do my taxes go? p.3 Program Information p.8 Phone: 724.265.3680 Police: 911 Police Admin: 724.265.1100 THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE: TONS OF INFORMATION Hours: M-F 8:00am to 4:00pm West Deer Township has a wonderful website. It is updated regularly with notices of meetings and other important Township information. It also has the Township Budget and the full, searchable Township Code. Please check it out at : www.westdeertownship.com GARBAGE/RECYCLING INFO One of the most disputed and misunderstood topics in the Township is rubbish/recycling collection. Garbage attracts vermin and disease, is horrible to look at, and simply smells bad. Because of these reasons, the Board of Supervisors adopted a “Solid Waste” ordinance -- Chapter 181 of the Township Code as seen on our website -- which made collection and disposal of garbage/recyclables mandatory throughout the Township. This also means that all one- and two-family residences are obligated to pay the rate of service to the trash hauler awarded -- through an agreement -- by the Board of Supervisors through a formal bid process. Why? Because the hauler is also obligated to pick up the trash. They are not permitted to “pick and choose” addresses. When it comes to recycling, Morrow uses an repurposed garbage truck to collect it. So though it may look like they are dumping recyclables in with garbage, it is kept separate. Morrow pays $30/ton less for recycling, and the recycling center is in Middlesex. The garbage dump is in Monroeville. So they would have to pay more and drive farther (with turnpike tolls) by mixing recycling with garbage. There are times when trash pick-ups may be missed. In those situations, please contact Morrow Refuse at 724.265.2491. If you are unable to get through to Morrow, please contact the Township office at 724.265.3680. We’ll do our best to help! SOME COLLECTION TIPS 1. Read over Chapter 181 on our website for rules and requirements.. It’s simple! Click on “Township Code” on the front page, type in “181” in the search bar at the top of the second page, then click on the “Solid Waste” result! 2. Make sure your trash is out the night before pick-up so you aren’t missed. Pickup is between 6:00am and 6:00pm. 3. Ensure you either use a sturdy garbage can, or use thick contractor bags (sold at stores such as Lowe’s). Critters such as raccoons, crows, and even bears (!) will tear apart weak, unprotected kitchen bags. 4. Along those lines, Morrow is not responsible for picking up loose trash. As per the requirements, garbage must be bagged. HOW DID WE GET MORROW REFUSE? Some people ask why they have to use a designated trash hauler instead of being able to choose their own. As stated above, garbage collection is a public health issue, but comments are sometimes heard that “there are back door dealings,” and “supervisors get kick-backs.” Neither is at all true. The awarding of a refuse agreement by the Board of Supervisors is a formal bid process. During the current agreement award process, the request for bids was advertised in the local newspaper. Three companies -- Waste Management, Vogel, and Morrow -- picked up bid packets. Of the three, only Morrow attended the mandatory pre-bid meeting required by the Board, and Morrow was the only company to properly submit a bid. Their bid for 2019 was $17.00 per month. In comparison, Richland Township’s rate with Vogel is $24.10 per month in 2019. 02 NEWSLETTER | JULY 2019 “WE NEED MORE WHERE DO MY TAX BUSINESSES SO DOLLARS GO? TAXES WILL DROP!” It seems that every time the question of how to improve the Township – or whether to raise taxes – comes up, there is a similar refrain: “We need more businesses in the Township to lower taxes! That will solve our problems!” While this is a normal (and very popular) response, in reality it is not always true. In 1988, the Pennsylvania legislature passed what was known as the Pennsylvania Local Tax Reform Act. This We receive many questions from residents in regard to their Act prohibited municipalities that did not property taxes, so each year we include a breakdown to help tax business proceeds -- such as West people make sense of it. Deer -- from ever receiving business taxes. Firstly, many folks do not realize that there are THREE different As an example, if a Wal-Mart moved into property taxes in West Deer: School District, County, and the Township today, West Deer would Township. The Township has no control over the County and receive $0 from taxing their profit. Not one School District taxes, and vice versa. penny! The current 2019 information for each is as follows: Now we would receive a property tax, local services tax (LST), and fire tax. Those Taxing Body Millage Rate Portion of Each Tax Dollar would total $28,373 using an average Deer Lakes 21.953 $0.74 Wal-Mart’s value and employee count. Allegheny County 4.73 $0.16 West Deer 2.99 $0.10 However, that Wal-Mart would require additional policing, more wear-and-tear on The following is the actual annual amount that would be paid for the roads, etc., so the cost to the Township the average property assessment of $115,600 in West Deer: would be greater than the $28,373 gained. Deer Lakes: $ 2,537.77 Having businesses in the Township is Allegheny County: $ 546.79 very valuable, and desirable. That is why West Deer: $ 345.64 the Board is working diligently in getting SMART business growth in the Township... for the right reasons. No taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant. - George Washington JULY 2019 | NEWSLETTER 03 WEST DEER TOWNSHIP BAIRDFORD PARK AUGUST 2ND AND 3RD 12th Annual West Deer Township Community Day Parade! Friday, August 2nd, at 6:30pm Featuring: Bands, Drill Teams, Fire Trucks, and Much, Much, More! Community Days One-Mile Walk/5K Run for Breast Cancer The annual walk/run begins at 10:30am in Bairdford Park. There is a $10 registration fee to benefit local residents through the Adagio Health Group. If you pre-register prior to July 15th, you will receive a t-shirt prior to the event. The shirts can be picked up at the event tent in Bairdford Park Thursday, August 1st between 6:00pm and 9:00pm, or Saturday the 3rd at 9:30am. For more information, please visit www.westdeertownship.com, or call 724.265.1100 Fireworks by Zambelli Fireworks! Saturday, August 3rd, at 10:00pm * Rain Date: Sunday, August 4th at 9:30pm ALL EVENTS ARE FREE! * Times are Subject to Change * Vendors Must Register and Pay in Advance. No Vendors Accepted the Day of the Event. * NO PETS ARE PERMITTED IN THE PARK 04 NEWSLETTER | JULY 2019 2019 Community Days 6:00pm: Park Opens (all-day music by West Deer’s D.J. Wild Bill!) 6:00pm to 10:00pm: Hay Ride 7:00pm to 11:00pm: Euro-Bungee, Inflatables, and Carnival Rides 7:30pm to 9:00pm: Balloon Making Ridge Runners Car Show 8:30pm to 9:30pm: Dennis Bowman -- Ventriloquist 9:30am to 10:30am: Registration for One-Mile Walk/5k Run for Breast Cancer 10:30am: One-Mile Walk/5k Run for Breast Cancer 12:00pm: Park Opens (all-day music by West Deer’s D.J. Wild Bill!) 1:00pm to 9:00pm: Euro-Bungee, Inflatables, and Carnival Rides 2:00pm to 3:00pm: Home Depot Children’s Wooden Building Projects 3:00pm to 4:00pm: “That Guy with the Birds” 4:00pm to 5:00pm: Wild Animal Show 4:00pm to 9:00pm: Bingo (sponsored by St. Victor’s Church) 5:00pm to 5:30pm: Pirate Parrot 5:00pm to 9:00pm: Hay Ride Balloon Making by Pittsburgh Puppet Works Airbrush Tattoo Artist 5:30pm to 6:00pm: Police K-9 Demonstration 6:00pm to 7:00pm: Ice Cream Eating Contest 7:00pm to 9:30pm: Karaoke by Dave Oleniacz 10:00pm: Zambelli Fireworks (Rain Date: Sunday, Aug 4th at 9:30pm) JULY 2019 | NEWSLETTER 05 STREETLIGHTS IN STREETLIGHT STREETLIGHT THE TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENTS BURNED OUT? The Township believes in If your any part of your property Many people believe the Township providing a safe environment -- within 150 feet -- is lit by a changes burnt-out streetlight for its residents.