Manager's Corner
Current News - Last Revised:
December 29, 2011
Welcome
Welcome, everyone, to Hampden's Web Page. Our purpose, of course, is to share with you news and information that is relevant and timely, so, if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see on this Web Page, please feel free to send us an email.
s/ Keith B. Metts, Township Manager
Planning/Zoning
Emergency Services
Hampden’s Emergency Medical Services has begun its annual drive for family and individual subscriptions to finance operations for the next 12 months.
The EMS Department provides emergency medical coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week to residents and visitors of the Township and neighboring Shiremanstown and other communities. Subscribers also receive Advance Life Support service from West Shore EMS.
Annual Membership fees are $75 for a household and $60 for an individual. The fee provides unlimited emergency calls for residents. The Township also partially funds operational expenses.
The Township EMS, founded in 1975, cost more than $1 million to operate annual and is staffed round-the-clock by paid professionals. EMTs answer around 3,000 calls a year, according to William Cook, EMS Director.
As a reminder, Township ordinance requires that each residence in the Township be visibly marked with its street number. The purpose for this is to facilitate finding your home in case of an emergency. Our ambulance and fire company are asking that those numbers be as large as possible and placed conspicuously so that precious seconds can be gained in an attempt to find you in your time of need.
If you need a copy of the Family Preparedness Guide, please stop by the Township Office. Electronic copies of the guide are also available under the "Township Publications" section of the web site.
In this continued time of uncertainty, be assured that Hampden Township has a detailed and frequently reviewed Emergency Operations Plan. The plan outlines specific procedures for Township officials to follow in order to protect your life and property. Because there are many different scenarios that may constitute an emergency, the Commissioners would like to remind residents that your best source of information will come from your local radio and/or television stations. Cumberland Valley School District has stated that children will be sent home as soon as possible after the notification of an emergency, although parents who desire to pick their children up at school may do so. If an evacuation is ever required, Township Police and Fire Police will assume control. The Township recommends that you always have basic emergency essentials such as flashlights, radios and extra batteries in your home.
Public Works Department
Armitage Golf Club
New this year, Armitage Golf Club is offering a Corporate Tee Box Sponsorship Program.
Each tee box sponsorship includes a bench, ball washer, hole layout, trash and recycling receptacles and, of course, a 12” x 17” sign with your company logo and name. Additionally, as a tee box sponsor, your company will be recognized on our website with a direct link to your website. This will encourage patrons who access our website to learn more about your business as well. Along with the attractive and highly visible advertising, your company will also receive 20 complimentary rounds of golf, excluding a cart, to be used each year of your sponsorship.
SEE OUR SEPARATE WEBSITE @ http://www.armitagegolfclub.com for additional information
Resident ID cards are required by all residents in order to obtain the resident discount and can be obtained free of charge from the Recreation Department with proof of residency.
For a great dining experience, please visit The Caddy Shack or schedule a banquet at the Armitage Meeting Room!
Yard Waste Recycling
The yard waste facility remains open from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, without an appointment. Starting April 1, the facility will be open the first and third Saturday of each month from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm without an appointment. A Resident ID card is required and residents are asked to enter the drop-off site from Technology Parkway in the Cumberland Technology Park. The facility is closed on holidays and during inclement weather.
Leaf compost and tan bark will no longer be available in the parks but can be picked up at the Yard Waste Facility while supplies last. The product must be loaded by the resident and no private-loading equipment will be permitted on the premises. Product picked up at the Yard Waste Facility will continue to be free of charge.
Commercial landscapers are permitted unlimited drop off at the Yard Waste Facility, even if the waste was not generated within Hampden Township. An application must be completed and payment made at the Hampden Township Municipal Building prior to a commercial landscaper's vehicle arriving at the Yard Waste Facility. The vehicle must be identified with the company's logo. An application form is available at the Township Municipal Building or at the Township web site under General Information, "On Line Forms". The cost to a commercial landscaper is $200.00 annually.
Visit our web site at www.hampdentownship.us for additional information. Branches and trimmings also may be placed curbside for collection by the Township's trash hauler.
Any problems, please call us at 909-7145.
Budget
The Board of Commissioners would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the Hampden Township real estate tax will be .156 mills which means for a home assessed at $100,000 a resident would pay $15.60 a year in real estate taxes to the Township. The School District and the Township are separate taxing bodies and the Township receives no tax revenue from the school district and there is no revenue sharing between the two.
Miscellaneous
As a reminder, if you or your association desires to participate in the Township's Adopt-A-Highway Program, please click here .
Please remember that trees must be trimmed to a height of 8 feet above all sidewalks and 12-1/2 feet above all streets. The sole purpose of this ordinance is for the safety of pedestrians and larger vehicles which must navigate our streets, particularly emergency services vehicles and street sweepers.
We would like to remind everyone that, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, welcomed or not, it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain the area surrounding the fire hydrant to keep it clear of all obstruction. This includes grass, weeds and, unfortunately, snow. We appreciate your cooperation and hope that you realize the work that you put in greatly enhances your safety and that of your neighbors.
Please be aware of the requirement to have your dog licensed annually. Dog licenses can be purchased at the Hampden Township Municipal Building. Please see our receptionist.
Meals on Wheels is a charitable organization that helps many residents within the Township and the Commissioners have agreed to proportionately support this program in order to assist our needy, less-fortunate neighbors.
The "Meals on Wheels" program needs drivers on the West Shore. For more information or to volunteer for this worthwhile community service, please call Tony Toter at 766-2623.
Bill of Rights
The PA Tax Reform Act, passed as PA Act 50, concerned itself primarily with the ability of school districts to relax their reliance on real estate tax. However, the Tax Reform Act also gave you, the taxpayer, the entitlement to receive a written explanation of your rights with regard to the audit, appeal, enforcement, refund, and collection of all local taxes. Accordingly, the Hampden Township Board of Commissioners has adopted the Hampden Township Taxpayers' Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights covers topics such as municipal requests of information from you, the occurrence of a suspected tax over or underpayment, and the process to be followed during a tax appeal. If you ever have any questions about your rights as a taxpayer, a copy of the Bill of Rights is available at the Township office or, if you call the staff at 761-0119, we'll gladly mail you one -- or you can download it from here on our Web site. Just click on "Taxpayers' Bill of Rights" under our "Table of Contents".
