Current News – Last Revised:
May 9, 2013
Welcome, everyone, to Hampden’s Website. 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 website, please feel free to send us an email.
s/ Keith B. Metts, Township Manager
Planning Commission
At the May 2, 2013 Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Board:
Approved the request for consideration for a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment by Pinnacle Health Hospitals amending Chapter 27 of the Hampden Township Zoning Ordinance.
Approved the request for the Transfer of Restaurant Liquor License No. E-1014 by Giant Food Stores, LLC into Hampden Township, for use at the northwest corner of Wertzville Road and Valley Road, Hampden Township, Pennsylvania.
Approved the request for consideration for amending Chapter 22 (Land Development) of the Township Code of Ordinances – Amending Contributions for Recreation Purposes Standards.
Approved, with conditions, the Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan for West Shore Cancer Center, located at 2015 Technology Parkway.
Public Works Department
At the May 2, 2013 Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Board:
Approved PennDOT’s proposed Adaptive Traffic Signal upgrade project along the Carlisle Pike corridor and supporting the concept of an inter-municipal agreement.
Approved the request for release of Metro Bank Maintenance Bond No. 1964 in the amount of $37,500.00 for Westover East Phase IV and V financial security/certain dedicated streets.
Approved the request to approve the non-extension notice from Bank of America regarding Letter of Credit No. 68013936 for Ahold, USA, Inc. on behalf of Giant Food Stores, LLC/ARP. Letter of Credit expires July 26, 2013.
Approved the request for release of Integrity Bank Letter of Credit No. 1375 in the amount of $273,300.00 for the Buffalo Wild Wings Project.
Approved McDonogh/Schlegel Golf Course Design to provide services for a bunker design and master plan of Armitage Golf Club at a cost of $14,950.00.
Emergency Services
At the May 2, 2013 Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Board:
Appointed Philip Lowe to the position of EMT, Emergency Medical Services Department, Grade 6, effective as soon as possible, to serve a six-month probationary period upon completion of a satisfactory background check.
Authorized advertisement of a Request for Proposal for Emergency Medical Services billing services.
Hampden’s Emergency Medical Services Department conducts an annual drive for family and individual subscriptions to finance operations. I encourage you to take advantage of the subscription offer. 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 $100 for a household and $70 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 annually to operate and is staffed round-the-clock by paid professional EMTs who 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 volunteer fire company are asking that those address 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.
A copy of the Family Preparedness Guide is available electronically by selecting this link.
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. Hampden Township and the South Central Task Force also provide emergency email alert notifications via email. sign up for the service by clicking here. 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.
Armitage Golf Club
Armitage Golf Club, routinely voted as “Simply The Best” public course, now offers Coporate Sponsorship Opportunities.
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
A current resident ID card is required in order to obtain a resident discount on greens fees and cart rentals 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 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, without an appointment. The facility will be open the first and third Saturday of each month from April to December, 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.
When a supply exists, leaf compost and tan bark may be picked up at the Yard Waste Facility. The product must be loaded by the resident and no private-loading equipment will be permitted on the premises.
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 from the following link. The cost to a commercial landscaper is $225.00 annually.
Budget
The Board of Commissioners would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the current Hampden Township real estate tax rate is .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
At the May 2, 2013 Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Board:
Approved Resolution No. 13-09 recognizing Robert William McNulty for obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
Authorized a letter of support for the Cumberland County Recycling & Waste Department for programs and services provided to participating municipalities.
Approved an Adopt-A-Highway Agreement with Keller Williams of Central PA for Creekview Road from Good Hope Road to Orr’s Bridge Road.
Affirmed a resolution for the Hampden Park Playground Rehabilitation Grant application.
Approved a letter received from Camp Curtin Historical Society and Civil War Round Table, Inc. regarding the installation and maintenance of a civil war marker.
Approved continuing participation in the Urban County Designation for Cumberland County.
As a reminder, if you belong to a club or civic association which desires to participate in the Township’s Adopt-A-Highway Program, please click here to obtain the details about the program and complete an application.
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 to complete an application and obtain a license.
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.