The Eldred Township board of supervisors have approved the 2012 General Fund budget and the 2012 State Fund budget.

The good news is there will be no increase in the General Fund budget. In fact, Supervisor/secretary Sharon Solt said there was a decrease.The General Fund budget has been set for $671,458, which is down from the 2011's total of $701,958, a decrease of $30,500.Solt said there would be no pay raises for township employees and that they cut costs wherever they could.The State Fund saw a slight increase of $6,307.01. The 2011 budget was at $117,052.90 and the 2012 total is $123,356.91.Solt said that the State Fund, designated for road work, is based on tax from gas and that is where the increase comes from.Two Eldred Township residents voiced their safety concerns about the proposed Walter W. Mock Park and the parking lot area.The proposed park plan is for a small Tot Lot, simple walking trails, a small ballpark and a pavilion.Art Bender and Robert Nichols said their homes will border the area designated for a parking lot off Church Lane.Township solicitor, Michael Kaspszyk explained the process of how the park was planned and approved and that the two small parking lots, with 20 parking spaces each, would be surrounded by shrubbery and trees and the park would only be open during daylight hours.Dolores Crooker, Denise Crooker and James Frey, residents of Eldred Twp., said they were concerned that Bill Parsons was not following the specifications for a driveway plan. Parsons is creating a subdivision, approved by the township, off Kunkletown Road.The Crookers and Frey stated that Parsons has been in the process of doing excavation work and they don't believe he is in compliance. The supervisors agreed to have the township engineer do inspections at the site to ensure it is being done correctly.Eldred Twp. resident Donald Kresge made drain and runoff modifications on his property. It was on township right-of-way. He received a letter from the zoning officer that work done needed to be documented for township records.He was told at the meeting that he needs to apply for a highway occupancy permit. If the engineer okays it, there would be no further problem.Resident Helen Mackes brought to the attention of the supervisors that there are two houses located along Silver Spring Boulevard that has been accumulating a large number of garbage bags on the property. She wanted to know what could be done about it, fearing there could be a health/safety issue.Kaspszyk said the township would report it the Monroe County Vector Control and have them look into it.Solt said she would research township ordinances that would apply to the situation.Resident Vernon Frable has been trying to get approval for a subdivision on his land for the last seven years. His engineer keeps asking the township for extensions and receiving them. He wondered why.Frable also said he has been told that he has to find out if there are any wetlands on his property. His surveyor told him he does not have the certification to make that determination.Kaspszyk said that according to Municipal Planning Code, the supervisors have to grant extensions as long as they are requested.Solt said they feel bad for Frable but they can't force his engineer to do more than what he's willing to do. She will contact the township engineer and get a copy of the latest comment letter from Frable's engineer. She will then contact Frable and invite him to come in and review the letter.In other township business, the board:• Tabled voting on approving Ordinance 2011-1 to amend the Eldred Township Zoning Ordinance by deleting certain subparagraphs of the term "Lot Area" from the definition section and deleting Article 704's Application to Lot Joinder/Annexation Applications;• Tabled voting on approval for Ordinance 2011-2 to amend the Eldred Township Zoning Ordinance by amending the provisions addressing private stables;• Approved Resolution 2011-5 to appoint Kirk, Summa & Co., LLP, an accounting firm, to examine all accounts for the fiscal year 2011;• Asked residents to bring donations of toys to the township municipal office for Toys For Tots before Thursday, Dec. 15. Supervisor Borger said he'd like to see the box filled.The supervisors would like the residents of Eldred Township to know there is a state bonus available to Pennsylvania Persian Gulf Conflict veterans who served in 1990-91. Visit

www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us or call 717-861-8720.Also, they have information on programs, including property tax/rent rebate and the PACE, PACENET and PACE Plus Medicare, and program applications for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.If you have any questions about any of these, please contact the township municipal office at 610-381-4252 or during office hours from Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and the first and third Saturday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.