The Schuylkill Township board of supervisors made a motion to reduce the handicap parking permits in the township to $40 a year; the one-time initial application fee remains the same at $100.

Chief Frank DiMarco was not present so Supervisor Charles Fayash read part of the police report requesting residents to report any dumping activity along Route 209, and to acquire license plates of vehicles used to dispose of any trash or garbage, and to please bring it to the attention of the police officers.According to the roadmaster report, all paving has been completed in the township, and the grass was cut around an abandoned home after a request at the last meeting.Following advice from solicitor Christopher Slusser, a motion was made to advertise a request for bids for the construction of a salt shed for the township because the price quoted by only one pole building vendor exceeds a pertinent amount, and budgetary considerations apply.A motion was made to advertise the township's 2017 budget. Copies of the budget will be available for public inspection at 25 cents without a right to know request. Another motion was made to junk an old Jeep, and another motion to buy a replacement, a 1994 Jeep Cherokee for $500 pending assessment by DiMarco to see if it would pass inspection.Public commentsChristine Verdier asked if the board was aware that there was more than one police officer patrolling at the same time, and whether the township was benefiting from the 40 hours extended service with the Middleport agreement that was "sold" to the township, as she didn't see the need to have more than one officer on duty at any given time considering what the police report reveals.Fayash said he was aware of it, but Supervisor Charles Hosler said he was just made aware by Verdier's comments.Slusser said that DiMarco wasn't there to answer for himself and said it was very common practice for law enforcement to have more officers on duty at one time, and that it was for the better service of the community and to protect the officers in case of needing backup. The advantage is to not have to wait for other towns to respond when time was of the essence.Verdier also requested that a code enforcement report be added to the agenda, and suggested that a mailbox policy be instituted in the event of snowplowing knocking one down, because now there are more residents with mailboxes in front of their houses rather than P.O. boxes at the post office. The town doesn't have a resolution or policy to deal with that.John Zubris asked the board how was it that Verdier knows everything they're doing and if it is that she's stalking the police. Township secretary Natasha Tyson responded that it was from a right to know request.Zubris then facetiously said that he was going to submit a right to know request to see Verdier's right to know request.He also criticized the board for not enforcing the collection of fees from people with approved handicap signs, and suggested that the supervisors go back at least a year or so and make people pay for backed up fees that were never paid that could bring the town more revenue.Jessica Turpak asked when the garbage on 209 is going to be picked up because it was looking awful, and the bags were getting ripped opened. Fayash responded that hopefully that week they would get to it, and that it was the police who opened the bags to get leads as to where the trash was coming from.Paul Benulis commended the board for the road work done and for taking steps to change the zoning laws to fit the community because he is of the opinion that the current laws do not serve the type of community the township is made out of, and noted that many people would be in violation because the current zoning variances do not fit the community, and would prevent them from meeting minimum requirements.Additionally, he brought up that Middleport just switched to LED streetlights and that "they are very nice.". He requested that the LED project be reconsidered, and Middleport reviewed to see what they did. He said public safety is very important, and well-lighted streets are crime deterrents. He emphasized that the extra expense would be well worth it to bring the LEDs to the township.