Penn Forest Township supervisors will make the new code enforcement officer position a full-time one, meaning the job will be re-advertised.

A resident asked whether the position will include weekend hours to deal with short term rentals.

The new code enforcement officer will be paid at $22 an hour. A budget for uniforms for the new hire was approved.

Discussion then went to making sure the code enforcement officer has access to a computer with large memory for the kinds of files (photos, videos. etc.) that will be involved.

A question about parking space sizes was asked by a resident, who said one of the short term rentals near his property has 10 parking spaces. Parking spaces are 9 feet by 18 feet.

In other public comments, Peg Dusablon asked about getting information ads they find for short-term rentals and licensed properties.

Discussion about homes hosting large crowds led to questioning about maximum capacity for a property, and in particular about changing the short term rentals ordinance to count all people, including kids. It was pointed out that other townships’ ordinances do count kids.

Plowing

• Supervisors chairman Roger Meckes, as roadmaster, reported that the township crew is getting equipment ready for winter. The salt shed is under construction at the Transfer Station.

•Meckes has reached out to Towamensing Township about winter maintenance of Forest Street. Towamensing’s crew already plows the part of Forest Street in their township. There’s about a mile of the street in Penn Forest to be maintained.

In previous years, a contractor did this work but that contractor has retired. An offer of an hourly rate plus paying for materials used will be sent to Towamensing Township supervisors.

For plowing of the rest of the township, bids were opened for the contract to supply as-needed plowing and materials spreading trucks. Of two bidders, last year’s contractor Shiffer Bituminous offered to supply one truck. Haines & Kibblehouse gave prices on two trucks. The bid required two trucks, so H & K was awarded the contract.

Ads will be run seeking part-time snowplow drivers for the winter.

Other business

• Because of higher hauling costs and tipping fees for garbage, supervisors voted to transfer $100,000 from the General Fund to the Sanitation Fund to cover expenses to year’s end.

• The township park will also get some additional security cameras, bought from Control Security for $1,140 on a 4-0-1 vote, with supervisor Jim Denier abstaining.

An alarm system for the park’s building, along with equipment to remotely lock and unlock the doors on the park bathrooms (on a timer) was also approved for $4,234 plus $37 a month for monitoring. The vote was again 4-1, with Denier abstaining.

• Granite has arrived at Walter’s Monument for the township’s veterans memorial, to be placed in the park. It is not ready to be installed, former supervisor Judy Knappenberger reported. A ceremony will be planned once it is mounted in place.

• A petition is circulating in the township in favor of a dog park. Meckes said the township park is “pretty much used up.” He also pointed out that dog walkers using the park have not been cleaning up after their pets. He said he is not in favor of having “a dog park as a township responsibility.”

In a personnel matter, supervisors were unanimous in denying a grievance by the township union over the hiring process for the road foreman. The union will take this to arbitration. Another grievance has been filed, to be discussed in executive session.