Upper Makefield Township
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November 2015
In This Issue
2016 Budget Approved
Upper Makefield a 'Safest City'
Homeowner Guidelines for Ash Tree Borer
Two Things You Can Do
Road Resurfacing 2016
Volunteers Welcome
New office for Rep. Petri
Fall Views from Bowman's Tower
Calendar

Fall Back for Daylight Savings on Halloween
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 
Waiting for the next group of goblins at your door? Start setting your clocks back an hour. 

Election Day
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All Upper Makefield residents vote at Sol Feinstone Elementary School, 1090 Eagle Road, Newtown, 18940. 

Electronics Collection Events

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
Quakertown Community Pool
300 Mill Street
Quakertown, PA 18951

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Note shorter hours)
FDR Middle School
1001 Veterans Highway
Bristol, PA 19007
 
Veteran's Day
Township Offices Closed 
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015

Reenactment of Washington's Crossing
Join several hundred reenactors on December 13 or 25. 

Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015
1 p.m. (Activities run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with crossing time approximately 1 p.m.)
Cost: $8 adults, $4 children age 5-11, under age 5 is free. 
Friday, Dec. 25, 2015
1 p.m. (activities start at noon)
Cost: Free 
Website and Link to Newsletter
 

Ongoing Activities
Soccer

Upper Makefield Baseball & Softball

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Among other events, check out the Brian Pastor Big Band concert on Sunday, November 1, 2015, and the Hot Bijouxx jazz ensemble on Friday, November 20, 2015. 
 
Guided Walks at Bowman's Wildflower Preserve
Guided wildflower walks are held each day at 2 p.m. except Mondays, when the Visitor Center is closed.  Details on this ongoing program and all events are online.
Reminders
Event organizers are reminded of a new procedure that requires road closure approval by presentation to the Board of Supervisors.

Homeowners Association leaders are asked to submit their contact information to the Township, to facilitate communication with residents.
Quick Links
On the Upper Makefield Township Website, you'll find news and video of recent meetings on the home page, Minutes & Agendas from all public meetings of the Board of Supervisors and their appointed committees.

The Police Department pages introduce you to the officers and their work, and the Permits & Applications pages will guide your through required steps.

Like many communities, people have the same questions about local government. We collected some of the Frequently Asked Questions for Upper Makefield on the website.
Board of Supervisors Adopts 2016 Budget
Real Estate Tax Trimmed by 2 Mils

Bowman_s Tower
Upper Makefield Offers Stunning Fall Vistas from Bowman's Tower. See article below.
Steady revenue growth and careful cost containment in recent years allowed the Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors to cut 2 mils from the 2016 residential property tax. 

The Township will also fully fund departmental 5-year capital improvement accounts.

The Board of Supervisors formally adopted Upper Makefield Township's 2016 calendar year budget on October 20, 2015.
The $11 million expense budget comes from an anticipated $16 million in revenue.

The revenue balance allows the Township to fully fund all departmental capital spending accounts. At that same time, Upper Makefield Township will continue to maintain a responsible fund balance.

Average Real Estate Tax: $775
Residents with property assessed at the average, $65,354, will pay a real estate tax of $775.

Where Residential Real Estate Tax Dollars Go
UMT Share of Real Estate Taxes
Council Rock School District, 77.68%; Bucks County,15.67%; Upper Makefield, 6.65%.

Household Median Earned Income Tax: $796
In addition, the Township projects to receive $796 per household from the median in Earned Income Tax. The Earned Income Tax of 1 percent is split equally between the Township and Council Rock School District. Budget Message with charts and graphs.

2016 Budget Highlights
  • Road Improvements: $680,000
  • Two replacement vehicles for the police department: $104,000
  • Purchase of an asphalt reclaimer and drum roller: $70,000
  • Remove underground diesel fuel tank: $14,000
Upper Makefield Township Ranks Among 'Safest Cities' in Pennsylvania 

Tom Cino and Mark Schmidt Upper Makefield Township Oct 2015
UMT Board Chairman Tom Cino and Police Chief Mark Schmidt hold a letter of congratulations from Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick.
Upper Makefield Township's low crime rate makes it among "Pennsylvania's Safest Cities," according to SafeWise, a home security company. 

Drawing on the Township's official Uniform Crime Reports to the FBI, SafeWise called out the fact that Upper Makefield's rate of crime is also 80 percent lower than the national average for communities with more than 5,000 residents. 

Upper Makefield's population is now about 8,200. 

Credit to Emphasis on Public Safety 
In a letter to the Township Board of Supervisors, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick recognized staff, management and the current leadership of the Board of Supervisors, saying Upper Makefield's crime "can only be attributed to your local government's continued emphasis on public safety. " 

Dramatically Lower Violent and Property Crime Rates 
Upper Makefield's violent crime rate of .36 per 1,000 residents is far below the Pennsylvania average of 3.26 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.The Upper Makefield Township property crime rate is also much lower than average: Only 6.88 property crimes per 1,000 residents occur in Upper Makefield, compared to Pennsylvania's overall rate of 20.60 property crimes per 1000 residents.  

Did you Know?  
Upper Makefield's monthly Uniform Crime Reports are posted online. 
Emerald Ash Borers on Ash Tree Leaves
Homeowner Guidelines for Ash Tree Borer Infestation
 
As many as 50 million Ash trees have died in the United States since 2002 because an emerald green insect has taken hold of the trees in parts of the United States, including Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 
  
The closest official detection to us occurred in 2012 in Warrington Township, Pennsylvania. Infected trees typically die within 3-5 years, once the Emerald Ash Borers start chewing on the tree's cambium, the vital wood just beneath the bark.  Entry points can be spotted by a "D" shaped hole in the trees' bark.  

If you have a specimen tree on your property, you may be able to save it.

Helpful Information for Homeowners 
This Homeowner Guide to Ash Borer Treatment from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Department of Entomology Services offers home owners clear instructions for identifying Emerald Ash Borer infestation and treatment. See also the PA Department of Forestry.

Help Emergency Services Get to You Faster 
You can help emergency officials help you in two simple ways: 
  1. Post your house numbers so they can be read clearly from the street.
  2. Sign up for emergency notifications from ReadyBucks. 
Post Reflective Home Address Signs
To assist Police, Fire, and Emergency vehicles during emergency responses, highly visible home address signs are available to Township residents for $12. Purchase Form. For details, contact Director of Planning and Zoning Dave Kuhns. 

Sign up with ReadyBucks
Bucks County's emergency notification system has changed. Even if you were registered with the old system, please follow the link now to re-register directly with ReadyBucks. If you haven't registered yet, please take the time to do it now. It's fast and simple. Here's the link. 
Township Road Resurfacing to Continue in 2016 

With $680,000 budgeted for roadway improvements in 2016, Upper Makefield is on track with its 5-year Capital Improvement Plan. These roads are slated for resurfacing in 2016: 
  • Little Road 
  • Mt. Eyre Road  
  • Highland Road  
  • Street Road  
  • Thompson Mill Road   
  • Slack Road
Road crews in 2015 completed stormwater and roadway improvements along 6.6 miles and 18 roads. This $1.3 million effort was a catch-up year for Upper Makefield's 5-year roadway maintenance cycle.  

General Fund contributions to the Public Works Department's 5-year Capital Improvement Plan are now 100 percent funded.   
Township Volunteers Sought for 2016 Appointments 

Volunteers to Upper Makefield's various municipal boards and committees play a key role by making recommendations to the elected Board of Supervisors. New appointments are made annually by the Board of Supervisors. 

Are you interested in parks, environmental preservation, development review, or other municipal activities? Please review our list of Upper Makefield Township Boards and Commissions. A simple application form is available on the same page. 
Rep. Scott Petri
State Rep. Scott Petri 
Opens Satellite Office in New Hope 

123 W Bridge St  
New Hope, PA 18938            
215-862-1940  
10 a.m. until 3 p.m. - Tuesday through Friday  
Best Fall Views Now at Bowman's Tower 
Bowman_s Tower Upper Makefield PA

On a clear day, you can see for 14 miles from Bowman's Hill Tower at the Washington Crossing State Park.  

Right now, brightly colored autumn leaves make that view spectacular.  

Where: The Bowman's Hill Tower is located near the corner of Rt. 32 (River Road) and Lurgan Road, a few miles south of New Hope, Pennsylvania.  
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 
Cost: Walk steps or ride an elevator to the top for $6 per person. 
FYI: Township News is Updated Weekly at www.uppermakefield.org
 
This newsletter is designed to bring residents seasonal news about services and events in Upper Makefield Township. 
 
If you want the most timely news, look to our website: Township staff make updates to our official website throughout each week, including news releases, meeting agendas, and meeting videos. 

 

We do not publish a print newsletter, so we encourage you use this newsletter as a reminder to visit the Upper Makefield Township website often. By request, we will mail a printout of this eNews to people without computer access.