Posts Tagged ‘municipal law’

The Volunteer Service Credit Act (the “Act”), which is found in 35 Pa. C.S.A. Health and Safety, was amended in 2020 by Act 91 to allow active volunteer firefighters to take an even greater tax credit. As many municipalities are experiencing first hand, volunteer fire and emergency service companies are declining in numbers of volunteers across the Commonwealth. The Act (Act 172 of 2016) was adopted to assist with recruiting and maintaining active volunteers by offering financial incentives. This credit allows for volunteer firefighters to obtain a credit against municipal real estate tax obligations for amounts they have paid that… read more »

Attorney John R. Wilson Presented “The Mayor, the Chief, and the Law: Best Practices for Avoiding Civil Lawsuits”at the Pennsylvania State Mayors Association on Tuesday, November 22nd. His partners for this presentation included Attorney Jim Nowalk and Mayor Ron Harris. The webinar provided information to borough and city mayors regarding the respective roles of the two in the context of a municipal policing. Specifically, the mayor’s role as the elected and accountable “head of the police department” and the police chief’s role as the boots-on-the-ground law enforcement professional with years of police experience. John’s portion of the webinar summarized the… read more »

Whether you’re preparing an RFP for a professional service or specs for a contract that will be open to public bid, municipal leaders are required to act as good stewards of public resources. This session will review best practices in preparing and reviewing municipal contracts to ensure services are being delivered as desired and to avoid costly litigation.

York County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program is currently receiving applications for their 2022-2023 preservation program. Applications for farms can be submitted through February 15, 2022, for the ranking process. The highest-scoring farms will be offered for preservation. Qualifying farms should be a minimum of fifty acres in size or adjacent to another preserved property, and must meet program requirements regarding soil quality, production and other criteria. Landowners should submit their completed application (available at yorkcountypa.gov), and can consult with the Program staff office at 2401 Pleasant Valley Road, or at (717)-840-7400 for details and requirements. The York County Agricultural Land… read more »

Whether it’s a case of an incessantly barking dog or an over-enthusiastic DIY warrior running power tools at midnight, most municipalities could use a carefully constructed noise ordinance from time to time. A well-written ordinance is clear, targeted, and most importantly, enforceable. An effective noise ordinance should be clear and understandable to the average person. A municipality is well within its authority to adopt a noise ordinance. Under Pennsylvania law, municipalities have the authority  “[t]o make regulations as may be necessary for the health, safety, morals, general welfare and cleanliness and beauty, convenience, comfort and safety of the borough.” (8… read more »

On September 1, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf signed a second renewal of the 90-day disaster declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency was originally declared on March 6, and this action is the second 90-day extension. The declaration extends protections for individuals and businesses during the ongoing pandemic. Protections include additional unemployment compensation, restrictions on eviction, an extension of licensing, and benefits for care workers and others who provide life-sustaining services to children, senior citizens, and other vulnerable residents.Act 15 Provisions Extended. Also extended are the provisions of Act 15 of 2020, under which municipalities can continue to take steps to assure safety… read more »

The York County Planning Commission (YCPC) has announced the launch of the County’s Open Space and Land Preservation Grant Program. The program is funded with County tax dollars and is designed to support open space preservation, resource protection, and outdoor recreation, with the objective of assisting the County to achieve its goal of preserving worthy York County land. Funds for Local Preservation  The program is open to York County municipalities and non-profit organizations which support open space preservation and natural resource protection. Funds can be used for acquisition of property; but funding does NOT support the purchase or construction of improvements on properties.  The… read more »

Pursuant to the Right-to-know law (RTKL) Advisory, the Office of Open Records (OOR) has new advice for agencies within “yellow” status counties. These agencies should continue processing RTKL requests and appeals as usual. If an appeal is negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the agency or requestor cannot meet a required deadline, the OOR may prolong the appeal deadline. In particular, agencies located within a county transitioning into “yellow” status may need to provide evidence showing why the appeal deadline needs to be extended. In regards to offices being closed, any day that falls within an office closure is… read more »

While the Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) continues to be in effect for most municipal entities, its function has been temporarily suspended for the Commonwealth due to the current COVID-19 emergency. Pursuant to Section 901 of the law, all requests must receive a response within five business days – excluding days closed for business. If an agency faces “bona fide issues” related to this pandemic, the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records’ (OOR) advisory permits temporary suspensions exceeding the scope of that law. The OOR recommends the agency seek their solicitor’s advice before taking this recourse. Under Act 15, municipalities operating under an… read more »