E-town area's elected officials work together to find common ground

Ever since I was elected to Elizabethtown Borough Council, the elected officials from the municipalities in the Elizabethtown area -- Conoy Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township -- have tried to get together to discuss and solve issues that affect the region.

So a few years ago, when all of the municipalities approved a comprehensive plan for the region, we decided to establish the Elizabethtown Area Regional Authority (EARA) as a way to implement the plan. And that worked pretty well, fostering discussions about traffic, economic development and land use in the area and how they impact all the municipalities.

Stop sign to be installed at College Avenue and Campus Road

View Campus Rd and College Ave in a larger map

Changes and improvements are coming to the intersection of College Avenue and Campus Road. Later this summer, or maybe in early fall, the borough will install a new stop sign at the intersection, along with crosswalks for pedestrians.

This came about after discussions that borough Police Chief Jack Mentzer had with Mount Joy Township officials and representatives from Elizabethtown College (full disclosure: My wife is an employee of Elizabethtown College). He said the intersection has become much busier, especially with the construction of Bear Creek School. I can speak from personal experience as I have been through that intersection dozens of times in the past two years taking my son to and from school and activities via Bear Creek Road.

When I'm returning home, I am looking to turn left onto College Avenue. It can be tricky to figure out if a vehicle is turning right to head out of town on Campus Road, or will continue straight into the residential neighborhood. Mentzer said this has lead to some near accidents.

Headed toward Campus Road. A stop sign will be installed
here with an exception for vehicles turning right from
College Avenue onto Campus Road.

To alleviate this, the borough will install a stop sign except for traffic turning right to head onto Campus Road. This will ensure that vehicles headed into the residential neighborhood will stop, making it safe for motorists to turn left onto College Avenue.

In addition, the project will include crosswalks for pedestrians, and Mentzer said that Elizabethtown College will install a path from its existing path to the intersection. My wife and I have some friends who live in the neighborhood and frequently walk to the college, so I know the addition of crosswalks and the path will be a big improvement. My son also regularly rides his bike there, and my mind will rest easier knowing the instersection is a little safer.

The Bear Creek School Experience, Year 1

This school year, the Elizabethtown Area School District opened its new Bear Creek School, consolidating all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in one building. Now that it almost has a full school year completed, I'd like to share some thoughts from my perspective as a parent of a fifth-grader.

As with any new building, the start of the school year posed some challenges with busing and a strange odor that caused school to be canceled for one day. And, as district Superintendent Michele Balliet, likes to say, that doesn't account for epic flooding that closed school for a day in September and a freak late-October snowstorm.

After sorting through the challenges, I think Bear Creek found its legs and took off running. At least that's been our son's experience. We have found teachers and staff to be friendly and professional. More important, they have progressively provided more challenging opportunities -- in reading, math and trombone lessons and band -- for our son without our urging. He has responded well to the challenges. In my mind, that's what public school is all about.

Now, let me say that this has been one family's experience with one student. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section about your experiences -- good, bad or indifferent. Given that Bear Creek has 900-some students, I'm sure every family has a slightly different take.

During Bear Creek's planning stages, Borough Council went on record as opposing the location of the school. The primary reason was because there was no walking connection and that the vast majority of students would be bussed there. We were concerned about increased traffic from buses and the dozens of parents who would be dropping off and picking up their students each day. The school district did construct a walking path that connects Bear Creek to the E-town Fairgrounds (which the district owns).

Generally, I think everything has worked well. That said, there's one improvement I'd like to see. Mount Joy Township should widen Bear Creek Road road and install sidewalks at least on one side. Until I started dropping off my son early a few mornings a week, I never realized just how many pedestrians use the road. I've encountered dog walkers, runners, exercise walkers and bicyclists. I've run a number of times there myself. Given the sheer volume of traffic and the pedestrians, it would be a boon to safety to make these improvements.

So now I'll pose the question to you: What improvements would you like to see at Bear Creek School now that it's a year old?

Merger talks progress for water companies

In a special public meeting this morning, members of the Elizabethtown Area Water Authority (EAWA), Mount Joy Township Authority (MJTA) and Mount Joy Township supervisors agreed to develop a memorandum of understanding for EAWA to absorb the MJTA water company.

During the next couple of weeks, Mike Skelly, interim manager of EAWA, and Casey Kraus, township and MJTA manager, will work with their attorneys to draft the MOU.

Board members and township supervisors authorized the action to formalize all of the issues that need to be addressed as EAWA looks to bring the township water company into its fold. The consenus among all attendees at the meeting today is that the merger is a positive step for the greater Elizabethtown community, and they want to make sure that of the details and issues are considered.

Among those are what MJTA's assets are, the development of new bylaws and adding Mount Joy Township representation to the EAWA board.

The MOU should be ready for the boards to review in about two weeks.

Full disclosure: I am a member of the EAWA board.

E-town Area Water Authority moves to merge with Mount Joy Township Authority

In a move that many local people have discussed for years, the Elizabethtown Area Water Authority (EAWA) board voted unanimously last night to continue merger negotiations with the Mount Joy Township Authority (MJTA). Full disclosure: I am a member of the EAWA board.

Discussions started informally last week -- but the issue gained momentum Tuesday when Mount Joy Township Manager Casey Kraus met with four members of MJTA. At last night's EAWA meeting, he said there was a "unanimous consensus" from the members to look at regionalization. And he noted that township supervisors "absolutely" agree.

John Buch, a former borough councilman for 24 years and a member of the EAWA board, said: "I think it's long overdue that we have some cooperative arrangement. We should take a step toward some form of consolidation."


Both authorities provide water to residents in the Elizabethtown region. EAWA was formed about six years ago when Elizabethtown Borough and West Donegal Township merged their water system. At the time, Mount Joy Township was part of the discussions, but some officials there didn't agree and shot down the township's participation.

Kraus said last night there's been a shift, particularly since there's been some staff and board turnover at MJTA this year. In January, its manager resigned unexpectedly, and the board's chairman resigned. That left the authority with three "field employees" and Kraus appointed as  interim manager. And then one of the field employees recently took a job elsewhere.

The vote last night was only to proceed with negotiations; many details remain unresolved. Among issues that will be finalized are establishing water rates for MJTA customers that come into the EAWA fold and changing EAWA's bylaws to add new board members from the township. Currently, EAWA's board consists of three residents of Elizabethtown Borough and two from West Donegal Township. What the makeup will be when a merger is finalized will be part of the negotiations.

No specific time line has been established, although EAWA board Vice Chairman Keith Murphy said, "I'd like to see this done by the end of the year." Kraus said he thinks "that's doable."

Among the EAWA board, there was a sense of excitement about merging because the issue has been discussed and broached for years. Speaking as one board member, it certainly makes sense. In recent months, elected officials from all the local municipalities have gathered to discuss tackling some issues on a regional basis.

This development with the water authorities, while not expected even a month ago, certainly builds on the idea that township supervisors and Borough Council discussed at a joint meeting earlier this year. In my mind, it would be a setback to those discussions and for Elizabethtown and Mount Joy Township if this merger doesn't happen.

Public can comment on E-town area's regional comprehensive plan tonight

Elected officials from Elizabethtown and Conoy, Mount Joy and West Donegal townships will meet at 7:30 tonight receive public input and comment into a regional comprehensive plan. The meeting will take place in the Large Group Instruction room at the Elizabethtown Area High School.

Officials from all four municipalities have been meeting for nearly three years to develop the comprehensive plan. As the name implies, the plan takes a comprehensive look at all aspects of the greater Elizabethtown community, including transportation needs, where commercial and residential development should occur and recreation needs such as parks. Representatives from the local municipalities have been working with Lancaster County Planning Commission to ensure that the local plan meets the goals of the county's comprehensive plan.

While the plan is not a binding document, township supervisors and Borough Council will approve the plan by the end of the year. The intent is for the comprehensive plan to be a guide for elected officials and the administrative staffs in each municipality over the next 10 years.

Prior to the elected boards voting, each municipality's planning commission also will review the plan and vote either to recommend or not recommend that supervisors or Borough Council approve the plan. The Elizabethtown Planning Commission recommended approval at its meeting this month.

Gaining input from members of the public is a critical component because the the plan will help guide and influence decisions that will have an impact on residents for many years. If you can't attend tonight's meeting, I urge you to contact your councilman or supervisor to let your voice be heard.

Water authority delivering free water from tankers

The Elizabethtown Area Water Authority began delivering potable water from tankers this evening at the Elizabethtown Fire Department, the Rheems Fire Department and the Mount Joy Township municipal building.

Water will be available at these locations from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for those customers who do not wish to purchase bottled water or want to boil their own water. This water will be available until the advisory is lifted.

A committee consisting of representatives from EAWA, Elizabethtown borough, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township met this afternoon to review the status of the boil water advisory and potential contamination. A decision was made -- purely as a precaution -- to shut down Well No. 5 on Beechwood Lane, which is the well closest to the contamination spot. The water plant is operating and can more than accommodate the loss of this well. This committee will meet daily until this issue has been closed.

EAWA customers who have questions about the boil-water advisory can call EAWA at 367-7448.