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Cornwall Borough Council unanimously approved the 2023 budget and unanimously agreed to join the Cornwall-Lebanon Regional Comprehensive Plan at its monthly meeting Monday.
The budget, available in draft form here (PDF), sets a local tax rate of 2.25 percent, unchanged from last year.
Budgeted revenues and expenses each total $3,105,062.05. The council noted that they tend to overestimate expenses and underestimate revenues to ensure the budget can be followed.
The council also unanimously agreed to join the Cornwall-Lebanon Regional Comp Plan with its 2023 update, after some discussion.
The plan is an advisory, non-obligatory agreement between townships sharing the CLSD school district. It enables townships to receive and offer input regarding development plans but does not bind their decisions.
The plan was adopted by North Cornwall, North Lebanon, and South Lebanon townships in 2013. At that time, Cornwall Borough decided against joining.
In August, the council created a Comprehensive Plan Committee to discuss formulating a new comprehensive plan for Cornwall.
However, Engineer Jeff Steckbeck and the committee urged the council to instead join the regional plan due to lower associated costs.
Joining the regional plan will cost $12,000, possibly $6,000 with a grant, while modifying the existing comp plan could cost over $20,000, Steckbeck said.
The council also noted that Byler Holdings has requested that the borough consider accepting the dedication of now-private Iron Valley Drive.
Cornwall Borough Council hears concept plans from Byler Holdings, one including a nearly 800,000-square-foot warehouse
This comes as Byler Holdings plans a development in the Cornwall quarry area. Byler has expressed, council president Bruce Harris said, a desire to dedicate new roads constructed in the project to the township. This includes a road planned to exit onto Iron Valley Drive.
While Byler Holdings owns part of Iron Valley Drive, the other parts belong to home owners associations, which have not agreed to dedicating their segments of the road.
The council opted to table the discussion until the HOAs have agreed to dedicating the road, if they choose to do so.
In other news, the council:
- Unanimously approved a water and sewer grant application to the Pennsylvania Stormwater program to upgrade electrical panels at pump stations.
- Unanimously authorized Ordinance 2022-4 regarding UCC administration.
- Unanimously authorized Resolution 2022-14 establishing a three-year agreement with Mount Gretna for police services.
- Unanimously authorized Resolution 2022-15 establishing an agreement with West Cornwall for police services.
- Unanimously authorized the release of 300 Iron Valley Drive’s financial security.
- Unanimously reappointed Raymond Fratini to the planning commission.
- Unanimously reappointed Howard MacFadden as the Refuse Authority representative.
- Agreed to authorize the solicitor to review the newly updated zoning enforcement process, no motion.
- Unanimously agreed to supply an additional $3,094 to the fire company for the purchase of gear totaling $15,094 ($12,000) was budgeted.
- Announced the closure of the borough office from Christmas to New Year’s.
- Unanimously approved the Nov. 14 meeting minutes.
- Unanimously approved reports including the secretary’s and treasurer’s.
Cornwall Borough Council meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
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