- EMC – Michael Fischer was the Emergency Management Coordinator for his first full year. He remains the coordinator, and many improvements have occurred with the Emergency Management Agency from his leadership.
- Ordinance Amendments – The Township conducted an extensive review of all of the ordinances. Some were minor changes to fix errors or clean up the ordinance, while others were great additions from past experiences or requests from the residents. Major changes were made to the Stormwater Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Traffic requirements for land developments. The Township eliminated the Drug Paraphernalia Ordinance to meet the growth of the era. The Zoning Ordinance continues to be reviewed into 2025 and will hopefully have approval shortly as it will benefit front yard agricultural sales for residents due to the expensive nature of purchasing from stores. This will help promote growing and buying local.
- Volunteer Service Tax Refund Program – This ordinance incentivizes individuals to join and be retained with the local volunteer fire companies that directly service East Manchester Township.
- Small Cell Wireless Facilities Ordinance – This was adopted to address the expansion of phone companies from 4G to 5G.
- Bill Pay Ordinance – The Township took a step to the future and approved some bills to be paid electronically instead of by check. This was especially needed now that most utility companies give less than 30 days to pay the bill even when the bill is paperless. Additionally, since the pay periods are bi-weekly, and due less than 30 days from receiving the bill, the Township would obtain late fees occasionally.
- Public Comment Policy – The Township adopted a public comment policy to keep order in the meeting. This is a common policy throughout municipalities and was overdue.
- EMT Phase II Building Project – The Township building renovation and building addition completed on time and under budget. Staff successfully operated within a trailer for the majority of 2024 and completed a successful move to the finished building in September. Lastly, with the addition, the Township has a new digital sign for an added way to update the public and in a new location so to not block site distance and create safety hazards.
- Live Streaming – With the Township renovation/addition, the AV equipment was installed, and the Township now streams the Board of Supervisor meetings live. Additionally, the videos are stored on YouTube @EastManchesterTownship at an attempt to keep the videos for at least a year or until the storage capacity on YouTube is reached.
- Skid Loader – The Township purchased a Cleveland Brothers CAT skid loader with attachments to move dirt, mill blacktop and it includes a broom for small projects.
- Bortek Walk-Behind Scrubber/System – This was purchased in order to maintain cleanliness of the brand new garage floors and to extend the life of it.
- Street Sweeper – The Township authorized purchase of a street sweeper to use general funds in the year 2025. Renting, leasing and financing were all investigated as well as the amount of time used and what it gets used for were assessed.
- Bartlett Drive and Espresso Way – Both roads were paved as they have not been paved in years and being that they are truck routes they were overdue.
- Micro Surfacing – The developments of Greenfield, Greenwood, and Dauberton; Forge Hill Rd., and the south side of Canal Rd Extension were all micro surfaced.
- Leaves Collected – The Township Public Works Department collected and disposed of 791 cubic yards from the Township Residents.
- Mandatory scheduling of large items with Republic Services – Staff requested the board to require residents to call ahead and schedule large items to cut down on the phone calls/complaint forms/walk-ins to the Township office to inquire about missed large item pickup. This has certainly been effective.
- Final Land Development Plan for proposed Sheetz Store #233 rebuild – This plan was approved and recorded in 2024, and will be finished construction in Spring 2025.
- Final Land Development Plan for Americold “Drop Lot” located at 285 Steamboat Boulevard – This plan was approved and recorded in 2024 and has the potential to be constructed in 2025.
- Road Improvement Funds – The Township closed the deals with two developer’s that do not reside within the Township, but whose traffic will adversely affect the Township, securing funds to make the necessary improvements based off traffic studies conducted. Improvements to Willow Springs Lane and Espresso Way traffic signal will be under way within a few years in connection with the Canal Road Betterment Project making Canal Road a truck route.
- Polling Location – The Township Board of Supervisors were greatly involved in ensuring the polling place would remain at the Northeastern Middle School after talks of it being moved to the school district’s administration building.
- Canal Road vs. Canal Road Extension mailing addresses – Google Maps apparently plots Canal Road Extension on Kinsely’s private driveway to Shindler Elevator. It was noted that Apple Maps has it correctly plotted. “Extension” was never a part of Canal Road formally, but somehow, through time, most of the properties on Canal Road added the Extension. Because of this, the Township placed a street sign to include Extension for mailing purposes to match what the majority of residents were using. After the Locust Point Road project, with the recorded plans and right away agreements, Canal Road was reflected without Extension, due to its legal name not including it. It appears receiving packages has become an on and off problem since the project, therefore, the Board changed the name officially to Canal Road Extension.
- Budget – The Township did a detailed review of the General Budget to make it more accurate and secured a loan to maintain 40% operating reserves, being fiscally responsible. Each account line item was determined by looking at five years of actual numbers as well as considering economic trends. In the past revenues have been grossly underestimated to be very conservative, while the proposed budget now shows closer to actual trends, while still being conservative.
- Fire Hydrant Tax – Rate increase from 0.11 mils to 0.15 mils – The Fire Hydrant Tax is separate from the General Fund as it is a Special Tax that goes into its own fund to pay the York Water Company for water to the Fire Hydrants. Not everyone pays this tax, only those within 780 ft of a Fire Hydrant as mandated by the Pennsylvania 2nd Class Township Code. Last time local millage has been changed was in 2014. It went from .15mils to .11mils because the Township reached a nice sized fund that could help supply years’ worth of the bills while set at a lower tax rate. For 10yrs the fund has been maintained by that past surplus and the interest from PLIGIT. In 2024 the Township will have a deficiency in the Fire Hydrant Fund by around $13,151, which was unexpected because from 2014 to 2022, the York Water Bills have been between $60k and under $70k; in 2023 the total bills were approximately $71,103; and now in 2024 the bills have jumped to $87,445. Therefore, to cover the deficiency and the bills from the York Water Company, the millage was increased to 0.15 mils.