At Tuesday's meeting of the Douglass Township Board of Supervisors, Solicitor Wendy McKenna received authorization for the solicitor's office to proceed with pursuing property zoning compliance violations.

            Two Swamp Creek Road properties are in violation of floodplain structures. The township has exhausted all options to get the property owners to comply with ordinances, according to Chairman Josh Stouch.  "It is a life and safety issue," he said.

            The board approved the solicitor's legal team to move forward with the necessary legal steps to ensure the issue is rectified through legal action.

            On the agenda for board approval, was a police officer hiring practices and procedures manual. The drafted document was reviewed and edited.

            "A defined and comprehensive hiring process," Stouch said of the manual that will assist the police department and township in streamlining the process of hiring the best candidates for the position.

            The manual was approved, as edited by the board. In addition, the police chief contract is under the final stages of review and will be voted on at a future meeting.

            Fire Chief Andrew Duncan gave the board an annual report for the organization. Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue responded to 309 calls for service in 2023. Volunteers logged in over 1,096 hours on emergency calls.

            The organization received several grants for the 2023 year. These included $6,030 from the Berks County Community Foundation Boyertown Fund. The money funded the purchase of an incident commander and truck cap for a 2022 Chevy Command Vehicle.

            The service also received $2,000 from the Gabelsville Athletic Association for bunk beds and furniture for the new station. Additionally, a $15,000 Resource Capital Funds Grant, along with a $5,000 match from Global Advanced Metals, paid for the installation of the firehouse's bay area floor.

            Chief Andrew Duncan said, "2023 was a busy and historic year for us."  He thanked everyone in the township and emergency service members for all their support and dedication and that the fire department looks forward to serving the community in 2024.

            Kimberlee Stouch, a member of the Gilbertsville Area Community Ambulance Service's board of directors, reported that the organization is a "work in progress and doing well."

            The wife of the supervisors chairman also informed the members that the organization hired a bookkeeper, approved the installation of fire alarms and is investigating security access for the building.

            She said that the bookkeeper will help with the preparation of future budgets and the organization's financial structure.

            It was also announced that another appointee is needed for the GACAS board. The board member should live in Gilbertsville. Currently, the organization has six members; three are employees and three are non-employees. The board requires a full quorum to vote on agenda items.

            "If anyone is interested in joining, let us know," Josh Stouch said.