MILLCREEK ADOPTS AND IMPLEMENTS
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND FIRE CODES
Millcreek’s Supervisors on December 17, 2013 approved ordinances which adopted the 2012 edition of the International Property Maintenance Code and the 2009 edition of the International Fire Code as Township codes.
Millcreek’s codes reflect certain amendments to the International Codes, which are published by the International Code Council and adopted by many states and municipalities. In part, Millcreek amended the process of administering and enforcing the codes so as to comply with governing law and existing process. Millcreek’s Property Maintenance Code substituted existing Township regulations on certain matters (including numbering of buildings, handling of municipal waste and recyclable materials, swimming pools and vehicles) for those in the International Code.
Millcreek’s new Fire Code was adopted by Ordinance No. 2013-13, which noted amendments to the 2009 International Fire Code. Millcreek’s new Property Maintenance Code was adopted by Ordinance No. 2013-14, which also noted amendments to the International Code and provided for publication of a stand-alone Township code. Both of these ordinances and the new Property Maintenance Code as adopted are accessible through this web site.
Both codes become effective as of January 1, 2014. After a public process seeking proposals, the Supervisors also awarded a contract to Building Inspection Underwriters of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“BIU”) to administer and enforce the new codes.
Fire Code
The International Fire Code has been among those codes adopted as part of Pennsylvania’s Construction Code, which governs new construction. Currently, the 2009 edition of the International Fire Code has been adopted as part of the State’s Construction Code. For the sake of consistency, the Supervisors adopted the 2009 edition of the Code. Ordinance 2013-13 makes clear that Millcreek’s adoption of the Fire Code is not intended to apply to regulation of new construction which is done under Millcreek Ordinance 2004-9. The Fire Code was adopted to ensure that current standards are in place for existing buildings. Ordinance 2013-13 is accessible through the main page of the Ordinances section.
Millcreek’s contract with BIU provides generally for three types of services involving the Fire Code. As fire code official, BIU will inspect existing non-residential structures for compliance with fire safety regulations set forth in Chapter 7 of the Property Maintenance Code and/or in the Fire Code as adopted. Upon request, the fire code official will provide inspections and input in two circumstances, both upon request of an owner or occupant:
· Conduct fire safety inspections of existing single-family dwellings, with findings
then being provided to the owner and the Township; and
· Conduct fire safety inspections of existing non-residential buildings as to specific
conditions or processes that do not involve inspection of an entire facility, with
findings then being provided to the owner and the Township.
Property Maintenance Code
*** 2013 Property Maintenance Codes Book CLICK HERE
The Property Maintenance Code addresses minimum standards for interior and exterior maintenance of existing buildings and structures. The Supervisors adopted a Property Maintenance Code largely to protect against deterioration of the condition of buildings throughout the Township by focusing on fundamental standards before conditions deteriorate to the point where an owner will not correct violations. Ordinance 2013-14 is accessible through the main page of the Ordinances section. You can access the entire Property Maintenance Code as adopted in this section.
Initially, BIU will focus its work in two distinct areas, using a similar standard in its inspections. Each year, it will survey areas of the Township assigned by Millcreek to identify any buildings or structures which fail to meet established minimum standards of fundamental safety and stability. BIU will also receive and review complaints received as to conditions of a particular property. Where violations are found to exist, BIU will cite the owner or other responsible party. If violations are not corrected promptly, BIU as code official will bring actions to enforce the code and impose fines for violation.
In general surveys of properties and in responding to complaints, BIU has been instructed by the Township to follow the same standards in determining whether a violation occurs. These standards do not include every technical requirement in the adopted Code, because in both of these cases, the Township’s concern is with identifying and resolving serious defective conditions. The initial standard being followed by BIU is to focus generally on matters relating directly to -
Unsafe conditions [such as Sections 304.4, 305.1 of the Code]
Dilapidated or deteriorated property conditions
Exterior areas uncovered and exposed to the elements [see Sections 304.2, 304.7]
Sanitation [Section 302.1]
Weeds, grass and vegetation in excess of 8" height or otherwise violating Section 302.4
Motor vehicles violating Township standards in Section 302.8
Swimming pool standards [set forth in Sections 302.1, 303.2]
Premises identification [Section 304.3]
Insect screens [Section 304.14]
Rubbish and garbage standards [see Section 308]
Generally, BIU will provide an owner with written notice where a violation has been found, and the owner will be given an opportunity to rectify the violation with a date being set for a second inspection. Services to this point are within the Township’s contract with BIU. The Township likely will establish a schedule of fees for any additional work required by an owner’s failure to take action by the second inspection, etc.
Additional Inspection Programs
Millcreek anticipates establishing programs of regular inspection of residential rental properties and commercial properties, which would become effective as early as 2015. Largely for this reason, the Township will not process tenants’ complaints until the rental inspection program is established and can treat similarly used properties in a consistent way.
Help Needed!
Millcreek Township is displaying 8x10 photos of all past Supervisors. We are in need of several photos. If you can provide a photograph of one or more of the supervisors on our list, please let us know. You can drop off the photograph at the Millcreek Township Administrative Offices at 3608 West 26th Street or you can e-mail the photograph to Rick Figaski at rfigaski@millcreektownship.com.
Supervisor Photographs
| Supervisor Name |
Service Years |
Received |
| J. P. Zaun |
1906-1909 |
|
| H. H. Russell |
1906-1910 |
|
| L. W. Wolf |
1906-1915 |
|
| F. A. Wagner |
1910-1917 |
|
| S. J. Appleman |
1917-1923 |
|
| E. R. Rinderle |
1919-1921 |
|
| F. C. Zaun |
1921-1927 |
|
| Leo J. Rinderle |
1922-1927 |
|
| J. W. Wynkoop |
1923-1929 |
|
| S. A. Struchen |
1927-1939 |
|
| George E. Williams |
1942-1958 |
|
| Oliver Carson |
1944-1947 |
|
NEW STATE LAW REQUIRES REGISTRATION OF HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS
(This is a summary of the new law, click here for complete law [pdf file])
Effective July 1, 2009 , the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (Act No. 132 of 2008) imposes registration requirements on all contractors who perform home improvements for which the total cash value is $5,000 or more per year and enables consumers to learn whether a contractor is properly registered.
Contractors who must register
Subject to 2 exceptions, all persons who own and operate a home improvement business or who performs, offers to perform or agrees to perform any home improvement (including persons who contract with a home improvement retailer) must register with the office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General. The term “contractor” does not include persons who perform home improvements having a cash value of less than $5,000 during the previous taxable year and home improvement retailers that have a net worth of more than $50 million or employees of that retailer who do not perform home improvements.
The Act
The text of the home Improvement Consumer Protection Act is available through the link below and also on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s web site (www.attorneygeneral.gov).
The Commonwealth, not municipalities, will be responsible for the registration of home improvement contractors. Section 7 of the Act discusses home improvement contracts. Among other things, that section states that a home improvement contract is not valid or enforceable against an owner unless it:
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is legible, in writing and contains the contractor’s registration number;
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is signed by the owner or owner’s agent and the contractor or a person acting for the contractor;
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contains the entire agreement, including attached copies of required notices;
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includes the date of the transaction;
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includes the name, address (not a P.O. Box alone) and telephone number of the contractor;
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contains the approximate starting date and completion date;
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includes a description of the work to be done, materials to be used and a set of specifications that
cannot be changed without a written “change order” signed by the owner and the contractor;
materials, with these amounts listed separately;
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includes the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all subcontractors on the project known at the date of signing the contract (a post office box number alone is not considered an address);
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agrees to maintain liability and property damage insurance coverage as specified in the Act;
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includes the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s toll-free telephone number; and
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includes a notice of the owner’s right to rescind the contract within 3 business days.
Contractor Registration
The Act establishes requirements and procedures governing registration by contractors. The Attorney General’s office allows and encourages contractors to register via its internet web site.
Home Improvement Fraud
Section 8 of the Act defines the offense of home improvement fraud, establishes penalties for violation and enforcement procedures. The County’s District Attorney and the Pennsylvania Attorney General will have jurisdiction to bring actions for violation.
Consumer Rights
The Act provides certain rights intended to protect consumers. It also ensures that consumers can determine whether a contractor is registered as the law requires through the Attorney General’s web site - www.attorneygeneral.gov.
Township Comment:
This information is provided to assist consumers and home improvement contractors in learning about the new law. Municipalities do not have authority to enforce this new law. You should review the law for its specific provisions and consult the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection for additional information.
CDBG Documents pertaining to the following notice are available: CLICK HERE
MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
Millcreek Township is "entitled" to apply for and receive an annual allocation of CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the provisions of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended.
The Township was designated a HUD entitlement in 1998 when its population went over 50,000 persons. Since 1998 the Township has received approximately $4.6 million in CDBG funds (see Exhibit 1). Millcreek’s CDBG program is administered by the Erie County Department of Planning.
CDBG funds are to be used to undertake activities which address community development and/or housing needs as identified in the Township’s Five Year Strategic Plan and which primarily benefit low-to-moderate income persons.
The Township’s application is submitted to the HUD- Pittsburgh Office by May 15
th each year with a program start date of July 1st.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Agencies, groups and organizations which assist residents of Millcreek can apply for a share of the grant dollars. For more information please contact Joseph Berdis, Erie County Department of Planning, (814) 451-6016 or jberdis@eriecountygov.org.
Agencies, groups and organizations which assist residents of Millcreek can apply for a share of the grant dollars. .
ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
CDBG funds can be used to undertake a wide array of activities (Exhibit 2) which include, but are not limited to:
• water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer construction
• street rehabilitation/reconstruction
• sidewalk and curb replacement
• park/recreation improvements
• handicapped accessibility improvements
• housing rehabilitation
• homeownership assistance
• fair housing activities
• public services (not to exceed 15% of the grant allocation)
• program administration (provided by the Erie County Department of Planning at a cost not to exceed 20% of the grant allocation).
INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
Activities which cannot be assisted with CDBG funds include, but are not limited to:
• Acquisition of buildings, or the construction or rehabilitation of space in a building, or portion of a building, which is used for the general conduct of government. (Note: This does not include the removal of architectural barriers for handicapped accessibility)
• Payment of expenses required to carry out the regular responsibilities of a general unit of government.
• Financing of political activities.
• Purchase of equipment. However, the purchase of fire protection equipment is eligible.
• Maintenance and repair of publicly owned streets, parks, playgrounds, water and sewer facilities, etc. Examples include the filling of pot holes in street, repairing of cracks in sidewalks, mowing of recreational areas.
NATIONAL OBJECTIVE
Each CDBG-funded activity must meet one (1) of the three (3) National Objectives of the program:
Principally benefit low-to-moderate income persons.
Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight.
Meet a community development need having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available to meet the need.
Of the three (3) objectives, the primary objective is to Principally Benefit Low- to-Moderate Income (LMI) persons.
•A "LMI person" is one whose income is no more than 80% of median income, adjusted for family size. Income limits are determined annually by HUD and may be obtained at: http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html
•"Principally benefiting" means that at least 51% of an activity’s beneficiaries must be low and moderate income. HOWEVER, HUD permits an "exception" to this requirement for municipalities that have few, if any, areas within their jurisdiction having 51% or more LMI residents. Millcreek Township meets this "exception criteria". HUD currently allows Millcreek Township to use 37.1% as the minimum LMI percentage to qualify projects on an area -wide basis.
•Certain groups of persons are "presumed" by HUD to be LMI and therefore activities to assist these persons automatically meet the fundability requirement. Groups presumed to be LMI include adults with physical disabilities, abused children, elderly persons, battered spouses, homeless persons, illiterate adults, persons living with aids, and migrant farmers.
•Most projects do not benefit a "presumed" group of LMI persons, so it must be shown that the project will benefit an area or neighborhood where the concentration of LMI persons is at least 37.1%. Concentrations of LMI persons can be determined in one of two ways- HUD Census data and income surveys. Exhibit 3 and the enclosed Map identify the total number and percentage of LMI persons in each of the Township’s census tracts and block groups. In those cases where a project’s service area does not coincide with a census area, an income survey may be undertaken to determine fundability. County Planning is to be contacted for assistance in undertaking a survey.
•A "" is one whose income is no more than 80% of median income, adjusted for family size. Income limits are determined annually by HUD and may be obtained at: http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html
•A "" is one whose income is no more than 80% of median income, adjusted for family size. Income limits are determined annually by HUD and may be obtained at:
IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY NEED
As a HUD entitlement community, the Township is required to develop a Five Year Consolidated Plan (CP) which identifies the community’s needs and a Strategic Plan for addressing those needs. The Township’s most current CP was completed in 2013 and covers Fiscal Years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In submitting an application for funding consideration, an applicant should make sure the proposed project addresses a need/objective as identified in the Strategic Plan, a summary of which can be found as Exhibit 4.
Time Frame
Generally speaking a First Public Hearing to discuss possible projects is held in January. Applications for funding consideration are usually due into the ECDP by the end of February. The ECDP reviews the applications for programmatic acceptability and then forwards them to the Township Supervisors who select the projects to be funded. The Township usually makes its decision in early March with a Final Public Hearing to follow shortly thereafter. The Township’s application requesting its CDBG funding allocation is submitted to HUD by May 15th with a program start date of July 1st.
•A "" is one whose income is no more than 80% of median income, adjusted for family size. Income limits are determined annually by HUD and may be obtained at: http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html •A "" is one whose income is no more than 80% of median income, adjusted for family size. Income limits are determined annually by HUD and may be obtained at:
http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html
CDBG Documents pertaining to the above notice are available: CLICK HERE
NOTICE OF FIRST PUBLIC HEARING
MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP
FY 2015 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
Millcreek Township intends to apply for its annual allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Pittsburgh Office, in May 2015. The Township is “entitled” to apply for and receive the grant monies under the provisions of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. It is anticipated the allocation will be $200,000 to $225,000.
A public hearing to discuss the Township’s CDBG program, potential projects, and previously funded activities is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 10:00 AM in the Assembly Room of the Millcreek Township municipal building located at 3608 West 26th Street, Erie, PA 16506. The facility is handicapped accessible.
CDBG funds can be used to undertake a wide range of activities, including, but not limited to: water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer construction; street reconstruction; curb and sidewalk replacement; recreation/park improvements; handicapped accessibility improvements; single family/rental housing rehabilitation; first-time homebuyer assistance; fair housing activities; public services; and administration/planning. It is noted that Millcreek Township would be responsible for replacing all low and moderate income housing units that may be demolished or converted as a result of a CDBG funded activity. The Township does not anticipate the demolition or conversion of any housing units.
Eligible activities must meet one of three National Objectives: 1) benefit low-to-moderate income persons, 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight; or 3) meet a need having a particular urgency. It is especially noted that the Primary Objective of the CDBG program is to benefit low-to-moderate income persons and at least 70% of the funds must be allocated for this purpose.
Interested persons are encouraged to attend the hearing. Those who are unable to attend but would like to comment, may do so by contacting the Erie County Department of Planning (ECDP), Erie County Courthouse- Room 111, 140 West 6th Street, Erie, PA 16501 / Phone: (814) 451-6016 / Fax: (814) 451-7000 /e-mail: jberdis@eriecountygov.org. Comments will be accepted until the time and day of the hearing.
Millcreek Township Supervisors
* Notice to appear in Erie Times News on 1/8/15
Community Development Block Grant Program Information (pdf)
FAIR HOUSING NOTICE
This notice will serve to advise residents of Millcreek Township that the following actions, if based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status (families with children), or handicap, are considered discriminatory.
1 Refusing to sell or rent to, deal or negotiate with any person.
2 Discriminating by advertising that housing is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or handicap.
3 Denying that housing is available for inspection, sale or rent when it really is available.
4 Blockbusting for profit, persuading owners to sell or rent housing by telling them that minority groups are moving into the neighborhood.
5 Denying or making different terms or conditions for home loans by financial institutions.
6 Denying to anyone the use of, or participation in, any real estate service, multiple-list service or other facilities related to the selling and renting of housing.
Any resident who believes they have been discriminated against under any of the above conditions may file a complaint with:
Erie County Human Relations Commission
1001 State Street, Suite #812
Renaissance Centre
Erie , PA 16501
Phone: 814-451-7021
Fax: 814-451-7066
Neighborhood Watch Initiative
The Millcreek Township Police Department is beginning a Neighborhood Watch program in an effort to gain community assistance in the battle against crime. We are looking for people who will communicate with citizens in their neighborhoods, people who will generate interest in the program, and a person to act as a contact. We will introduce the interested people to the Erie County Neighborhood Watch Council and they will walk us through the steps necessary to start the program. Our Police Department will act as a resource and supply input at the meetings to help assist with the process.
Numerous crimes within our community are resolved through the cooperation of citizens. We are not looking for people to intervene with crimes in progress, but to simply be our eyes and ears to alert officers when suspicious activity is afoot. With your help, we can minimize crime in your neighborhoods, assist you with making your homes less vulnerable, and keep your neighborhoods safer.
If you are interested in starting a program in your neighborhood, or simply want additional information, please call Sergeant Michael Little at 814-838-9515 ext. 425 or email at little@millcreektownship.com.
Erie County’s radio system is in need of replacement. Currently, a singular radio system that all responders can talk on does not exist in Erie County.
Since the 1970’s through the evolution of several dispatch centers, different radio systems were combined together creating our current “system of systems”. Failures of the current county radio system are becoming more common which puts first responders and the public at risk. Parts for the current county wide radio system are becoming harder to find or non-existent.
Beginning in January 2014, based on the information collected from the physical site surveys (site inspections) and interviews of participating user agencies, a strategic plan for a future communications system was developed by MCM Consulting Group. The goal is to migrate the existing County radio system and users to a common platform to provide the most technologically advanced communications system that meets the needs of Erie County in the most cost efficient way, and provides for interoperability among all users of the system, therefore improving public safety.
Below, you will find links to the radio study’s final report and the PowerPoint presentation shown to the public at the recent meeting held at the Millcreek Township Municipal Building on December 1st 2014. This information is identical to the information presented to county council.
If you have any further questions, please contact:
Erie County Department of Public Safety
John Grappy, Director of Public Safety
814-451-7920
Click here for Erie County Needs Assessment...
Click here for Erie County Needs Assessment Presentation...