The state’s Independent Fiscal Office estimates that shale gas impact fee collections for calendar year 2020 will be $144.9 million, a $55.9 million decrease compared to 2019. The drop is due to lower gas prices, fewer wells being drilled, and…

Township officials preparing for the numerous state filings due this month should be aware that the state Department of Community and Economic Development sent its annual mailing via email on November 5. The mailing was sent to the email address…

Grant applications are being accepted for construction and project grants for historic resources that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Local governments are eligible to apply for these grants through the Keystone Historic…

The state Department of Transportation has extended expiration dates for commercial driver’s licenses and commercial learner’s permits through February 22, 2021. This applies to CDL licenses and learner’s permits that were scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through February 22, 2021. Please note…

Recently a strategic planning survey was sent to each township for input….electronically last Thursday and one arriving in your mailbox this week. We are asking for one survey response per member township.  It was sent to the primary contact of…

The Independent Fiscal Office and state Department of Revenue have released December revenue reports. For the month of December, state General Fund collections totaled $3.7 billion and were $465.8 million higher than anticipated. The increase was largely due to the corporate net income tax. Personal income tax collections for December were above estimate by $36 million.   The…

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a virtual public hearing on January 13, 2021, at 6 p.m. to hear testimony on permit applications for construction of the PennEast Pipeline project in northeast Pennsylvania. The permits under review…

The Office of Open Records has updated its official fee schedule that townships must use when charging for Right-to-Know Law requests.   The major changes to the schedule are:   The first 1,000 black and white copies remain at up to $.25…

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield and state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine are urging the commonwealth’s citizens to “Resolve to be Ready” in 2021 by creating family emergency plans and emergency kits.  Padfield said to create an emergency plan, you should:…

The Commonwealth has announced another round of grants through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.   RACP projects are authorized in the…