2008 News
July 18, 2008
“Barbecue and County Business”
Commissioners Conduct Bi-Monthly Meeting in Picnic Fashion at Picturesque, 501-Acre Lake Towhee Park
Lake Towhee Park, one of the true gems of the Bucks County Parks and Recreation system, is nestled within Haycock Township’s scenic confines. On the evening of July 16, the park – origin of the lake-bottom clay that is used to make the exclusively handicrafted tiles at Doylestown’s Moravian Pottery & Tile Works – hosted the Board of Bucks County Commissioners’ annual picnic meeting.
“One of the components of the tile works is using natural clay, unpurified, that in a sense reflects the humanity of the material through its imperfection and irregularity,” noted Adam Zayas, head ceramicist at the Tile Works, during brief remarks to the meeting attendees. “The idea is that this material, combined with human skill, produces a unique product every time.”
Eighteen years ago, according to county Executive Director of Parks and Recreation Bill Mitchell, Lake Towhee was dredged, creating a “moving stockpile” for the 30 tons of clay the Tile Works utilizes annually.
Mitchell also helped to answer one of the evening’s prominent questions, reporting that Lake Towhee is named for the “eastern towhee” bird, not an Indian chief.
During a 90-minute business agenda that followed a picnic of barbecued chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and watermelon slices, Commissioners Jim Cawley, Charley Martin and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia approved resolutions for 11 departments, although Chairman Cawley cast a “nay” vote for three Human Resources labor contracts involving the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME-AFL-CIO) Units 03 and 05. Those units represent approximately 892 county employees, or roughly one-third of the county’s total of 2,700.
Discussion of the AFSCME contracts dominated the public-comment portion of the meeting, as several attendees discussed the philosophical aspects of union dues and “fair share” contributions.
Chairman Cawley was proud to join his colleagues in approving a 124.8-acre agricultural preservation easement on the Charles and Joanne Isaac farm, which sits in the shadow of Lake Towhee Park. The $499,280 county contribution to the easement represents 40 percent of the purchase price. The other 60 percent was funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac were in attendance at the meeting, earning a round of applause from attendees. Their farm is the 116th preserved by the county since 1989, lifting the total acreage to 10,314.
“This is a beautiful farm, which is located about a quarter mile away from this park,” explained county Agricultural Preservation Director Rich Harvey. “It is a highly productive farm, and it is also the first farm we have preserved in Haycock Twp. It’s significant in that we are looking at two other farms that are adjacent to this farm, and right down the road. By the end of next year, we hope to have most of these farms under preservation.”
The commissioners also approved several Public Works contracts related to a back-up Data Center in the upper portion of the county, but tabled a proposed $73,000 contract to provide floor engineering services for the Neshaminy Manor nursing home.
During his chief operating officer’s report, David Sanko touched on several items, including the hiring of Ted Rice to succeed longtime director Don MacGregor at the Bucks County Youth Center. Rice comes to the position from a similar role in Montgomery County.
The report included a detailed analysis of the county’s 245-vehicle fleet, which includes 57 vehicles that are assigned to employees on a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week basis. Of those 57, a total of 33 are assigned to law-enforcement personnel. That means only 24 out of 2,700 employees not in the public-safety arena are assigned a full-time vehicle.
Mr. Sanko also promoted the July 19 Household Hazardous Waste and Computer Recycling event, to be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology (MBIT), 2740 Old York Rd. (Rte. 263), Warwick Twp.
On the state budget front, Mr. Sanko expressed concern that some of the county’s health and human services program may be “woefully under-funded” in the budget recently signed by Gov. Edward G. Rendell.
In addition to Mr. Zayas’ presentation, Commissioner Marseglia presented a proclamation declaring July as “Child Support Month.” Accepting the proclamation were county Domestic Relations Director Laura LoBianco and McGruff the Crime Dog (played by Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Hill). According to LoBianco, as recently as 2004, Bucks County had 1,900 child-support warrants that represented over $20 million in unpaid child support. Today, that number is down to 870.
For a full audio account of the July 16 meeting, please go to www.BucksCounty.org and click on the link on the commissioners’ meeting page.