Butler Township Pollutant Reduction Plan - Public Notice

As required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PA DEP’s) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Individual Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Renewal Application, Butler Township has prepared and must implement a Pollutant Reduction Plan (PRP) for the Storm Sewershed of the Urbanized Area of Butler Township. The purpose of the PRP is to select Water Quality Stormwater Management Best Management Practices (BMPs) to be constructed within the Township to achieve a minimum 10% reduction of Sediment, a minimum 5% reduction of Total Phosphorus and a minimum 3% reduction of Total Nitrogen Pollutant Loads in pounds per year during a five (5) year time period.

The proposed PRP developed by Butler Township can be viewed at the Butler Township Municipal Building located at 83 Corporate Drive in Butler Township, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by accessing the Butler Township Website at www.butlertownship.org. Written comments shall be accepted by Butler Township for thirty (30) days from the date of this Public Notice. A copy of the written comments will be attached to the Final PRP submitted to the PA DEP by Butler Township. Furthermore, Butler Township shall accept and make a record of any oral comments received at any public meeting or public hearing held by Butler Township during the thirty (30) day public comment period. All public comments, whether received orally at a public meeting, or written, will be considered in the Township’s Final PRP submitted to the PA DEP.

Butler Township Draft Pollutant Reduction Plan (May 12, 2020)19.41 MB

Butler Township Draft Stormwater Ordinance 050923.pdf1.83 MB

Additional Documentation

Butler Township Public Education and Outreach 202449.26 KB

DEP Stormwater Dont Waste Your Money Brochure57.80 KB

Stream Maintenance Booklet7.28 MB

Proper Landscaping On and Around Your Septic System561.06 KB

How to Make a Rain Barrel862.08 KB

Septic Smart Homeowners Guide2.89 MB

Stormwater Best Practices Guide720.18 KB

State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) is warning residents of ascam targeting Property Tax or Rent Rebate recipients.

Schwank’s office was notified of a scam that consists of unsolicited calls from a person claiming to work for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The caller says an application for Property Tax or Rent Rebate has been approved and then asks if the recipient would like the rebate directly deposited into a bank account – and asks for his or her bank information.

This is a scam. The Department of Revenue does not make live calls regarding Property Tax or Rent Rebate applications and does not collect applicant banking deposit information over the phone.

The Department of Revenue does contact applicants via automated calls to confirm their information has been received and approved. If the department needs more information about an individual’s Property Tax or Rent Rebate application, it sends a letter through the U.S. Postal Service.

Individuals can request that their rebate be directly deposited; those requests, however, must be made when the signed application is submitted to the Department of Revenue.

If you receive a phone call from an individual claiming to represent the Department of Revenue and is requesting personal bank account information, DO NOT give out any banking information or any personal information (including Social Security numbers) to these callers. 

If you received one of these calls and provided your banking information or other personal information, immediately call your bank to make them aware of this potential fraud. Additionally, you can file a scam complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-441-2555 or by visiting www.attorneygeneral.gov.  Consumer Complaint forms are also available by contacting Senator Schwank’s District Office at 610-929-2151.

Butler Township held a ribbon cutting recently for its new municipal building and police station complex in the CAN DO Corporate Center in Drums. Pictured are, from left: Walter James, representing American Legion Butler Township Post 795; Atty. Donald Karpowich, solicitor for the Butler Township supervisors; Kevin O’Donnell, CAN DO president and CEO; Mary Malone, Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce president; Rep. Tarah Toohil; Rev. Michele Kaufman, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church; Jennifer Pecora, Butler Township manager; Dr. Frank Polidora, Butler Township supervisor; Brian Kisenwether, chairman of the Butler Township supervisors; Charles Altmiller, Butler Township supervisor; Brian Sabatini, Butler Township police chief; Senator John Gordner; David Pedri, Luzerne County manager; and William Magnotta, chairman of the CAN DO Board of Directors.

Butler Township hosted an evening of Halloween fun on October 14 at the Butler Township Community Center.

Dozens of area children came dressed in their best Halloween costumes and joined in some ghoulish fun, including a Halloween parade, pumpkin decorating and arts and crafts.

Click below to view more pictures from the festivities.

Read more: Butler Township hosts Halloween event

Butler Township officials hosted a groundbreaking on Wednesday at the future home of the Butler Township municipal building and police station on Site 11 in the CAN DO Corporate Center in Drums.

The $4 million building project includes a 13,500-square-foot facility that will house Butler Township’s police station, detention area, administration building and zoning office and an additional 4,300-square-foot police storage garage. Township officials expect to move into the new facility in February of 2018.

Butler Township officials finalized the purchase of the five-acre lot on Site 11 in the Corporate Center late last year. Butler Township was looking for a location that would help it better serve the township’s growing population in terms of emergency response time and convenience when conducting municipal business.

Brian Kisenwether, chairman of the Butler Township board of supervisors, said, “I speak for my fellow board members and myself when I say that public safety has always been a top priority for this administration. We want to make sure we have a strong and effective police department for our residents. As our population grows, so must our services. We outgrew our current municipal building about a decade ago but we did not want to make a move of this magnitude until we had sufficient revenue resources to do so without impacting our current tax rate. We are also hopeful with this progressive move to the CAN DO Corporate Center that we can attract more business and jobs to this beautiful area in the Butler valley.”

Although township officials considered several properties for the new municipal building, they ultimately found several benefits from the CAN DO Corporate Center location that helped finalize the selection process. The pad-ready site will allow the township to save a significant amount of money in construction costs and access to the Corporate Center’s natural gas resources will provide a savings for a building that will be operational around the clock.

Butler Township Manager Maryanne Petrilla said working with CAN DO to select the site and finalize the deal was a smooth process and township officials are looking forward to their new home.

“CAN DO has been a great partner to us over the years in improving our economic development and creating jobs. They have been extremely easy to work with and we look forward to a continued relationship,” she said.

CAN DO President and CEO Kevin O’Donnell said, “CAN DO’s relationship with Butler Township goes all the way back to 1989 when a search committee recommended that CAN DO purchase 1,025 acres of land here at the intersection of Route 309 and 80 to be used principally as a business park. That was the start of the CAN DO Corporate Center.

“Our vision for this business park was shared by the Butler Township Board of Supervisors in 1989, and Butler Township remains a supportive partner in economic development and we are excited to have the township’s office complex in the Corporate Center.”

The CAN DO Corporate Center is located along State Route 309 and just minutes from Interstates 80 and 81. The park offers a number of infrastructure incentives including easy access to utilities as well as a telecommunications network. The state-of-the-art telecommunications system features 100-percent digital switching, a fiber-optic network and available, dedicated internet access.

Pictured, from left, are: Brian Sabatini, Butler Township police chief; Dr. John Madden, CAN DO Board of Directors chairman; Kevin O’Donnell, CAN DO president and CEO; Dan Guydish, representing the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce; Charlie Altmiller, Butler Township supervisors vice-chairman; David Pedri, Luzerne County manager; Brian Kisenwether, Butler Township supervisors chairman of the board; Bob Dougherty, from RJD Engineering; Dr. Frank Polidora, Butler Township supervisors secretary/treasurer; Maryanne Petrilla, Butler Township manager; Gregg Pavlick, from Barry Isett, Inc.; Joe Calabrese, from RJD Engineering; John Sidari, from M&J Excavation, Inc.; Jim Vozar, construction manager from JVI, Inc.; and Paul Lewis, architect from Williams Kinsman Lewis Architechture.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

BUTLER TOWNSHIP POLICE SEIZE GUN, DRUGS AND CURRENCY

DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Butler Township Police seized a gun, drugs and currency as a result of a traffic stop on May 4, 2015 around 10:30 PM. Police were on patrol along E. Butler Drive near Forest Ave when they observed a BMW that had an equipment violation.

Police stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, who was identified as Melvin Cabrera, age 22 of Hazleton. During the investigation Cabrera was found to be in possession of marijuana and was taken into custody.

A back seat passenger, Adonys Javier Alvarez, age 20, of E. Diamond Ave, Hazleton, was subsequently identified and found to have concealed 280 packets of heroin in his girlfriend’s purse, which was next to him. Officers subsequently located a 9 mm pistol in the vehicle and Alvarez was in possession of $775. Alvarez was ineligible to be in possession of a firearm due to his age and because of the illegal drugs found in the vehicle.

Alvarez was wanted by the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department for failing to appear for a previous charge.

Alvarez faces charges of possession with intent to deliver, firearms not to be carried without a license – both felonies; possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to the Luzerne County Prison to await an overnight arraignment.

Cabrera faces the charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Alvarez faces a preliminary hearing later this month.

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Released-  5/11/2015 5:22 am

Released by: Cpl. William J. Feissner