Lower Pottsgrove Settles Police Matter; Looks Ahead to 2012

Lower Pottsgrove Township reached a settlement with Lower Pottsgrove police officer Matthew Meitzler during an executive session prior to the municipality's board of commissioners December 15 meeting.

According to the Sanatoga Post, Meitzler was suspended without pay for two 12-hour shifts by police chief Michael Shade after the cruiser Meitzler was driving was involved in an incident with a light pole outside of Sunnybrook Ballroom.

Meitzler was appealing Shade's decision before the settlement was reached. A key factor of the settlement was for the docked pay to be taken from one shift from the current year and one in 2012. The scheduled hearing on the matter was canceled in light of the new accord.

"The cost of the hearing would have been more than the settlement," Board President Jonathan Spadt said.

In other township news:

The township looked to the new year, approving resolutions to reappoint Anthony Cherico and Frank Cebular to the planning commission; Mark Loshnowsky to the municipal authority; and Don Wirt and Vernest Lightcap to the building code appeals board. Lightcap was reappointed as an alternate member.

The board also approved 2012's meeting schedule.

"Nothing's changed," Spadt said.

"Does that mean I don't have to ask my wife to approve it?" said commissioner James Kaiser.

"You probably should as a matter of course," Spadt said, laughing.

The board seemed hopeful for what 2012 could bring.

"We are going to start seeing some good things going on again (in 2012)," Spadt said. "It's been a rough couple of years."

The township approved:

•  an ordinance to adopt the 2012 budget.
•  an ordinance fixing the real estate property tax rate for 2012.
•  an ordinance fixing the rate of assessment of street lighting for 2012.
•  a resolution to establish the act 511 tax rates for 2012 as being the same rate as 2011.