News & Events

Christmas Tree Pickup to be Offered at Curbside
Posted: December 28, 2011

In a holiday edition of its yard waste collection program, the Moon Township Public Works Department will offer live Christmas tree curbside pickups from Jan. 3, through Jan. 13. Pickup will follow residents’ regular garbage collection schedule Monday through Friday.

Pickups will not take place on Monday, Jan. 2, because of the holiday. Residents with Monday garbage collection can participate in Christmas tree pickups on Tuesday, Jan. 3, that week.

During the weekend of Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, residents also can drop off Christmas trees at the Downes Fire Station composting site located at the intersection of Beaver Grade and Ewing roads. The drop-off site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please remove all ornaments and decorations, and place trees at the curb line by 8 a.m. on pickup day. Artificial trees will not be accepted. Trees collected through the program will be chipped and reused for future landscaping projects around the township.

The Moon Township Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 at last night’s Workshop Meeting to approve Moon Township’s final 2012 Budget, which maintains flat tax rates and the full range of municipal services.

Moon Township’s 2012 property tax rate remains at 3.28 mills, which includes a .2-mill fire tax to fund equipment and training costs for the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company. The township’s 2012 General Operating Budget totals to approximately $11.4 million to fund services ranging from parks and recreation and planning to police and fire protection.

An additional $1.389 million will be transferred to the township’s capital reserve fund for 2012 capital projects including the summer road resurfacing program. The 2012 budget will be available online at www.moontwp.com.

“The 2012 budget is a result of more than smart spending choices for the year ahead. It’s the result of years of effective financial planning that the board and staff have made an ongoing priority,” said Jim Vitale, chairman of the Moon Township Board of Supervisors. “With many families and governments facing tough spending choices this year, we’re proud to pass a full-service budget that won’t impact the household budgets of our residents.”

With its 2012 spending plan in place, the Board of Supervisors will continue laying the groundwork for the New Year by appointing board, staff and other administrative positions at its annual Reorganization Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Moon Township Municipal Building, 1000 Beaver Grade Road.

The Moon Township Board of Supervisors at its Dec. 7, regular public meeting approved the township's 2012 Bond Issue, which resulted in lower-than projected interest rates and substantial savings for the township.

The township took advantage of historically low interest rates to refinance approximately $8.2 million from the township's only two outstanding bonds for a savings of $554,000 on its debt service. With a lower cost to borrow, the township leveraged the savings to issue an additional $2.5 million in new bonds to finance long-term capital improvements – such as major building repairs and park improvements – over the next three years.

Previous bond issues, for example, have financed construction of the township's salt storage facility as well as the new Moon Park baseball field, tennis courts and other Phase I park improvements.

The township's Dec. 7, bond sale follows Standard & Poor's affirmation of the township's high AA credit rating, which garnered competitive interest rates in the market. At the board's Dec. 7, regular meeting, the township's bond advisor Janney Montgomery Scott LLC reported that the morning's bond sale resulted in an average interest rate of 3.398 percent over the 20-year life of the 2012 bond series.

"Moon Township's successful bond sale is a positive reflection on the township's financial stability amid a difficult credit climate for local governments across the country," said Jeanne Creese, Moon Township Manager. "Low interest rates combined with our strong credit rating made it the ideal time to secure a highly competitive interest rate for long-term investment in our community."

The 2012 bond series, which totals to approximately $10.7 million, allows the township to borrow the additional money without increasing its annual debt service payment and extends the life of the bond by only five years.

Both of the refinanced bond series exceeded the 2 percent savings benchmark recommended for bond refinancing. The refinanced 2005 and 2006 bond series yielded savings of 5.18 percent and 8.93 percent respectively.

Moon Township welcomed Marissa Gerkey to the position of Moon Township Planning Director this month.

Ms. Gerkey brings six years of community planning experience to Moon Township. In her most recent position, Ms. Gerkey served as assistant planning director for the Crawford County Planning Commission where she specialized in community and economic development, zoning and comprehensive land use planning.

“I am very excited to join Moon Township and look forward to working with the township’s staff, officials and community members,” Ms. Gerkey said. “With the township’s Comprehensive Plan Update underway, this is a perfect opportunity to begin my new role by contributing my own skills and perspective to the plan while learning about the community in the process.”

A graduate of Elmira College in New York, Ms. Gerkey earned bachelor’s degrees in both International Studies and Political Science. Ms. Gerkey also is completing coursework toward a Master of City and Regional Planning at Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, New York. Ms. Gerkey is a member of the American Society of Highway Engineers and a member of the Pennsylvania Planning Association where she serves on the state’s Professional Development Committee.

Gerkey replaces former Planning Director Adam McGurk, who left his position in April to relocate to New York City.