Fees for the South Whitehall engineering firm, The Pidcock Co., will increase slightly in 2013, after remaining the same for the previous three years.

At the Jan. 2 commissioners' meeting, engineer Ralph Russek Jr. commented on the rate increase.

"We've been asked twice over a two year period to hold, and we did," Russek said. "We've maintained the same rate schedule for 2010-11, and 2012."

He noted the average of all of the rate increases for the various personnel categories is 2.5 percent.

"If we have the same amount of work in the new year, the increase amounts to less than $1,000," Russek said.

Fees per hour includes $110 for principal of the firm, $89 for the senior architect and senior engineer, $49 for an engineering technician, $56 for a land surveyor, $31 for an administrative assistant, and $21 for electronic survey equipment.

Transportation will be charged per mile, and work beyond a standard eight-hour day will be invoiced at 1.5 times the hourly rates.

Computer aided design equipment will be billed at $21 per hour for use of specialized software in design, as well as to process plans under review.

Russek, who represents the firm at public meetings, reported company chief J. Scott Pidcock is very much involved with South Whitehall engineering issues and communicates regularly with township staff.

During the courtesy of the floor period, Al Bradbury, 649 Parkway Road, expressed his thoughts on a fence erected adjacent to his property by the owner of a business center at the site of the former Village Inn along Tilghman Street.

Bradbury said a green buffer zone was approved by South Whitehall zoners some years ago for the business instead of a fence.

When the shrubs didn't survive, a cedar fence was erected instead.

"It's an attractive fence, but I don't like it," Bradbury said.

He said the fence is legal but questioned whether the green buffer was specified in the township record.

Solicitor Joseph Zator said he would investigate the zoning hearing minutes in response to Bradbury's concern.