At its Dec. 3 meeting, the Hanover Township Council passed its 2015 budget. In accordance with the Home Rule Charter, official budget approval is set for a special meeting on Dec. 30. The process allows for budget adjustments up to the end of the year and for all the open 2014 bills to be paid.

The $3 million-plus budget continues the township's tradition of keeping its tax rates the lowest in the state while providing services to its residents.

"We were able to keep costs stable for 2015," Council Chairman Bruce Paulus said. "Trash pickup remains free for residents. We negotiated with our hauler, [J.P. Mascaro & Sons], to provide for weekly pickups of recyclables and everything that is to be recycled can be put in the same container.

"We also made a commitment to continue free ambulance service for residents."

According to Township Manager Sandra Pudliner, the township's concerns over the FedEx hub in Allen Township has reached the top levels of PennDOT.

Michael Rebert, district executive for PennDOT's District 5 contacted the township and asked for a private conference to present PennDOT's plans to address the slated increase in traffic in the area. Council asked Pudliner to set up the meeting.

In August, Allen Township approved a proposal to build a 1-million-square-foot warehouse for FedEx Ground on property owned by the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Traffic from the warehouse operations predominately transits Hanover Township on its way to the Route 22 corridor. Hanover council has contended since the start of the project that the impact of additional traffic in Hanover Township has not been adequately addressed. A traffic study done in conjunction with the proposed development did not address the impact of the traffic on Route 22.

Local officials have assured the township that scheduled improvements to Route 22 will not make existing traffic conditions worse. In an earlier meeting with PennDOT, representatives of the agency did not address the township's concerns. In response, the township has indicated it will delay the project while it considers its options to resolve identified problems.

Clark Machmer of the Rockefeller Group, the lead developer on the FedEx warehouse project, asked the council to consider moving the process along. Machmer contends that of the 21 concerns presented by the township only three points remain unresolved. In a prior meeting, council agreed to meet with Rockefeller representatives to discuss the process again. Council has now asked Machmer to delay the Rockefeller Group's meeting with the township until after the township's PennDOT meeting. With the project approved, implementation planning is ongoing. Machmer indicated that it would be beneficial for the township to participate in the planning.