Local News

My opinion is that the Local Services tax should be repealed because it drives away business and makes it harder to attract workers in Barrett Township:

Background - State Level:

• The Local Tax Enabling Act of 1965 allowed Second Class Townships to collect Occupational Privilege Taxes
• In 2004, the Local Tax Enabling Act was amended to allow for collecting "Emergency and Municipal Services Taxes"

Background - Locally:

• In 2005, ordinance 141 was passed, known as "Emergency and Municipal Services Tax"
• In 2007 it was renamed "Local Services Tax" when ordinance #155 was passed.

Friends and Neighbors - I want to share the following information about a small town near Westfield, Massachusetts that built their own fiber optic internet service. Would something like this benefit the people of Barrett Township?

The City of Westfield has been home to an experiment, of sorts, in which municipal internet has been made available to a majority of the homes in the city. Westfield Gas and Electric (WG&E) has developed its own ISP to give residents a choice for internet service beyond the monopoly of a private ISP.

Editor's Note:
Did you know, back in 1975, a dam was almost built in Buck Hill Falls? Imagine if it had been a hydro-electric dam! 

(see MP3 player below for Paradise Township Historical Society Discussion from June 2013 re: building a hydroelectric dam on Devil's Hole Creek) 

US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania - 388 F. Supp. 394 (M.D. Pa. 1975)
January 24, 1975
388 F. Supp. 394 (1975)
CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF BUCK HILL FALLS, By its trustee ad litem, Edwin Gee, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Kenneth GRANT, as Administrator, Soil Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, et al., Defendants.
Civ. No. 74-1164.
United States District Court, M. D. Pennsylvania.

January 24, 1975.

MOUNTAINHOME, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Two tickets with identical numbers matched Friday’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 Jackpot, and both came from the same supermarket.

Each ticket matched the five balls drawn with 4-8-11-14-25.

The purpose of this article is to share some firsthand knowledge of the PA Unemployment System - from an employer's perspective.

[Full Article on my blog - natecovington.com]

For "codification of the ordinances"

Please check http://barretttownship.com/ for information and Zoom meeting access

Question:
Did we save money by switching from Barrett Township to Pocono Mountain Regional police?

Answer:
I'm going through the "Public Safety - Police" total expense lines for years available to me and here is what I have:

[Updated 1/7/21 to include 2020's budget]

2010: $552,000 (When Barrett had 6 officers)
2011: ?
2012: ?
2013: ? (+ $100,000*)
2014: ?
2015: $709,000 (The year that Barrett police disbanded. Had 5 officers)
2016: $520,000 (Regional)
2017: $520,000 (Regional)
2018: $578,000 (Regional)
2019: $551,000 (Regional)
2020: $575,048 (Regional)

China III was robbed again last night. Police were on scene.

the owners said it looked like the same guy who robbed them last time and they ran toward cvs it happened in the parking lot as they were leaving

Source: Nextdoor

County: Monroe
Municipality: Barrett Township
Road name: PA 390
Between: PA 447 and Pike County Line
Type of work: Pothole Patching
Work being done by: PennDOT Maintenance Forces
Type of restriction: Daytime
Restriction: Lane restrictions. Expect delays and please use caution driving through the work zone.
Start date: 12/23/20
Est completion date: 12/24/20
Restrictions in effect (time of day): 09:00 AM To 03:00 PM
Will rain cause delays? Yes

(Source)

"...the state has faced several concerning and frustrating obstacles. Pennsylvania voters made historic use of mail-in voting during this election cycle, an option that is new to both voters and county election boards. In and of itself, this change would have been manageable, but paired with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rulings and confusing guidance from the Secretary of State, our state’s election process has been called into question"

Full Article

Source:
http://www.repbrown.com/Display/SiteFiles/409/OtherDocuments/2020/Brown2020GeneralElectionLetterFinal.pdf

With COVID-19 cases on the rise and large gatherings discouraged, many seniors will not get to see their loved ones this holiday season.

If you’re feeling homebound and alone, there are several ways to keep in contact with your friends and family.

Monroe County community centers are offering virtual classes, and with the help of your tech savvy younger counterparts, you can learn how to use apps such as Zoom and FaceTime to talk with your family — both near and far.

Tuning in online

Nicole Abrams, director of programming and facilities at the Friendly Community Center in Barrett Township, reports an uptick in locals signing up for online classes via Zoom.