What will library, EMS services look like in Halfmoon Township? Supervisors look to future

The Halfmoon Township board of supervisors held a strategic planning meeting this week to discuss what funding might look like from the township for various services — including the Schlow Centre Region Library and Port Matilda EMS — for the next few years.

The board typically holds strategic planning meetings every few years to help map out the next three to five years. On the agenda for discussion at Monday’s 8 a.m. meeting included emergency, regional and recreational services, policies and procedures, future planning and budgeting, and open space preservation.

The board — David Piper, Ron Servello, Rose Ann Hoover, Patti Hartle and Charles Beck — was in agreement on some items, such as continuing C-NET services. Though some felt the cost was high, they said the public liked it and the timely service it provides is appreciated.

“I know the public likes it and I’m not necessarily swayed by some of the public but on the other hand, it does meet some of our recording requirements,” Piper said. “And the meetings are out there and people can come back and look at them, and I do like that people do have access.”

Monday’s meeting was for discussion only and the board is expected to take official action during its meeting June 22.

Schlow Library

This is the last year Halfmoon is obligated to provide a contractual amount to Schlow Centre Region Library, as the board voted in December to withdraw Halfmoon Township from the program effective Jan. 1, 2024.

This year Halfmoon is slated to spend $54,620 on library services, Brett Laird, township treasurer, said. Of that, $50,120 is to Schlow and $4,500 is to the Centre County Library. During Monday’s meeting, the board was tasked with determining what future contributions to the library from the township would look like.

Most supervisors on Monday argued the contract between municipalities and Schlow was “one sided” and getting out of the contract allowed them time to review budgets, services and needs. Others said they weren’t sure that the services would actually be reduced due to the township leaving the contract.

Supervisor Patti Hartle was the only supervisor to speak favorably about the contract and go through the potential impacts of it. (Hartle and Servello were the only supervisors to vote against leaving the library program last year.)

“It is going to have an impact on our citizens and citizens not only in the (Centre Region Council of Governments) municipalities, but in Philipsburg, in Centre Hall, etc.,” Hartle said. “So we can’t kid ourselves. If this is what we want to do, if the majority of the board wants to do this, to stay out of the contract, they just need to own the consequences. Because they are what they are.”

Based on current discussions, the services that would be cut first are things that will directly impact Halfmoon, like the grab-and-go book lockers at Way Fruit Farm, the book return at Brother’s Pizza in Stormstown, and the book return at Carson’s Corner would be moved to a more central Patton Township location, Hartle said. Sharon Rovansek, Halfmoon Township’s representative on Schlow’s board of trustees, agreed.

“Storytimes and programs will be prioritized based on residency in participating municipalities. So there’s programs that they’re offering at the library and if they happen to be very popular, Halfmoon residents will go to the bottom of the prioritization list, because supporting municipalities will take priority,” Hartle said.

Chair David Piper said he’s not anti-library, but that they’re “passe” for the most part. He had concerns that the cost of operating Schlow was too high and too payroll heavy.

To get an idea of how other municipalities outside of the COG donate to the library, Piper said he spoke with the Bellefonte Borough. The borough donates roughly $5/resident to the library system for support, he said.

“I personally am OK with $5 per person. That makes us better than every other municipality except for the (other) Centre Region municipalities as far as donations go. I don’t see a need to go higher than that, or much higher than that,” Piper said. “I would like to earmark specific amounts. I know having the books delivered out here is a big deal and I say if we donate the money to the library, that oughta be part of the requirement. If they want the money then they need to continue that service so people can come out to the book lockers.”

Based on 2020 Census numbers, a $5/resident donation would be much lower than what Halfmoon has previously contributed, coming in at just under $14,000. Based on the numbers given at Monday’s meeting, their previous contributions were closer to $18/resident. Hartle advocated for $10/resident, but said they can’t give money conditionally.

Beck agreed with Piper’s donation suggestion. Hoover also supported contributing to the library but she wasn’t as concerned about the book lockers.

“We lived without those lockers two years ago. And they’re lovely and convenient, and 45 families use them. But they were not a part of Halfmoon Township since the beginning of time. Those were a new addition. So if they come or go, well, I guess we have to go back to the olden days before the lockers,” Hoover said.

Servello added that the library system has more government funding than just the municipal level, he said, and there are multiple libraries in the county including Penn State’s.

Some asked if the board was going to discuss sending a survey to the community to see how residents feel about the library. Laird said a survey could be used for future years, but it’s too late for 2024. Servello said a survey that was done in the past showed residents did not favor participating in Schlow. He added a survey might not even help inform the board’s decision.

“If we want to have a discussion about, you know, the democratic process and how we make our decisions based on the majority of people wanting something — that’s not the kind of government we are, we are not a democracy. We are a republic, a representative republic. We’re elected to make the decisions. And that’s how our process works. So we can send out surveys but that does not necessarily inform our decisions,” Servello said.

Funding local EMS

Funding for the Port Matilda EMS has been an ongoing hot topic for municipalities in the Upper Bald Eagle/Halfmoon COG (Port Matilda borough and Halfmoon, Taylor, Worth and Huston townships). The elected officials have been working since January to try to find a funding solution.

In November 2022, the Port Matilda EMS announced its plan to close within three months, adding to a growing list of EMS providers across the state forced to close because of declines in personnel. Days after that announcement, the EMS company posted on Facebook that it was “holding off on formal notification of our intent to close for a few weeks while we investigate all possible avenues.” It has since remained open and committed to serving the community for as long as its viable.

During the Halfmoon’s May meeting, the supervisors voted to bring a funding formula to the other COG municipalities — plus Warriors Mark and Ferguson Township as both have an area served by the Port Matilda EMS — based on population and assessed value.

Although the other municipalities have yet to agree to the proposal formula, it shows Halfmoon Township contributing 41% of the municipal contribution line item in the EMS budget.

Piper said he was comfortable with the proposed formula and said if the other municipalities come up with a different solution or formula, Halfmoon can revisit it.

“Personally, I think we’re willing to step up to 41%,” Piper said, adding they gave more last year than they did in previous years.

“...Halfmoon can’t carry it all. We’ve got much higher taxes than they have and if they want to help, they can raise theirs. If they don’t, then they don’t. I think we need to do our part,” he said.

The June 22 meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 100 Municipal Lane, Port Matilda.