Spring 2019
Please enjoy the latest eNews from Upper Makefield Township. Check our website for regular updates.
Township Welcomes Police Officer Justin Edwards
Bucks County District Court Judge Mick Petrucci and Upper Makefield Chief of Police Mark F. Schmidt (shown left and right in photo) joined Upper Makefield's Board of Supervisors meeting in February for the swearing in of new officer Justin Edwards (center).

Officer Edwards is now a member of our 16-officer police force. He worked as a Philadelphia Police Officer from 2014 until joining Upper Makefield.

Officer Edwards received basic training at the Montgomery County Municipal Police Academy in 2010 and at the Philadelphia Police Academy in 2015. He is working on a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice at DeSales University and holds an associate's degree in Criminal Justice from Montgomery County Community College.

Welcome to Upper Makefield, Officer Edwards!
Local Taxes also Due Monday, April 15
Upper Makefield Township residents and those employed within Upper Makefield Township must pay 4 kinds of taxes: real estate, occupation, earned income, and real estate transfer. Earned Income Taxes are collected by  Keystone Collections Group . All other bills are mailed by the elected Tax Collector, Nick Ettorre.

Please remember, taxpayers are responsible for payment whether or not the bill is received.  Check the schedules and contact the tax collector or Keystone Collections if you have not received your bill. You can reach Upper Makefield's Tax Collector, Nick Ettorre, at 215-493-3490. Here is a link to his real estate tax information sheet .
New Ways for Earth Day 2019
Bucks County is urging residents to take a closer look at what they recycle and where. Since 2018, some countries have dramatically reduced acceptance of recycling shipments from the United States. The result is that recycled material markets have tumbled and landfill per ton rates are rising in the United States. Most facilities now only accept "clean" loads of recyclables—contaminated loads go directly to landfills.

According to a March 5, 2019 article in The Atlantic, "About 25 percent of what ends up in the blue bins is contaminated, according to the National Waste & Recycling Association. For decades, we’ve been throwing just about whatever we wanted—wire hangers and pizza boxes and ketchup bottles and yogurt containers—into the bin ... That’s no longer an option."

To avoid contaminating your trash hauler's recycling load, please brush up on current recycling information.
Some Plastics Welcomed; Others, No Thank You
Milk, soda, and laundry detergent containers recycled at curbside must be empty, clean and dry. Types #1 and #2 in water and soda bottles, laundry and milk jugs are the most likely acceptable plastics (not film or plastic bags). If you want to recycle yogurt containers or other plastic materials, please check with your recycling hauler first.

Plastic bags are not recyclable at curbside. In fact, they get trapped in sorting machines, shutting down recycling systems and forcing all recycled materials in that load to a landfill. Your supermarket may accept any plastic bags you can't reuse.
Electronics Recycling
Why didn't they pick up my TV? Residents often are surprised when TVs and other electronics are left at the curb by trash collectors. That's because many of their components can't be recycled to prevent toxic substances used in electronics from leaching into our drinking water. To protect our environment, The Pennsylvania Covered Devices Recycling Act of 2010 made it illegal for trash haulers to pick up electronics. Bucks County has developed a comprehensive list of available options. It's best to call any listed collection provider first, in case rules have changed.
2019 Collection Dates for Household Hazardous Waste
Collection events on 5 different dates and locations in Bucks County are scheduled for 2019. You can rid your garage and basement from environmental and fire hazards by dropping them off for proper disposal once or twice a year.

Items Accepted

  • Pesticides
  • Flammables
  • Certain Battery Types
  • Mini Propane Tanks
  • Caustic Cleaners

For details about what, when, and how to drop off household hazardous waste, check the 2019 Household Hazardous Waste flyer.
Don't Toss Leaves and Brush into Your Creek Bank
Blue-green algae blooms on water surface due to runoff from fertilized agricultural areas and sewage effluent which are rich in phosphorus and nitrogen that support the growth of algae.
Old habits are hard to break: But tossing leaves and brush down ravines and into creeks creates blockages that lead to bank erosion and algae bloom, hurting aquatic life. In short, lawn debris in creek banks is not environmentally green!

Most of Upper Makefield's creek banks (Houghs, Jericho, and Pidcock are the three primary creeks) are privately owned. That leaves proper management the responsibility of the owner.

Guidelines

  • Never throw brush, grass clippings, pruning, leaves or other landscape materials onto the creek bank.  

  • Yard clippings can smother and kill plants growing along the bank. Without the roots of thriving vegetation to hold the soil in place, banks will become bare and may fail. 

  • When carried downstream, clippings can create blockages, causing erosion. When these materials get into waterways and break down, they can contribute to decreased water quality by increasing nitrogen and phosphorous which can, in turn, encourage algae blooms that remove oxygen from the water, negatively affecting aquatic life.

Bag and Bundle
Please bag and bundle your leaves and brush for curbside pickup.Your trash/recycling hauler posts how to prepare leaves and brush for pickup on their website. Upper Makefield Township Supervisors are working this year to align our Township Ordinance with best practices for clean water and clean air.
Help Replant our Tree Canopy with Upper Makefield's Tree Grant Program
Emerald Ash Borer infestations have struck hard in Upper Makefield. Our Tree Fund (funded by developer fees) has been used to treat infected trees, especially around Washington Crossing, and to remove dead trees to prevent further spread.

Help us rebuild our tree canopy
You can help replace Upper Makefield's lost trees by adding more trees to your property. The same Tree Fund grants residents a rebate of $25/tree for up to 12 trees when you plant them this spring. We encourage you to tap this valuable tree resource for your property and Upper Makefield's future!
Celebrate Earth Day at Core Creek Park
Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Core Creek Park is the Place to Celebrate Earth Day 2019
Meet Upper Makefield Township's Environmental Advisory Council members at their table on Core Creek Park's Earth Day, 2019.

There will be giveaways and children's activities, plus a chance to learn more about how Upper Makefield's EAC facilitates these services and programs for Township residents.

  • UMTree Grant Program
  • e-Waste Recycling
  • Watershed Grants
  • Waste Management Ordinances
  • Monitoring of Conservation Easements
Bucks County Data Portal offers Practical Info
A screenshot from the Bucks County GIS Data Portal
Bucks County's Data Portal is your online reference library for all maps and documents produced by and for Bucks County. It's remarkable for its easy-to-access information by category, reports, and interactive maps. The screenshot shown illustrates the clean, user-friendly design. Here are a few things you can find at the portal.

  • Bucks County Floodplain Viewer
  • Proposed Subdivisions and Land Developments
  • Property Parcel Numbers
  • Election Polling Places
  • Help Stop Opioid Abuse
  • Map showing all 624 Traffic Signals in Bucks County
  • Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Collection Information
Receive Custom Alerts from Bucks County
Smart911 is Customized Emergency Service
Bucks County now offers residents the ability to review and to customize their 9-1-1- system data.

“If your elderly father with Alzheimer’s and a history of wandering lives with you, adding his photo to Smart911 allows dispatchers to distribute that photo to emergency personnel as soon as you call 9-1-1,” said Audrey Kenny, Director of Bucks County Emergency Communications in the County's press release. “If your daughter has a severe peanut allergy, adding that medical information to Smart911 could give precious moments to the Emergency Medical personnel who won’t have to ask as many questions before beginning treatment.”

Smart911 now serves at least 25 million residents nationwide. It's available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities across the country. It has been credited with positively impacting emergency outcomes. In one incident, when a missing child was reported, the girl's photo and physical description were immediately available to 9-1-1 and responders. Another time, when dispatchers responded to a call for a heart attack victim, they were able to find his address and medical notes quickly.

Please go online now to learn more and set up your account for Smart911 Alerts.
Upper Makefield Township | uppermakefield.org | 215-968-3340