Plainfield Township Voters Choose Between Two Bipartisan Slates in Supervisor Election to Fill Two Seats

 In the primary election this year, as covered on this blog, Upper Mount Bethel Township Supervisor candidates John Bermingham (R) and David Friedman (D) joined forces, asking voters to vote for them if they were of the same party, and to write in the candidate in the other party, for two open Board seats.  The reason was the majority of the Board of Supervisors had allowed a developer who owns over 700 acres to rewrite several sections of the zoning ordinance and SALDO.  The election results show that a majority of citizens did not agree with this actions of the BOS; the tactic worked and two candidates who supported the ordinance changes were frozen out of the general election.  Unfortunately, concerned citizens remain on the defensive and are fighting the changes in an appeal to the Commonwealth Court.

 In Plainfield Township, a PAC is supporting two candidates, Glenn Borger (R) and Don Moore (D) in an election of two supervisors.  There are two other candidates, Bob Cornman (R) and Joyce Lambert (D).   The PAC has signs with the two candidates they support on them, while Mr. Cornman and Ms. Lambert are supporting each other; each has a sign for him or herself and the other in their yard.

Joyce Lambert's House with signs for herself (D) and Bob Cornman (R)

PAC sign supporting Glenn Borger (R) and Don Moore (D)

What has created these alliances?  A failed request to rezone farmland to solid waste, to allow Waste Management to create a new landfill in the township, since Grand Central Sanitary Landfill on Pen Argyl Road is forecast to exhaust all space in the solid waste zoning district in 2028.  The new landfill would have been to the east side of Pen Argyl Road, while the current one is on the west side.  Waste Management envisioned a "Twin Peaks" landfill, but the township Board of Supervisors voted against zoning additional space for solid waste disposal in July, 2020, by a vote of 3-0-2.  Steve Hurni abstained because he has a conflict of interest as he is a board member of Green Knight Economic Development Corporation.  Joyce Lambert abstained because she felt she did not have enough information, though the request was straightforward and WM had submitted over 900 pages in support of its request.

Gary and Linda Perin's property that had been proposed for the new landfill at Delabole and Pen Argyl Roads, titled under the name "Slate Spring Farms LLC", was posted with campaign signs for Joyce Lambert and Bob Cornman as early as October 4:

On October 21, the signs were no longer there, indicating possibly a strategic shift to not advertise that Ms. Lambert and Mr. Cornman are believed to be pro-expansion:

It appears that Waste Management is unwilling to take "no" for an answer.  Mr. Hurni and Mr.  Cornman are board members of Green Knight, which operates a landfill gas to electricity plant that benefits when GCSL does well.  It would have to shut down the plant some years after GCSL closes, when the production of landfill gas decreases.  Mr. Hurni also has yard signs for both Mr. Cornman and Joyce Lambert in his yard.  Mr. Hurni curiously asked the State Ethics Board in August 2020 if he could vote on GCSL and Green Knight matters as a township BOS member, after abstaining for 8+ years.  In September he was told "no", and in October Ms. Lambert attempted unsuccessfully to put rezoning back on the agenda of the BOS.

Mr. Hurni was a top individual supporter of Representative Marcia Hahn (R), contributing $2,000 to her campaigns in both 2016 and 2018. Mr. Bermingham was sanctioned by the Republican Party for supporting Mr. Friedman in the UMBT primary - looking at Mr. Hurni's yard one wonders where these holier than thou people are now?

Plainfield Supervisor and Green Knight Board member

Steve Hurni's front yard on October 21, 2021

Mr. Cornman recently stated that if elected, he would resign from Vice President of Green Knight, a position he has held for 22 years, and put all his efforts into what is best for the citizens of Plainfield Township.  Mr. Cornman and Mr. Hurni have been board members of Green Knight since its inception in 1999.  While they could immediately vote on matters related to the landfill or Green Knight if they resign from Green Knight, due to no longer having a conflict of interest in the eyes of the State Ethics Board, who would believe that either one does have a practical conflict of interest?  Mr. Cornman only a few years ago was the Green Knight Project Manager for the Synagro proposal to locate a sludge drying plant on Waste Management property, and the community was unanimous in its objection to this.  Mr. Cornman's idea of what is best for the community has been established.

The Poop and Water Extraction Blog was created to inform citizens of zoning and planning issues that concern them.  We try not to stray into politics.  However, there is no way for Waste Management to continue to operate a landfill beyond 2028 in Plainfield Township unless the balance on the township BOS changes.  Unlike UMBT, voters have observable evidence before the election of their leaders to choose the direction of their township.

Below is a profile of the four candidates.  Only Mr. Moore appears to have a campaign website.  It is located at donmoore4supervisor.blogspot.com

Glenn Borger – Completing a second term as a Board member.  Believes in keeping taxes reasonable, operating the township debt free, and spending wisely.  Supporter of recreation, open space and retaining the character of the township.  Former member of Planning Commission, Environmental Advisory Council and Recreation Board.  Mr. Borger voted against the landfill’s request to expand in July 2020.

Don Moore – Believes in respecting the agricultural roots of the township and preserving farmland.  Former member of Environmental Advisory Council and Zoning Hearing Board.  Advocate for adhering to and updated zoning ordinance and SALDO, locating uses in accordance with the Zoning Map and following the township’s Comprehensive Plan – its vision for the future.  Mr. Moore spoke out against the Synagro and Waste Management proposals due to their lack of compliance with the zoning ordinance, SALDO and Comprehensive Plan.

Bob Corman Jr. – Former long time Planning Commission member and Chairman, and Vice President of Waste Management-created nonprofit Green Knight Economic Development Corporation for over 20 years.  Also, member of the Recreation Board and Environmental Advisory Council.  Unsuccessfully advocated for Green Knight Energy Center to be placed where not permitted by zoning in 1999 - a solid waste use in a commercial industrial zone.  He was the Green Knight Synagro Project Manager and despite recusing himself, he participated in the first Synagro Site Plan review.  He suggested multiple times that the plan to place the Synagro plant in the exact location of the proposed Energy Center in a commercial industrial district could be conditionally approved.  Voted off the planning commission after this meeting, and Synagro was forced to move to a site in the Solid Waste district where it was permitted.

Joyce Lambert – Long time township secretary, and current Board member.  Often focused on tax revenues, but missing the big picture.  Believes that preserving open space costs the township taxpayers money, but does not seem to realize that more residential development means increased school taxes and overall taxpayers will pay higher taxes. Ms. Lambert made a motion in November 2020 to revisit Waste Management’s proposal to rezone farmland to solid waste after the BOS had rejected it, but failed to receive a second.