Ross Officials to Get Electronic Tablets, Breaking Decades-Long Tradition

Moving away from a tradition that has lasted at least two decades, Ross Township's Commissioners will no longer have their meeting agenda and notes delivered to them by police officers the Friday before each board meeting. 

Instead, the agenda and supporting documentation will be sent to them electronically, accessed through wireless tablets they intend to purchase, they announced Monday. 

"I think this is going to be a benefit to the residents," said Commissioner Pete Ferraro. 

Ferraro said the meeting packets have been delivered by Ross Township police officers for as long as he has been on the board, at least 23 years. 

"That's an expensive delivery person," he said, adding the move to the tablets will save the township money. 

The exact savings expected was not presented Monday. The exact cost of the tablets was not immediately known. 

Commissioners each have a choice between two wireless tablets, according to Township Manager Wayne Jones: they can choose the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC by GHA Technologies at $256 each or one offered by Verizon Wireless for $449. 

They can also choose to have an air card, used to help access the internet when a wireless connection is not easily found, at a cost of $30 per month, Jones said. 

The options were presented to the commissioners Monday, and they were directed to make their selections known later to Jones. 

The move to the tablets was prompted by a lawsuit filed against Barkleyville Borough council members, Barkleyville Borough v. Steams, seeking access to emails related to borough business contained in personal accounts, commissioners said.

The tablets will aid the commissioners in separating personal work from township work, Ferraro said. 

The tablets will be township property. 

Also Monday, the commissioners , effective immediately.

The board also approved 9-0: 

* from the Township of Upper St. Clair. 

* a request by Tom Wolf to operate a home brewery on property at 247 Wallingford Drive, which was recommended for approval by the Ross Township Planning Commission on a vote of 8-1. 

Wolf, a clerk with the U.S. Post Office, said he has been homebrewing a variety of craft beers for about 20 years under a rule that permits up to 80 cases per year (40 for each adult in the house). The conditional use approval granted by Ross Township allows him to make his home a place of business, giving him an address to use to apply for further permits from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to expand his production.

The Ross Township permit does not allow the beer to be distributed direct to customers from his home. But he can supply a distributor, he said. 

"Friends and coworkers have told me for years to get it out there," he said, adding that at age 52, it is time to finally give it a try. 

He said he expects it to be nine months to a year before he is able to get all of his permits and sell the beer.

"I'm in this for a long haul," he said.  

* a request by Jacob Braun for a conditional use permit for a home occupation to operate a lawn care service on property at 505 Hudderford Road. The Planning Commission had recommended its approval on a vote of 9-0.

* a site plan for a parking lot containing 12 parking spaces on the southern sie of property located at 99 Corbett Court.

* the consolidation of five parcels into one lot on property located at 533 Rochester Road for future redevelopment. The planning commission recommended approval 7-1-1.