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Township of Whitehall, PA
Lehigh County
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Code
New Laws (11) Index
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
The Township shall have the following administrative departments which shall be operated under the supervision of the Mayor and shall possess such powers and duties as the Board shall by ordinance prescribe:
A. 
Department of Administration.
B. 
Department of Public Safety.
C. 
Department of Operations.
D. 
Such other departments as may be created by amendment of the Home Rule Charter.
Each department head or director shall:
A. 
Direct employees in the performance of all duties and responsibilities required of the department and its subordinate agencies as provided by law, the Home Rule Charter, this Administrative Code or by any other ordinance of the Township, and direct employees in the performance of such other duties as may be required by the Mayor and which are not in conflict with the law, the Home Rule Charter, this Administrative Code or any other ordinance of the Township.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
B. 
Be immediately responsible to the Mayor for the effective administration of his department and all activities and functions assigned thereto.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
C. 
Subject to the approval of the Mayor, prescribe the internal organization of his department and its constituent and subordinate agencies and the duties of subordinate officers and employees of the department.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
D. 
Assign functions, powers and duties to subordinate officers and employees within his department and modify those assignments.
E. 
Be responsible for the work of his department, supervise and direct the work of the employees of his department, measure the performance of the employees in accordance with approved procedures and report regularly to the Mayor regarding the performance of his department and its employees.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
F. 
Furnish to any department or agency of the Township any service, labor, material and equipment that may be needed to perform a municipal function or service.
G. 
Prepare and submit to the Mayor whatever reports the Mayor may require, including periodic reports of departmental activities.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
H. 
Serve as staff officer to any committee, commission or board that is assigned to his department by the Mayor.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
I. 
Coordinate the activities and work of his department with pertinent regional and area-wide programs and, if any program shall cease to be conducted on a regional or area-wide basis and shall be assigned by the Mayor or the Board to his department, supervise the incorporation of that program into his department.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
J. 
Provide the maximum level, quantity and quality of service within the limitations of the budget.
K. 
Be responsible for manpower planning within his department.
L. 
Plan and execute appropriate training for departmental personnel.
M. 
Recommend to the Mayor, where applicable, policies and procedures designed to improve the quality of Township functions and services.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
Reference is hereby made to the Home Rule Charter, § 5.09, Deputy Mayor and § 1-11.
[Amended 9-11-1979 by Ord. No. 1313]
A. 
The functions of the Department of Public Safety shall be the administration and control of Township activity pertaining to the protection of persons and property, except to the extent that any such activity is expressly charged to any other department, office or agency.
B. 
The Department of Public Safety shall be headed by the Mayor, who shall be responsible for the performance of the functions of that Department.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
C. 
The responsibilities of the Mayor as Department Head shall be:
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
(1) 
To enforce laws, municipal ordinances and governmental regulations.
(2) 
To develop, implement and administer crime prevention programs.
(3) 
To conduct and administer those inspection services and programs assigned to his department by the Board.
(4) 
To perform other related public safety duties that are devolved to him by ordinance.
D. 
The Department of Safety shall be comprised of the following:
(1) 
Bureau of Fire.
(2) 
Bureau of Police.
(3) 
Emergency Management Agency; and such other bureaus as may be created from time to time by ordinance.
E. 
Powers and duties of the bureau of police of Whitehall Township:
(1) 
Police powers. Township police shall have all such powers as are enumerated in the First Class Township Code, the Crimes Code and any Pennsylvania statute having general applicability throughout the Commonwealth.
(2) 
Police rules and regulations. The Bureau of Police shall be governed by the rules and regulations of the Whitehall Township Civil Service Commission. All Bureau rules and regulations shall be printed and distributed to Bureau police, as well as other Bureau personnel who are subject to such rules and regulations.
(3) 
Rights of police:
(a) 
All positions within the Bureau of Police except for Chief of Police, shall be attained through impartial Civil Service testing.
(b) 
Equal educational opportunities shall be available to all police officers.
(c) 
Administration favoritism toward police officers shall be forbidden.
(4) 
Required seminar on Township law. In addition to all other mandated police training, the Chief of Police shall, from time to time, provide a seminar on the Township of Whitehall Code of Ordinances. This seminar shall also be presented to all new police officers within six months of their date of employment.
(5) 
Badge or shield. While on duty, all officers shall wear a badge or shield and a uniform denoting him or her as "police." The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to undercover police.
(6) 
Cooperative agreement. No police officer, from a municipality other than Whitehall, may perform police duties within the Township unless under and pursuant to a cooperative agreement clearly stating that the officer is acting pursuant to the direction of his or her own municipality.
F. 
Statement of goals of the Bureau of Police. The objectives of the Bureau of Police within the Department of Public Safety are to effectively discharge the following duties:
(1) 
The prevention of crime.
(2) 
The repression of crime.
(3) 
The apprehension of offenders.
(4) 
The recovery of property.
A. 
The Department of Operations shall include the following bureaus:
(1) 
Bureau of Planning, Zoning and Development.
(2) 
Bureau of Public Works:
(a) 
Division of Works.
(b) 
Division of Communications, Utilities and Traffic Control.
(3) 
Bureau of Parks and Recreation; and such other bureaus as may be created from time to time by ordinance and assigned to the Department by the Mayor.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
B. 
The functions of the Department of Operations shall be:
(1) 
The administration and control of Township activity pertaining to the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of the streets, rights-of-way, physical facilities and real and personal property of the Township.
(2) 
The planting and maintenance of trees and other vegetation.
(3) 
The disposal of solid waste, whether performed by Township personnel, contract with other persons, or otherwise, except to the extent that any such activity is expressly charged to any other department, office or agency.
(4) 
The administration and enforcement of Chapter 22, Subdivision and Land Development, and Chapter 27, Zoning, within the Township.
(5) 
To develop, implement and administer recreation programs for Township citizens and provide for the care and maintenance of Township parks and playgrounds.
(6) 
Street and alley vacations which are requested by petition of the adjoining property owners shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners only when those persons petitioning for the street or alley vacation agree to reimburse the Township for any and all legal and engineering fees incurred from the vacation petition; indemnify the Township from and against any and all claims for damages or lack of access resulting from the vacation petition, in form satisfactory to the Township Solicitor; and provide such substitute easements as the Department of Operations and Township Solicitor deem to be necessary or advisable.
C. 
The head of the Department of Operations shall bear the official title of Director of Operations.
D. 
The responsibilities of the Director of Operations shall be:
(1) 
To administer, direct and supervise the construction, maintenance and operation of the physical properties of the Township.
(2) 
To administer, direct and supervise engineering services.
(3) 
To submit to the Mayor the estimated expenses that will be incurred by the Department of Operations for the coming year.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
(4) 
To assure the construction and maintenance of the streets of the Township and to do whatever is necessary to keep them open to traffic, except that nothing in this paragraph shall limit or diminish the responsibility of owners and occupants of property for the construction, maintenance and repair of sidewalks and the removal of obstructions from sidewalks.
(5) 
To assure the installation and maintenance of Township facilities in and along the streets, including traffic signs and signals, directional signals and street name signs.
(6) 
To assure proper provision for and management of the collection and disposal of solid waste produced in the Township.
[Amended 12-11-1979 by Ord. No. 1324]
All boards, committees and commissions shall be supplied by the Township with any necessary secretarial services required in the performance of their Township duties. Board committee and commission members shall be supplied with suitable facilities for filing materials related to their Township duties. All Township equipment shall be returned upon termination of membership on such board, committee or commission. In addition to the providing of secretarial services and storage facilities, the Township administration shall cause agency members to be recipients of periodic publications in their respective fields and encourage related learning experiences.