Saturday, March 24, 2012

Public Hearing on Adoption of the Building Standards and Proposed Amendments to the Industrialized Housing and Components Program

PROPOSED RULEMAKING

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Public Hearing on Adoption of the Building Standards and Proposed Amendments to the Industrialized Housing and Components Program

[42 Pa.B. 1504]
[Saturday, March 24, 2012]

A public hearing has been scheduled, as required under section 5 of the Industrialized Housing Act (35 P. S. § 1651.5), regarding the adoption of the building standards as provided for in 12 Pa. Code § 145.44 (relating to adoption and effective dates—code amendments).
Based on numerous requests made by the industrialized housing industry, the Department of Community and Economic Development (Department) will consider if a later effective date is necessary for the adoption of the 2012 International Code Council building standards currently provided for in 12 Pa. Code § 145.41 (relating to adoption of standards). Additionally, the Department will accept comments and testimony regarding proposed amendments to the current adoption process in 12 Pa. Code § 145.44.
The hearing will be held on May 3, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hearing Room 4, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120.
A copy of the proposed regulations will be provided to interested parties upon request by contacting Lisa Smink, (717) 720-7417, lsmink@pa.gov.
Persons with disabilities who wish to attend this hearing who require auxiliary aid, service or other accommodations should contact Lisa Smink, (717) 720-7417, lsmink@pa.gov to make arrangements.
C. ALAN WALKER, 
Secretary

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act


NOTICES
Recycling Program Development and Implementation Grants under Section 902 of Act 101 The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988
[42 Pa.B. 1327]
[Saturday, March 10, 2012]
 The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) announces the availability of applications to municipalities for recycling program grant assistance under section 902 of the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (act) (53 P.S. § 4000.902). Municipalities eligible for recycling grants include counties, cities, boroughs, incorporated towns, townships, home rule municipalities, councils of governments, consortiums or similar entities established by two or more municipalities under 53 Pa.C.S. Chapter 23, Subchapter A (relating to intergovernmental cooperation).
 Applicants must be in compliance with the act and the implementing regulations, the Department's Guidelines for Proper Management of Recyclable Materials and any previous grant contract provisions to be eligible to receive grant funding. County applicants should be in compliance with planning and other county-related provisions of the act. Applicants who are not in compliance with the act's annual reporting requirements or the program requirements in the act of November 9, 2006 (P.L. 1347, No. 140) will not be considered in this grant application round. Municipalities that were a grant recipient from the last 902 grant award round in 2010 will not be considered for funding this solicitation period. Programs operating in municipalities covered by land use plans and ordinances (as outlined under the acts of June 22, 2000 (P.L. 483, No. 67) and (P.L. 495, No. 68)) or projects that are in compliance with their municipality's land use plan will receive priority over similar programs and projects absent those conditions.
 Municipalities are eligible for 90% funding of approved recycling program costs. Municipalities considered financially distressed by the Department of Community and Economic Development under the Financially Distressed Communities Act are eligible for 100% of approved costs. No application requesting more than $250,000 in grant funding will be accepted.
 Applicants are required to complete the Sustainability Plan portion of the application that includes definitive actions and strategies for optimizing program self-sufficiency. The plan shall include, at a minimum: strategies for reducing costs and generating revenues, provisions for establishing incentives associated with waste reduction and recycling, mechanisms for public outreach and stakeholder input and tracking mechanisms to document progress toward sustainability milestones until optimum sustainability is realized. The Department's technical report on Building Financially Sustainable Recycling Programs can provide assistance in developing these methods and strategies. The technical report can be found on the Department's web site at www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/document/fin_sust_rec.pdf. Applicants that fail to complete the Sustainability Plan portion of the application will not be considered for funding.
 Applicants requesting support for the following (and demonstrating how the request will lead toward greater program self-sufficiency) will receive priority for funding:
 • Newly mandated municipalities based on the 2010 decennial census by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce.
 • An incentive based pricing and collection program designed to increase the quantities and types of recyclable materials and reduce the quantity of waste collected.
 • Multi-municipal collection, processing and/or materials marketing program where capital costs are reduced and/or recycling marketability is enhanced due to intergovernmental cooperation.
 • The development of electronic notices for recycling events and programs.
 • New or expanded collection, education and outreach for commercial and institutional establishments, including school recycling programs.
 In addition, communities whose existing recycling programs contain the following components will receive additional consideration:
 • Municipally operated or municipal contracted waste and recycling services that provide consistency and uniformity of the waste and recycling programs.
 • The collection of six or more of the following materials: newsprint, office paper, corrugated paper, other marketable grades of paper, aluminum cans, steel or bimetallic cans, colored glass containers, clear glass containers and plastics.
 Only those projects involving municipalities that have a mandatory trash collection program or projects seeking support for a residential recycling program that have a corresponding commercial recycling program will be considered for funding. Applicants seeking funds to replace curbside collection containers and/or collection vehicles will need to demonstrate that the new equipment will increase collection efficiencies and tonnage of materials.
 Eligible recycling program development costs include: recycling program design costs, recycling market investigations, development of recycling market commitments, development of recycling program ordinances, development of recycling public education programs and the costs of developing contracts for procuring equipment or services necessary for the operation of the recycling program.
 Eligible recycling program implementation costs include: purchasing or leasing vehicles used to collect recyclables (including automated and single-stream collection vehicles), transport recyclables to processing facilities or markets and vehicles used in the operation of a materials recovery facility; reusable containers for the collection or storage of recyclable materials; acquiring and/or renovating buildings for the processing or storage of recovered materials; equipment used to process or manufacture recyclable materials into usable products; improvements to land needed to operate a recycling facility or yard waste composting facility authorized under 25 Pa.Code § 271.103(h) (relating to permit-by-rule for municipal waste processing facilities other than for infectious or chemotherapeutic waste; qualifying facilities; general requirements); and the costs associated with educating the public on recycling program requirements. Under this grant solicitation, promotional items, glass crushing equipment (unless specific marketing arrangements have been identified), vehicles equipped with compaction units (except for the sole collection of yard waste, paper fiber and/or single-stream collection where a facility equipped to process such material has been identified), backyard composting units and public recycling containers for parks and streetscapes will not be considered eligible for funding. Other eligible and noneligible costs are listed in the grant application packet. Composting projects and programs will be considered to be recycling projects or programs accordingly.
 A municipality must retain sole ownership of equipment or facilities funded by the grant. Funding for equipment or facilities purchased for the recycling program used for recycling and other purposes will be prorated according to its recycling use (no equipment used for recycling less than 50% of the time will be eligible for funding). Funding for certain leaf and yard waste collection equipment may be limited according to its seasonal use. Funding for wood chipping equipment will be approved only when the equipment is part of an approved yard waste composting facility operating under the Department's guidelines and where the material is collected curbside from residents. Funding of street sweepers for the purpose of leaf collection will not be considered.
 Funding may be restricted in situations where equipment or services requested through a grant application may be available from the public or private sector within the county of the applicant. Public notices may be required before the grant application may be submitted depending upon the nature of the funding request. When the municipality submits the recycling grant application to the Department, it must include proof of compliance with the notification requirements, a description of any responses received to the notice, and an explanation of why the municipality has concluded that the mechanical processing equipment is not available to the program from the private sector.
 Potential applicants must contact the appropriate Department regional planning and recycling coordinator to schedule a preapplication conference to discuss application requirements and program particulars. Applications will be returned to municipalities that fail to schedule preapplication conferences. Grant application forms are available from the Department's regional offices and the Department's web site, www.depweb.state.pa.us (DEP Keyword ''Recycling Grants'').
 Grant applications must be received or postmarked by June 29, 2012. Applications received by the Department after that date will not be considered during the current round of solicitation. Applications must be on forms provided by the Department, with two copies submitted to the Department Central Office (Rachel Carson State Office Building, Harrisburg) and one copy submitted to the appropriate county recycling coordinator. Grant awards will be predicated on the receipt of recycling fees required by sections 701 and 702 of the act (53 P.S. §§ 4000.701 and 4000.702) and the availability of moneys in the Recycling Fund.
 Inquiries concerning this notice should be directed to Mark Vottero, Recycling Grants Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, Bureau of Waste Management, Division of Waste Minimization and Planning, P.O. Box 8472, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8472, mvoterro@state.pa.us.
MICHAEL L. KRANCER, 
Secretary
Regional Planning and Recycling Coordinators
Southeast Region
 Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties
 DEP, Waste Management Program, Calvin Ligons, Ann Ryan, Mary Alice Reisse, 2 East Main Street, Norristown, PA 19401, (484) 250-5900, cligons@pa.gov, aryan@pa.gov, mreisse@pa.gov
Northeast Region
 Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties
 DEP, Waste Management Program, Rachel Miller, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0790, (570) 826-2434, rachmiller@pa.gov
Southcentral Region
 Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties
 DEP, Waste Management Program, John Lundsted, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-8200, (717) 705-4927, jlundsted@pa.gov
Northcentral Region
 Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union Counties
 DEP, Waste Management Program, Michelle Ferguson, 208 West 3rd Street, Suite 101, Williamsport, PA 17701, (570) 327-3783, miferguson@pa.gov
Southwest Region
 Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland Counties
 DEP, Waste Management Program, Sharon Svitek, Stephen Sales, Bradley Cunningham, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745, (412) 442-4000, ssvitek@state.pa.gov, ssales@state.pa.gov, bcunningham@state.pa.gov
Northwest Region
 Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties
 DEP, Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance, Guy McUmber, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335-3481, (814) 332-6848, gmcumber@state.pa.gov
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-411. Filed for public inspection March 9, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]


pennsylvania dog grant


NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Dog Law Grant Program; Fiscal Year 2012-2013
[42 Pa.B. 1248]
[Saturday, March 10, 2012]
The Department of Agriculture (Department) gives notice that the Grant Program (Program) that will run this year will run from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, and will award up to $250,000 in grants. The Program will award bill reimbursement grants to humane societies or associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals that meet the guidelines and conditions of this Program. Recipients of funds under this Program may not make any claim or request for fees under 7 Pa.Code §25.1 (relating to general) for holding and disposing. The Program will be funded from the Dog Law Restricted Account, from funds which are hereby declared to be ''surplus'' funds for the limited purposes set forth in section 1002(b) of the Dog Law (3 P.S. §459-1002(b)).
The Department hereby gives notice that although it proposes the Program for Fiscal Year 2012-2013, there will not likely be a similar program after June 30, 2013. Humane societies or associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals are hereby provided notice of this fact and—for budgeting and financial planning purposes—should proceed with the knowledge that the Department will not likely be offering a similar version of the Program after June 30, 2013, or, at best, will be offering a significantly scaled-back version of the Program.
A proposed version of these guidelines and conditions was published at 42 Pa.B. 565 (January 28, 2012). The Department invited public and legislative review of these proposed guidelines and conditions in accordance with 7 Pa.Code §23.4 (relating to guidelines and conditions). The Department received comments from the Bucks County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Federated Humane Societies of Pennsylvania jointly suggesting additions to subsection 2(c) regarding eligibility. Specifically, the Bucks County SPCA and the Federated Humane Societies of Pennsylvania jointly suggested adding to the eligibility requirements that a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals is eligible to apply to receive a grant under the Program if that humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals: Has, in the performance of its dog control functions, accepted at least 100 stray or unwanted dogs from this Commonwealth into its facility within the year immediately preceding the application date. The Department has reviewed and adopted this addition. The Department has received additional inquiries from another commentator which does not go to the substance of the guidelines and conditions and which will be answered directly by the Department.
The guidelines and conditions for the Program are set as follows.
Guidelines and Conditions for the
Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Dog Law Grant Program
1.Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in these guidelines and conditions, have the following meanings:
Department—The Department of Agriculture.
Dog control—The apprehending, holding and disposing of stray or unwanted dogs, or as otherwise defined in the Dog Law (3 P.S. §459-102).
Eligible Bill—A document seeking payment for materials, services (other than veterinary services and spaying/neutering services) or utilities from a grant recipient, setting forth the following:
i.The date the document is issued.
ii.The name and address of the humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals to which the bill is issued.
iii.If for materials, a description of the materials and the date of delivery. Invoices and/or receipts for materials must set forth or be accompanied by a written description of the intended use of the material and the date the material is used. Materials may not include computers, computer equipment or software. Examples of eligible materials include the following:
Cleaning supplies.
Office supplies—typical supplies used to carry on daily office duties.
Materials for building and repair projects.
Purchases of medication, needles, and the like.
iv.If for services, the services must be other than veterinary services or spaying/neutering services, and shall include a description of the nature of the services and the dates upon which the services were rendered. Examples of services include the following:
Labor charges with respect to which the invoice details the exact service performed and the date of performance.
Cremation services with respect to which the invoice either verifies that only dogs were cremated or—in the event that animals other than dogs were cremated—separates the dogs from those other animals and identifies a charge attributable to only the cremation of the dogs.
Exterminator services with respect to which the invoice identifies the date of the service and identifies location of the service.
Property, casualty and liability insurance services (excluding workers compensation insurance).
v.If for utilities (such as electricity, water, sewer, waste disposal and similar purposes), a statement of the period for which the utility, for which payment is sought, was provided.
vi.The name, address and telephone number of the entity issuing the invoice or receipt.
Humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA)—A nonprofit society or association duly incorporated under 15 Pa.C.S. Chapter 53, Subchapter A (relating to incorporation generally) for the purpose of prevention of cruelty to animals, or as otherwise defined in the Dog Law (3 P.S. §459-102).
Program—The July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 Dog Law Grant Program.
2.Eligibility.
A humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals is eligible to apply to receive a grant under the Program if that humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals:
a.Has been in operation for at least 1 year immediately preceding the application date.
b.Has performed dog control functions for at least 1 year immediately preceding the application date.
c.Has, in the performance of its dog control functions, accepted at least 100 stray or unwanted dogs from this Commonwealth into its facility within the year immediately preceding the application date.
d.Agrees—as a condition of receiving any grant money under the Program—to continue to perform dog control activities and to accept stray or unwanted dogs from the Department's State Dog Wardens performing dog control functions, through June 30, 2013.
e.Agrees—as a condition of receiving any grant money under the Program—to accept stray or unwanted dogs as described in the preceding paragraph without regard to whether the stray or unwanted dog originates from a county other than the county in which the humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals is located.
f.Maintains a valid Pennsylvania 2012 and 2013 ''Non Profit'' kennel license, and operates only a nonprofit kennel at the facility for which grant reimbursement is requested. Facilities which house kennel operations other than a nonprofit facility (that is, boarding kennel and/or commercial kennel) at the same location are not eligible to participate in this program.
3.Use of Grant Funds.
The Department will allocate a specific maximum grant amount to a successful grant applicant through a written grant agreement. This maximum grant amount will be specified in the grant agreement.
The maximum grant amount will be retained by the Department and used to reimburse the grant recipient for eligible bills the grant recipient has paid with respect to materials, services or utilities provided to the grant recipient from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013. The total reimbursement the Department will pay a grant recipient will not exceed the maximum grant amount. Any money remaining in a grant allocation beyond the termination date of the grant agreement will lapse into the Dog Law Restricted Account. If a bill covers materials, services or utilities provided, in whole or in part, before July 1, 2012, or after June 30, 2013, that bill is not an eligible bill and will not be reimbursed by the Department under the Program.
4.Application Process.
a.Application required. A humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals seeking a grant under the Program must complete a written application form and deliver it to the Department no later than 30 days from the date this notice is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Applications received by the Department beyond that date will not be considered.
b.Obtaining an application form. The Department will provide grant application forms upon request, or the application may be downloaded from the Department's web site: www.agriculture.state.pa.us.
Requests for application forms should be directed to Lynn Diehl, Director, Dog Law Enforcement Office, Department of Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408, (717) 787-4833, fax (717) 772-4352.
c.Contents of grant application form. A grant application form shall require the following information:
i.The name and address of the applicant.
ii.Information to verify that the applicant is a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals and otherwise meets the eligibility requirements set forth in paragraph 2.
iii.The maximum grant amount sought by the applicant.
iv.A description of the eligible bills for which the grant applicant intends to seek reimbursement, including a description (and copies, if available) of bills received by the applicant in 2011 for the same type of materials, services (other than veterinary services and spaying/neutering services) or utilities for which reimbursement will be sought under the grant agreement.
v.Verification that, in the event a grant is awarded, the applicant will continue to perform dog control activities, and to accept stray or unwanted dogs from the Department's State Dog Wardens performing dog control functions, through the Fiscal Year 2012-2013.
vi.Other information as the Department might reasonably require.
5.Review and approval of grant application.
a.Review and notification. The Department will review each timely grant application and provide the applicant written notification of whether the Department awards the grant, denies the grant or awards a grant in some amount less than the applicant sought.
b.Review criteria. The Department will consider the following, among other factors, in determining whether to award a grant application:
i.The number of applications received and the availability of funds for the grants sought.
ii.The relative contribution of the applicant to dog control activities in the area it serves.
iii.The relative contribution of the applicant to dog control as compared to the relative contribution of other applicants.
iv.The relative importance of the grant to the continued operation of the applicant's dog control facility.
v.The expense or logistical difficulty the Department would encounter if the applicant's dog control facility was no longer in operation.
vi.The relative contribution of the applicant in terms of the number of stay or unwanted dogs it accepts from the Department's State Dog Wardens performing dog control functions.
6.Grant agreement.
a.Grant agreement required. A successful grant applicant must execute a grant agreement with the Department, setting forth the terms and conditions under which the grant money will be used by the Department to reimburse the grant recipient for payment of eligible bills.
b.Reimbursement requests. The grant agreement will set forth the exact procedure by which a grant recipient shall seek reimbursement from the Department for payment of eligible bills. The basic reimbursement request procedure will be as follows:
By January 15, 2013, the grant recipient will: (1) deliver copies of the eligible bills it has paid between July 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012; (2) verify that these bills have been paid and are eligible for reimbursement; and (3) provide a detailed report of the dog control activities performed by the successful applicant during the referenced 6-month period.
By July 15, 2013, the grant recipient will: (1) deliver copies of the eligible bills it has paid between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2013; (2) verify that these bills have been paid and are eligible for reimbursement; and (3) provide a detailed report of the dog control activities performed by the successful applicant during the referenced 6-month period.
c.Payment by the Department. The Department will reimburse a grant recipient for eligible bills within 60 days of receiving a complete and timely reimbursement request.
d.Termination. The Department may terminate a grant agreement at any time by providing the grant recipient written notice of termination at the address set forth on the grant application.
GEORGE D. GREIG,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-404. Filed for public inspection March 9, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

2011 DCED Keystone Funding deadline has passed

The keystone communities funding deadline has passed.  The deadline was February 29, 2012.  Although there will only be projects funded in the next round of funding DCED will accept application for the next fiscal year on a rolling basis.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

DCNR Park Grants


Grant assistance from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) helps Pennsylvania communities and organizations plan, acquire, and develop recreation, park, and trail facilities and conserve open space. The Bureau of Recreation and Conservation administers the Community Conservation Partnerships Program which combines several state and federal funding sources into one grant program.

In 2012, the DCNR grant program will focus on making grant awards that enhance the Commonwealth’s recreation and conservation infrastructure. Specific priorities for grant proposals include: the rehabilitation of existing park and recreation facilities, particularly through the incorporation of green principles; trail projects that close gaps in major statewide greenways and regionally significant trails; implementation of Rivers Conservation Plans including enhancing water trails and improving public river access; planning to help park and recreation facilities become greener; land conservation for critical habitat, key connectors, expansion of existing park and recreation areas and the establishment of new community parks; and projects identified by regional partnerships including Conservation Landscape Initiatives, Heritage Areas, and statewide significant greenways. 


For more information on many of these priorities visit: www.paoutdoorrecplan.com.


link to the Site
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_002319.pdf

Pennsylvania House Bill 1950

Governor Corbett signed House Bill 1950 into law as Act 13 of 2012 or the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act (



NOTICES

PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Implementation of Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act, Act 13 of 2012; Docket No. M-2012-2288561

[42 Pa.B. 1202]
[Saturday, March 3, 2012]

On February 14, 2012, Governor Corbett signed House Bill 1950 into law as Act 13 of 2012 or the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act (Act 13), which amends Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for an impact fee, Oil and Gas Act amendments and standards for local ordinances. The Act allows counties to pass ordinances to impose an impact fee on unconventional gas well producers and alternatively allows municipalities to adopt resolutions compelling the imposition of fees related to these wells.
The Act specifically requires the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Commission) to administer the collection and disbursement of the impact fee. Also, if requested by a municipality, the Commission is required by Section 3305(a) of the Act to review a proposed local ordinance and issue an advisory opinion on whether the ordinance violates the Municipalities Planning Code or Act 13. In addition, the Commission is required by Section 3305(b) of the Act to issue an order when a request for review is filed by an owner or operator of an oil or gas operation or a person residing within the geographic boundaries of a local government who is aggrieved by the enactment or enforcement of a local ordinance.
The Commission has established Docket Number M-2012-2288561 for all Secretarial Letters and Implementation Orders regarding Act 13. Counties and municipalities should also use Docket Number M-2012-2288561 to file notices of election to implement an impact fee and/or municipal resolutions to compel the imposition of an impact fee pursuant to Section 2302 of the Act. Further, producers should use this Docket Number to file reports pursuant to Section 2312 of the Act.
Requests from municipalities for advisory opinions regarding proposed local ordinances pursuant to Section 3305(a) of the Act should be filed with no docket number. The Commission will assign a separate docket number for each such request. Along with these requests, municipalities should provide a copy of the proposed ordinance, as well as information and an explanation of their view as to whether it violates the Municipalities Planning Code or Act 13.
On and after April 16, 2012, the Commission will accept requests for review filed by producers or residents regarding local ordinances and assign a separate docket number for each such request. Further instructions governing such filings will be provided in subsequent Commission communications.
All documents must be filed with the Commission's Secretary at the following address:

Secretary
PA Public Utility Commission
P. O. Box 3265
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Alternatively, documents may be eFiled using the Commission's eFiling system, which is available by going to the home page of the Commission's website at http://www.puc.state.pa.us and selecting eFiling from the choices on the left side. Any questions about filing documents should be directed to the Secretary at 717-772-7777.
In the coming weeks, the Commission plans to issue a Tentative Implementation Order that will address various issues and proposed procedures related to the Commission's duties under this Act and provide a forum for the public to comment on the implementation plans before they become final. The guidance provided by the Tentative Implementation Order will include additional information that must be filed with requests for advisory opinions and reviews of local ordinances.
To ensure receipt of the Tentative Implementation Order, please send an email to the Commission's resource account, ra-Act13@pa.gov, and provide a name and mailing address for the Commission to include on the official service list for Docket Number M-2012-2288561. Also, upon request by email sent to ra-Act13@pa.gov, the Commission will add interested parties to the electronic distribution list to receive information regarding future developments at this docket. In addition, the Commission will be providing important information regarding Act 13 on our website, which may be accessed by going to http://www.puc.state.pa.us and choosing Natural Gas from the top of the page and then selecting Act 13 (Impact Fee) from the choices on the left side.
If you have any questions regarding this Secretarial Letter, see the Act 13 page on the Commission's website or email your questions to ra-Act13@pa.gov.
ROSEMARY CHIAVETTA, 
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-382. Filed for public inspection March 2, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]

Northampton County, Wine & Spirits Store #4811 (Relocation), Wind Gap, PA


NOTICES

LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD

Expiration of Leases

[42 Pa.B. 1201]
[Saturday, March 3, 2012]

The Liquor Control Board seeks the following new site:

Northampton County, Wine & Spirits Store #4811 (Relocation), Wind Gap, PA
Lease expiration date: 90-day status since August 31, 2011.
Lease retail commercial space to the Commonwealth. Proposals are invited to provide the Liquor Control Board with approximately 2,500 to 4,000 net useable square feet of new or existing retail commercial space along State Route 512 or 115 within a 1.5 mile radius of the intersection of Center Street and South Broadway, Wind Gap, PA.
Proposals due: March 16, 2012, at 12 p.m.
NAICIR
Location:P. O. Box 8910, Camp Hill, PA 17001-8910
Contact:Justin Shoemaker, (717) 731-4525, jshoemaker@naicir.com

Marcellus Shale Impact Fee legislation funding notice


NOTICES

HOUSING
FINANCE AGENCY

Proposed Plan Implementing PHARE Act Funding and Invitation for Public Comment

[42 Pa.B. 1199]
[Saturday, March 3, 2012]

The Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE Fund) was established by the act of November 23, 2010 (P. L. 1035, No. 105) to provide a structure by which certain State and Federal funds may be used to support affordable housing throughout this Commonwealth. The Housing Finance Agency (Agency) administers the PHARE Fund. Under the recent enactment of the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee legislation, the act of February 14, 2012 (P. L. 87, No. 13), funds are expected to become available to the PHARE Fund.
To administer the PHARE Fund, the Agency must adopt a plan, after public comment.
By this notice, the Agency is specifically inviting public comment on the Proposed Plan, which is available at www.phfa.org or by contacting Bryce Maretzki at bmaretzki@phfa.org.
The comment period will be open for at least 45 days from the date of publication. Written comments will be accepted as directed in the Proposed Plan and will be available for public inspection.

Referendum on Continuation of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program


NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Referendum on Continuation of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program

[42 Pa.B. 1126]
[Saturday, March 3, 2012]

I. The Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program was established under the provisions of the Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act. The Act requires that the Secretary of Agriculture call a referendum of affected producers every five years to determine whether or not a majority of those voting still desire the program. The program was last subjected to a review referendum conducted in 2007. It is now time for another review referendum to determine whether a majority of the apple producers desire the program to continue.
II. Referendum Period: The referendum period shall be from March 21, 2012, until 4 p.m. on April 4, 2012. Completed ballots shall be mailed or hand-delivered to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Market Development, Room 310, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9408. Hand-delivered ballots must be received by 4 p.m. on April 4, 2012. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked no later than April 4, 2012, and received no later than April 9, 2012.
III. Notice of Referendum: This referendum order and an official ballot shall be mailed no later than March 14, 2012, to all affected producers whose names appear on the list of Pennsylvania apple producers maintained in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture. Additional copies of the same materials shall be made available at the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture.
IV. Eligible Voters: The rules governing the eligibility of a producer for voting are as follows: the record date for determination of whether a producer is eligible to vote is March 21, 2012, and all apple producers who grow 500 or more apple trees are eligible to vote on the referendum.
V. Counting of Ballots: The ballots will be canvassed and counted by a Teller Committee appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The counting of the ballots will begin at 10 a.m., Monday, April 16, 2012, at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110. The Secretary will announce the results of the referendum within 30 days following the completion of the referendum period. The results will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and the Harrisburg Patriot-News, and disseminated to the news media.
VI. Reporting Irregularities: Any irregularities or disputes concerning the referendum procedures must be reported in written form to the Secretary of Agriculture not later than seven (7) calendar days from the end of the referendum period.
VII. Publication: This referendum order shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
VIII. Effective Date: The foregoing order shall be effective immediately.
GEORGE D. GREIG, 
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-357. Filed for public inspection March 2, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]

Becoming a Keystone Community may be difficult

The latest and greatest to come out of DCED is the Keystone Community Program.  It sort of takes the place of the Main Street and the Elm Streets.  This new program will offer up to a $50,000 implementation grant for those wishing to participate.

The qualifying terms are a little onerous and could mark a shift in the types of funding that may be available to a community.  It is expected that there will be 5 years of cash set aside for a manager before the implementation grant can be secured.  In other words if your main street person makes $50,000 a year...you would need to come up with $250,000 in cash in order to qualify.  Not many Communities can qualify for that kind of expenditure.

What this will bring is the revitalization effort as an in-house function of a borough or a city.  Initially, under the main street program having the function be in-house was not a favored position.  Many communities will have to look into assigning staff to a 60% assignment in order to qualify for the program.  That would be a code official or a planner, someone with a full time position.