Albany Township

Albany Township is the municipal government serving a rural community in northeastern Berks County, Pennsylvania. The township office address is 2451 Route 143 in Kempton, PA 19529, and the township can be reached by phone at 610-756-6452. Albany Township is classified as a Second Class Township and operates under the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code of May 1, 1933 (P.L. 103, No. 69, Cl. 73), the state law that defines the powers, duties and structure of this form of local government.

Day to day governance rests with an elected Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are supported by a network of appointed boards, professional consultants and volunteer committees, including a Board of Auditors, a Planning Commission, a Zoning Officer, a Zoning Hearing Board, a Township Solicitor, a Township Engineer, a Sewage Enforcement Officer, an Environmental Advisory Council and a Recreation Committee. This structure allows a small township to handle land use review, financial oversight, road maintenance and environmental planning without maintaining a large full time staff.

Public Meetings

Albany Township holds its regular public meetings on the first Monday of each month, moving to the second Monday when the first Monday falls on a federal holiday. Meetings take place at the Kempton Fire Company rather than at a dedicated municipal meeting hall. The schedule for a typical meeting night is as follows:

• Environmental Advisory Council: 7:00 PM
• Board of Supervisors: 7:30 PM
• Planning Commission: 7:30 PM
• Recreation Board: 7:30 PM

Public comment at Board of Supervisors meetings is permitted and is governed by Resolution 2024-5, adopted August 5, 2024, which sets out the procedures residents follow when addressing the board. Minutes from the Recreation Board and other bodies are published so residents who cannot attend in person can follow township business.

Because the township does not keep regular office hours at its Maintenance Building, the monthly meeting cycle is the primary opportunity for in person contact with township officials. Correspondence of all kinds, including Right To Know requests, is handled by the Township Secretary either by email or in person at the monthly meetings.

Zoning and Land Use

Zoning in Albany Township is administered under the Albany Township Zoning Ordinance adopted December 30, 2004. The Zoning Officer is Robin R. Royer of LTL Consultants, Ltd., a municipal services firm based in Oley, Pennsylvania. Applications for zoning permits are directed to the Zoning Officer at LTL Consultants, One Town Center Drive, PO Box 241, Oley, PA 19547.

For residents and contractors who prefer face to face discussion, the Zoning Officer holds sitting hours at the Township Municipal Building from 4:30 to 6:00 PM on the second Thursday of each month, by appointment. Weekday availability during regular business hours, 8 AM to 5 PM, is handled through the LTL Consultants office at 610-987-9290. Property owners planning new construction, additions, accessory structures, signs or changes in land use typically begin the process with this office.

Appeals, variance requests and special exception applications go before the Zoning Hearing Board, whose members include Dean Rabert, Robert Ketterer and Hugh Brown. The board is advised by solicitor Eugene Orlando, Jr., Esq. of Reading, Pennsylvania, reachable at 610-372-2400.

Sewage Planning and Enforcement

Sewage Enforcement Officer services are also provided through LTL Consultants, Ltd. of Oley. Albany Township is currently working through a revision of its Act 537 Official Sewage Facilities Plan, the state mandated document that guides how a municipality manages wastewater. The draft plan, dated August 2026, recommends a township wide on lot sewage management program. Under that program, septic tanks would be required to be pumped at least once every three years, with three pumping districts anticipated by the summer of 2027.

Notably, the draft plan does not propose a public sewer system. The approach reflects the township's rural development pattern, where individual on lot systems serve most properties. A public review and comment period for the plan revision runs from September 1 to September 30, 2026, giving residents a formal window to read the document and submit feedback before the plan moves forward.

Comprehensive Planning

The Planning Commission, which meets at 7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month, is currently contributing to the Northeastern Berks Joint Comprehensive Plan. This multi municipal effort is being developed in partnership with Greenwich Township, Maxatawny Township, Lenhartsville Borough and Kutztown Borough. Joint comprehensive plans allow neighboring municipalities to coordinate decisions on growth, farmland preservation, transportation, housing and natural resource protection across shared boundaries rather than planning in isolation.

Roads and Public Works

Road maintenance is overseen by Roadmaster Ryan Rex. Residents who encounter roadway hazards, pavement damage, storm debris or other conditions affecting township roads can report them directly to the Roadmaster at (484) 332-0791. Direct reporting of this kind is common in smaller townships, where a single public works contact can respond quickly without routing requests through multiple departments.

Records, Permits and Finances

Albany Township handles several administrative functions through the Township Secretary:

• Right To Know Law requests, submitted on the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records RTKL form (revised 10/2/2024), by email to albtwp@ptd.net or in person at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
• Amusement Tax permits, both temporary and permanent, processed under the township Amusement Tax Ordinance.
• General correspondence and questions about township business.

Financial transparency is maintained through regular publication of the annual budget, the township fee schedule, the audited financial report and the audit public notice. The 2026 budget was adopted with no tax change, holding the millage rate at 0.6 mills.

Environmental and Recreation Programs

The Environmental Advisory Council meets monthly at 7:00 PM and produces a conservation series for residents covering topics such as limiting light pollution and using native plants in home landscaping. The council also arranges public presentations, including a July 2026 talk on tick safety and ecology delivered by Hawk Mountain, the nearby raptor sanctuary that draws visitors to the Kempton area.

The Recreation Board meets at 7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month at the Kempton Fire Company and publishes its minutes, keeping residents informed about recreational programming and facilities in the township.

Contacting the Township

Because there are no standing office hours at the Maintenance Building, residents are encouraged to use email, the phone numbers listed for specific officials, or the monthly meeting schedule to conduct business. For zoning questions, LTL Consultants is the first point of contact. For road issues, the Roadmaster can be reached directly. For records requests, permits and general inquiries, the Township Secretary is the appropriate contact.