Maxatawny Township

Maxatawny Township is the municipal government serving a rural community in northeastern Berks County, Pennsylvania. The township office is located at 127 Quarry Road, Suite 1, Kutztown, PA 19530, and can be reached at 610-683-6518. The township covers roughly 26.3 square miles and is home to approximately 7,181 residents. Its name is believed to derive from a Native American term understood to mean "Bear's Path Creek," a reference to the waterways that run through the area.

The landscape of Maxatawny Township is characterized by working farmland, woodlands and rolling hills, a pattern of land use that has shaped local planning decisions for generations. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania sits largely within the township, straddling the boundary with the Borough of Kutztown, which gives the municipality an unusual mix of agricultural acreage, residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors and a sizable student population. Children living in the township attend schools in the Kutztown Area School District.

Government Structure and Meetings

Maxatawny Township operates under a Board of Supervisors, which sets policy, adopts the annual budget and oversees township operations. The Board meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at the municipal building on Quarry Road, with a re-organization meeting held in early January. Meetings are open to the public, and residents who wish to raise an issue, ask about a project or comment on a proposal can attend in person.

Day to day functions are divided among a number of departments and appointed bodies, including:

• Administration
• Board of Supervisors
• Emergency Services
• Finance and Taxes
• Maxatawny Township Municipal Authority
• Parks and Recreation
• Planning
• Public Works
• On-Site Septic
• Zoning, Building and Codes

Advisory and quasi-judicial groups include the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, the Agricultural Security Committee, the Building Codes Board of Appeal, the Historic Commission and the Board of Auditors. Conditional use hearings are also conducted through the township. Residents seeking public records can submit a Right-To-Know request using the downloadable form, and a separate complaint form is available for other concerns. Records are typically furnished as PDF documents, with rich text versions available on request from staff.

Permitting, Zoning and Land Development

The Zoning, Building and Codes office handles most of the permits property owners need. Applications processed include building, electrical, zoning, demolition, flood plain, drainage plan and road opening permits, along with rental property and vacant property registrations. Inspection requirements for new construction and decks, as well as plan submission standards, are published as downloadable PDFs so applicants can review expectations before filing.

Larger projects move through the Planning Commission. The township accepts Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) application packets, conditional use applications with published fee schedules, Berks County Conservation District project applications and county referral forms for land development review. Given the amount of preserved and active farmland in the township, agricultural land use questions are a recurring part of planning discussions, and the Agricultural Security Committee plays a role in that process.

Water, Sewer and Septic

The Maxatawny Township Municipal Authority (MTMA) operates from Suite 2 at the same Quarry Road address and can be reached at 484-507-4718. MTMA provides public water and sewer service to customers within its service area and maintains 24 hour emergency response for main breaks, backups and similar urgent issues. Customers can pay bills online, request sewer capacity reservations and submit water and sewer connection forms. An annual Drinking Water Quality Report is published, confirming that the system meets federal and state requirements.

Properties outside the public sewer service area rely on on-site systems, and the township maintains an On-Site Septic program for them. That program includes a septage hauler list, septic system inspection forms and published sewage pumping cycles so homeowners know when their systems are due for service.

Waste, Recycling and Seasonal Collection

Trash and recycling collection in Maxatawny Township is arranged directly between property owners and private haulers rather than through a single municipal contract. Residents and businesses select from the township approved hauler list, which includes Leck Waste, Waste Management, Jax Disposal, Whitetail Disposal, Diamond Disposal and Clifford Hill Sanitation, with JP Mascaro serving commercial accounts. Recycling is mandated, and free recycling bins are available to pick up at the Administrative Office.

The township also runs a brush recycling drop site at the rear of 127 Quarry Road, available at no cost for township residential use only. The bin accepts brush up to four inches in diameter. Tree stumps, firewood, bamboo, plants, construction material, bales, concrete block and grass clippings are not accepted. Finished mulch generated from the program is currently available to residents.

Fall leaf collection typically runs from October into November, operating Monday through Wednesday with Thursday reserved as a rain make-up day. Each road is visited once per week, and leaves must be raked to the curb or gutter for pickup. Collection is not performed along Route 222 because of traffic safety concerns.

Parks and Recreation

William DeLong Memorial Park, located at 233 Bowers Road in Bowers, PA 19511, is the township's primary public recreation site. The park includes a pavilion with kitchen facilities, a bandshell and a concession stand. Reservations are handled on a first come, first served basis at the township office. Organizers planning larger gatherings in township parks or public spaces submit a special event application for review.

Public Safety and Notifications

Emergency services are coordinated with regional partners rather than provided entirely in house. The Pennsylvania State Police Reading Barracks serves the township and can be reached at 610-378-4011 for non-emergency matters. Fire and ambulance coverage comes from Kutztown Fire and Rescue Station 46, the Lyons Fire Department, the Topton Fire Company and Topton Community Ambulance. Josh Young serves as Emergency Management Coordinator.

Township residents and MTMA customers can opt into the Regroup Public Notification System, a free alert service that delivers messages by text, email or both. Mobile app users sign in using the network name "maxatawny." Alerts cover water service interruptions, weather events and other time sensitive public notices.

Community Programs

Maxatawny Township administers a Stray Cat TNR Reimbursement Program supporting trap, neuter and return efforts for free roaming cats. Reimbursements are capped at three per household, with 37 available township wide for 2025. Questions about the program can be directed to Jeri Wehr at 610-683-6518.

Additional forms, fee schedules, meeting information and departmental contacts are published by the township.