Bethel Data Center Draft to County; Robeson Weighs Budget

Two Berks County townships take up data-center rules and 2027 budgets on Thursday, Nov. 12, the night Maidencreek and Tilden townships hold hearings on their own data-center ordinances. Bethel Township's supervisors have a vote on their agenda: to send the township's draft ordinance to the county Planning Commission and the township's own planners, the review state law requires before a hearing. Robeson Township's supervisors hold a workshop whose agenda asks them to vote on advertising the 2027 budget and next year's meeting dates, alongside a data-center update and a sewer-hookup update. Our tracker covers every Berks municipality, including Tilden's hearing.

Bethel: a budget at 4:30, a data-center vote at 6

Bethel's board meets twice Thursday at the township office, 60 Klahr Road: a budget workshop at 4:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6 p.m., per the township's events list and supervisors page. The regular agenda's header misprints the date as "November 10, 2026 6:00 PM"; its file name, the budget agenda and the calendar say Nov. 12.

The budget workshop agenda lists a "Review of 2027 Preliminary Budgets," a "New Plow Truck discussion," and whether another meeting is needed "or if the Board wishes to advertise the 2027 Preliminary Budgets available for public inspection." It says the 2027 budget "will come before the Board for adoption at the December 10, 2026 meeting at 6 P.M." The regular agenda carries the follow-through under Supervisor Jay Bicksler: "Motion authorizing advertisement of the 2027 budget for public inspection." No budget document is posted, and neither agenda names a tax rate. Bethel's 2026 rate is 2 mills in the county's tax table; a mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value, so a $100,000 assessment pays $200 a year.

The data-center item sits in the solicitor's report, under Elizabeth Magovern: "Data Center Discussion and Authorize HVML send the Data Center draft ordinance to BCPC and Township PC for review with revisions." The agenda does not spell out HVML; the township's municipal authority Oct. 20 agenda uses "HVML Law" under its own solicitor report. BCPC is the Berks County Planning Commission. The draft is not posted.

The review is required by law. Under Section 609 of the state Municipalities Planning Code, a zoning amendment the planning agency did not write goes to that agency "at least 30 days prior to the hearing," and where a county planning agency exists, "at least 30 days prior to the public hearing on the amendment by the local governing body, the municipality shall submit the proposed amendment to the county planning agency for recommendations." A public hearing follows. If the draft goes out this week, the 30-day clock puts the earliest hearing in mid-December, after the Dec. 10 meeting.

Bethel's planners have not met on it. The Planning Commission's Nov. 10 agenda listed a "Data Center Ordinance review discussion," but Thursday's agenda says: "No planning commission meeting held November 10, 2026 due to lack of quorum." Bethel started the draft in August.

Also on Bethel's agenda

Under hearing of visitors: "Matt Blatt (BLUE MOUNTAIN REAL ESTATE LLC)- 390 Swope Road Rezoning Request," with no zoning district given. Also under the solicitor: "310 Frystown Rd - Justin and Bethany Hurst Ag. Security application Public Hearing"; an Oct. 30 Reading Eagle notice calls it a public hearing "on a one (1) parcel proposed addition to the Bethel Township Agricultural Security Area."

The engineer's report lists "Pipe Replacement on Old Route 22 – Motion to award bid package," with no bidder or amount printed. The Oct. 15 agenda carried a motion to have Steckbeck Engineering "prepare and advertise" it, and an Oct. 26 Reading Eagle notice advertised the "Old Route 22 Culvert Replacement Project," with bids due through PennBid at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, the day before the vote. Supervisor Mike Graby's items are a "Cemetery Ordinance Discussion" and a "Concrete Apron quote received from Ridgeline Concrete in the amount of $54,000.00." Chair Robbi Greenfield's list would let a police sergeant "search for a new/used truck cap not to exceed $2,000.00." Parks lists a "Tree Removal at Frystown Park safety issue" and a Nov. 29 tree lighting at 6 p.m. The bills include "PA Townships Health Insurance Cooperative Trust $132,241.44."

Robeson: a budget ad, a sewer hookup, a data-center update

Robeson's supervisors hold their workshop at 7 p.m. Thursday at the township police department, 2689 Main St., Birdsboro, per the homepage notice and the agenda. The boards page puts workshops on second Thursdays and regular meetings on third Thursdays at 7 p.m., so the next regular meeting is Thursday, Nov. 19, but this board votes at workshops: its Nov. 13, 2025 workshop minutes record three resolutions adopted and a motion "to approve and advertise 2026 Meeting Schedule" that "passed with no dissenting votes" (pp. 1-3).

The manager's report opens with a "Request Motion to Advertise" for the budget and another for the 2027 meeting dates, both votes. No 2027 budget is posted; the township posts only its 2026 General Fund budget, with $1,299,855 in current-year real estate tax (p. 1). Robeson's 2026 rate is 3.25 mills in the county table, $325 a year on a $100,000 assessment. The newest supervisors' minutes are from July 16, and the minutes page lists no 2026 budget meeting. Last year the board voted 4-1 on Nov. 13, 2025, "to approve and advertise the Budget as is currently written for 2026," per those minutes. The only other supervisors' agenda on the township's site this fall is for a Nov. 2 special meeting on a "professional services contract for accounting services."

Next is "RTMA Green Hills Lakes mandatory hookup Update." RTMA is the Robeson Township Municipal Authority, the sewer authority. The agenda does not say which properties a hookup requirement would cover or when. The authority's Aug. 17 minutes show the project behind it: its solicitor was "Working on the easement letters for the Green Hills Lake collection system," a Green Hills Road resident asked about "the potential connection of the sewer at his home," and the authority adopted applications for a "$1,826,400.00 LSA Grant for the Green Hills Lake sewer project" and a "$5,214,600.00 LSA Grant for the Green Hills Road (Route 568) sewer project," each with no dissenting votes (pp. 1-2). By the authority's Sept. 21 agenda, the "Green Hills Lake Area Collection System Design" had "Received WQM Permit from DEP and NPDES General Permit and approval from the Berks County Conservation District. Still need PennDOT approval," and the grant applications were "due by September 30, 2026." LSA grants are gaming revenue distributed through the Commonwealth Financing Authority, per DCED. The authority meets Monday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m.

The data-center ordinance appears twice, as an update under planning and engineering and under the Environmental Advisory Council. The Planning Commission's Sept. 14 minutes say the draft "is now back before the Planning Commission for final review and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors" and the members "agreed to table a recommendation until next month." No draft text or hearing notice is posted. Our July report covered the commission's first review.

Also on Robeson's agenda

Under correspondence: "Technicon 2027 Rate and Fee Schedule with proposed Resolution." Technicon Enterprises, Inc. II is the firm the township's 2026 fee schedule names as payee for the $95 fee for additional building inspections (Section F). The police report lists a "Click it or Ticket Program – Grant funding received from the Highway Safety Network" and "Traffic issues – Rt 724 and School Bus Safety Issues." Emergency services items are "Friendship FC/Geigertown--application for an LSA grant" and a "Volunteer Tax Credit." Under Act 172 of 2016, per the State Fire Commissioner's guidelines, a municipality "may implement an ordinance or resolution for earned income tax credit, real estate tax credit or both" for volunteers; the agenda does not say whether Robeson has one.

Also listed, with no posted documents: the "Hertzler Farm Storage Magazine Facility" and a "Hertzler Farms Developer's Improvement Agreement" under legal matters; the "Chestnut Hill Subdivision and Lot 1 Land Development Plans"; "2027 Roadwork Projects"; a "Schuylkill Road Bridge Notification"; and, under new business, a "Warming Center" and a "Food Pantry."

How to comment

Both Bethel agendas limit speakers to three minutes; the office is at 717-933-8813. Robeson's workshop opens with "Citizen Concerns / Public Comment," which "Requires Residency or Township Taxpayer Status" and allows three minutes; the township office, 8 Boonetown Road, Birdsboro, is at 610-582-4636. Our guide covers finding any Berks meeting schedule.