The first of two monthly Susquenana County Commissioner’s meetings was held on Wednesday, the 14th of May at the meeting room in the Courthouse. Called to order at 9 A.M., all Commissioners were present, including Commissioners Hall, Giangrieco, and Warren. The meeting moved directly to the Salary Board Agenda to address changes.

A motion was then made by Commissioner Warren to eliminate five part-time Corrections Officer positions and create five full-time positions, which would be filled by the part-time Corrections Officers already holding those positions, this, upon recommendation of Nicholas Conigliaro, Warden.

Commissioner Giangrieco then made a motion to eliminate the union position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer to create the non-union position of Juvenile Probation Supervisor, requiring forty hours a week.

Following this motion, the Commissioners returned to the County Commissioners Agenda. Several entries into the Cash Disbursement Journal were approved by Commissioner Warren and seconded by Commissioner Giangrieco.

Next, a motion was made by Giangrieco to approve seminar requests and/or payments for the seminars. These included a Juvenile Case Management System Seminar in State College, Pennsylvania, A Symposium on Understanding, Investigating, and Prosecuting Child Abuse & Exploitation, which was held in Scranton. Also included was the Pennsylvania Children & Youth Administrators Quarterly Meeting, which was held in Gettysburg.

Proclamation 2014-05, which honors Dr. William Bush for his years of service and education in Susquehanna County, was adopted. Mr. Bush was also chosen by the Baden-Powell Council of Boy Scouts of America as their 2014 Susquehanna County Distinguished Citizen. Commissioner Warren made a motion to adopt this Proclamation 2014-05, was seconded by Commissioner Giangrieco.

A motion was made by Commissioner Giangrieco to recognize Micaela Rhone, who was chosen by the Nellie Jane Dewitt Business and Professional Women’s Club as the 2014 Girl of the Year.

Next on the Agenda, a motion by Commissioner Warren was made to authorize the signing of Contract #C000057646, between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Susquehanna County Commissioners for $237,478 for the 2013 Community Development Block Grant Program. These monies are to be administered through the Susquehanna County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and will be used for demolition, street repairs, and also employment training. Commissioner Giangrieco also made a motion that authorizes Commissioner Alan Hall, being Chairman, to sign the Federal Funding Accounability and Transparency Act Subreceipient Date Sheet to be submitted with the above mentioned Contract #C000057646.

Several people, including Andy Aulakh, Gregg Confer, Kim Ross, and Michele Suchnick were reappointed to the Susquehanna County Tourism Committee per the motion of Commissioner Giangrieco. These positions are appointed annually and will span from May 8, 2014 to May 7, 2015.

A motion to review the Request for Proposals for the Guaranteed Energy Savings Project was made by Commissioner Giangrieco.

Pursuant with the Request for Qualifications issued by the County and under Pennsylvania’s Guaranteed Energy Savings Act, Act 39 of 2010, Commissioners Giangrieco and Warren approved Johnson Controls as their energy services company.

A motion was then made by Commissioner Warren to acknowledge the resignation of Ankur Patel, Judicial Law Clerk, per President Judge Kenneth Seamans, which took effect on the 2nd of May, 2014.

Commissioner Giangrieco then made a motion to acknowledge the appointment of John Lester to the non-union position of Juvenile Probation Supervisor, which entails forty hours per week.

Also, a motion was made by Commissioner Warren to hire Matthew Fisher to the non-union position of Director of Veterans’ Affairs, also requiring forty hours per week. Mr. Fisher has served about nineteen years in the Army and National Guard, stated Commissioner Giangrieco.

In a final motion before moving to the Election Board Agenda, a motion was made by Commissioner Warren to update the General Contracting Equipment Contract with Ken Rauch Excavating to add a Tracked Skid Steer.

Upon arriving at the public comment portion of the Commissioners Meeting, one resident had concerns of a Costello well site that has been undergoing repairs for some time now. The woman stated that recently a large, black smoke stack has appeared at the site, about 1400 ft. from her residence. She stated that she has not received answers from anyone. Commissioner Hall stated that he would meet with her following the meeting and hopefully discuss the matter with the Public Safety Director.

Following the Commissioners meeting, the Commissioners moved very briefly to the Board of Elections, wishing to make note and approve a temporary polling place change for Friendsville Borough. For the May 20th Election, polling will take place at the Neumann Center in Choconut, PA, instead of St. Francis Xavier Church Hall due to a fuel spill.

The meeting adjourned before 9:20 A.M. The next Commissioners Meeting is to be held on Wednesday, the 28th of May in the meeting room in the Susquehanna County Courthouse.

Mr. Bocella took the reins on announcing the Ray Kroc Achievement Award at the May 12th Montrose school board work session. This award was given annually to a junior high student who exemplified citizenship, leadership, scholarship, and sportsmanship, and who deserved the respect of classmates and instructors. Calling him the winner and proud stockholder in the McDonald's corporation (with one share of stock), Mr. Bocella drew the attention of those present to Jerome “Romey” Washo. Mr. Caterson said that he knew that there was usually a certificate and a medal to be given. As the McDonald's representative wasn't present that night, however, he assumed the student would get them at a later date. The board had Jerome come to the front of the room and shake hands with each member, as was the tradition.

Doug Wilcox had asked that NEIU 19 representatives attend the meeting, and three were present that evening. The first to speak was the executive director. He thanked the board for their votes in terms of the general operating budget, and provided a brief overview of what the NEIU was and what it could do for the schools. There were 20 districts, he noted, within their service area. Each of these districts had a board member representative to the intermediate unit. The unit was responsible for providing some special education and audio visual services to these districts. The state's school code also dictated that the unit have superintendent's councils, which served as an advisory panel. The IU board would pass a general operating budget, which the individual district's boards then voted on. The representative thanked Montrose again for the votes in favor of it. He asserted that it really was the intermediate unit of the districts.

The second representative, Mary Cartegna, spoke about the manner in which the NEIU typically contracted with districts to provide certain special education services, typically in the harder to fill classrooms. This might include serving audio and visually impaired students, and multihandicapped classrooms. Additionally, there were monthly meetings where the special education directors got together, and they had a training and consultation staff contingent which would go out to districts and help with a variety of special education needs.

The third representative was Colin Furneaux, the director of curriculum instruction. He said that this department provided the training. The state had a number of initiatives, he continued, and he knew they were feeling the pressure. The IU was working with the schools to implement those initiatives.

Mrs. Stein asked if there were on-line courses to help them get training. Mr. Furneaux responded that there were some on-line courses which were used for educator staff development. It was noted, however, that PDE wanted them to do face to face training for some of the new initiatives. Mr. Caterson thanked them for coming, and for their services.

During the administrators' reports, Mr. McComb noted that the last couple of weeks one of the initiatives that they were a part of the past year was a roster verification system. This allowed them to go in to a building and ensure that the kids were attributed to the instructors they were assigned to, for purposes of educator assessment. It wasn't that big of a deal at the elementary school where classes were self contained, but once the students started splitting amongst classrooms not all of the students in a particular grade should be attributed to a given instructor. He also spoke of various field trips. Every grade level went on some kind of field trip. The school wanted to have a more interactive open house. That year it was to include a scavenger hunt, a school wide art fair, a science fair, and the hatching of chicks.

The next day a severe weather drill was planned across the districts. Administration had a form to submit to the state afterward, examining the drill's process.

Ms. Riker reported on the spring fling, where they brought the elementary students up to the secondary school so that the secondary special education students could host them. The life skills prom was hosted the Friday previous by Montrose. They had already been asked to do it again the next year. She said that every other school had run out of food, and they had not.

Ms. Riker said that she and Mr. Adams weren't sure that abolishing the half time special education classroom at the Lathrop Street Elementary School was the right thing to do. They had a thought regarding how the class could be held, without hiring additional staff. She asked to have that motion pulled from the agenda, and not passed at that time. She also asked about another agenda item, to establish a full-time autism special education classroom. There were students, she asserted, who were not autistic but would fit the profile for the planned classroom. She asked that they amend the motion to take out the word “autistic”. Mrs. Staats noted that if they labeled the room it restricted them.

It was related that they were looking into getting a service animal for some of the youngsters who found it difficult to express themselves with humans. Mrs. Boyce helped to explain the idea, other districts had done it effectively. She said that it might also help the reluctant readers, who could read more easily to an animal. Mrs. Follert asked if this was something the NEIU could help with. Ms. Riker responded negatively; if one applied for a facility dog there was the need to have someone in the facility able to handle the dog. However, there was no cost for the dog or the training.

Mr. Bocella related in his report that the secondary school had done all things prom during the previous two weeks. He said that they had a mock crash, opining that the SADD club had done a great job. This encouraged the kids to make good decisions. The Life Skills prom had been the previous Friday, and eight schools attended. The district's prom was then held that night, at Stonehedge. There was a special guest at the event, who wished to take his wife. Mr. Bocella said that he was so proud of the kids and how they had responded to these guests. The two had a sweetheart table, and they had danced to their song. The students gave them a standing ovation.

The district decided to outsource their summer school, to Keystone Credit Recovery. Students could either take the classes online or via a correspondence course. This wouldn't cost the district any money, as the students paid the company directly. Ms. Stein asked what happened if they were failing still. It was responded that the company would engage with the child. The cost to the families would be slightly higher than Montrose had charged, but would be comparable to other programs.

The Junior and Senior High School was hosting county chorus. Graduation was scheduled for June 21st, out on the football field.

The bids had come back for the boiler conversion at Lathrop Street. Three bids had come in, though one was rescinded the next day. They had also received a draft agreement with Leatherstocking regarding the transportation of gas to Lathrop Street. Mrs. Boyce said it was the exact same thing as the agreement that had been in place the previous year. There was no need for a memorandum of agreement, as the only thing which had changed was the date and location.

The subject of field hockey was broached. There was declining interest in the field hockey program, participation had slowly decreased from 2000 to the present. The junior high had not even competed for at least two years. The administration had tried to get ahold of Elk Lake, to see if they could have a cooperative agreement with Elk Lake like they did with football and swimming. That school's board had said that they were not interested. He said that even if the junior high came out, the district was looking at 10 participants at the most. There were adequate sports for girls to go out for in the fall, so there would be no Title 9 impact. Title 9 had nothing to do with number of sports; it had to do with number of participants. The decision would, however, have budgetary impact. It would cost about $14,000 to run the program.

A visitor asked, if there was no field hockey, would they consider a girls junior high soccer team? It was responded that there was no girls junior high soccer league for them to play in. The only district having a girls only junior high soccer team was Mountain View.

A letter had been received from the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Susquehanna County, requesting to run release time classes again. There had been 35 participants at Lathrop Street during the last year, and 19 at Choconut Valley. It was pointed out that the students were picked up from the school, transported to a location, and then returned.

At this point the work session ended, and the regular board meeting convened shortly thereafter.

A motion was made to approve a preliminary budget for the 2014- 2015 fiscal year in the amount of $24,729,596. When asked if this represented an increase or decrease in taxes, Mr. Caterson responded that this had not yet been determined.

Resignations were accepted from an Assistant Football Coach, an Assistant Varsity Girl's Basketball Coach, and a Varsity Boys' Basketball Coach. Joshua Rebello was appointed as an Assistant Football Coach.

Mr. Caterson said that he would entertain a motion to remove the half-time learning support special education classroom at the Lathrop Street Elementary School. He then entertained a motion to remove the word autism from the creation of the full-time special education classroom as discussed at the work session. Both motions were made and passed.

The “numbers are as tight as they’ve ever been.”  So said Superintendent Robert McTiernan at a meeting of the Blue Ridge School Board to consider a new budget for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1.  According to the Superintendent, the new budget he is proposing will actually be lower by about $600,000 than for the year now nearing its close.

There wasn’t a whole lot of debate on the budget this time.  In years past each of the heads of the major departments – the building principals, athletic director, food service director, technology coordinator – would appear before the Board to try to defend their requests for the new year coming up.  And the Board would examine the proposals almost line by line asking for justifying data and supporting arguments.  There has been none of that this time, at least not in public session.

This time, new Business Manager Penny Greene exhibited an awesome command of the data and the issues, while at the same time admitting that she has been cautious with this, her initial effort.  Each attending Board member was given a slim packet of materials presumably containing the key data in the administration’s proposal.  Mr. McTiernan refused to make a copy of the packet available to anyone else.

Describing an effort to re-code all of the accounts in the budget structure Ms. Greene and Mr. McTiernan both vowed that, while comparing new budgets with old budgets might be difficult now, the whole process would be much simpler and clearer “going forward.”   Of course there was a similar pledge for at least the last 2 budgets.

Among other changes, the “contingency fund” introduced a couple years ago to accommodate “wish-list” items that would have to be specifically approved by the Board are gone now, in favor of “budgetary reserves.”  The latter are not part of the formula used to compute payments to charter schools, which should help with those ballooning costs.  The Board’s wish list of large projects adds up to nearly $1 million and includes things like a new gym floor and spectator stands, and a new running track.

Most of the Board members who attended the presentation remained mute while Ms. Greene and Mr. McTiernan proceeded through first the revenue the district can expect next year, then the expenses that will consume it.

Local property taxes are the core of the revenue the district depends on, and the part over which the district has the most control.  Under current law, however, there is a limit to how much the district may increase property tax rates without asking voters for permission.  The limit is determined by the state each year and is called the “index.”  The Board decided last winter not to exceed the index, which for Blue Ridge this year would be 2.4 mills.  The current rate is 46.99 mills ($46.99 per $1,000 of assessed valuation).  It wasn’t clear from the discussion just what the Board would ultimately do, but it seems that rates may rise by about 2 mills; Ms. Greene said that would mean about a $30 increase for an average property.  (Board member Christina Whitney even declared herself “not opposed to a referendum” if more money was to be needed.)

Ms. Greene said that total assessed property valuation in the district has grown by over $1 million.  She said that her budget assumes a conservative collection rate of 91%; collections this year are nearing 92%.

No one knows for sure, of course, this being an election year, but it appears that state education subsidies might be slightly higher next year, while federal funds will be slightly lower.  State support for the School Based ACCESS Program was expected to be about $100,000 in the current year; instead, Blue Ridge has received only $8,000 and doesn’t expect more next year.  ACCESS is supposed to be “a method of gaining medical assistance (MA) [Medicaid] reimbursements for the cost of the related services currently being provided to MA eligible [special needs] students.  Examples of services which are billable are speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, etc.”  The schools are required to participate under federal law, yet state and federal support is expected to continue to dwindle.

The district’s budget continues to feel the stress of paying for students enrolled in so-called “cyber-charter” schools, to the tune of some $450,000 next year.  According to Superintendent McTiernan, the district will be putting more staff to work monitoring these students.  In the past, reconciliations were done at the end of the year.  Mr. McTiernan said Blue Ridge would now begin to examine bills monthly, pay only what Blue Ridge determined was owed, and force the charter school companies to justify any differences.  He said that cyber-charter costs rose 21% during the current fiscal year.

The elephant in the budget is the sharply rising required contributions to the state Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS).  Blue Ridge has been setting aside chunks from its general fund in anticipation of future demands for PSERS, expected to rise eventually to 32% of payroll.  Some school districts are threatened with severe fiscal distress because of the PSERS drain.  The new budget will set aside some $1.4 million for the PSERS account, up $300,00 from the current year.

On the positive side, debt service is going down gradually, particularly with the recent refinancing and retirement of $1.2 million in bonds.

Salaries and wages are the biggest part of the budget, of course.  Mr. McTiernan noted that in the few years he has been at Blue Ridge, the teaching staff has decreased by about 20.  The Board is even now in negotiations with the teachers on a new contract.  Part of any teachers’ contract are provisions for tuition reimbursement.  Ms. Greene said that her budget proposal allows for as much as 6 credits per covered staff member, at Penn State tuition rates.  She doesn’t expect any change in the $2.1 million allocated to the district’s self-funded health insurance program.

The reduction in budgeted expenses is likely due to a cut of some 12 1/2 percent for each “building.”  Even so, the budget as proposed so far would show a deficit of about $32,000.  The budget must be balanced, however, so the Board will have to decide where the deficit will be covered.  Mr. McTiernan suggested using the PSERS fund rather than the general fund balance.

The final decisions will become more apparent at the Board’s next scheduled public meeting, on Tuesday, May 27 (the day after Memorial Day).  The preliminary budget must be available to the public for a month before final adoption, which in this case will take place on Monday, June 30.

The Susquehanna County Commissioners announce the Courthouse will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2014 in observance of Memorial Day. All court related offices will be available.

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 11:00 a.m. on May 16, 2014: Duane M. Aldrich, Anthony M. Choplosky, Tina M. Clark, David J. Fischer, James Gerard, Justin T. Giberson, Francis M. Hagemeyer, Jr, Bradley M. Huzzard, Christopher M. Kuiper, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Casey M. Lehman, Derrick Lezinsky, Robert J. McCrone, Lawrence M. McGuire, Ethan A. Meagley, Ronald N. Mitchell, Matthew J. Peters, Veronica D. Phelps, Eric A. Pike, Scott A. Russell, Bruce A. Schurr, Todd J. Slater, Anthony L. Smith, Nathan C. Strohl, Frederick Swingle, III, Tessa E. Thomas, Justin S. Thompson, Carolyn A. Thompson, Donna N. Tunstall, Steven G. Warner. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals. 

Revenue from the “impact fees” collected for the natural gas drilling in the area is making life easier for Harford Township Supervisors, not to mention royalties on the gas extracted from beneath the township’s own small and scattered acreage.  So when some bills came due at their meeting on May 13th there wasn’t a lot of gnashing of teeth.

But first they heard a pitch from John Watts and Glenn Eby representing Joe Hunt & Associates, aka JHA.  The gas boom has encouraged JHA to expand what was once a very local surveying business, merging the activities of a number of even smaller enterprises and individuals with expertise and experience in a number of engineering and inspection services to offer a package of “Municipal Services” out of a new office in Montrose.  In short, they are angling to compete with the county Council of Governments (COG) to provide sewage enforcement and building code inspection, as well as offering a wide range of other services, to municipalities, so far in Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.

COG is a sort of consortium of municipalities created several years ago to share some of these services – primarily building code inspections and sewage enforcement – among the municipalities of Susquehanna County.  Boroughs and townships aren’t required to join COG, but if they pay the nominal annual fee, they no longer have to employ their own SEOs or building code inspectors.  In fact, COG itself has no full-time SEOs or inspectors, but relies on certified professionals who work independently.

The JHA representatives told Harford Supervisors that the company has its own full-time staff of inspectors and engineers, many certified in multiple areas.  Fees for the standard municipal services would be paid directly to the municipality; JHA would then bill the municipality to recover the fees.  Many of JHA’s engineering and planning services are billed as extras, but there is no annual fee or retainer.  JHA asks only for an annual agreement, with only a ten-day withdrawal provision, accompanying a fee schedule.  Mr. Watts said that JHA’s fees are no more than those charged by COG, and in some cases less.  He said that JHA now works for some 13 municipalities in the area.

The Supervisors seemed impressed with the presentation.  They asked for a list of the municipalities that JHA now deals with, and asked Mssrs. Watts and Eby to return next month for a decision.

In the meantime, the Supervisors would like to get the property at the township office and garage surveyed.  With the increasing volume of materials stored on the property, they don’t want to encroach on neighboring properties, but no one knows for sure where the boundaries are.  Since JHA is also a major surveying firm in the area, they decided to table the survey until a decision is made next month on JHA’s more general proposal.

Roadmaster Jim Phelps reported that the temporary fix to the bridge on Lower Podunk Road has been completed.  Supervisor Doug Phelps said that he hoped an inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) would allow the load limit to be raised “a little bit.”

The Supervisors had budgeted $50,000 for that bridge project, but it cost only about $15,000.  So they decided to spend some of the rest of that budget amount to fix Charles Road.  The junction where Charles Road meets U.S. Route 11 up from Oakley Crossing has never been satisfactory, often crumbling altogether in winter weather on the steep slope.  Barhite Excavating proposes to blacktop an “apron” at the junction, and then pave the rest with 250 tons of Driving Surface Aggregate (DSA).  The Supervisors accepted Barhite’s bid of $8,740 for the job.

The Supervisors will also solicit bids for an additional 500 tons of 2B stone for the upcoming summer road maintenance season, and another 10,000 tons of DSA.  DSA, developed by Penn State’s Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, “is a mixture of crushed stone developed specifically as a surface wearing course for unpaved roads. DSA has a unique particle size distribution designed to maximize packing density and produce a durable road surface that performs better than conventional aggregates.”  DSA generally needs to be applied with special paving machinery.

Doug Phelps reported that an application for a loan with the state Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) to help pay for the remaining balance on the new Caterpillar front-end loader was rejected for a missing bit of information in the application package.  Mr. Phelps said that Caterpillar was willing to allow another month, but that would not be enough time to correct the application and get approval.  So the Supervisors voted to pay the remaining balance of $99,700 on the machine from impact fee funds; the amount would be returned to the fund when the next impact fee payment is received.

The Supervisors also agreed to purchase 11 new pumps for the sewer system, as recommended by the system’s operator.  Five of the pumps of the older, obsolete Hydromatic model will be supplied from a stock of brand-new units still held by Benton Township for $2,000 each.  These older pumps are needed for installations at the fairgrounds and the PennCan truckstop, where replacing the pumps with newer models would require extensive – and expensive – modifications to the existing installations.  The Hydromatics have been serviceable (with maintenance as necessary) since the construction of the sewer system nearly 20 years ago.  The other 6 pumps – the newer E/One Extreme models – will cost about $2,100 apiece.

On the other side of the ledger, the township received one bid of $500 from Cosmello’s Auto Sales for the Ford F350 truck.  There was some hemming and hawing over this, the thinking being that it was worth more than that; but the township can’t get it inspected any more, and, according to Doug Phelps, the transmission is shot.  So they accepted the bid and let it go.

Among 3 bids for the Ford tractor, the Supervisors chose the highest, $1,254.47, from Wayne Frederici.  Sue Furney abstained from the vote.  No telling where that bid figure came from.

During comment time at the very end of the meeting, former Supervisor Garry Foltz, as is his habit, had a list of questions.  For one, he is still concerned about the damage done to the freshly paved (some 18 months ago) School Street, allegedly caused by a logging truck equipped with chains.  The Supervisors are trying to get the truck’s owner’s insurance company to cover repairs, but the owner now denies that it was his truck.  Mr. Foltz said he would happily testify to the truck’s ownership.

Mr. Foltz was also concerned that Roadmaster Jim Phelps is the only member of the township’s crew qualified to operate the grader.  Supervisor Doug Phelps said that others are being trained, but that it takes some time to get a new man comfortable with the complicated machine.

Mr. Foltz also wondered if the township’s road crew is being fully employed, especially when the Roadmaster (Jim Phelps) and his assistant (Doug Phelps) are both away.  Mr. Doug Phelps responded that the crew are issued their assignments and don’t need baby sitters to look after them all the time.

The Harford Township Supervisors meet in public session on the 2nd Tuesday of each month beginning at 7:00pm at the township office on Route 547 just south of the Interstate.

Lanesboro leaders have set the date for the borough’s community yard sale this summer. That decision along with a jam-packed 45 minutes of business held the attention of attendees at the borough’s Tuesday, May 13th meeting. With Council President Todd Glover absent, Vice-President Dan Boughton seized the reigns to spearhead the 7 to 7:45 p.m. deliberations. Present for the meeting were council members Regina Dilello, David Glidden, Tom Nitterour, and Dale Rockwell. Also in attendance were Mayor Chris Maby, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Hanrahan, and Police Chief Jim Smith. Councilman Jason Fissel was absent.

The first order of business after approval of last month’s meeting minutes was the reading of correspondence. Correspondence on hand consisted of a letter from the borough’s solicitor. That letter, apparently quite lengthy and detailed—in fact of such length and complexity that Secretary Hanrahan declined to read it aloud—had as its purpose an explanation of the procedures required to place liens (through the magisterial district court) on the properties of long-delinquent sewer ratepayers. Council members decided to take a long look at these procedures before pulling the trigger in the legal arena. Residents may expect movement on this issue at next month’s meeting. Meanwhile, Mayor Maby noted he had no evidence of movement on the sale of the borough’s sewer system. He expects progress this summer, though inertia by a third party less motivated for expeditious sale notably slows the process.

Moving on, Police Chief Smith delivered the Police Report for the month of April. Lanesboro Police assisted State Police for a sexual assault case. They took action concerning a “dirt bike on roadway and sidewalk area;” made one arrest for DUI and two arrests for drug possession; handled two cases of underage drinking; served three water shut-off notices; and responded to a water main leak at 33 Belmont Street. The more routine forms of policing were delivered through enforcement of the rules of the road: 40 traffic stops resulting in the issuance of 21 citations and 19 warnings. Twenty-seven of those stops were for speeding, three for inspection violations, five for equipment violations, two registration violations, one turn-signal violation, one violation for failure to carry insurance, and one driver cited for driving on a suspended license. Lanesboro Police Officers put in 190 hours all told, with 109 hours on school patrol, and 20 hours protecting life and limb in Thompson.

In those 20 hours of Thompson policing, officers managed 19 traffic stops resulting in the issuance of 15 citations and four warnings. Fifteen of those stops were for speeding. Also, the crime report for Thompson revealed two reports of criminal mischief, a nuisance violation, and one case of burglary (still open and ongoing).

In one last police matter that came up late in the meeting, Chief Smith noted that littering violations can bring fines of as much as $500 per instance. Councilman Glidden had been discussing the continuing case of a serial litter-bug on Grand Street. The litterer’s modus operandi is to physically stop her vehicle and deposit empty vodka bottles along the roadway. The perpetrator, if a reader of this paper, is hereby warned that the warm trail lends itself to hot pursuit by police. Should “going dry” be beyond her willpower, finding a proper receptacle for the deposit of her vodka bottles may lead her to a somewhat less problematic future.

The highlight of the Streets Report was Mayor Maby’s relating of a catch-22 the borough finds itself in regarding Jefferson Street. Water pools at the base of Jefferson where that street intersects with Main. This observation informs borough council members that corrective action needs to be taken and construction of a catch basin seems a reasonable solution. However, before beginning any work on the project, let alone looking into proposals of how the plan is to proceed, the borough rightly asked PennDOT if a permit is required. It’s a simple enough question requiring only a “yes” or a “no” for the answer. Yet no answer has been forthcoming from the powers that be. Mayor Maby vows to press on for an answer.

In like fashion, Mayor Maby reported the ongoing FEMA-related catch-22. The old Travis property (second property, left-side on Viaduct Street as one leaves the borough) was a FEMA buy-out. FEMA wants the borough to sign off on the paperwork for the borough to take responsibility for the property’s maintenance and preservation in a natural state with no man-made object permitted on or under the land. Federal law, or at least FEMA regulations with the force of federal law and all its coercive powers behind it, demands this to be so. Problem is, there’s a pipe below the property, and the federal government has not caused it to be removed. The borough, cognizant of this discrepancy, refuses to sign the paperwork assuming full legal responsibility for a property which as it exists does not meet the conditions imposed federally. To preclude possibility of borough liability for the pipe under the property, the borough will agree to take over the property only after FEMA causes the pipe to be removed, or at the very least agrees to a contract acknowledging the existence of the pipe and agrees to its continued existence under the property and in contravention to FEMA’s own regulations, and should FEMA make future demands for the pipe’s removal it will be at FEMA’s expense to so accomplish. Mayor Maby’s bottom line is that borough taxpayers will not under any circumstances get stuck with the estimated $2,600 cost to remove the pipe.

Refuse privatization has been a success, but still some 22 households have not contacted Freddy’s to make arrangements for their garbage removal. The consensus of council was to contact the borough’s solicitor to determine what steps must be taken to bring those who are uncooperative into compliance. Rumors that some residents may be transporting their refuse out of town for disposal “by alternative means” brought on a short discussion. The conclusion reached is that “trafficking in garbage” is prohibited under the law and is a prosecutable offense. Offenders beware!

Finally to close out the evening came discussion of community center issues and the decision to hold a community yard sale. Lanesboro resident (and webmaster), Amanda Cook, who has taken responsibility for scheduling use of the community center, noted that the center will be used for three purposes next week: a kindergarten field trip, primary election day voting, and the BPW banquet. Neither the kindergarten field trip nor the BPW banquet will yield rental income. Typically the county makes a $50 “donation” for the building’s use for voting, despite and in contravention of state law prohibiting rental payment for the use of municipal buildings for Election Day voting.

Miss Cook also mentioned that a Lanesboro resident was requesting use of the community center on the first day of summer, June 21, to hold an ice-cream social for borough residents. Council agreed the idea was a winner and no rental fee would be assessed for the event.

Concerning the community yard sale, Secretary Hanrahan noted that it had not been held last year, but historically the borough had held the event on or about August 13th. With a quick check of the calendar, council members decided a Friday through Sunday sale on August 15, 16, and 17 will fit the bill. Readers should look for flyers locally as well as newspaper and borough website advertising as the event draws closer. Council also agreed to invite Oakland Boro to also participate by holding the event contemporaneously.

At 7:45 p.m. Vice-President Boughton asked for a motion to adjourn. His wish was granted, and council cheerily departed from this month’s adventure in governance. Next episode is scheduled for the second Tuesday in June, 7 p.m., Lanesboro Community Center.

It was announced, near the beginning of the May 15th New Milford borough meeting, that there would be a zoning hearing before the zoning hearing board on May 27th at 6 pm. This was in relation to an appeal from a resident against a determination by the zoning officer against that resident's application for a non conforming use. It was also noted that the borough was still involved with that resident in another legal situation with the Commonwealth Court. The resident had appealed the former decision of the Susquehanna County Common Pleas Court.

Mr. White brought up an issue involving cars coming down onto Church Street off 492, driving at excessive speeds. There was a decent amount of traffic coming in and out of that park's parking lot. He suggested that perhaps police might sit in the parking lot. A lot of people also apparently blew through the stop sign by the Methodist Church.

Correspondence had been received regarding the Suburban Propane property on Smith Street. An independent company, Clark Environmental Management and Technical Services, had sent a letter to DEP stating that it was clean, that it met requirements. DEP then had time to make a determination. The mayor said that he would like someone to clean a ditch out there, and see if it began to stink again as it had in the past. The borough maintenance worker related that when he was digging a catch basin at the location once, he had seen oil in it. Mr. Ainey suggested that the borough send a letter requesting DEP to pay special attention to this ditch, which ran along the side of the street. The motion passed.

The mayor related that some of them had put new mulch around the playground at the pool park, but the site needed more. Mr. Ainey noted that they had $2100 in royalty money from leases at the park, and he thought they could spend some of that money for recreational uses. Ms. Gulick agreed, opining that the money came from the park and it should go to the park. Mr. Ainey made a motion that they authorize, therefore, up to another $1000 toward the purchase of additional mulch.

The mayor said that they had two people say that the cinders were picked up well, except right on the edges. The point he was making was that the streets were cleaned. Mr. Ainey said he couldn't agree with that, asking them to come up on Johnson Street, speaking of the amount of cinders there. Ms. Cosmello related that her street still had cinders as well. It was noted that the borough had used a lot of cinders that year, with Mr. White estimating that they had used probably five times as many as in the past. Ms. James had received a couple of complaints about the cinder situation as well. She said that it was nothing that their employee had done, there was a piece missing from the sweeper the borough rented. It was related that when the maintenance worker had called the company, they were waiting for parts. They couldn't say when the parts might come in, and said that the borough could either use it as was or wait an undetermined amount of time. The cutting edge had also been damaged. Therefore they had rented a sweeper which wasn't working really well. Mr. White said that was the same sweeper that they had been renting for years. It was beat up; they had looked into pricing a new one. It was suggested they send the company a letter, and look into other alternatives for the future. There was no other place around that rented a bucket sweeper.

The mayor next noted that the cannons looked very nice. Ms. Gulick agreed with this. Mr. White related that they had sandblasted them down to bare metal, left the brass, and coated them with various substances. He said they should last a considerable amount of years. Ms. Gulick called them impressive. They were now also locked and attached to the concrete pad.

Ms. James had reviewed the borough roads with Vestal Asphalt, who was going to decide which roads were to be done that year. She had taken them to the tennis court as well, and been told that to pave over it would require contacting a paving company. This would be very expensive. One suggestion was to dig it up and let grass grow in it. They had also suggested a paving company for the walking trail, as their equipment couldn't do so.

The company had said that the roads were in fairly decent shape. Mr. Ainey asked how long they were going to be in good shape if they kept slurry sealing. Ms. Gulick suggested they pay off the loan from the last paving before looking at new work. Ms. James explained that they were in a five year plan, which was to end in 2016. It was thought that perhaps the paving payoff might be done about the same time.

There was a discussion about Peck Street. One side of the street had been done the year previous, the opposite side of the street needed to be done. It was completely full. The problem was heaving the street; as the water got under the blacktop it was coming right up. Mr. Ainey had a couple of ideas to address this. He wondered about CDBG money, thinking that the majority of the citizens on that street would qualify. The deadline was June 30th. He suggested making a fairly decent project about it. He then made a motion that they form and file a CDBG application toward that effect.

There was a question asked regarding the brake retarder ordinance, Ms. Gulick said. The original questions had been asked regarding trucks coming down 492. Being a hill, they couldn't enact it there anyway because trucks needed to use the brakes to slow down. Having spoken to PennDOT, there was only a small amount of space on Main Street they could use the ordinance anyway. She asked if it was even worth having it? It was motioned to take it off the agenda.

Mr. Ainey motioned that they enable the economic development committee to begin an application, after the meeting with the township, for a planning grant to work on a comprehensive plan.

Since the borough had put in application for natural gas, Mr. Ainey asked the buildings and equipment committee to look into the process of getting estimates for conversion.

Mr. White related how someone had bent the door on the new concession stand and broke the closer, and then the door had slammed and dented the door. It was said that someone had unlocked it, and purposely broken the door. Generally only coaches unlocked that door. It was suggested that they contact the school. Mr. Ainey suggested asking if they wanted to replace the door, or have the borough bill them. They didn't know if an adult or a kid had done it.

Mr. Carey said that he wanted everyone to know that they had sent a letter to the school saying that they were disappointed in the state of the dugouts, etc. after a high school game. A letter of apology had been received from a school administrator.

They had approved an electrician to come in and update the gazebo.

The council had received a policy about being smoke free in the park. They were asking for a resolution not an ordinance. Mr. Ainey asked who developed regulations. The group would post young lungs at play notices. The borough in turn was committing to meet with coaches, etc. Ms. Gulick said that a lot of coaches already followed this. It was a voluntary program. Mr. Ainey made a motion that they adopt a resolution, which passed.

The showmobile was scheduled to be in town on Wednesday the 21st at noon, and would be leaving the 22nd. There would be music in the park, and perhaps some chalk art.

Mr. Carey said that he had met with a gentleman associated with the renovation of the pool. Once he received a full report, he said, he would present it at the next meeting.

Ms. Gulick asked if they had hired a pool manager. The position was to go into the next week's paper. There was concern about getting lifeguards certified, as lifeguard classes were very full. Mr. Ainey said he was concerned about the chemicals certification for the pool manager. The previous pool manager still had his certification, it was responded. Almost all of the lifeguards were coming back from the previous year. However, there had been a shortage of lifeguards the year prior.

Mr. Ainey asked if they should have a tent or a booth somewhere with Leatherstocking gas applications at the upcoming Hometown Day festivities. Mr. Carey said that they were going to have a recreation board table, and could have the applications there.

The borough was going to review the international property maintenance code, after being advised by the solicitor that they could customize it to their liking. They also spoke to the solicitor about altering the existing nuisance ordinance, where it would have stiffer penalties.

While it was possible to customize the code, it had to be done very carefully. Mr. Ainey felt it was safe to say that council was concerned about some of the issues, but they also wanted to be cautious about how they did things in the community.

Ms. Cosmello had been told that there was no way to change the siren, and that there was only one tone. Ms. Gulick thanked her, saying this was what they wanted to know.

The constitutional attorney had asked for a glossary of the ordinances, regarding the request to distribute Bibles in the midtown park.

There were concerns about the Button-Weller 5k, due to new paperwork from the state. The borough had always submitted paperwork, but now the state wanted proof of insurance for events occurring on state roads. The race was not put on by a formal group, it was a fundraiser organized by individuals. How the borough handled this would start a precedence for what happened on Main Street. The organizers had asked about getting insurance, but hadn't received a response. The state was looking for what would happen if, for instance, someone fell. Ms. Cosmello suggested contacting the Cancer Society, since it was a fundraiser for them. It was said as a backup plan they could plan an alternate route, one which did not include Main Street. It was decided that the borough would agree to sponsor the race if necessary, so that they could have it on borough streets.

The Borough of Susquehanna held their monthly meeting on the 14th of May 2014. All members of the Council were in attendance, as well as eight members of the public. Upon calling the meeting to order at seven o’clock, the Council moved directly to installing a new “Public Comment Policy.”

Council Member Joe Varsik read the new extensive Public Comment Policy aloud. Among the procedures required are the basics, such as stating your name, address, as well as not allowing the public speaker to move around the room, and requiring that no weapons be allowed in the meeting room, with the exception of the Police. There were also some more extensive, stringent rules within. These included things like not allowing the public to speak on codes issues at the meetings and only by appointment with Code Enforcement. Also, it states that items brought up during Public Comment do not require an answer from the Council. Also, the speaking party and other members of the public are not allowed to converse while the speaking party talks. The new Policy also requires a “spokesperson” be designated when a group of persons supporting or opposing the same position desires time to speak. Another seemingly strict rule requires that only a three minute time period be given to each member of the Public wishing to speak, unless the Council sees fit. These are just some of the new procedures now required under the strict new Public Comment Policy that apparently took effect immediately.

The next order of business was executing the Public Comment portion of the meeting. Ms. Plonka, whose family owns the Starrucca House, was in attendance, wondering when the inspector would come so that electric could be turned on in the building. It was immediately noted by Council that they could not address this issue and that she should make an appointment with Codes Enforcement, which she scheduled immediately. She also had a concern about the run-off/oil spill on the property, which she states has, or almost has reached the Starrucca House itself. The Council stated that the insurance company was apparently still investigating the issue at this point.

Mr. Sholtiss was present as well to speak in the Public Comment portion. He had concerns over white marks on the new water tank. It was then noted that the white was from lime build-up and that it should have no consequence to it. Council also stated that the process of transferring to the new water tower was not yet complete.

Southwestern Energy, or Kingfisher Exploration Inc., was in attendance to request permission to perform a 3-D seismic survey on Borough property, as they have with numerous other municipalities in the area. Again, they stated that flags would be put in place to show the areas the boxes would be located at. Also, that they would be in place for two to four weeks. President Roberta Reddon asked then what benefit this would have to the Borough. Southwestern Energy explained that in the future if they decided to lease the land it would be of benefit. The Council collectively agreed to the seismic surveys. Following this, Southwestern Energy also requested the use of vibrosis trucks on the roads, which would obviously not be able to travel over the bridge over Drinker Creek. They agreed to come back at a later time with specific roads to be discussed for use by the vibration truck before an agreement was met.

Again, like many other neighboring communities, a letter was received from Commissioner Hall, requesting correspondence be made relating to roads, bridges, and transportation issues needing to be addressed. He requests that a monthly letter be written expressing concerns.

Mayor Nancy Hurley was next on the agenda to give the Mayor’s & Police Report. She stated that there were thirty-eight incidents in the past month, including two medical assists, one assault, one burglary, three disorderly conducts, two domestic disputes, one drug offense, one littering, one accident, one suspicious person, three larceny, and thirteen traffic citations, to name a few.

She also wanted to remind residents to not be hesitant to “dial 911” and not to “second guess” yourself in times of distress, to make the call when necessary. She also stated that she had received correspondence from Mayor Beavan, of Oakland Borough. He was curious as to what the interest would be in creating a Tri-Boro Neighborhood Watch, in which each would operate separately, yet come together every so often.

Mayor Hurley also wished to thank the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for working on six service projects, that included cleaning up behind the Methodist Church, cleaning up brush, helping with cleaning of the fire station, and also cleaning up by the river. Their service was greatly appreciated by the Council, who noted that they are “always willing to help.”

Council Member Roy Williams then turned the meeting over to Codes & DPW. He stated that there were issues regarding run-off on a private drive, specifically from sub-pumps. He also wanted to address residents mowing their grass clippings into the streets and catch basins. This causes unnecessary damage and maintenance to be performed.  Also noted was that it is the property owner’s responsibility to remove dead trees from walkways, as it causes hazard to pedestrians and neighbors.

Council Member Roy Williams also wanted to address the growing trash issue in the Borough, stating that it is one of “worst” around, specifically with people dumping household trash along roadways and over banks. He stated that there was an excessive accumulation of rubbish and/or debris it is an issue. These things must be disposed of properly or at least placed in an approved container. He also made a suggestion that the route for the upcoming 5k run be maintained and presentable.

As far as Codes are concerned, he stated that they have identified specific properties that should be demolished, as the Borough works towards eradicating vacant, unsafe properties from the area. On that note, the Borough has made an agreement with Northeast Inspection Consultants, represented at the meeting by Mr. John and Ken Marino to handle inspection issues within the Borough.

Next, Council Member John Hendrickson spoke on Emergency Management. He reminded the public to drink plenty of water in times of extreme heat and seek shade when necessary. He also stated that he attended First Responders Training recently.

He also expressed that 2nd and 3rd Ave, Front St. and Turnpike St were in need of repairs.

The meeting concluded slightly before reaching an hour, when President Roberta Reddon expressed that the Council would be entering an “Executive Session” to discuss “Personnel Issues,” a session that lasted nearly, if not an hour itself.

The next Susquehanna Borough meeting will take place on July 11th, 2014 at 7 o’clock p.m.

Starrucca Borough Council was called to order on Monday, April 7, 2014 at 7:05 PM by Pres. Jack Downton.

Council members present were: VP Robert Weldy, Paul Everett, Louis Gurske, Barbara Glover, Jason Heeman, and Arthur Kopp. Mayor Mary Ann DeBalko was absent.

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on March 3, 2014 and special meeting held on March 10, 2014 were presented. A correction was made to the March 3 Minutes: Council members were asked to change the word “report” to “data” under the Persons To Be Heard section, Auditors’ Report. Barbara Glover made a motion to accept the March 3 Minutes as corrected. The motion was seconded by Robert Weldy and passed unanimously. Paul Everett made a motion to accept the March 10 Minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Jason Heeman and passed unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report as of March 31, 2014 – Paul Everett made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. The motion was seconded by Robert Weldy and passed unanimously.

Bills to be paid (April) – Paul Everett made a motion to pay the April bills as presented. The motion was seconded by Robert Weldy and passed unanimously.

PERSONS TO BE HEARD - None

CORRESPONDENCE

PA DOT – Bridge safety inspection due dates. Circulated to Council members.

Wayne County Election Bureau – Polling Place Permission for 5/20/14. Paul Everett made a motion to allow the Wayne County Election Bureau permission to use the Community Hall for the general primary on 5/20/14 and whatever day they need for setup. The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously. Paul Everett also asked that any registered voter who is available for volunteer work should contact Cindy Furman.

Wayne Cty. Adult Probation & Parole Dept. – Community Service Program. – FILED

Wayne Cty. Dept. of Planning – Floodplain Adm. Best Practices: 1-day Course – circulated to Council members.

Letter from Jordan Downton, requesting permission for the use of the Starrucca ball field every Sunday, from April 13 through August 31, 2014, for the Sunday Softball League.

Barbara Glover made a motion to allow Jordan Downton to use the Starrucca ball field every Sunday, from April 13 through August 31, 2014, for the softball league. The motion was seconded by Paul Everett and passed. Pres. Jack Downton abstained

PSAB 2013 Annual Report – FILED

Letter of Resignation (effective May 31, 2014) from Marie Gurske - Paul Everett made a motion to accept the resignation, with regret. The motion was seconded by Barbara Glover and passed unanimously.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

President Downton called for Executive Session at 8:00 PM for discussion of legal issues on Haynes and maps.

The regular meeting resumed at 9:00 PM.

OLD BUSINESS

Shadigee Creek Wall Project – Louis Gurske reported the work is progressing on schedule.

NEW BUSINESS

Opening of bids for Annual Lawn Maintenance – 2014 – 2 bids submitted:

Dan Boughton, Susquehanna, PA - $2300.00

Gilleran’s Lawn Care, Starrucca, PA - $2050.00

Arthur Kopp made a motion to accept the bid from Gilleran’s Lawn Care. The motion was seconded by Paul Everett and passed unanimously.

Opening of bids for Spring/Summer Road Work – 2014 - 4 bids submitted.

Louis Gurske made a motion to accept Ciccone’s bid. Robert Weldy made a motion to send letters to Ciccone Construction, Como Construction, and Bill Pykus Excavating, asking whether their bid price includes fee for mobilization or if there will be an extra cost for mobilization. Also, ask Como Construction and Bill Pykus Excavating for their fee per ton of state-certified modified. The motion was seconded by Jason Heeman and passed unanimously. Louis Gurske rescinded his earlier motion.

The Borough Secretary was directed to advise Wayco, Inc. that their bid was rejected.

Council agreed to table acceptance of one of the remaining bids for Spring/Summer Road Work – 2014 until the next Borough Council meeting, on May 5, 2014.
Barbara Glover made a motion to fix or replace the light on the flag at the Community Hall. The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - None

MEETING ADJOURNED

Louis Gurske made a motion to adjourn at 9:13 PM. The motion was seconded by Arthur Kopp and passed unanimously.