The Susquehanna County Council of Governments (COG) was created more than a decade ago as a consortium of townships and boroughs that would share services like sewage enforcement and planning, enforcement of municipal codes, and implementation of building codes.  Each municipality chips in $25 per year for membership, which relieves them of the task of rounding up and managing building inspectors, scheduling scarce sewage enforcement officers (SEOs), and chasing down property owners with too many wrecked cars in the yard.  Harford Township joined COG some years ago and is now on track to pull out.

The JHA Company, the latest, expanded, incarnation of the local surveying firm once known by the name of its founder, John Hunt, is aggressively soliciting business around the county, and down into Wyoming County, offering the same services that COG provides, but without the annual fee, and promising better service.  Glenn Eby and John Watts, representing JHA, were invited to attend the June Harford Supervisors’ meeting on June 10th to receive the Supervisors’ decision on the company’s proposal to take over COG’s functions in the township.  They were not disappointed.

JHA pledges the same fees – or less – for services now provided by COG, with no annual fee from the Township.  The agreement with the Township must be renewed with a revised fee schedule every year; the Township can pull out of the partnership on ten days’ notice.

Harford’s COG membership was established by ordinance; leaving COG will require a similar ordinance.  So the process will take month or two, while JHA and the Township begin to understand one another.  Projects currently under way through COG will continue with COG to completion.

Before giving his final approval, Supervisor Conrad Owens asked first if JHA could do “everything COG can do, with the same legalities.”  Assured on that point, he asked, “will you react quicker than COG” to requests for service.  The JHA reps said that their staff of 2 SEO’s and 3 building inspectors work a full 40-hour week.  They said that one staffer is currently pursuing certification for commercial building inspections, but that, like COG, for any services not available from JHA staff, third parties can be contracted for the work.

Having accepted the JHA offer, the township will have to prepare and advertise an ordinance to take it out of COG.  The relationship with JHA should be in place by summer’s end.

The Supervisors proceeded to open bids for supplementary road materials from Hilltop Quarry of Dalton (part of the H&K Group), Popple Construction, and Eastern Industries.  The latter was the low bidder on both 500 tons of 2B stone at $13.20 per ton delivered to the township, as well as up to 20,000 tons of DSA at $13.30 per ton delivered to the paver.  DSA – Driving Surface Aggregate – is a new surfacing material developed by Penn State that, when properly applied, can provide a surface nearly as good as asphalt, according to some reports, including the opinion of Mr. Owens.  The township does not have the equipment or expertise to pave with DSA itself; such work would be contracted for specific sites.

The Supervisors decided to take on a new part-time employee, Wayne Frederici, who retired recently as a full-time employee of the Township.  He will be called in on a temporary basis “in emergencies” as needed.  Supervisor Sue Furney abstained from the vote on the motion due to her close relationship with Mr. Frederici.

As has become his custom since leaving office as a Supervisor with the last election, Garry Foltz concluded the meeting with a list of questions.  Mr. Foltz claims to speak for a “number of taxpayers” in his inquiries.  He continues to request that his questions and comments be reflected in the minutes and noted that Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act requires that the minutes include “The names of all citizens who appeared officially and the subject of their testimony.”  There has been debate in some quarters over the meaning of the qualifier “officially.”

A debate arose among observers over the annual Township “cleanup,” generally scheduled for the first week in June and recently concluded.  Mr. Foltz asked about the number of loads and the financial results.  Ms. Furney said that there were about 60 loads, but that a final tally had not yet been determined.

Mr. Foltz claimed that last year’s cleanup cost the township (and its taxpayers) between $2,500 and $3,000 more than it took in in fees, including estimated costs in labor and equipment time.  One person declared the cleanup program a “good benefit” and “part of civilized life … for the benefit of the community.”  Another said that the fees should cover the cost and that the cleanup “should be a break-even” event.  Mr. Foltz said that he always considered it “a necessary evil,” and claimed that the Supervisors – namely, Ms. Furney – has consistently found the program to be less costly that it really is.

Mr. Owens pointed out that employees used for the program this year were largely temporary hires; that the road crew was still on job that week; and that the staff are all paid anyway, regardless of what they are working on.  Ms. Furney and Supervisor and Assistant Roadmaster Doug Phelps said that the dumpsters this year were provided by the Diaz Companies at no charge beyond the tipping fee at the landfill.

Mr. Foltz asked about the “impact fee” money received for the past year.  The money results from a fee of $50,000 per well imposed on natural gas drillers; the statewide total is apportioned to various entities across the state, including municipalities where natural gas operations are in progress.  Ms. Furney said that Harford Township expects to receive $382,735.71 sometime in July.

Mr. Foltz then asked that with such substantial revenue from the impact fees, would the Supervisors consider actually paving some roads?  He recalled that 1800 feet of School Street in Harford village were repaved 2 years ago for about $47,000, conceding that some Township roads would require substantially more work than that one.  He claimed that, “based on prior actions,” the township has “money to burn.”  Mr. Phelps objected to the tone of that characterization, but said that the Supervisors would consider the possibility.

Mr. Foltz had a few other questions and comments, mostly with regard to how the roads are being worked in various specific locations.  One observer complained that roadwork began much too late this year.  Noting the dilatory arrival of Spring in the region this year, the Supervisors said that the crew is now finishing up in Section 1 (to the east of the Interstate), and that in some of those locations mentioned by Mr. Foltz (for example, on Tyler Lake Road) the work that has been done so far is only temporary, to improve conditions until they can get back to do a complete job.

The next scheduled meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors will take place on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, beginning at 7:00pm at the Township office on Route 547.

Oakland Borough’s hydroelectric plant, defunct since the last year of the last century, may be resurrected sometime in the future (near or far no one can say) to once again generate green energy. Residents are advised that Herculean obstacles have to be overcome before the miraculous event actually occurs.

River Bounty, essentially declared dead in March 2014, is on track to end its existence as a legal entity, even as the possibility exists that there is a buyer of Oakland’s defunct dam and the real estate to which River Bounty holds title on the Susquehanna Depot side of the river. By a vote of 7-0 Oakland Borough Council unanimously approved a motion to advertise the sale of the dam at council’s Thursday, June 12 meeting.

Present for the meeting were President Brian Rhone, and Councilmen Jack Agler, Doug Arthur, Gary Boughton, Eric Page, Nelson Towner, and Dave Trevarthan. Also present were Mayor Ron Beavan and Secretary/Treasurer Flo Brush.

The 7 to 8:37 p.m. meeting covered a breath-taking array of governmental business, but the topics consuming most of council’s time and attention primarily consisted of seismic testing and mapping; the increasing (and annoying) trend of vehicles illegally operating on borough streets; and the aforementioned sale of the borough’s dam.

Returning to that dam situation, there is still much to be negotiated, but this much is known: Scott Goodwin of Grand River Power Company, Inc. has already purchased the equipment owned by River Bounty. He is now interested in purchasing all the real estate (both that under River Bounty’s title, as well as Oakland’s) and the damaged dam. In a letter dated May 15, 2014, Mr. Goodwin offered to “buy” what he described in some detail as an essentially “distressed property.” His offer, while quite complicated, was to relieve the present owner (Oakland Borough) of the dam of its liability so that he can repair the dam and make it into a money-making enterprise. Based on that assumption that the dam can in fact be made profitable, Oakland Borough would, at a date uncertain, receive a sum of $100,000 based on the enterprise’s profitability. Whether or not local ratepayers’ electric costs would decrease as a result of resumption of hydro-electric generation at the dam is unknowable at this time.

With Attorney Myron DeWitt present to explain many of the moving parts in this possible deal, councilmen had a lot of questions and realization quickly dawned that there are many more questions to be answered, as well as further negotiations to be had. But to exploit any advantage in moving the sale forward council passed the aforementioned motion to advertise sale to comply with legal requirements that all interested buyers be treated equitably. (No one present was aware of any other entity’s interest in purchasing the dam.)

A further complication in the sale of the dam is the necessity of obtaining an appraisal. It appears that appraisers of dams are in short supply in these parts so Attorney DeWitt will likely have to conduct a search for persons qualified to conduct such an appraisal. Once that appraisal is conducted, the actual sale can proceed.

River Bounty, still on life-support, but with death impending, is scheduled to conduct its next meeting at Attorney DeWitt’s Office at 7 p.m. on July 15. Council President Rhone said he would be present at that meeting. And to ensure the borough’s interests are further and formally represented, council voted 7-0 to appoint Dave Trevarthan as a borough representative on the board of River Bounty. Councilman Trevarthan replaces an individual no longer resident in the borough.

For anyone still head-scratching on the advantages of the proposed sale of the dam, it has at least two not yet mentioned. First, it relieves the borough of liability for the property—a property which is essentially an uninsurable risk to the borough. Secondly, the direct transfer of River Bounty’s property on the Susquehanna Depot side of the river to the purchaser (Mr. Goodwin) negates the necessity of paying for a secondary transfer.

Whether or not the zombie dam is reanimated, councilmen were certainly animated by the possible opportunity to unload “a dead horse” in exchange for hope of a better future. A lot of negotiation remains and council, Attorney DeWitt, and River Bounty have their hands full to bring this sale to fruition. Look forward to more coverage in the months ahead.

The second major topic of the evening showcased Jeremy White of Southwestern Energy. With Lanesboro’s nod to conduct mapping operations already in his pocket, Mr. White made a presentation similar to the one he made two nights earlier in the same room for Lanesboro Borough Council. As Mr. White explained to Oakland Borough Council, Southwestern already has the state’s approval to conduct vibration operations on state roads within the borough, but Southwestern takes the additional step of obtaining each local municipality’s approval for those same roads, and makes requests for some additional streets, as necessary from time to time. In Oakland’s case Westfall Avenue is of particular interest.

As Mr. White explained, their first objective is to map all structures and sources of water, to include wells, municipal water supplies, springs, and sewer systems. This mapping is a necessary prerequisite to any vibrating operation, the purpose of which is to perform seismic mapping. Councilmen and Mayor listened closely, asked questions, and explained to Mr. White that Oakland Borough also had a Water Authority. As such Council passed a resolution “approving testing and mapping, subject to [Oakland] Water Authority approval.”

The third matter which garnered a disproportionate level of time and attention arose when an Oakland resident in attendance at the meeting voiced his concern about the rise of illegal vehicles on the streets of Oakland. The concern is that these unlicensed vehicles, including four-wheelers and assorted other mechanized types, are “flying” down the streets at above-posted speeds. The miscreants involved appear to be generally, but not always, underage. Because the Rules of the Road have gone relatively un-enforced in times past, the miscreants have become emboldened. Sensing absence of a ready police presence to consistently and constantly enforce the law, delinquents are thumbing their noses at civil society even as law-abiding citizens evoke an attitude of powerlessness and timidity. Council acknowledged recognition of reality and Mayor Beavan is taking the situation in hand. Residents with an awareness of the situation should keep Mayor Beavan advised so he can further coordinate enforcement actions.

Speaking of enforcement actions, Mayor Beavan provided Council with the Borough’s Police Report for the month of May. The report listed some 18 incidents, including an “ATV/snowmobile” incident involving “someone in a light hooded jacket racing around on a four wheeler on Riverside Drive and SR 92.” Of the remaining 17 incidents, seven were traffic stops; there were two cases of larceny/theft; two motor vehicle accidents; and one each of the following: disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, assault, erratic driver call, miscellaneous, and an animal call. That last animal call was in response to “two dogs stuck in the creek in the construction area of Dollar General in Susquehanna.” Presumably the dogs were rescued from Drinker Creek, though the report doesn’t specify.

Lastly, no report of Oakland Borough would be complete without the Parks Report. Councilman Boughton reported that a severely deteriorated retaining wall is of primary concern and must be replaced as soon as possible. Otherwise, things are running very, very well at the park. Councilman Towner was commended for the fine job he did on rebuilding the stairs to the concession stand. The concession stand itself is bringing rave reviews from park attendees, including folks from out of town visiting with the “away” team. Vandalism has not reared its head in the park in recent weeks, and all trends point to positives in the park’s appearance and utility.

Council adjourned at 8:37 p.m. after a night of heavy lifting. There was some talk that July’s monthly meeting, currently scheduled for the second Thursday of the month, may require rescheduling. However, no decision was made on that at this meeting. Stay tuned.

Terry Gow, formerly of Susquehanna plead guilty Thursday, May 29 to Third Degree Grand Larceny in Broome County Court after admitting she stole (approximately) $58,000 from the Glen Aubrey (New York) Fire Company.

Gow was a treasurer for the company from 2008 through 2013 and claimed financial problems prompted her to begin using the money a little bit at a time until she was able to pay it back, but it got out of hand.

Broome County Court Judge Martin E. Smith accepted her plea and sent sentencing for September 18. He also suggested she begin paying (approximately) $1,000 a month in restitution immediately.

The sentence could carry a prison of 2½ to 7 years in state prison, but Judge Smith intimated, with Gow’s guilty plea and restitution, she will likely get probation.

Terry was a member of The County Transcript for about one year, responsible for delivery of our paper to newsstand outlets and collection of cash paying accounts. We trusted her emphatically and she was never a penny off. She, as well as her husband supported the Local Fire Companies for years, as volunteers and fund raisers, before moving to New York State in 2007.

The news seems to be inundated with reports such as these of late; well intentioned people too tested by tough times.

If you belong to a group, any group, engaged in the collection of monies for fundraising it might make sense to put in place proper checks and balances to oversee any dispensation of those monies collected.

We have all been inticed, after accommodating incentive, for emotional or financial gain. How does the saying go, “There but for the grace of God go you and I.”

Great Bend Township held their monthly meeting on Monday, June 9th, 2014, having been rescheduled. Council Members Sheila Guindan and David Hinkley were in attendance, however Brian O’Connor was absent. There were, however, five members of the public in attendance. For the most part, the Agenda was short, but new information was given regarding the Susquehanna County Athletic Conference Facility as well as the Walking Trail.

First on the Agenda was Jeff from the Township’s insurance company, who was there to explain, in-depth, the coverage that the insurance covers. He noted that it is a specialized plan for the Township.

Supervisor Hinkley then went on to the Road Report. The Supervisors stated that advertisement for their PennDOT representative wrote up oil and chip work and they are now working on certain dirt roads, including Sienko.

Regarding permits, there was little to discuss. A subdivision plan for Thomas and Laverne Clough was approved, however.

The Susquehanna County Athletic & Conference Facility is still being discussed, per a conversation with Alicia Tompkins. It was noted that they are still seeking donations for the non-profit sporting facility. Having said this, Great Bend Township made a motion to make a donation to the facility.

As far the Walking Trail is concerned, the survey is finished with the engineering firm and soon, permits can be applied for.

As has been the same for a number of months now, there are still two open seats on the Sewer Authority and an opening for Emergency Management Coordinator.

Further, the next Great Bend Township meeting will be held on July 7, 2014 at the Great Bend Township Municipal Building.

Susquehanna Borough held their monthly meeting on Wednesday, the 11th of June 2014. All members of the Council were present and about ten members of the public were present as well. As the meeting opened and last month’s minutes were approved, the Council briefly moved to public comment, briefly discussed business, before recessing into a lengthy, but important Executive Session where big decisions were to be made.

During Public Comment, it was brought to the attention of the Council by a member of the public, clarification of the Sunshine Act, which requires a specific reason be given for holding an Executive Session. This being said after numerous executive sessions have been held in previous months with very little explanation to the public as to why. The Council’s Solicitor, Michael Briechle, Esquire, was in attendance, to which he responded that they would “comply” with this.

Following the brief Public Comment portion of the meeting, the Council went to business. First, by approving a motion to use Community Block Grant money through Susquehanna Community Development for use regarding blight and the removal of two properties.

Next, a motion to accept bids for West Main Street and 4th Avenue for sidewalk restoration. Stating that the Borough does in fact have the funds to complete this project, a motion was made to accept the $2,100 bid for West Main Street and the $9,000 bid for 4th Avenue. The reason for the price jump between the two is that in portions of 4th Avenue, there is no sidewalk at all, and thus more work will have to be done for the placement of that sidewalk.

Jeremy from Southwestern Energy was in attendance as well to discuss matters concerning the seismic survey and vibrosis. He stated that most of the town was “not a good candidate for vibrosis” given the old structures and narrow streets, but that other towns nearby will be seeing use of the vibrosis trucks. He did state that they still wanted to map the area for sensitivity. Though members of the Council did not seem opposed, Solicitor Michael Briechle advised the Council to not sign the agreement, as he had sent Southwestern Energy an opinion letter and several important items were missing from the contract. Having said that, the agreement was tabled until corrected information is presented.

Next, in one of the surprising moves at the monthly meeting, Council member Jamie Koziol resigned from his brief position within the Council, effective immediately after the night’s monthly meeting. Solicitor Briechle stated that the Council now has a number of days to appoint a new member of Council and if not after a certain period of time, the Courts will appoint a new council member.

Following Mr. Kozoil’s resignation, which was accepted with regret, Mayor Nancy Hurley moved to Committee reports, beginning with the monthly Police Report.

Mayor Hurley stated that there had been forty-four incidents within the Community in the past month, including one overdose, two burglaries, four larceny, one assault, two criminal mischief, two trespassing, four traffic stops, two disorderly conducts, one domestic dispute, one narcotics issue, one warrant served, one eradic driving, one forgery, two frauds, nine harassment, two accidents, and one PFA, where among some of the incidents.

Mayor Hurley also wished to speak about the Community Awareness Committee, which was just recently formed in the past few months. She noted that the Committee is working on such events as a possible farmer’s market and music in the park. She also stated that she was “excited to bring fun to the community.”

Next, Council Member John Hendrickson gave an update on Emergency Management. He stated that there were dogs in the creek who needed to be rescued. Susquehanna Fire and Rescue, along with the Susquehanna Police Department worked “hand in hand” to have the dogs returned to safety. After some trouble locating the owners of the pets, they were eventually reunited with their owners. Council Member John Hendrickson wanted to thank John and Judy Crowley, who provided crates, food, and blankets to the pets upon their rescue. Having said this, Council Member Hendrickson stated that the Council should look into “rescue disks,” which would provide for floatation and buy time until the proper authorities can help.

Council Member Roy Williams was next on the agenda, with the monthly DPW Report. He listed a number of streets in which a bid package would be prepared for paving. Some of these streets included portions of Jackson, Church, Broad, 3rd Avenue, and Front Street.

Mr. Williams also wanted to make note that he had met with the Pennsylvania Water Company regarding property damage that was caused by the Contractors upon placement of the Water Tower. After several missed meetings, the Pennsylvania Water Company finally arrived late on Sunday to meet with Council Member Roy Williams, to restore various sections of grass and road that were damaged along the way. He stated that they worked on Sunday until they ran out of materials, but there is still work to be done and thus far, Mr. Williams and the Council are dissatisfied with the job done.

New Code Enforcer, Hope Lyon, gave her recent findings in a report given at the meeting. She noted that six notices went out and two of those promptly complied. She stated that the majority of these notices were for trash in yards, and a couple regarding lawns that needed mowing. She also stated the need for new forms regarding the permit process and zoning variances, which are two separate processes but are currently located on the same form. Solicitor Briechle said he sent information to NEIC to re-draft the forms into a workable tool.

A follow up on properties currently affected by codes, the Borough is looking into demolishing properties on West Main Street and Erie Ave, these are pending, however.

This concluded the meeting, as President Roberta Reddon, announced they would be recessing into “Executive Session” for “personnel issues.” Before recessing, however Solicitor Briechle wanted to note, in abiding by the Sunshine Act, the more specific matters to be discussed. These matters being the Starrucca House and a Federal Lawsuit being brought about the Borough. Also, before recessing, and in a very odd move by President Roberta Reddon, she asked her family members in attendance and also the Press to stick around and return after the Executive Session.

An extremely lengthy Executive Session ensued, lasting well over an hour. Secretary and Treasurer Margaret Beigert left shortly after the meeting began and President Roberta Reddon left shortly before the Executive Session ended, which is fairly unusual. After nine o’clock at night, the meeting room door opened and both the public and press, or what was left of them after the long wait, returned to the meeting area. Members of the Council all appeared slightly uncomfortable and emotional and it was clear that there was an announcement to be made. Council Member Joe Varsik then announced that upon a lengthy discussion, the Borough of Susquehanna would be “reorganizing” and “abolishing” the current Officers for President and Vice-President. With everyone except Margaret Biegert and Roberta Reddon, the Council moved to nominate Joe Varsik as the new President of the Susquehanna Borough Council, with all members in agreement. Next, Debbie Zayas was nominated and approved as the new Vice-President of the Susquehanna Borough Council. Having said this, notably Ms. Roberta Reddon was removed from her position of President within the Borough. New President Joe Varsik noted that it was a “difficult decision” and that Ms. Reddon would still be serving as a Council Member. He also stated that she had done “tremendous work in the community” as President and member of the Council. No particular reason was given or visible for this sudden, dramatic change within the Council, but it was noted that this reorganization was in the “best interest of both the Council and the Borough of Susquehanna.”

The outlook for summer is busy, continued busy, and busy until the snow flies. Lanesboro Borough council held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 10th, from 7:09 to 8:37 p.m. Presiding over the meeting was Council Vice-President Dan Boughton. Others present at the meeting were council members Regina Dilello, David Glidden, Tom Nitterour, Dale Rockwell, along with Mayor Chris Maby and Secretary/Treasurer Gail Hanrahan. Council President Todd Glover and Councilman Jason Fissel were absentees.

The first clue to the busy summer ahead came during the meeting’s public input portion. Jeremy White, representative for Southwestern Energy, came before council with a pair of wall-size maps and made a twenty-minute presentation which expounded the aims of his outfit, the proposed methodology, and a loose timeline of how the sequence of events might proceed under the best of circumstances.

Mr. White’s primary goal for this meeting was to obtain the borough’s written permission for conduct mapping throughout the borough. What mapping? Mapping of all structures and water sources is to include wells, water lines, sewers, septic systems, and springs. The purpose? Southwestern needs to know the exact GPS location of all of the above BEFORE seeking, if feasible, written permission from the borough, so that conducting of seismic mapping of the shale contours can be carried out by means of VIBRATION.

Mr. White was careful to explain that this was a step-by-step process. If after the mapping is completed Southwestern determines vibrating is necessary, Mr. White will again seek council’s written permission to conduct vibrating operations in the borough. He stressed that the company is bonded for vibrating and full restitution would be forthcoming upon verified claims of injured parties. But at this point mapping must first be completed as the first step.

The purpose of the mapping and vibrating Mr. White explained was to “do drilling right.” Southwestern needs a GPS blueprint of the shale contours five formations below the Marcellus Shale formation, to a level of 15,000 feet--nearly three miles deep. Previous vibration studies in years past have never gone beyond 7,000 feet. Mr. White explained that Southwestern is moving from west to east in Susquehanna County in its mapping and vibrating operations, and that he will be maintaining close contact with the borough as work proceeds. Lanesboro residents desirous of more information are encouraged to contact borough government, Mayor Maby being the borough’s designated point of liaison with Southwestern for this initiative.

Next up, Chief Jim Smith presented the Police Report. May was a busy month for LPD. Lanesboro’s Finest spent 172 hours on school patrol; billed 20 hours to Thompson Borough; and used four hours for court cases related to law enforcement. Speeding in the borough is an ongoing problem, and Chief Smith noted that he’s not seeing the same people as he pulls over violators. This indicates a high volume of drivers not resident to the borough who are transiting the municipality on major thoroughfares. For May there were 51 traffic stops, of which 36 resulted in citations and 15 resulted in warnings. There were 42 speeding violations, two inspection violations, one registration violation, four equipment violations, and two suspended drivers license violation.

Among the more serious crimes resulting in arrest was one each of the following types: Assault/Harassment; Drug Possession; Drug Paraphernalia Possession; Domestic/Harassment; and Disorderly Conduct. Additionally, there were two assists to Susquehanna Depot PD, an assist to the Sheriff’s Department for P.F.A. services, two cases of criminal mischief, and a noise complaint (a barking dog - case now closed).

Most notable about Lanesboro PD’s service in Thompson Borough, besides the 24 traffic stops, was the serving of 12 water/sewer shut-off notices. A sign of the times perhaps?

Also a possible sign of the times, 11 households in Lanesboro still have not contacted Freddy’s Refuse to make arrangements for garbage pick-up. Still, this IS progress. Some 22 households were reported as not having had made such arrangements at the time of last month’s meeting on May 13. The 50% reduction is truly commendable progress. Perhaps the remaining 11 have not yet realized that by signing up for per-bag pick-up through the use of stickers, they would be in technical compliance with the borough’s ordinance even while being able to delay any actual expenditure until they had garbage for which they needed to legally make disposal. Delinquents are likewise reminded that Chief Smith is empowered to enforce violations of the borough’s ordinance. A simple phone call to Freddy’s could bring the 11 delinquents into compliance with the borough’s ordinance.

As concerns the COG (Council of Governments) Report, Mayor Maby had one item that took up some not inconsiderable discussion time. It seems that there had been a recent accident at a barn in Lanesboro. Without going into discussion of the details of the accident itself, it became evident to Mayor Maby as he asked questions of COG, that somehow a detail had fallen between the cracks. It appears that COG does not have on file at its office an “Assessment Fee Schedule” for Lanesboro. Mayor Maby explained to council what he believed may be possible legal implications due to that oversight. After some discussion council agreed with Mayor Maby, per his offer, to invite a COG representative to Lanesboro’s July monthly meeting.

Parks & Recreation Report brought news that no bid had been received by the borough for mowing of all the borough’s properties this summer. Vice-President Boughton volunteered that he would be willing to take up the duty for compensation. Council discussed the matter at some length and finally settled the matter by passing a motion to have Mr. Boughton “cut grass once a week, with payment of $460 per month, during grass-growing season.” Mr. Boughton agreed to do all weed-whacking where necessary; to provide a copy of his commercial insurance to the boro; and to use and maintain his own equipment at his own expense in the performance of the job on all the borough‘s properties. On the roll call vote for this motion, Mr. Boughton abstained and everyone else voted “aye.”

Regarding park usage Secretary Hanrahan raised the issue of accountability. Mayor Maby proposed that groups using park facilities for parties put up a deposit for use. The end result of the matter was unanimous approval of a motion to require deposit of $100 for usage by organized parties, with return of the deposit upon satisfactory inspection of park clean-up immediately after the event. Council is to be kept apprised of parties at the parks so that conditions can be properly documented both before and after each event.

The Susquehanna County Commissioners met for their first monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 11th, 2014. Commissioners Warren, Hall, Giangreico, and Treasurer Benedict were all in attendance, with a full room of public in attendance.

After the usual business of approving the minutes, the Commissioners wished to recognize years of service for several employees. These individuals recognized are Cheryl Wellman, from 911, has served for twenty-five years and Jennifer Hibbard, from Waste Management, has served for ten.

Following this Recognition, Commissioner Warren made a motion to Ratify and/or Approve several Cash Disbursement entries, the Gross Wages Report, and EFTPS payments for State Withholding Taxes, Federal Payroll taxes, Employee Retirement and Wage Attachments.

The next order of business was to approve seminar requests and/or payment for seminars, a motion that was made by Commissioner Giangrieco. These included a Criminial Law Symposium for Public Defender Linda LaBarbera, that was held in Harrisburg, at a cost of $299.00 to the County, Warden Nicholas Conigliario to attend a Regional Jail Workshop Classification and Inmate Management that is to cost the County $254.63, Jolene Kelly, Kim Harshaw, Nichole Welmon, Diana Roszel and Marysa Edwards-Ball atteneded “Concurrent Planning” in Pittston, at a cost to the County of only $16.00, and finally Allen Smith and Philip Crisp will attend Advanced Fundamentals of Handgun Marksmanship, at a cost of $16.00 to the County.

Next, a motion was made by Commissioner Warren to approve the Lackawanna-Susquehanna Drug and Alcohol Program for the fiscal year of 2014-2015 Contracts, which stirred up much controversy in the meeting room. The list of Contracts, which contains twenty-seven different entities for Drug and Alcohol Treatment did not go unnoticed by the public, who quickly asked questions about the need and cost of such a program. One member of the public asked why the County taxpayers should pay for others’ indiscretion when it comes to drug and alcohol; another person asked for the success rate of these programs, but that information was not readily available. Jeremy Yale, who was in attendance to represent the Lackawanna-Susquehanna Drug and Alcohol Program, stated that from research they have obtained addiction occurs from a portion of the brain misfiring and that also these programs cover a wide variety of treatment, such as inpatient, outpatient, case management, early intervention, as well as prevention. Another question was asked regarding people with lower incomes and people who could otherwise afford such treatment on their own. Commissioner Hall stated that often times the fines and restitution will pay for a majority of costs related to Drug and Alcohol Treatment. When asked what this was to cost the County, it was noted that it is a 1.1 million dollar program, however after State and Federal funding and /or grants, the cost to the County is less than $25,000.

After a lengthy discussion on the Drug and Alcohol Program, the Commissioners moved on to the next items on the agenda. The first being to transfer Misty Chapman to Human Resources Administrative Assistant. This position requires a minimum of forty hours per week and does include benefits.

A Motion was made by Commissioner Warren to acknowledge Rachel Carrico to be Administrative Assistant/Energy Management Grant Coordinator/Purchasing Manager. This position also requires a minimum forty hours per week and includes benefits as well.

A Motion was made by Commissioner Giangrieco to acknowledge the classification change in 911 for Marissa Francak to TC to QA01, with her hourly rate increasing with this change.

Commissioner Warren then made a motion to accept, with regret, the resignation of Mr. Carl Tanner from the Library Board.

Commissioner Giangreico made a motion to amend the agreement between Susquehanna County and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) on behalf of the Susquehanna County Housing Authority. This increases the contract by $250,000.00, making a grand total of $657,000.00 to assist with home repairs for the elederly.

After a brief recess to the Salary Board, the Commissioners quickly returned to the final item on the agenda, being Public Comment. It was asked by a member of the public what the budget was for Act 13, in which Commissioner Hall stated it was 4.9 million dollars, with 1.2 million still in tact, which will stay there to be budgeted for next year when the time comes.

Mr. Craig Stevens then took the floor as a 6th generation land owner in Silver Lake Township, to discuss in length issues correlating with the drilling process. He asked why hasn’t any of the money that has been incoming to the area from drilling and natural gas been used to help residents who were unwillingly affected by it, who suffer dirty water and even health ailments. He noted that neither the gas companines, the County or State Government has paid a dime to those affected, who still need water brought in on a daily basis just to shower and flush their toilets. He stated that those people are paying daily for clean water, while it was no choice of their own. He stated that these taxpayers should be helped instead of the County painting buildings and buying new systems and software. With this, the Commissioners closed the meeting with little response to the statements made by Mr. Stevens.

The next meeting is scheduled for the 4th Wednesday of the month, the 25th of June 2014, at 9:00 a.m. in the meeting room in the Susquehanna County Courthouse.

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 9:00 a.m. on June 13, 2014: Duane M. Aldrich, Shawn J. Bedford, Anthony M. Choplosky, Tina M. Clark, David J. Fischer, James Gerard, Francis M. Hagemeyer, Jr, Jeremy W. Hall, Bradley M. Huzzard, Dustin L. Johnson, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Casey M. Lehman, Derrick Lezinsky, Robert J. McCrone, Ronald N. Mitchell, Jordan L. Payne, Matthew J. Peters, Veronica D. Phelps, Eric A. Pike, Sherri M. Rosa, Bruce A. Schurr, Todd J. Slater, Anthony L. Smith, Frederick Swingle, III, Tessa E. Thomas, Justin S. Thompson, Donna N. Tunstall, Robert J. Twilley, Steven G. Warner, Kevin H. Welch. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals. 

In last week’s County Transcript Thompson Township Meeting Report on the planned increase of Natural Gas Pipeline in that area we inadvertently stated that Bluestone Pipeline had the power of “Eminent Domain” over landowners to install those pipelines. In fact, Bluestone Pipeline is negotiating with landowners involved in the areas impacted by the necessary increase of pipeline.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Suspicious Vehicle: On 05/06/14 at 8:00 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle that was located on Arrowhead Lake Road. The caller stated that the vehicle was in a location that it should not have been. Silver Lake Township Police checked the area and the vehicle was gone. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report. This case is still under investigation.

Alarm/Security: On 05/06/14 at 1:00 p.m. Silver Lake Township were called to a residence located on Longford Lake for an alarm. Prior to police arrival the alarm was reported as a false alarm. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Alarm/Security: On 05/07/14 at 11:00 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to a residence located on West Wilkes Barre Turnpike for an alarm. Upon arrival of police, it was found to be a false alarm. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Miscellaneous Investigation: On 05/09/14 at 10:10 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police were dispatched for a possible plane crash in the township near Hawleyton Road. Broome County dispatched law enforcement to the area to check along with Town of Binghamton Fire. The area was checked by all agencies including Broome County Airport and nothing was found. Officer Levi Tiffany and Chief Timothy Burgh responded for Silver Lake Township Police.

Alarm/Security: On 05/13/14 at 1:15 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police Department was dispatched to an alarm located on South Lake Road. Upon arrival by police it was found to be a false alarm.. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Attempt to Locate: On 05/13/14 at 12:20 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police were requested to try and locate a vehicle that had travelled into the township while Montrose Police were attempting to stop the vehicle. The area was checked and the vehicle was not found. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

ATV Complaint: On 05/19/14 at 1:20 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police took a report of ATV’S running on the Salt Springs Road late at night. The caller stated that the ATV’S are running late at night and at high rate of speeds. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report.

Domestic Dispute/Weapons: On 05/20/14 at 11:40 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to a report of an active domestic with weapons at a residence located on State Route 167. Upon police arrival the incident was resolved. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer. This case is still under investigation.

P.F.A. Service: On 05/20/14 at 5:05 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police along with Susquehanna County Sheriff’s Deputies served a P.F.A. at a residence located on State Route 167. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

911 Hang up: On 05/20/14 at 10:25 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police were dispatched to a residence located on Lake Shore Drive for a 911 hang up. The residence was unoccupied and all appeared normal at the time. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Theft: On 05/23/14 at 1:40 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police took a report of some hay bales that were stolen from a barn. The barn is located on State Route 167. The victim stated that several hundred hay bales were stolen from the barn. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report. This case is still under investigation.

Traffic Stop/Drugs Seized: On 05/30/14 at 6:00 p.m. a vehicle was stopped on the Quaker Lake Road for speeding. After an initial investigation and first contact with the driver the vehicle was found to have marijuana located in it. The vehicle was parked and the incident was handled by police and citations. Officer Levi Tiffany and Chief Timothy Burgh were the investigating officers. This case is still active.

Animal Complaint: On 05/30/14 at 7:55 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police were dispatched for horses running in the roadway on John C. McNamara Drive. Upon arrival of police the owner of the horses was taking care of the incident.

Silver Lake Township Police responded to some medical calls in the township for the month of May.

Any information or questions for Silver Lake Township Police, please call 570-278-6818 or email us at silverlaketwppd@epix.net, all information will be held strictly confidential. You can look at the Silver Lake Township Website at www.silverlaketwp.org, to see all Silver Lake Townships' news, profiles, and resources, including the police reports.