The Elk Lake meeting was the first of two meetings held on December 3, 2014. Reorganization began the meeting. Mr. Eric Emmerich was appointed to be the interim president. When nominations were opened for president, Mrs. Teel was the only nominee. The motion passed. She then opened nominations for vice president. Mr. Arden Tewksbury was nominated and appointed.

The regular meeting then began.

Dr. Cuomo introduced Mr. MacNamara from the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, Susquehanna Chapter, who then introduced Ms. Holdridge. A grant, the two explained, was created by the PASR to make possible or add to a program or activity that might not have been possible due to budget constraints. This year they were able to present two grants due to a generous gift. The first grant was intended to add supplies to a science lab so elementary students could experience hands-on science in a safe environment. The two presented this to Laurie Woolcock. Dr. Cuomo spoke of Mrs. Woolcock, and how she wanted to make kids love science. The second was presented to Will Squiers of the SCCTC, to obtain soft skills materials to prepare students to enter the workforce.

Dr. Davis introduced the next two people to speak. The Pennsylvania School Board, she explained, always had a student delegate program, and the district always selected two students to go down and represent the vo-tech center. Mr. McGrath spoke first, explaining that students from all over the state attended the event and they split them into groups on hot topics. The students worked in a room filled with groups and selected representatives to come before the main group. Each of the groups came up with a board resolution, which the representatives presented before a school board meeting. He said every year he had gone to it and every year it was more impressive, calling the students the cream of the crop. The students who were selected to present their idea to the board were subjected to public questioning, and if they did a good job the item would be put to a vote and there was a chance it would get adopted (though this did not usually happen). Tyler Brewer, one of the students selected that year, then spoke. He called the event a great experience, joking that three days out of school was nice but it was also a good experience otherwise. If he could, he stated, he would do it again. Mr. Emmerich asked him what his resolution was. He had been on the school safety group. They had talked about security doors and having somebody on the grounds, like a security officer there full time. Mr. Tewksbury asked if they had talked about metal detectors at all. He responded that they had, but price was a deterrent. He said he had gone to a school once where the detector had gone off quickly and easily, detecting even belts and steel toed boots. One of the board members asked him what municipality he was from, as Mr. McGrath had called him a future board member. When he responded that he was from Meshoppen Township, they laughed and joked that he was after Mr. Tewksbury’s seat. Mr. Emmerich joked that he’d have to wait another fifty years first. Mr. Place thanked him for stepping up to the plate, and said they were well represented at these events by the students. Dr. Davis also thanked him.

Mr. Weisgold gave his report. December 17th was the elementary concert and the Santa Auction was on the 18th at three o’clock. That was where clothing items and anything else went up for bid, the whole idea behind the event was to get money and put together items for kids. This included clothing and such to benefit student in need. It gave faculty and staff a way to give back to the community in a non-school classroom way. It was said that they had a lot of fun and raised a lot of money, and it was open to the community.

Dr. Cuomo asked Mrs. Woolcock to speak further about the event. She said that the educators and staff took the money to the Santa Fund, which they used to buy boots, hats, coats, and more for children who needed them. They kept an eye out for needy students in the classrooms, and then anonymously put the items in the nurse’s office. They also had appointed Santa shoppers, who bought the items. She said the auction could get crazy- one year a plate of cookies cost $75 because a few people got into a bidding war. The items included arts and crafts and cooking supplies. At other times of the year, there was a Priscilla’s Closet, which also had clothes for students facing needy circumstances. The auction was scheduled for the 8th at 3 o’clock.

The comprehensive plan had been put together for the state, Dr. Cuomo related. There was one key goal they planned to target; at that time it was elementary math and the implementation of everyday math.

Dr. Cuomo was asked for an update on where the district was with the gas hookup. He responded that at that time most of the activity on the school property was pretty complete. They had cut across the back parking lot and the back of the building to the elementary school. There was a connection to the restaurant and the garage, they had drilled a line along the track, and they were now going down the school property and the main road to the swamp, and on the main road toward the filling station. They were also working on the opposite end from the compressor station to the sub (or what he called the decompressing station). The company had the pipes laid out to the swamp and they were to start coming from there. They were working every day, and sometimes, even Saturday. The company was still talking about trying to meet a January 1st guideline.

The SCCTC meeting then opened and reorganization began. Mr. Emmerich was again nominated as the interim president. He then accepted nominations for president. As with the lst meeting, Mrs. Teel was nominated president and Mr. Tewksbury appointed vice president.

A letter had been received from the Hospice of Sacred Heart, thanking the students for the baked bread for their interfaith memorial service. A letter was received from Jim Carr thanking them for their generous event in honor of military veterans and active military personnel. He said he was proud of the excellent haircut he had received at their place.

During the director’s report, Dr. Davis revisited the bread topic. The school had made 150 loaves of bread for the hospice. She also revisited the Veteran’s Day event; she said it was a huge success. They had given out certificates for the cosmetology services.

The house project was moving right along, Dr. Davis related. They were working with the code inspectors.

The center planned to sponsor families like they had in the past. They were going to take 15 families, each program taking one family. This was their 8th year doing it.

The center had also done a food collection for the food bank, and raised over 1,000 items.

The Community Foundation just sent them a check for $30,000 for student supplies and testing.

The comprehensive plan for the SCCTC was mentioned. In the past it had been included with the Elk Lake plan, but the state wanted it separate at that time. It was a three year plan.

Chris Drake was recommended for a Clinical Nurse Director contract. It was a month to month contract, starting February first. It could be reevaluated based on the new class coming up, and might then be extended to a yearly contract.

Due to a conflict in meetings stemming from the mandated reorganization of school boards in early December, this reporter arrived late to the Montrose borough council meeting. At that time council had adjourned to executive session. The borough secretary and a council member related what had occurred in the meeting prior to that time.

The interim deputized tax collector resigned, effective December 31st. The borough was advertising for a new one.

There was an ordinance of amendment to the current police pension plan. The borough took out the language of article 4, which involved death benefits. The reasoning behind this was that this was now covered under law, and they did not need to duplicate it.

There was mention of Resolution 2014-0. The auditor general had suggested the borough adopt this as a procedure of compliance. However, the borough solicitor stated that the borough already followed the procedure. She had called the auditor general and asked if they really needed to adopt it if it was already policy, and received the answer that they did not.

Joe Hunt Associates (JHA) was renewed as the building code official and zoning officer.

A renewal agreement was approved with the United Fire Company. This agreement directed that the company tend to every fire and accident in the borough.

It was approved to pay the borough council and the mayor. Also approved, was to advertise for the meetings for 2015. They were still scheduled to be held the 1st Monday of every month at 7:00, and the 3rd Monday at 7:30 as needed. The only planned exception to this would be the Monday following Labor Day weekend.

It was decided to advertise the 2015 tax rate and budget. This involved advertising that the budget was complete, and that they were going to reduce the borough property tax mills by 2 (from 12 mills to 10 mills). Otherwise, there were no big budget changes. The total budget was $1,393,466.

There was a discussion about the elimination of burn barrels in the borough. This was in response to a letter from a resident regarding air quality issues.

At the Great Bend Borough meeting December 4th all but one council member was present. On the agenda was the monthly police report for November which included the discussion for a memorial bench for Tom Golka. Also the need to increase the tax rate for Real Estate and Fire Protection for 2015 was on the agenda.

The police report for November included a discussion about putting a memorial bench in Great Bend for former police officer Tom Golka. Tom passed away this past August. Tom and his family lived in Great Bend his entire life, where he served in the 1st Great Bend Police Department. Tom was also the Police Chief in Susquehanna and a volunteer fire fighter and EMT in Great Bend. The Council is seeking donations to cover the cost of this memorial, which they believe is greatly deserved. The Council asked that anyone wanting to make a donation please contact Sheila at the Great Bend Borough office at 570-879-2710.

Also on the Police report presented to the Council by Police Chief Record was the announcement of the arrests made in November. The three arrests included, Ray Swanson, Jr. for disorderly conduct following a Domestic Dispute, Amber Hack who was as Chief Record stated; “the last arrest from the 2013 burglary at the Hayes Street residence”. On the arrest report was Daniel Brown who led the police on a low speed chase from Great Bend into Hallstead. Brown was arrested for; fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, DUI, and making terroristic threats. Chief Record noted this was just a traffic stop that ended in a low speed chase in which the speed of the vehicles did not exceed 25 MPH. Brown’s bail was set at $75,000. Last on the police report was that the jury trial scheduled for Richard Sherman was cancelled due to the defendant taking a plea deal.

Next on the agenda was the need to pass the 2015 budget, which included a motion to pass ordinance #12-4-14 which would increase taxes for residents. Arguments were made on both sides of this issue when Major Riecke opposed the tax increase. Major Riecke stated; “so many people are living on low and fixed incomes. I am adamantly opposed to this additional tax increase”. Other members of the council explained there is a need for the increase due to the cost of services provided by the Borough increasing. Also mentioned was that the Borough would need to purchase a new truck in the coming year, since the 2004 truck they now have is costing them more and more money for repairs. One member stated; “the truck is starting to nickel and dime us with repairs and needs to be replaced soon”. This tax increase would cost the 258 home owners in the Borough an average of $14 or more, depending on their assessments. The Council voted and the increase was passed, as well as the budget for 2015.

Last on the Agenda was a letter the Borough received from PennDOT stating they would not be opposed to the Borough putting in a handicap parking spot on Rt 11 in front of the Kime Apartments. PennDOT explained that the Borough would have to pass an ordinance for the handicap spot, all state and PennDOT requirements must be followed, and all cost for this would fall on the Borough. After some discussion as to whether the space in front of the apartments would be big enough for a handicap spot, since there are specific lengths and widths for handicap parking the council tabled this issue pending further research.

At this time the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for January 1st at 7:00 pm.

During the brief Great Bend Township meeting on December 1st at 7:00 pm it was discussed that the township is awaiting notification whether or not they will receive the Growing Greener Grant they applied for. The Growing Greener Grant would be used to make improvements to the DuBois Creek, as well as helping with the walking trail. The grant has a 15% match stipulation in which Southwest Energy has committed to in the amount of $60,000. A decision will be made by the end of this year and the Township will receive notification. One more matter on the agenda, a Supervisor requested a meeting and field investigation at the CP Rail-Delaware and Hudson Railway Co. Bridge at the Rt. 11 Bridge. The council agreed the Township will send someone to represent them on December 3rd at 9:00 am. At this time the meeting was adjourned, the next Township meeting will be held on January 5th at 7:00 pm.

Every school board meeting is of consequence, but some more so. Susquehanna Community School District had a meeting chock full of consequential decisions during their 45 minutes together on Wednesday, December 3rd. First on the Board’s plate came the annual Reorganization Meeting. Board Member Jason Chamberlain was elected to chair the three-minute meeting. That was how long it took the Board, united in spirit, to reelect the current leadership. By unanimous vote school directors Jason Chamberlain, Amanda Cook, Evelyn Cottrell, Carol Jackson, Holly Kubus, Martha Stanford, Steven Stanford, and Clay Weaver re-elected the previous year’s leadership. Steven Stanford immediately swore-in as President, and Clay Weaver followed upon his re-election as Vice-President.

With leadership decided, the Board settled into their pattern of unified progression through momentous decisions without a single nay vote. What decisions? First approved was the schedule of meetings for 2015. Ten Regular Monthly School Board Meeting dates were designated, with meetings scheduled on the third Wednesday of the month during the months January through April, June, September, and October; and the first Wednesday of August and December, with no meetings in July and November. The May meeting will be on the second Wednesday of the month. Information and Deliberation Sessions are scheduled for 7 p.m. on each Tuesday preceding a Regular Monthly Meeting. The full schedule will additionally be advertised in the “Transcript’s” Legal Ad section of the paper in December.

Next up the Board unanimously approved the District’s “Taxpayer Relief Act” Resolution for the 2015-2016 school year. Boiled down to its basics, that (“Act 1”) Resolution fixes the index by which school tax rates may be raised for the next school year--at 2.8%. The District may raise taxes at 2.8% or any percentage less than that, but not more. Most notably SCSD real estate tax rates have NOT increased at all for the last two years. Could a three-peat be in the offing?

Institution of campus-based healthcare is now official. On Monday, December 8th NEPA Community Health will open its school-based health center. After months of negotiations and thousands of emails examining seemingly every detail raised, this accomplishment came to fruition with the Board’s approvals of two documents, a Memorandum of Understanding and a Lease Agreement, each between NEPA Community Health and SCSD. The on-campus facility will provide healthcare to both students and staff. Superintendent Bronson Stone has high hopes absenteeism will be vastly reduced. Enrollment forms for the service are available through a link at the District’s website.

January 2015 will see the revival of District Strategic Planning as mandated by the State. The new committee is constituted as follows: School Board Members--Steven Stanford, Jason Chamberlain, and Clay Weaver; Community Members--Nancy Hurley and Johnine Barnes; Parents--David Hansen and Kimberly Dubas; Business Representatives--Sara Adornato and David Passetti. With this make-up approved, the District Strategic Planning Committee will build upon the District’s current Strategic Plan to ensure compliance with the State’s ever-changing perspectives of what constitutes education and how it’s to be implemented. The Committee will meet monthly from January to June 2015 before Information and Deliberation sessions.

In matters of fiscal import, Business Manager Gary Kiernan reported that Brian T. Kelly & Associates are wrapping up their on-campus stint for completion of audit and financial reports for the period of July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. Mr. Kiernan added that the District’s plan for EARLY debt payoff is still scheduled for March 2015; that action will leave SCSD as one of the few districts in Pennsylvania debt-free.

Also in budgetary matters, the Board approved for fiscal year 2013-14 designation of Fund Balance in the amount of $7,067,699 for: future employee retirement payments; future employee medical, dental, vision benefits; future employee early retirement incentives; future debt service payments; Assigned Fund Balance of $728,000 to be used for capital improvements; and $500,000 unassigned to be used as the School Board deems necessary. What these designations are indicative of is that the Board is preparing funding for expenses it can prudently and reasonably expect to incur. The Fund Balance is not a surplus in the sense that it could be freely spent as one expends “found money;” it is in every sense a closely held reserve against both known events and those unknowns which can be reasonably anticipated.

One of those known/unknown expenses anticipated is the masonry work needed for the school’s retaining wall, and the repair work which must be done on the bell-tower. The costs for both are anticipated to be in the ballpark of $100,000. Yet, according to Superintendent Stone, “Very few [price] quotes have come in for the masonry work that needs to be done. . . If more quotes do not come in by the January meeting of the Board of Education, it may be necessary to turn the projects over to an architect.”

Superintendent Stone very briefly mentioned the School Performance Profiles (SPP) for the District’s schools. In a memo available online at the District’s website it is noted, “Both schools in the district received higher SPP scores for 2013-2014 than the previous year. The elementary school’s SPP score for 2013-2014 is 81.1, up from the 77.6 it received in 2012-2013. The high school’s score rose from 77.3 in 2012-2013 to 80.6 for 2013-2014.” These SPPs are above the state average and compare very favorably to those of other county schools, Mr. Stone observed with unabashed pride.

Still, most elementary school students are facing a challenge which is inducing not a few tears this year--PA Common Core-based math. Students in grades K through five have been shifted into “a much more rigorous” math program that provokes varying levels of distress in students, parents, AND teachers. Union Representative Kathleen Hinkley and Superintendent Stone reassured that everyone (teachers, students, parents, and administration) is working together to get through this initial transition. Students’ future statewide standardized tests will be based on PA Common Core.

Mrs. Hinkley also reported that the union’s community service project for this year (in November) was to provide “106 warm coats to children in the elementary and high school.” To the 59 families of these 106 children the union also sent home “Warm-Wishing Baskets,” which included among other items gloves, soup, and cocoa. Kudos to the union for their continued community service and assistance to those in need!

At 7:42 p.m. School Director Martha Stanford moved to close the evening’s official meeting. With agreement unanimous the board arose and moved to assemble for an official group photo, then to return to their seats to sign legal documents approved during the evening’s meeting. Mr. Kiernan, as is his custom, served up delicious chocolate-chip confections perfected by the cafeteria staff. So came to a close the District’s final regular monthly meeting of 2014, now geared up for the first monthly meeting of 2015--at 7 p.m. sharp on Wednesday, January 21st.

At the December 1st meeting of the Montrose School Board, Ms. Truman called the reorganization portion of the meeting to order. She requested a motion to appoint a temporary president for reorganization purposes. Mrs. Staats was appointed to this role. She in turn requested nominations for president for the next year. Mr. Wilcox was appointed, and unanimously voted to retain the role he had been holding (with Mr. Jordan absent). He then called for nominations for vice president. Mrs. Smith nominated Ms. Homan. Mrs. Mordovancey nominated Mr. Jordan. Ms. Follert nominated Mr. Wimmer. As there were multiple nominations, a roll call vote was taken in order of the nominations. When asked, Mrs. Homan said she did not want the role, so everyone voted against her. She jokingly thanked them for their unanimous vote of approval. Mr. Jordan wasn’t there to say no. When a vote was taken about his candidacy, there were 5 nos and 3 yes votes. When it came time to vote for Mr. Wimmer, the appointment was unanimous.

The reorganization portion of the meeting was then adjourned. The work session was opened.

Zach Pierce, member relations coordinator from PSBA, was present. He covered Eastern Pennsylvania in that role. He related that he came from membership as well. He called it a pleasure to be there, and explained that in every year since 1983 PSBA had what they called the honor roll. This was designed to recognize members for continuous years of service, in blocks of four years. He spoke briefly about being a school board member, likening the position to a movie line about being a navy deep sea diver. That night, he presented an eight year award to Mrs. Kathy Mordovancey.

Also, Mr. Pierce related, at their annual student leadership conference they had performing arts students compete to perform in a student showcase. The audience members held a drawing, one or two school districts come out of a hat and a check, the Student Celebration Showcase Award, was presented. It was a representation of PSBA’s commitment to the arts, and was designed to help try to keep programs going. He then presented the board with a $500 check to the district on behalf of PSBA. There was applause. Mr. Wilcox thanked Mrs. Homan for putting her name in for the drawing. He said he wanted to give her credit for doing that for them; they were very pleased to receive the funds. He asked that Mr. Pierce present the check to Mrs. Homan, and that there be a picture taken.

Mr. Owens related that the district’s licensing agreement provided the latest Microsoft Professional Office suite on up to five devices to not only the students but also to the staff. Students had to put in their @masd. e-mail address to obtain it.

Mr. McComb provided his report. He said that some of them had heard some of the negatives about the professional development sessions. Some people were unhappy, he said, but from his standpoint it was some of the best opportunities in his school. He said they hadn’t had one Wednesday where people were sitting and looking at the clock. Regardless of what they may or may not have heard, he asserted, he found it valuable and beneficial.

Mr. Adams concurred, saying that to have the opportunity to have those two hours a month was absolutely critical for them. Hopefully they would continue to do so as things progressed in the district. As Mr.. Mccomb said, it gave them time to do things they’d never had time to do before. He called it a great thing and said they were thrilled with it.

Betsy O’Malley said they were having the on-site audit for food services at Choconut Valley. There was to be an exit interview when the auditors were done.

Mrs. Boyce said that day was the closing date for applications for the junior-senior high school principal position, and as of 4:15 that day they had 13 applicants. Interviews were to follow, she continued, and she would look to have the board interviews shortly after Christmas break, with hopefully a successful candidate thereafter. She thought they would find a satisfactory successor. She didn’t want to say replacement, as any person when they left was difficult to replace.

The school had been given $2,500 for scholarships from Exxon Mobile for young people entering the STEM area.

Mr. Wilcox then reviewed the agenda items. Mrs. Boyce explained that because the electric services was a commodity, the amount quoted to the district changed. The latest number quoted them for a proposed three year contract was lower than the day previous. The contract itself was to take effect in May of 2015. The plan was to sign the contract perhaps the next day, at that day’s prices. Mrs. Homan asked if the contract would save them money. Ms. Lusk responded that they had already saved money. This was their third time signing contracts with locked in prices.

There was a discussion on bus cameras. Mrs. Boyce related that she and the administrators had been talking about bus cameras of late. Not all that long ago the legislature had agreed and passed legislation that schools could use audio on bus cameras. Frequently they had incidents that happened on buses. She said that they instructed educators never to turn their backs on a class, but they told bus drivers to drive a 72 passenger vehicle, operating a machine while turning their backs on students. They told them to watch the road over the students. Drivers needed help, she asserted, and the administration was in favor of cameras on the buses. The ones they had required two keys and the physical removal of the hard drive. It was really cumbersome. The product was a video from the front of the bus, and it could be difficult to see what happened on the back of the bus. Without audio it could also be hard to know what was said. Mr. McComb called the cameras they already had minimally beneficial. He felt new cameras would improve the safety on the bus. Over half of the discipline referrals in his school that year, he related, came from the bus. They continued to grow and it was a very frustrating process. He said he didn’t know as there would ever be a perfect system, but this was a step in the right direction. Mr. Wilcox asked if these would replace the existing cameras. It was responded that ideally they would. The ones they were looking at would have a cost, but they also had an sd card that could be easily downloaded onto a device.

There were four existing cameras on the buses, though not all were operable. Mr. Wilcox said it really would be an initial step, and come budget time it would be worth looking into even further.

Mr. Adams opined that the cameras were a deterrent. Obviously, he said, safety was paramount on the bus. There were some kids who were chronic offenders. He said that cameras in the school were a deterrent, when kids knew where the cameras existed they knew the cameras would rat them out. At Lathrop Street, he said, they were on track to have 200 referrals from bus incidents. He said the cameras would be phased in, getting some as budget allowed and then budgeting for the balance at some point.

Mr. Owens felt that in order for it to work they needed to do it whole hog and do it in short orders. They might be looking at $1,200 per bus. Mrs. Staats said she was in favor of it, but she thought there were some technical things that needed to be buttoned up. Mr. Owens confirmed that the cameras automatically ran, from the time the buses were turned on to shortly after they were turned off. Mrs. Staats assumed it would just be the principals who would be viewing it, and that only the kids involved would be involved in the viewing. Mr. Owens said it did have the ability to blur the other children, if the video needed to be shown to parents or law enforcement. He called it pre-edited and legal ready. She asked if they were going to make parents aware of it, as she could hear parents coming back and saying they didn’t know. On page two of the policy from school code, Mrs. Boyce related, it was related that parents, guardians, and students were annually informed of the policy authorizing video and audio recording by a letter mailed to the family. So the recording did not have to be by consent agreement. Mr. McComb said that, ultimately if a parent didn’t like that, they had the right to drive the students.

Mr. Wilcox thought it was important that all of the drivers understood everything they were talking about. He said the objective to him was to provide safe transportation, which he thought the drivers worked very hard at. He wanted them to understand that the concern was not them as a driver, it was the safety of the children. He asked if there was any way possible to get one of the companies to come in, so everyone could see exactly what the cameras did.

Mr. Owens said it was. Mr. Adams had questions about how good the audio was, what he would be able to hear.

It was announced that the board was going to have a clear session. As the subsequent board meeting was expected to be passed as a consent agenda and nothing unexpected was anticipated, this reporter transitioned to another meeting which was being held at the same time.

At the beginning of the New Milford Borough meeting, the council let the solicitor speak first (as he was on the clock). Mr. Briechle related that they had discussed in executive session the ongoing issue with a potential violation for the home owned by Ms. Conrad and Mr. Walther. The concern was that the new steps were dimensionally different than the old steps and were encroaching on the setback. On reviewing it with the codes officer they had developed a potential solution, that if they steps were affixed to the side rather than the front they would avoid the ten foot setback violation. The solicitor recommended that, to the applicants as a resolution. It was planned to send a letter to the applicants explaining this, and submitting a zoning application.

The other thing the attorney said he was asked to look at was to draft a ordinance that would allow for the housing and maintaining of pot bellied pigs in the borough as pets. Under ordinance number 15 of the borough zoning ordinances there was a restriction as to the type of animals that could be housed and maintained in the borough. One of those categories of animals was pigs. The borough council had reviewed the issue and found that pot bellied pigs were considered pets in recent times, and council was interested in seeing the legal application of allowing pot bellied pigs to be in the borough. The solicitor had revised the ordinance then to restrict certain animals to be in the borough and to not allow for all pigs to be housed in the borough, but to allow for those of the pot bellied variety. Any person violating the amended ordinance would also face sterner actions. He left blank for consideration by the borough the section that regulated how the pot bellied pigs could be housed in the borough. That would allow for them to apply some sort of restriction, such as the size of a pig, the number of pigs, etc. The mayor said that he thought they were a pig until 150 pounds or something, then they became a hog. Mr. Briechle had written the ordinance, he clarified, to exclude all kinds of pigs other than pot bellied pigs. Apparently he said there were 14 different breeds of pot bellied pigs. He said that there were no regulations before because none of them were allowed. The dog law had some significant restrictions, but there might be some crossover. It would be up to the borough to decide what these restrictions were. Ms. James asked if the pigs had to be inoculated. It was responded that that would be one thing to consider.

Mr. Ainey said that they had done some research and got some copies of feral cat ordinances. All the ordinances required the municipalities to catch the cats, house the cats, and do something about them. He said that they were too small a borough to get into the cat business. Ms. Gulick said that she didn’t see how they could ever do so. She spoke of a property that had maybe 20 to 30 cats near it. Ms. Cosmello talked of cats that were outside and cold. It was said that they didn’t have the ASPC in Susquehanna County, and True Friends had too many cats. Mr. Ainey said that his heart was big but his head said walk away, and it was agreed to take the matter off the agenda.

Mr. Scheer spoke of various codes matters. Mr. Ainey wished it to be stated that if a resident was going to do something, they should apply and get a permit.

Mr. Scheer said he was developing a process for the codes and zoning officer. He spoke of things which could be done with Adobe Professional, which they were to be getting. Also, it could be possible to put the form on a website to be accessible to the public.

He had also done zoning application research. He related that there was a $58 average for a zoning application fee. He said he suspected he probably spent an hour on an application by the time he reviewed it, did a site visit, and approved it based on the ordinance and his observations. This was if the application was approved. More work was involved if it was rejected. Several municipalities charged a straight minimum processing fee and then an additional fee for structural renovation. He believed that the $5 application processing fee charged by the borough was probably low by comparison to other municipalities. If they were going to raise it he recommended they do so, to at least $35, and that they not accept cash. Mr. Ainey said it just made sense - they were paying the codes enforcement officer $20 to $25 an hour, and if they were going to do that then they at least had to break even. He said some day they would have to talk about their zoning hearing board fee as well. In his opinion, the $5 fee versus the cost they were incurring wasn’t reasonable. Mr. Carey thought they had to be a little careful, as he wanted residents to think about doing work. Mr. Ainey rebutted that as a resident he didn’t want to subsidize someone else’s new deck either, which they were doing at that time.

Mr. Scheer proposed, as food for thought, that they would lose less money at a $35 fee, and where they might gain on it later was if they had an online presence with forms available so residents could review it online and the borough would save on paper and ink. It would streamline the process. Ms. Gulick asked who was going to put it online, and when he said he could she asked how long that would take (with the idea that they would pay him to do it). Mr. Scheer suggested that the fee could be changed effective January 1st.

Mr. Ainey suggested that a committee develop a resolution for presentation at the next meeting, though he didn’t care which committee. Others felt it should be the ordinance committee or the zoning committee. It was decided it would be the zoning committee. Ms. Gulick said they had discussed the mileage thing. She wondered where they were with that. Mr. White said they had discussed it with the personnel committee. They felt it was in order. Ms. Gulick responded that she had a question about mileage, and their policy. Mr. Ainey said mileage would be a personnel issue and they met with the personnel committee to highlight what the policy was and they went over it with the employee in question. He said it was a codes issue to her, but it was really a personnel policy. They had addressed it as a personnel committee.

There was some discussion regarding a division order document received from Southwest. It told them the unit. Mr. Ainey said that sometimes they changed the information with these, and all the ones he had gotten had made it less. Upon further examination it was discovered that none of the properties listed in the document were located within the borough. It was thought this was a mistake, and decided that they would ask for more information.

During the mayor’s report, he expressed a desire to thank Ms. Hine and Ms. Gulick for doing a good job on Santa in the Park. He thanked Santa as well. He acknowledged the women’s many years of doing the event, quipping that he was trying to butter them up into trying to do it again. He also asked if the borough could send a thank you note to the Men’s Club for their work, and maybe a thank you to Santa. Mr. Ainey said that they also should send a thank you note to the Men’s Club for their donation to the pool. Ms. Gulick spoke highly of the help from the Men’s Club. They also wished to send Kelsey Hine a thank you for her work on the backdrop.

The mayor then acknowledged the borough maintenance man, who he said did a wonderful job plowing in the snow storm. Mr. Ainey concurred with this assessment. Ms. Gulick thanked her fellow borough council members for their help.

Mr. Carey reported on the COG meeting. He related that there was a new, statewide initiative to consider how well street signs could be seen. COG had obtained a reflectometer to see how well the street signs could be seen, in part via a grant from the Constitution pipeline. Mr. Carey wished to note that it would be available for the borough to use.

During the street department report Mr. White said that one thing brought to his attention was the bridge project on Main Street, and pedestrians. He had been informed that day about a man in a wheelchair on the bridge, with two people pushing him. He said they needed more signage. There was concern expressed regarding accidents. Mr. White said that the people he had observed were not children. Mr. Ainey suggested Mr. White send a letter detailing his conversation with PennDOT.

It was related that the snow blower had been used, and it worked fantastic. The municipal authority was in the process of hiring a back up plower. The back up vehicle was a municipal authority plow truck. The council usually reimbursed the hours if they were doing it for them.

The borough got the grant money they were seeking for a comprehensive plan update. The grant was in the amount of $23,900 to work on the strategic plan, comprehensive plan, zoning, etc. The contract was for three years. The grant was from DCED. Council voted to authorize the president and secretary to sign the contract. Mr. Ainey asked who would administer it, and Ms. Cosmello agreed to do so.

There was a big savings in fuel delivery, Mr. White related, due to the secretary making some calls. The bottom line was that Lindsey Oil delivered fuel to the garage, and that company gave good deals to churches and municipalities.

A borough resident had snow blown the park walking trail again. The mayor said he had talked to that gentleman and he said he planned on doing it again. The mayor suggested getting him a thank you, and it was related they had given him a gift card in the past. They motioned to do so again.

Now that they had the comprehensive plan on move, they could move forward with the sidewalk, it was said.

The mayor had talked to the police, and discussed more patrols on Church Street to reduce buzzing through the stop signs. It was also to monitor the speeds of trucks coming in and out of town.

Under personnel, Ms. James made a motion to give out the annual Christmas bonus to the personnel. She thanked them for another year.

Mr. Ainey made a motion that they adopt ordinance 201 setting the millage at 1 mill for fire, with no other taxes. Ms. Gulick called that a great budget.

Mr. Ainey had received a call from Leatherstocking. He had sent them an e-mail that he had a concern they weren’t reaching their goal. His suggestion was that the company should get involved. They wanted to extend the deadline to March 1st of 2015, and had requested an updated list. The company representative said she was going to personally call the people who had gone through all of the steps except for the commitment letter. She wanted to know if there was a recurring theme among these people who didn’t follow through. It was suggested that a recurring theme was how much it was going to cost, as getting quotes from contractors was difficult. Mr. Carey said all they needed was to hook up one appliance. It was said that some people didn’t want to hook up appliances however, they wanted to put in furnaces.

A visitor suggested that the cost of conversion for an appliance could be a wash, with the money saved from the earned income tax. She called it an investment in the community.

The mayor asked about an alert now. Mr. Ainey said that he had suggested they back off on this, as the company was to call people. They wanted to possibly schedule a town meeting for the second or third week of January. Ms. Gulick said that she was hearing from the public that they were already filling out forms for them twice. It was pointed out that they needed to fill out that last form, however. Mr. Ainey had 124 commitment letters as of that day. Then he had said, they were at 76% of goal.

There was a Green Mountain Energy company, residents had said, that was calling people and going door to door trying to get people to switch electric generation companies. Mr. Ainey said they had an ordinance that required a permit, and suggested that they could put out an alert message stating that if someone came to the door residents should ask the representative to show them the permit. If they couldn’t do so they should shut the door and refer the person to the borough office.

Susquehanna Community School District Board Directors took the following personnel actions during their regular meeting on Wednesday, December 3, 2014.

Approved hiring the following as Substitute Teachers: Chelsea Harrison, Cassidy Shea, Kayla Day, Lynda DeSantis, and Ryan Gilleran.

Approved hiring the following as After-school tutoring substitutes: Katherine Edwards, Dan Mauer, Kim Marco, Gina Gliniecki, Charlene Brieden, and Tom Adornato.

Approved hiring the following: Mark Zappe - Boys Basketball Scorer (one year only, 2014-2015); Lindsey Glidden and Carol Bushong - Substitute Aide; Valorie Knott and Wendy Roe - Substitute Aide/Cafeteria; Sarah Bishop - Substitute Bus Driver; and Lauren Reddon - Substitute Nurse.

Approved the following volunteers: Ryan Gilleran and Paul Rooney - Weight Room; Craig Hubal - Elementary Wrestling; and Michelle Kiernan - 5th & 6th Grade Girls Basketball.

Approved the following volunteers for the 2014-15 school year: Aaron Callender - Pump Club and Weightlifting; William Collins - Elementary Wrestling; Kristin Burkhart - Drama; Raymond Testa and Gina Baker - 5th & 6th Grade Boys Basketball.

Accepted the following resignations: Raymond Testa - Jr. High Boys Basketball Timer and Varsity Boys Basketball Books; Joshua Carpenter - Jr. High Baseball Coach; and Bill Albert - Varsity Boys Volleyball Coach.

On December 5th the Susquehanna Community Development Committee (SCDA) and the community didn’t let the cold rain, stop the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The tree was placed next to the Memorial Wall in the Erie Ave Plaza. At 7:00 pm in the cold rain many members of the community came out to watch as Major Hurley had the honor of lighting this year’s tree. The SCDA chairperson, Darleen Slocum stated, “This year’s tree was donated by Rick Leet, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to the bad weather.”

2014 Christmas Tree Lighting in Susquehanna Borough

After the ceremony, which lasted only a few minutes due to the weather, everyone was invited back to the Susquehanna Fire Station for Christmas Caroling, cookies, and drinks. The Susquehanna Elementary School music teacher, Mr.Walko led Elementary students in song. Mr.Walko said that he extended an invitation to all Elementary students to come out and join in the festivities. Everyone enjoyed the children singing and joined in the season. Mrs. Slocum also mentioned that every year the SCDA puts on a Breakfast with Santa at St. Johns Church, this year’s breakfast was being held on December 6th and included a free picture with Santa. Darlene Slocum stated that last year they served 220 people at this event.

BENCH WARRANTS

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 11:25 a.m. on December 5, 2014: Jeremy E. Anderson, Sr, Kristina M. Baker, Brett F. Barnes, Shawn J. Bedford, Brent V. Birtch, Edwin Blaisure, Jennifer Blassingame, Michael J. Burger, David A. Calla, Anthony M. Choplosky, Tina M. Clark, Christopher J. Clark, Christopher J. Clark, Anthony Cokely, Brian M. Decker, David J. Fischer, Justin T. Giberson, Charles Groover, Timothy M. Holmes, Lyle J. Hugaboom, Todd J. Layton, Joshua S. Lee, Charlie J. Legere, Casey M. Lehman, Derrick Lezinsky, Lawrence M. McGuire, Joshua Perry, Vincent J. Petriello, Veronica D. Phelps, Marita J. Sellitto, Desiree L. Shifler, Tina M. Smith, Joseph W. Sutton, Frederick Swingle, III, Tessa E. Thomas, Kurtis Tracy, Steven G. Warner, Jamie L. Williams Sr. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

DEEDS

William Henry Murray III  to William Henry Murray III & Chris H. Pappas, in Bridgewater Township, for $1.00.

Richard & Linda Suraci (By Sheriff) to National Loan Investors LP, in Herrick Township, for $3,711.90.

Jon M., Patricia B. & Brianna M. Strope to Michael J. & Amy J. Lyden, in Montrose, for $153,900.00.

Michael J. & Amy J. Lyden to Robert A. & Karen L. Griffith, in Montrose, for $175,000.00.

Rebecca Sherman Chamberlain & Lucky W. Sherman (AKA) Lucky Wilson Sherman (AKA) Lucy Sherman to Rebecca Sherman Chamberlain, in Gibson Township, for $1.00.

Michael B. Harris & Richard J. Cirba to Eric Joran, in Clifford Township, for $40,000.00.

James C. Strohl to Freestar Energy Group LLC, in Auburn Township, for $35,000.00.

Jack Russell Hagadoran (AKA) Jack R. Hagadorn, in Auburn Township, for $0.00.

Edward Richard Shingler (AKA) Edward R. Shingler, Jr. & Heather A. Shingler to Edward R. Shingler, Jr., in Auburn Township, for $1.00.

Elsie Kilmer to Elsie Kilmer, in Harmony Township for $1.00.

Well Fargo Bank NA (By Attorney) to Kenneth B Cotton Sr. & Shannon Trivett, in Clifford Township, for $35,000.00.

Dennis A. & Sherry Knowlton to PA Commonwealth  - Dept. of  Transportation, in Clifford Township, for $1.00.

Michael B. Harris & Richard J. Cirba to Eric Jordan, in Clifford Township, for $40,000.00.

James C. Strohl to Freestar Energy Group LLC, in Auburn Township, for $35,000.00.

Jack Russell Hagadorn (AKA) Jack R. Hagadorn to Jack Russell Hagadorn, in Auburn Township, for $0.00.

Richard Edward Shingler (AKA) Edard R. Shingler, Jr. & Heather A. Shingler  to Edward R. Shingler, Jr., in Auburn Township, for $1.00.

Elsie Kilmer to Elsie Kilmer, in Harmony Township, for $1.00.

US Bank to Kenneth B. Cotton, Sr. & Shannon Trivett, in Clifford Township, for $35,000.00.

Dennis A. & Sherry Knowlton to PA Commonwealth – Dept. of Transportation, in Clifford Township, for $1.00.

Michael  Canedo (By Sheirff) & Cherie Stone (By Sheriff) to PNC Mortgage – A Division of PNC Bank, in Gibson Township, for $1,308.42.

Donald & Lynda Aarthur to Appalachin  Basin Minerals LP, Pennmarc Resoures II LP,  Wildes Mineral Intrests LLC & McCrow Energy Partners II LP, in Gibson Township, for $1.00.

Shirley Delmar to Harold L. & Joan M. Brobst, in Forest Lake Township, for $1.00.

Michael P. & Kathryn A. Ksenich to Michael P. & Kathryn A. Ksenich, in New Milford Township for $1.00.

Kathleen Gallagan (AKA) Kathleen Gallagan to Kathleen Gallagan, in Jackson Township  for $1.00.

Edward B. Greene III to Bethel B Hill LLC, in Harmony Township for $1.00.

James E. West to Lisa E. & Jeffrey J. West, in Silver Lake Township for $1.00.

James E. West to Lisa E. & Jeffrey J. West, in Silver Lake Township for $1.00.

Orhan W., Ethna & Vedia Ozkan to Windy Redge LLC, in New Milford Township for $1.00.

Jean M. Farrell (By Atty.) to Jean M. Farrell & Kathleen (Farrell) Kurosky, in Montrose for $1.00.

Terry A. Clift to Jennifer N. McMicken, in Bridgewater Township for $204,000.00.

Laura L. Weaver to Peter J. Maxey & Raina L. Upright, in Bridgewater Township for $155,000.00.

Community Bank to Clay Greenway, in Thompson Borough for $61,900.00.

Edward B. Greene III & Penelope K. Greene to Comforts B Pond LLC, in Harmony Township for $1.00.

PHH Mortgage Corporation to Chad M. Upright, in New Milford Township for $44,175.00.

Wayne R. Frederici to Robert C. & Sandra L. Seltzer, in Gibson Township for $37,500.00.

Robert C. Wert to Hawley Family Farms LLC, in Bridgewater Township for $440,000.00.

Steve Gordon & Denise Nees to Gabriel & Bonnie J. Dulisse, in Ararat Township for $319,000.00.

Paul E. Pickering (AKA) Paul Pickering (ESTATE), Jesse Pickering, Louis Pickering Jr. & Rose M. Pickering to Jesse Pickering, in Brooklyn Township for $1.00.

Misc. Investigation: On 10/01/14 at 1:45 p.m. a driver was stopped on Snow Hollow Road for riding a motorcycle without a registration plate. Upon further investigation it was found that the driver had no driver’s license or insurance for the vehicle. Chief Burgh was the responding officer.

Criminal Mischief: On 10/03/14 at 11:20 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police were patrolling Russel Road due to residents complaining that their mailboxes had been damaged during the night time hours. While patrolling on that roadway, 4 youths were caught in the act smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat. The 4 youths were charged and admitted to smashing mailboxes in other townships as well. Officer Tiffany and Chief Burgh were the arresting officers. Case is still active.

Burglary/Theft: On 10/09/14 Silver Lake Township Police responded to Hawranick Road for a burglary that had occurred. The owner stated that someone had been stealing items over a two week period.  Multiple items were stolen from that location. Chief Burgh was the responding officer. This case is still active.

Burglary/Forcible Entry: On 10/09/14 at 3:00 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to Hawleyton Turnpike Road for a report of a burglary that had just occurred. The home owner stated that he came home and his front door was kicked in and items were stolen from his home. Upon arrival of Silver Lake Township Police, evidence was collected at the scene. Agencies in the surrounding area were notified of the incident.  On 10/10/14 Sergeant Chris Streno of the Vestal Police Department had obtained the identity of the individual from the burglary scene. On 10/16/14 Silver Lake Township Police filed charges and received a warrant for the individual. On 10/16/14 Vestal Police, Broome County Fugitive Task Force, US Marshalls, Johnson City Police, and Silver Lake Township Police executed a search warrant in two different locations. While the warrant was being executed an individual was taken into custody and charged as a fugitive from justice by Vestal Police Sergeant Streno. The individual was found to have in his possession stolen items that were the result of two separate burglaries that had just occurred recently in Susquehanna County. The individual is currently being held in Broome County Jail pending extradition. Chief Burgh is the arresting officer. This case is still active..

Motor Vehicle Accident: On 10/09/14 at 5:50 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to an accident located on State Route 167. A vehicle was travelling North on State Route 167 and failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle then left the roadway and flipped over before coming to rest in a ditch. The two individuals involved in the accident were transported to the hospital by Silver Lake Ambulance and Montrose Minute Men. Chief Burgh is the investigating officer. This case is still active..

P.F.A. Violation: On 10/13/14 Silver Lake Township Police took a report of a possible violation that had taken place in the township. Upon further investigation it was found that there was no active P.F.A. in place. No violation had taken place and the report was unfounded.  Chief Timothy Burgh took the report.

Erratic Driver: On 10/28/14 at 7:25 a.m. a child was almost struck by a vehicle while attempting to board a stopped school bus. The individual that passed the stopped school bus was identified and police were later notified of the incident. Silver Lake Township Police filed charges against the individual who passed the stopped school bus. This case is still active. Chief Burgh is the arresting officer.

Criminal Mischief: On 10/30/14 Silver Lake Township Police took a report of criminal mischief that had occurred on 10/29/14. The caller stated that someone drove across his lawn and hit his mailbox. Chief Burgh is the investigating officer. This case is still active.

Silver Lake Township Police assisted the Silver Lake Township Ambulance a few times during the month.

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.