HARRISBURG – A three-block stretch of Forest City’s Main Street will benefit from a $46,330 Keystone Communities program grant issued through the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

The funding will pay for 13 street lights that will be installed along the west side of the 400, 500 and 600 blocks of Main Street. They will add to the numerous improvements recently made to the downtown corridor. In addition to new sidewalks, that include brick pavers, the Susquehanna County borough also has newly erected visitor information maps and signs.

Forest City Borough Council President William D. Orasin thanked Sen. Lisa Baker and Rep. Jonathan Fritz for advocating for the grant and said “the addition of street lighting will make our downtown a more inviting and attractive place.”

“The ultimate goal of our project is to breathe new life into our Main Street in order to attract businesses and families into our town. We also expect that our investments into the downtown will instill a sense of pride in property owners and businesses adjacent to the project - motivating them to initiate projects of their own to improve their properties and facades,” Orasin said.

Baker, R-20th, said the project benefits the borough “by improving both public safety and economic development.”

“Our Main Streets are the lifeblood of our small boroughs and this worthwhile investment will hopefully help Forest City continue to attract visitors to its downtown,” Baker said.

Fritz, R-111th, noted that “Small town Main Streets such as Forest City’s are a wonderful snapshot of Americana. We are pleased that funds were able to be realized to help restore and enhance growth opportunities for local businesses.”

Susquehanna Community School District Directors approved tentative passage of the District's fiscal 2018 (July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018) school budget at their Wednesday, May 17, 2017, meeting. The budget provides $15,278,023 for the coming year, and sets District millage at 48.68 in Susquehanna County and 13.73 in Wayne County.

School Board President Steven Stanford presided over the 7 to 7:35 p.m. meeting. Directors present and voting unanimously, with President Stanford, to approve the budget were Lori Canfield, Amanda Cook, Evelyn Cottrell, Ashley Depew, Carol Jackson, and Jamie Koziol. Vice-President Clay Weaver was absent.

District taxpayers with a qualifying homestead/farmstead exemption received additional good news when Business Manager Gary Kiernan reported that figures from the state show $398,311 is being allocated to the District from the state's gaming enterprises. With somewhat fewer qualifying homestead/farmstead exemptions currently, as opposed to last year, tax bills will be decreased by a larger amount: $321.97 in Susquehanna County and $321.54 in Wayne County.

While good news reigns on the District budgetary front, that's not the case with the state and federal budgets. At the federal level, Title I funding is not yet allocated; Title II funding is on the chopping block. The state's new fiscal budget is due June 30, but a major deficit, estimated to be between $1.3 and $1.5 billion, remains a problem. Until a state education budget is approved no district in the state can be absolutely certain of funding.

Meanwhile, the PSERS (teachers' pension fund) unfunded liability continues to grow. The rate of return for the retirement fund for the year ending June 30, 2015 was a mere 3.04%. For the year ending June 30, 2016 it was an even more dismal 1.29%. As demographics have shifted there are now slightly more retirees drawing retirement benefits than teachers in active service contributing to the fund. The fund administrators presume a 7.25% rate of return to make the retirement system sustainable. Unfunded liabilities, conservatively estimated as well north of $50 billion, are concerning to all who believe a day of reckoning is certain to arrive one day.

On a happier note, School Directors approved two bids for upgrading the high school's physical plant. The board approved Patterson Stevens Inc. as the contractor for the partial resurfacing of the high school roof at a cost of $112,390. Also approved, CCSI Inc. as the contractor for installation of a new boiler in the high school at a cost of $52,900.

School Directors also approved revised policies concerning Immunizations and Communicable Diseases (#203); Attendance (#204); School Wellness (#246); Procurement Attachment (#626); and Food Services Attachment (#808). Superintendent Bronson Stone highlighted the particulars of key changes in the Attendance Policy. Unexcused and excessive absences will trigger vigorous responses, as required by law, including case referral to Children & Youth Services, as appropriate. Mr. Stone noted that parents would be fully informed of the changes by letter, the district's website, and other methods, as necessary, to ensure familiarity with compliance requirements.

High School Principal Carmella Bullick reported the school's Pride & Polish Day was now scheduled for May 25. That student project event had been scheduled originally for May 5, but was postponed due to power outages and inclement weather the week of May 1. Class Night is scheduled for June 2; the last day of school, June 9; graduation on June 10.

Mrs. Bullick also recognized two seniors, Evan Haley and Shaun Andersen, winners of prestigious scholarships. Evan Haley is the recipient of the Claire Williams O'Neil Scholarship. Shaun Andersen is the winner of the Lackawanna College Natural Gas Scholarship, funded by DTE Energy & Claire Williams O'Neil Foundation. Congratulations to both!

School Directors also took action on a number of matters that come up annually in May. They included annual elections for service as the board's Secretary and for the board's Treasurer. Evelyn Cottrell was unanimously reelected for another term as Secretary; Martha Stanford for another as Treasurer. The board likewise unanimously approved the appointment of Attorney Joseph Gaughan as the District Solicitor. Also approved was Peoples Security Bank and Trust as a depository for the District funds for next school year.

One individual, a bus contractor for the district, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. He took issue with a letter he had received concerning an incident that had occurred on the afternoon of May 1. After airing his position, Superintendent Stone delivered a stirring rebuttal in defense of the district's position. The welfare of students is of paramount importance at all times, particularly when the on-scene situation is evolving and urgent guidance is provided to drivers. Rigid adherence to transportation schedules-normally a good thing-must yield to protect children, always. President Steven Stanford summarized the District's position that the education and safety of children is the highest priority and motivation AT ALL TIMES. With that said, the board pressed forward to consider other matters.

Among those other matters approved were:

• Contracting with "The Nutrition Group" for the operation and management of the SCSD's food service program for the 2017-18 school year, as per agreement;
  
  
• Granting the Business Office permission to bid for heating oil for the 2017/18 school year;
  
  
• Approving the changes to the 2017/18 student handbooks to reflect district policy and procedure changes;
  
  
• Donating $100 to the Annual Barnes-Kasson Hospital golf tournament;
  
  
• Donating $100 to the SCDA (Susquehanna Community Development Association);
  
  
• Allowing the tuition-based Science Explorers program to operate in the elementary school during the 2017/18 school year; and
  
  
• Granting Jeffrey Keyes' request for use of the high school auditorium for Alumni Weekend 2017, to include concert and rehearsals-Concert on July 30, 2017 and Rehearsal dates in July, dates to be determined.

At meeting's adjournment the ever-reliable Mr. Kiernan donned his Host persona and served up delicious dollops of blueberry-lemon Bundt cake.

Next board meeting is scheduled for the third Wednesday of June, work session held on the Tuesday preceding.

The Harford Township Supervisors covered a lot of rocky terrain at their May meeting on the 16th.  As usual, road maintenance and renovation were a major focus, but sewer issues, budget overruns and even lawn mowing came under scrutiny, along with natural gas activities and a pitch from an environmental organization.

Following the customary preliminaries (minutes, bill list, treasurer’s report) the Supervisors recognized Bill Kern, Executive Director of Countryside Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated since 1994 to protecting the Tunkhannock Creek watershed.  The Conservancy purchases natural lands when it can, and also acquires easements from property owners who want to protect their land.  The organization develops recreational resources, including the “Trolley Trail,” like a “rails-to-trails” effort that will follow the route of the long defunct Northern Electric Railway that ran from Scranton to Montrose.  The Conservancy owns about 4,000 acres so far, mostly in the area surrounding Lackawanna State Park.  They will soon have control of some 500 acres in Susquehanna County, beginning in the neighborhood of Dimock.  Mr. Kern encouraged the Supervisors and township residents to become familiar with his organization as a “resource,” and left several copies of its newsletter/annual report.

ROAD REPORT

The Supervisors discussed the intersection of Plank Road and U.S. Route 11 where heavy truck traffic is bringing mud (and dust) down the mountain.  There have been meetings between township officials, the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT),  lawyers, engineers, and representatives of the gas and stone companies to try to find a solution.

The Supervisors opened 3 bids from contractors for a project on Oliver Road that would renovate some 450 feet up to the New Milford Township line.  There was an extended discussion of the bids, which varied by 3 orders of magnitude, from a low of $43,000 from Estabrook Excavating all the way up to $114,000 from Barhite Excavating.    The third was for $60,000, from Ken Rauch.  The Estabrook bid was not on a standard PennDOT bid form like the other two; the township’s solicitor was consulted, and a representative of the contractor offered to reformat his bid to that specification.  In the end the Estabrook bid was accepted under 2 assumptions: (1) that it met all of the bid specifications, and (2) that the project would only go forward if and when the County Conservation District grant is awarded.

Roadmaster Jim Phelps cautioned that budget problems in Harrisburg may delay the issuance of such grants.  It was also emphasized that the project specs (and the contractors’ bids) did not include paving the surface with DSA (driving surface aggregate), a step that was expected to be added later.  Drainage pipe for the project will be supplied by the township and installed by the contractor.

In fact, Roadmaster Phelps presented bids from three suppliers for pipe.  The bid from John Bonham Enterprises of Honesdale would provide a full truckload of 1,000 feet of 15-inch and 400 feet of 18-inch pipe for about $10,000 for use around the township.  The purchase may be delayed pending a budget review.  Such a large purchase of pipe was not included in the township budget passed late last year.  The auditors have recommended formal resolutions be adopted to amend the budget, and Supervisor Dustin Walker suggested that be considered at the June meeting during a more formal mid-year budget review.

That truckload would not cover pipe for a project to improve a section of Pennay Hill Road that will require some 30-inch pipe.  While the pipe for this work will be supplied by the township, a gas company will do the work.

The bid for DSA that was accepted from New Enterprise Stone & Lime in March may be set aside, on a recommendation from Roadmaster Phelps.  The Conservation District has evaluated the products of 4 suppliers and found fault with New Enterprise.  So Supervisor Sue Furney recommended soliciting new bids, further specifying that the DSA product meet the requirements of projects funded by the Conservation District.

With roads being the township’s primary responsibility, Mr. Walker recommended hiring out more of the seasonal road work to contractors, including trucking, grading, ditching and rolling.  The township will supply the materials, but the Supervisors will want quotes based on cost per mile of roadway.

OLD BUSINESS

If you’ve visited the township building recently, you will have noticed that the lawn needs some attention.  Mr. Walker recommended setting aside the one bid received.  He will purchase a new mower (up to a value of $250) and the work will be carried out by township staff.  The township cares for its own yard, the property at the sewer plant on Burns Road, and an old cemetery (the so-called Wilmarth cemetery) in the Oakley Crossing area.

The township is purchasing and configuring a new truck.  On the recommendation of Mr. Walker, the Supervisors tabled a final decision pending detailed review of the specifications.

NEW BUSINESS

Along with some routine driveway and assessment permits, the Supervisors accepted a modification to a plan for the Adams Pad by Cabot Oil & Gas that would extend the hydraulic fracturing operation using newer technology that will eventually be extended to more pads in the area.

They also heard from a JHA engineer who has reviewed a plan by Cabot to create an asphalt-surfaced water extraction facility on Martin’s Creek in Kingsley.  The 2-acre parcel is too small to be of interest to the County Conservation District, or to the state Department of Environmental Protection.  Yet the engineer is concerned about potential excess runoff into the creek from the facility.  The Supervisors asked him to request a statement from Cabot, in writing, that would limit the township’s downstream liability for runoff, or in the event of a flood (the pad would be in the creek’s floodplain).  The engineer did say that the project plan includes a provision for “restoring” the area once the pad is no longer needed.

SEWER

The entire sewer system will be shut down for one day, Wednesday, May 31, 2017, for emergency repairs to the sewer plant’s air handling system.  Residents are asked to limit their use of the system as much as possible on that day.

The Supervisors asked Secretary Carolyn Jennings to try to get DEP and DCED approvals of the plant’s upgrade project expedited so that needed repairs don’t have to be handled on an emergency basis and paid for a second time as part of the project.

The Supervisors will try to assemble a meeting with members of the Harford Fair Board of Directors to iron out some details regarding the purchase of replacement parts for the Fair’s sewage handling system.  When the sewer system was established, the Fair constructed a large holding tank so that product could be emitted to the sewer plant overnight during the busy August Fair week.  As part of that project, rails were installed to withdraw the pumps for winter storage.  One question is who is responsible for the rails, which are now deteriorating.  Ms. Jennings estimated total cost of needed parts at the Fair grounds at over $1,300.

The Supervisors decided to purchase 5 new pumps and at least 1 new basin to keep in inventory.

The cost of pumps, basins and associated infrastructure is covered in the financing for the sewage plant renovation, as well as under a grant from DCED of some $350,000, with additional funds from Susquehanna County.

A bad pump was removed from a property for repairs.  The estimated cost of the repairs was given as $1,200.  Mr. Walker wondered if it might be better to simply replace the pump with a new one.  But no one knew the model of the bad pump, or whether it was one of the original types or a newer model.  So a decision on the repair was tabled for further review.

At the tail end of the hour-and-a-half session, Supervisor Doug Phelps announced an executive session to follow to discuss with the township’s solicitor the on-going litigation over drainage on Tyler Lake Road.

The Harford Township Supervisors will meet next in public session on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 beginning at 7:00pm in the township office on Route 547.

Council discussed the dilemma of the large potholes on state owned streets in Oakland Borough for several minutes at their monthly meeting held on May 11th. Councilmen stated residents were calling them asking what they could do to fix them. Unfortunately, Penn Dot maintains the state roads, and their requests to have them repaired are going unanswered. Some areas contained multiple potholes gathered together to form craters in the road and there is no safe way to avoid them. Council decided to inform their residents to call 1-800-fix-road and maybe, with multiple calls they will be repaired.

Shane Lewis provided the codes report on several properties. He stated the properties on Walnut and Prospect Streets slated for demolition are still on schedule for the summer months, and CB Excavating has been contracted to install a curb on Franklin Avenue to try and divert water away from a resident’s foundation.

Mayor Ron Beavan stated there were issues with the printer in the Police Department and it would be over a hundred dollars to have it repaired. Council members stated it wouldn’t make sense to pay that much money to repair the printer, especially since they had one donated to them. 

President Brian Rhone said the play ball dirt was put down at the park by the little league and they also did a lot of work on the field. He stated the park looks very good.

The Pride & Polish with the Mobile Drop Box project was canceled, due to the weather informed Councilman Doug Arthur, and the rescheduled date is May 25th. He would prefer the Mobile Drop Box, if they had that date open on their schedule, to be set up at the Borough office and not at the park. He will call to find out if they are available on May 25th. 

Councilman Eric Page stated they are waiting for the inspectors, and they have a few more items they need to accomplish at their new location. He said they are definitely over budget with the project, but there wasn’t much they could do to avoid the situation.

President Rhone stated they received a letter requesting a donation to the SCDA Hometown Race as a Sponsor.  Council members discussed their financial straits for a few moments and unanimously agreed they unfortunately wouldn’t be able to contribute this year.

Tuesday, May 16th is Election Day, and the new building will be used as a polling location.