At the September meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors on the 19th, it was disclosed that township Roadmaster, Jim Phelps, had been suspended without pay for an undetermined period of time.  The action was not announced by the Supervisors, but came out in a comment by a township resident who complained about the way the suspension was handled.  Mr. Phelps seems to be back on the job as of this writing.

It was unclear how the disciplinary action came about, whether the Roadmaster’s pay had been, or would be, returned to him, or, for that matter, anything else about the unusual episode.  The Supervisors refused to comment on the matter, declaring it a personnel issue and not open for public discussion.  Roadmaster Phelps and chair of the Board of Supervisors Doug Phelps are brothers.

The Supervisors did, however, take a couple of other personnel actions.  Dustin Walker, the newest Supervisor, has been spending a lot of time on township business.  So his colleagues, Doug Phelps and Sue Furney decided to designate him a “working supervisor,” with a salary to be determined by the township’s auditors.  The township will also advertise for a part-time “operator/laborer,” preferably with CDL certification, to supplement the full-time staff.

The Supervisors are also looking for a contractor with a dump truck equipped with a plow to fill in as necessary with snow removal this winter; the township will provide cinder materials.

The Supervisors considered quotes for various services, as follows:

• They accepted a quote of just under $3,000 to install guide rails on Wilcox and White Roads from Chemung Supply.  Another quote for guide rails on Cobb Road at a price of over $5,000 was tabled for further review.
• They accepted the sole bid for bulldozer services as needed from Brozonis Excavating at a rate of $95 per hour.
• They will need more time to review the details for quotes to replace backhoe tires.
• They will advertise for tree trimming services as needed.

The Supervisors signed documents supporting a contract with the state Dirt & Gravel Roads program to complete work on Oliver Road.  They also renewed participation in the state’s “surplus property” program, which, according to Ms. Furney, the township has never used; the program allows municipalities to buy, sell and trade unused equipment and supplies.

The Supervisors also tabled further decisions on the “up-fit” of a new truck currently being built.  The outfitting of the basic chassis will be carried out by John Bonham Road Equipment & Supplies of Honesdale once the truck is available, probably in November.

Township Solicitor Jamie Hailstone reported that the $2 million project to upgrade the sewer plant is being delayed somewhat pending an appeal to the state Department of Environmental Protection which has denied a water quality permit.  It seems that DEP is now demanding that the township spend an additional $200,000 for an “equalization tank.”  According to Mr. Hailstone, the equalization tank now at the sewer plant has not been used in the 23 years the sewer system has been operating.  The tank is supposed to handle unanticipated overloads from external sources.  But, said attorney Hailstone, the Harford system is “closed,”  receives no external inputs, and currently operates at only about half of its design capacity anyway.  He anticipates the appeal to be routine, and construction isn’t expected to begin until next year in any case.

The Supervisors have scheduled two extra meetings in October to develop a budget for 2018.  They will be open to the public on October 3 and 24, at 4:00pm at the township office.

And, a resident complained of lack of maintenance along the middle stretch of Richardson Road through the woods where mud holes, narrow passage, and lack of ditches make the roadway almost unusable.

The Harford Township Supervisors meet monthly on the third Tuesday, beginning at 7:00pm.  The township office is located on Route 547, west of the interstate.

State Police at Gibson are investigating the death of 49 year-old Robert W. Hubal, of Potter Hill Road, Thompson, PA. The death is being investigated as a Suspicious Death at this time. The victim's vehicle, a charcoal grey, 2003 Dodge 2500 diesel pickup truck with a PA registration of FM4109A is missing from the residence. If anyone should come into contact with this vehicle, they are asked to immediately contact 911 or State Police at Gibson (570-465-3154). The vehicle was possibly observed the same day in the Scranton area with a male and female occupant.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday morning. Additional details/autopsy results will be release when  available.

Southwestern Energy presented a check to NEPA Community Health Care, September 22, 2017.

Pictured (L-R) are: Mike Narcavage, Southwestern Energy with Mary Wetherall, CEO NEPA Community Health Care.

The $3,000 contribution, presented by Mike Narcavage, will go toward support of NEPA’s WIC Program. NEPA Community Health Care will be providing health education for Southwestern Energy staff regarding health screenings, especially related to breast and ovarian cancer this month. Southwestern Energy is also donating sales of t-shirts for the month to NEPA Community Health Care.