DETURKSVILLE - Washington Township Supervisor Wendell Gainer questioned secretary/treasurer Dawn Koch on March 18 about the status of the budget.
According to Koch, the township has collected revenue at the rate of 24 percent for January and February, but spending only 10 percent of what had been budgeted. She cautioned, however, that she does not know about March.
Bills
Koch requested the board consider establishing a "cut off" time for accepting bills for payment. She noted that she tries to get things ready for the monthly meetings by the prior Wednesday, but sometimes bills arrive after that and she has to hurry to get them included for the meeting. The board agreed that any bills received by the close of business on the Wednesday prior to the meeting be presented for payment. Any received after that time will be held over for the next month.
Recycling
A resident questioned a $212.60 payment made to Cougle's Recycling. According to Gainer, the township has been paying Cougle's for some time. It's the difference, he explained, between what the township gets for the materials and the transportation cost.
"It's the cost of doing business and providing a service to the township," Gainer said.
In the spring of 2012, the supervisors had decided to discontinue their 20-plus years recycling program. Upon the urging of some residents, they agreed to keep it and had contracted with Cougle's Recycling to transport the materials to its site in Hamburg. It was thought that the program would be self-sustaining with the money earned from the materials paying for the transportation.
Gainer noted that he wants bills, especially those over $200, to be more detailed. He said he would speak with the roadmaster, who was absent from the meeting.
The township is also experiencing problems with detailed bills from one of its Sewage Enforcement Officers, Light-Heigel, although, according to Koch, they are being submitted quicker.
Driveway
A resident made a complaint about the time he had spent on his driveway permit. Although he said he had been told a permit was not needed if he did not plan on moving it or changing its size, a few weeks later a package came from Light-Heigel with a picture of a car in the driveway. Upon contacting Light-Heigel, he was told that the township had been contacted and said it was not a driveway and he would need a permit. He then filled out the application, and waited for the permit. After some time, another contact was made, and he was told that the information on the application needed to be verified.
"If I hadn't pushed, I'd still not have a permit," the man said. "It was a waste of money in my opinion."
Gainer noted he had already confirmed that the driveway being discussed has been a driveway for years. But since the resident had decided to expand the driveway when he applied for the permit, he didn't get involved. The board recognized in January (at the Reorganizational Meeting) that a change of people doing the permitting needs to be made, Gainer said. He assured the resident he would be contacting the firm the next day.
In other business:
- A letter from Pine Grove Township inquiring whether the supervisors wanted to continue their affiliation with the joint Uniform Construction Code Appeals Board was received but no discussion was held. Washington Township had joined with Pine Grove and Tremont townships in 2008 to establish the joint said that rates for the employees' dental insurance will be available in July. Gainer noted that the board could then discuss their options and be ready to make a decision in September. Last month, Gainer suggested the dental, eye and medical plans all expire at the same time.
- As approved last month, Koch noted that 300 tons of salt had been ordered from Co-STAR. Since a roadmaster's report was not available, it was not known whether the cost of 700 tons of anti-skid material had been obtained.
- Gary Brown questioned what the board's plans were for the recreation park after April 1. In the past, Brown said, the board would extend the previous contract until a new one was signed.
"If needed, would you do the cutting?" Gainer asked, adding that he would discuss Brown's question with Gary Neidlinger.
- The board approved the addition of a tax parcel owned by Gary and Amy Anderson to their already established Agricultural Security Area.
- A resident noted his appreciation for the great job the road crew had done snow plowing.