Mountaintop Municipalities Face Varying Issues In 2009

In 2009, Mountaintop municipalities each faced a variety of different and often diffcult issues.

Rice Township

Rice Township opened the year on a somber note with the tragic loss of Sgt. Joe Brozoski. Support poured in from the community for Joe’s family and his friends in the township. The Board of Supervisors added a part time police offcer to cover shifts in April and elevated Ptlm. Anthony Martine to full time status in September.

In the third prong of an update of planning and zoning regulations, the Board began the process of revising the Rice Township Comprehensive Plan. Representing the growth of the township, it was announced that almost 1,100 surveys were mailed to residents, compared to 900 in 2002 when the update process started. In August the results were shared with the public, showing a response rate of 46%, a good return according the Planning Consultant Jack Varaly. Consistent with the 2002 survey, the residents’ responses applauded the rural character and natural resources, but objected to increasing traffic congestion.

Dorrance Township

Dorrance Township’s contentious relationship with its vocal residents started the year and ended the year. Objections were lodged early in the year to the Supervisors’ plan to hire a CPA to conduct the annual audit. Issues relating to ongoing legal matters such as the Small Mountain Quarry and the TFP development continued to draw complaints from residents, as did the public comment regulations governing meetings.

The popularity of Dorrance’s recreation fields and recycling programs also continues with usage increasing. Through a $40,000+ state grant, the Board constructed a walking trail and new parking area on the site of the township’s old salt shed. With the help of a doubled property tax rate, plans for a new garage are being pursued for the new year.

Sewer plans dominated Nuangola Borough’s entire year, bringing proponents out meeting after meeting to challenge Council’s seeming inertia. In January, a letter from DEP reminded Council that the state agency expects movement on the borough’s Act 537, mandating a sewer collection system. By summer, residents of Rice Township faced with the construction the sewer line through their pasture lands fled a legal appeal to have the sewer line moved. The court’s lack of action effectively resulted in a full stop to the entire project. Subsequently, funding source Citizen’s Bank halted dispersals for lack of progress. The year ended with Council agreeing to seek grant funds to pay for an amendment to the plan which would re-route the sewer line and end the impasse.

Although at odds on the sewer issue, many Nuangola residents came out to celebrate the borough’s 100th birthday. The golden anniversary was feted in a series of events throughout the year including a day-long block party at The Grove featuring entertainment, food, games and a parade lead by Mayor Norman Rule.

Wright Township

The Wright Township Fire Department announced exciting news in September when Fire Chief Dave Pettit reported that the Department has achieved the 75% certifcation level rating in the Pennsylvania Participating Department Certifcation through Education program.

This program was established by the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner and the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy to make note of and award departments who have “stepped up a notch in the area of frefghter training,” according to Pettit. The recognition categories are at the 10%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels, and refect the percentage of frefghters/ members in the department who are certifed and tested against a national standard.

The department voted to purchase a new ladder/tower apparatus. This new device includes a 102 foot aerial tower, a 2000 GPM pump and a full complement of ground ladders.

The department’s December report discussed the fre at the home of one of its longtime members, Lieutenant and Training Offcer Chris Krout. The Krout family’s Wright Township home was completely lost in a fre on the day after Thanksgiving.

The Wright Township Park Expansion Phase II Project frst opened for bids on July 30th, with the original date for contracts to be awarded being August 10th. However, at the October Board meeting, Frascella reported that all of the initial bids were rejected by the Township on advice of the Solicitor and Engineer. A new round of bids opened on October 26th.

At the November Supervisor meeting, Frascella announced the awarding of the contracts for the Project. The contract for the general construction was awarded to Grand Prix Excavation of Tamaqua, in the amount of $528, 365. The contract for the electrical work was awarded to Champion Builders of King, in the amount of $90, 175. Frascella emphasized that no tax dollars will be used to fund the project, but rather, the entire cost will be covered by grant money and donations.

The township’s grant application to PA Conservation Works for $25,000 to change the Municipal Building’s lights and windows was denied. The township was successful in receiving a grant to update all of its traffc signals to Standard LED lighting, in which the bulbs are brighter and last longer than the bulbs which have been used in the past. This will apply to the three traffc signal intersections, and one fashing warning light. 100% funding was obtained for the project, in the amount of $982,800.

The contract for the 2009 Roadway Improvement Project to Pennsy Supply, the lowest bidder in the amount of $83,709.10. The Project included roadwork on Glendale Drive and Roberts Drive.

Wright Planning Commission

At the December Wright Township Planning Committee meeting, Nick Larosa, the only homeowner currently living in the townhouse development formerly known as “The Sanctuary” raised concerns over the continued development of the site due to TCC contamination and the alleged fraud that occurred when he purchased the property from WCAT, the development frm of which Atty. Robert Powell is President. Citing the huge drop in property value since the purchase, Larosa stated “Its bad enough I am going to lose my home, but I don’t want it to happen to someone else”

Fairview Township

The new First Keystone National Bank building received conditional approval from the Fairview Township Board of Supervisors at its August 3rd Meeting. The building is located on Route 309 near the Dunkin Donuts. The branch offce of the bank opened for business in October.

During the latter half of 2009, Fairview Township had ongoing work on a road paving project, as well as the Mary Street Bridge Project.

Fairview announced its 2010 Budget in the amount of $1,257,015. Vice-Chair Russ Marhold reported that this new budget involves no increase in overall tax revenue to be collected by Fairview Township.

However, due to the county’s recent reassessment process, the overall assessed value of property in Fairview Township has dropped from $400,326,200 to $376,224,200. As a result, the Township has increased the millage from 0.8 to 0.85 to offset the overall lowering of property values.

Thus, residents whose assessed property values have not been lowered can expect a slight tax increase.

The 2009 Bazaar of the Mountain Top Hose Company No. 1 was very successful, according to David P. Hourigan, President. The Bazaar raised over $34,000 in net proceeds, which exceeds last year’s net proceeds by over $3,000. Hourigan reported that the company used these proceeds, along with a smaller amount of the Company’s own funds, to pay off two fre engine loans in the amount of $42,000. With these payments, the Hose Company now owns outright three of the four vehicles that it uses.

Additionally, the Department acquired some important new frefghting equipment. “Always a leader in technology,” the Department planned to purchase between 18 and 24 new air packs that help in accountability for personnel at the scene of fres. These packs allow the scene commanders to signal individual frefghters to leave an area and to account for and track movements of each individual frefghter. Additionally, the packs will indicate to a central command station if any frefghter stops moving or is running out of air. These packs cost approximately $5,280 each, paid for by a combination of a government grant and fre department funds.

Hourigan further reported that the fre department members have volunteered many hours of time performing restoration work on the Cavanaugh’s building.

Slocum Township

In Slocum Township, residents angered by disruptions caused by freworks set off by Zach Yeager of ZY Pyrotechnics pressured the Board of Supervisors to enact an ordinance regulating the displays. In the end the frequency of displays was set to no more than two per calendar month and 90 minutes each in duration, to go on no later than 9:30 on weekdays and 10:30 on weekends. Also in Slocum, after months of following the process required for rezoning of an agriculturally zoned property, the Supervisors denied a request by Michael Ziminsky to rezone his property to commercial status in order to open a vehicle inspection station. An application for conditional use of an already existing building has been fled which would allow Ziminsky to open the service station and operate it for the approved use only.

On a lighter note, new street signs have been popping up all over the township as it is one of eight municipalities in Luzerne County that is going through a standardized 911 readdressing process. Slocum residents, who are the last on the mountain to still retain a Rural Route box number, will fnally have a street name and house number. As infrastructure and technology have progressed, Rural Route numbers have become more and more obsolete and troublesome and the new system will allow 911 operators and emergency personnel to fnd a home more quickly and easily.

And, on an even lighter note, garbage fees for remained the same for 2010, as did the tax rate.

This is part of the December 30, 2009 online edition of The Mountaintop Eagle.

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