DUBOIS – DuBois City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio informed council Monday night about ongoing inflow and infiltration talks with Sandy Township.
Suplizio said he was specifically talking with Township Manager Dave Monella and Township Engineer Perry Bowser about rain water getting into Sandy Township’s sewer system that ultimately ends up in DuBois City’s system.
These talks are at the urging of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), he said.
Suplizio said at this stage, he had asked Monella and Bowser to come up with a plan on reducing the stormwater infiltration of the sewer system that they thought Sandy Township could live with.
“I’m not saying we’ll do that plan or not do that plan, but it is a start,” said Suplizio to council.
He added that eventually it could lead to adding meters to specific manhole covers and feeds for excessive infiltration and inflow. Suplizio admitted that DuBois City needed to work on reducing its own stormwater issue.
According to him, it came in light of the 6.8 inches of rain that recently hit the area. Thirty-three of the thirty-four hazardous condition calls to the DuBois Volunteer Fire Department in September were due to a single storm, he said.
At the end of the meeting, Councilwoman Diane Bernardo brought up the Juniata Street Bridge. She stressed repeatedly what she was about to say was her own comments and not representative of the council as a whole.
“We seem to be convenient when Sandy Township wants to use brotherly love,” said Bernardo.
The topic, she said, that sparked her comments was Sandy Township’s desire for DuBois City to help pay for the replacement of a bridge that mainly benefits Sandy Township citizens.
While at the same time, she said members of the Sandy Township Board of Supervisors have withheld a funding request by DuFast while they consider how much their citizens use area public transit.
“I was thinking of the light at Beaver Drive and Schaefer Road. The light we call the mall light. Who maintains that light?” asked Bernardo. Suplizio answered “We do.”
This repeated as Bernardo asked about who paid for the concert activities and Miracle Park. Suplizio responded, in order, with grant money and DuBois City. Bernardo mentioned the city’s 3.5 mills tax rate.
“Does the bus stop at the DuBois line?” asked Bernardo. “No,” answered Suplizio.
“The bus goes to the DuBois Mall in Sandy Township. It goes to the K-mart Plaza in Sandy Township. It goes to Wal-Mart in Sandy Township,” said Bernardo.
She also mentioned several retirement communities in DuBois City, where former residents of Sandy Township may now live.
“I know reading the election statements that the Sandy Township Supervisors are Christians. I know they are good people,” said Bernardo, before urging them to re-read First Corinthians 13.
“I ask them to please to look at that last verse about looking at that mirror.”