CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield-Lawrence Joint Committee met yesterday to pick up where it had left off in the process of moving forward and considering the consolidation of the two municipalities.
Randy Albert, representative of the state Department of Transportation, was to have talked with the committee but was unable to attend at the last minute. The committee, therefore, moved forward on the agenda, first reviewing the final group of changes to the draft of the home rule charter and each committee member received a copy of the draft document to review.
The next point was to discuss the joint agreement process and planning and also to discuss when the matter will be voted on by the municipal governments and then the voting population of the municipalities.
Gerald Cross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League, the group helping the municipalities work towards consolidation, said it is too late to get the matter on this November’s ballot, but they could aim for May of 2017.
To do that, everything must be in order by the end of this year, if not sooner, so that the township supervisors and borough council can vote on the needed ordinances. If both of the municipalities agree to move forward and adopt the ordinances, then the election board will be notified and the referendum placed on the May ballot.
If the committee and municipalities miss the February deadline to have the referendum added, the next deadline would be August of 2017 to have the matter put on the November of 2017 ballot.
“I think we’re well on our way,” Co-Chairman Bill Lawhead remarked. “If we need extra committee meetings, then OK.”
After considerable discussion and a suggestion by Co-Chairman Brian Lytle to do additional community outreach, the board agreed to hold a joint meeting on Jan. 19, which is also the borough council voting meeting that month.
The meeting will be held somewhere a large number of people can gather so that the public can also attend. Currently, the plan is to hold the meeting at the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School, but another location may be determined due to scheduling.
Additional meetings were then scheduled for the next three months. Each meeting will be at the Clearfield Borough Building at 3:30 p.m. and will be open to the public. The meetings generally last until 5:30 p.m. and public comment time is reserved for the end of the meeting.
Upcoming meetings will be: Sept. 14 and 27, Oct. 11 and 25 and November meetings will be determined at a later date.
Resident Robert Clark then spoke up and demanded to know why the meetings were being held at 3:30 p.m. Initially the meetings were scheduled for this time, and then moved to 6 p.m. for a few months before returning to 3:30 p.m. this month.
Lawhead explained that public attendance trickled off after a few months and so the original meeting time was resumed. Also, the members of PEL have a three-hour trip one way and were getting home after 11 p.m.
Clark accused the committee of holding the meetings early so that the public is uninformed and accused members of the press, who were present, of not reporting on the meetings.
When told that the press had been at each meeting and reported on them, Clark then stated that the press was only reporting what they were told by the committee and said attendance at later meetings dropped off due to ball games and practices and would pick up again.
After several more comments and demands to know why the meeting time was changed, Lawhead asked Clark to settle down or leave, and Clark chose to remain and refrain from outbursts.
Cross presented a checklist and items for discussion regarding the joint agreement. The agreement is to create a framework for the municipalities to use to merge resources, employees, etc.
It will also give the citizens an idea of what they are voting on. Cross reminded the committee that even if the referendum passes, it will still be two years before the new municipality is formed, and the joint agreement manages what happens in transition. The new government would go into effect January of 2019.
By law, the agreement must include several things: the name of the two municipalities party to the agreement; the new name and boundaries of the new municipality; the type and class of the new municipality; how the municipality should be governed; the number of districts or wards and how the governing body will be elected; organization of the governing body; and administration and enforcement of ordinances.
Also, the disposition of assets, liquidation of existing indebtedness, assumption or disposition of existing liabilities (pensions, contracts, etc.), implementation of a uniform tax system and a transitional plan and schedule.
Much of this has been answered in the draft charter, including the name of the municipality (City of Clearfield), and that it will be considered for state and federal assistance as a second-class township (as home rule charter is not always recognized by certain agencies).
A memorandum of understanding will also be created to encourage understanding of the functioning of the new government. It will include how municipal services will work, what the consolidated government shall be responsible for, how the employees will function in the new government, that services and facilities will still remain and be in use, and so on.
Cross noted this is the time when people will hear and create all kinds of rumors about what will happen, often to defeat the referendum, and this is the time to lay as many of those possible rumors to rest.
The first item of concern addressed for the MOU was the structure of the merged police force. Recommendations included a chief, assistant chief, three sergeants (one for each shift), a detective on day shift, and then the full and part-time patrol officers. There will also be a fourth “power” shift to give extra coverage in certain areas.
Cross emphasized that no employees will lose their jobs but some job titles will shift. For example, there are currently two chiefs. One will remain chief and the other offered the position of assistant chief. Civilian staffing, including secretaries, meter officers, animal control, etc. will also need to be spelled out and the collective bargaining agreements and labor contracts will need to be considered.
Another issue to be ironed out is the pensions of the two departments. Clearfield’s officers are funded at a ratio of 107.6 percent while Lawrence is underfunded 74.25 percent. Both departments use the same actuary and Cross said the municipalities need to start working with the company on this now.
The next meeting will be held Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m. at the borough building.