CLEARFIELD – At the end of Tuesday’s Lawrence Township meeting, Supervisor Chairman Randy Powell made two motions that were approved by the supervisors as a whole regarding the sanitary sewer infiltration problems in the township.
The first motion was to require Clearfield Municipal Authority township representatives to attend township meetings.
The second was that the township will no longer take any responsibility for fines incurred from the Sanitary Sewer Overflow in Hyde or, if the SSO isn’t closed, the fines of $10,000 to $100,000 each day the SSO is opened. The fines are being levied by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Powell said CMA has a big wastewater treatment plant, but the lines aren’t big enough. The main line through town, he said, is a 10-inch line. He said he was told the plant would never see capacity because of the lines, which date back to the 1950’s.
“I’ve been thrown under the bus so many times,” Powell said in regards to efforts the township has been making to close the SSO, adding that the township has been doing all it can and they’ve been getting slammed by CMA and the engineers.
Supervisor Dan Mitchell added that after every CMA meeting, the headlines in news media proclaim that the problems are all the township’s fault.
Powell said CMA has a problem with lines too small to handle the growth in the past 60-plus years and there are no plans to replace them with bigger lines.
After an executive session, the supervisors made a needed staffing change. The hours of Code Enforcement Officer Debra Finkbeiner were changed from part-time to full-time.
From now until Aug. 3, she will work four days a week, 10 hours per day. Beginning Aug. 6, she will begin working five days per week, eight hours per day. The position will be limited to 40 hours per week.
Under police, the supervisors learned that criminal arrests continue to rise, from 125 in May of 2017 to 144 last month. Traffic citations are up from 130 to 310.
Police Chief Doug Clark said there were 22 DUI arrests and only three or four were alcohol-related, the rest were drug-related.
Solicitor James Naddeo then discussed the School Resource Officer. He said the township will need additional insurance coverage and also a sexual abuse/sexual molestation policy. He said he hasn’t received the signed agreement from the school district yet but instructed Secretary Barb Shaffner to send the first bill for May.
The position of SRO will be paid for by the school district, including salary and benefits. Clark explained that one of his senior officers asked for the position and he will work full-time, 40 hours per week, in uniform.
He will have hours at both schools as well as after school events. Clark said the agreement allows for him to move one of the part-time officers to full-time and hire another part-time officer.
Under code enforcement, residents are reminded if they erect a swimming pool, even a small one purchased at Lowe’s or Wal-Mart, they need to get a permit and have it inspected.
She referred to an incident recently where she found that an installed pool had a short in electric system and it would have resulted in electrocution of anyone in the pool.
The supervisors approved yearly contributions to the fire companies of $9,000 each. Also, 80 percent of $5,202.50 collected in amusement tax will be divided among the fire companies.
Supervisor Jeremy Ruffner said he has been getting calls about Stop signs at Center and Maple streets, Center and Poplar streets and Graham and Clarendon streets and asked the roadmaster to look at them and also the supervisors to look into making at least the first two intersections four-way stops.
The supervisors are also asking members of the Rec Park Board to attend meetings.
