CLEARFIELD – After recent heavy storms and flooding in Lawrence Township, the supervisors Tuesday night discussed assembling two emergency trailers with supplies to help with future emergencies.
Supervisor Jeremy Ruffner noted that neither the supervisors nor the fire companies are equipped for the kinds of emergencies they assisted the township crews with earlier this month.
He has been looking into trailers and various equipment such as generators, lights, collapsible barricades, traffic cones, road flares, shovels and other items.
The trailers would be ready in the event of emergencies and checked regularly. When needed, a truck could be hitched up to a trailer and transported to the location where it is needed.
Ruffner said he has already priced 5-foot by 8-foot trailers at $1,999.99 and started pricing equipment. He suggested a budget of $10,000, to come from the fire company general fund, and to locate one emergency trailer at the township building and one at the Mill Road fire station, which was approved.
The supervisors also heard from residents from Plymptonville who asked about alleyways in the township and who is responsible for caring for them as well as the grass cutting ordinance.
Trace Tibbens asked for a copy of the ordinance, which he can get through a right-to-know request. He specifically wants to look at the portion that allows for fines to be levied when lawns are mowed and the clippings are blown into the street.
He said he recently received a notice at his home regarding grass blown into the alley adjacent to his home. He said he understood that the township does not maintain the alleys and therefore they don’t count as streets.
Tibbens said he feels he and others in Plymptonville are being targeted while other people in the township continue to blow clippings into streets and aren’t penalized.
The township does not maintain any alleys, which are on paper only. Solicitor Jim Naddeo explained in that case, the property owners would then own up to the middle of the alley, except where there are private easements.
He added that the property owners would need to consult attorneys regarding what exactly their responsibilities are regarding the alleys.
Supervisor Randy Powell added that, so far as he is aware, the grass cutting ordinance doesn’t apply to alleys and said he would talk with the code enforcement officer.
Mown grass on roadways creates a hazard for motorcycles and bicycles because it becomes very slick and causes accidents. The grass also clogs stormwater drains.
In other business, the supervisors set Trick or Treat on Oct. 27 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Secretary Barb Shaffner said they had several requests from residents to set the event on a weekend during daylight hours.
Residents are reminded that if they received a letter regarding inflow and infiltration, they need to get the inspection information to the code officer.
Those residents who haven’t scheduled inspections yet need to do so and a list of plumbers to do the inspections can be had by calling the township code office.
