CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township came together Thursday night for what will likely be the first of many meetings between the two municipalities.
The borough and the township came together to discuss how services offered by the two could be consolidated with the goal of decreasing costs and maintaining what is offered.
On the agenda were five issues: police, fire, street paving, compost sites and public works.
In attendance at the meeting were members of Clearfield Borough Council and the Lawrence Township Supervisors. Heads of the municipalities’ fire departments were also on hand.
Police Departments
“We’ve talked about this over the years,” Clearfield Borough President Jim Leitzinger said of a regional police force.
“If we don’t, we won’t be able to afford it,” added Lawrence Township Supervisor Chairman Bill Lawhead, with members of council agreeing.
“We don’t have a choice if we want police service,” said Larry Mack, Clearfield Borough council member.
“If we’re going to start that direction, we have to follow through with it,” said Lawhead. “We’ll have staunch opposition, but we have to follow through with this.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll follow through with it this time,” commented Errigo.
Lawhead said that this is the third time that he was aware of the two municipalities discussing a regionalized police force.
The issues of police coverage and the location of a centralized station were also discussed. Clearfield Borough Council Member Susan Reed said that they could go with the same number of officers but utilize them more efficiently.
All municipal leaders present wanted to make it known that they were not looking to cut officers from the force.
“One thing we don’t want to do is cut officers’ benefits or salaries,” said Leitzinger.
Both sides will discuss the issue with their police forces and consider writing a letter of intent to the Local Government Services Office. That office would then investigate the feasibility of the two police forces joining.
Fire Departments
Clearfield Borough has been working for more than a year to create a fire service with one or two buildings to serve residents.
In that time, the council has sold the Second Ward and Fourth Ward fire houses, leaving Central Station in downtown and Third Ward near the Clearfield Driving Park.
With those steps taken, Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township fire officials came to Thursday’s meeting to discuss steps taken to explore the further consolidation of fire departments.
“We’re going to do it with less cost, less equipment, and you’re still going to get the job done,” Clearfield Borough Fire Chief Brett Owens said. Owens likened the possibility of Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township fire departments coming together as a larger scale model of what had already been done in the borough.
For the most part, Owens said the two departments already work together.
“We already come to everybody’s fires now,” he said, adding that the only problem is that membership creates problems with riding on equipment from the other municipality.
Owens said the groups have spoken about how to go about the merge, and ideas have been brought to the table with respect as to where to locate fire houses.
“It needs to be out of the center of town,” he said.
Red lights and the potential for accidents were among the reasons Owens cited for locating the merged department’s stations outside of the downtown area.
Clearfield Borough’s consolidation is in the process of making one fire department out of four, while the addition of Lawrence Township’s department would create one department out of seven.
Owens said this change is important because membership is falling at the fire departments.
Lawrence Township Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Jas Catherman said, “The fire service is on a huge manpower decline statewide.”
Owens spoke of a two-station concept to provide coverage for the approximately 16,000 residents of Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township.
“We still believe we can have a timely response.”
The next hurdle, Owens said, was to speak with the volunteers who fight fires to explain why the merger is necessary.
Owens said there is a duplication of equipment, and the fire departments fight for the same tax money, personnel and fundraising dollars.
Lawrence Township Supervisor Chairman Bill Lawhead said he appreciates that the fire company is taking the lead on exploring the possibility of a merger.
“I would rather see a plan devised between the township companies … and the borough companies,” he said.
Even so, Clearfield County Emergency Services Director Josh Quigley said the biggest battles the fire department heads would face is rumors and a lack of knowledge in the community. The solution, he said, is for all involved to work together so that the same information is shared among all involved.
Lawrence Township Secretary Barb Shaffner asked whether Glen Richey would be involved in the process.
Catherman answered that the company, located in Lawrence Township, has not participated much in discussions.
Lawhead suggested holding the next meeting at the fire hall in Glen Richey.
Clearfield Borough Council Member Susan Reed said, “I think you guys are to be commended for the steps you’ve taken this far.”
The suggestion from the fire department officials was to have each municipality sign a letter of intent at their next meetings.
The letter would show the municipalities’ support in requesting that a study be conducted to determine the feasibility of the merger.
“This doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” clarified Ed Brown, Lawrence Township supervisor, regarding the letter of intent.
If the study were to be done, a consultant would investigate and review the situation before coming up with a plan.
Clearfield Borough Council President Jim Leitzinger said he was pleased to see that the fire companies were looking to sources for assistance.
“We definitely need someone from the outside to do it,” he said.
“I think we’re maybe headed down the right path here,” Lawhead said.
He added, “I’d almost be willing to bet next week’s paycheck that we’re going to make some enemies over it.”
Clearfield Borough Council Member John Naddeo said, “If we don’t think about the future, we’re going to be very stagnant.”
Street Paving
Among the topics discussed at the joint municipality meeting was street paving. Bill Lawhead, chairman of the Lawrence Township Supervisors, said that the township may not have a lot of paving to do in the next year. He noted, however, that it’s an item that Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township could and should work together on.
Jim Leitzinger, president of Clearfield Borough council, said that estimates for paving the west side of the borough in two years are around $360,000.
Clearfield Borough council member Mike Errigo noted that it would save money for the two municipalities to bid projects out together.
Both sides discussed how they estimated the amount of materials they would need in any given project. There were some differences, but it did not stop the desire for both municipalities from considering working together.
“I think street paving’s a good place to start, Jim,” said Lawhead.
Compost Sites
Both Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township have composting sites. Clearfield Borough President Jim Leitzinger asked whether both municipalities need two sites.
“We do ours differently,” said Lawrence Township Supervisor Chairman Bill Lawhead.
Lawhead went on to say that the township composts items, allow residents to utilize it and that the township also markets their compost.
“We utilize it quite a bit,” said Lawhead. “It’s that rich … it’s that fertile.”
Leitzinger said that the borough utilizes theirs, but maybe not as well.
One issue Lawhead brought up was that the township’s site may not have enough level space for both municipalities’ compostables.
“It’s possible,” said Ed Brown, Lawrence Township superivor, of the two municipalities composting together.
Brown said that supervisors had discussed the possibility of moving the township’s grinder to the borough’s site. He said that the borough’s site has a lot of room. He added that the grinder is a moveable device, but that the township has no truck to move it. He also added that the borough would need some kind of loader on their site as well.
Brown said that he would prefer that the township’s workers trained with the equipment be on-site and that the borough workers could help with the loading.
“It’s nothing we can’t get started,” said Lawhead.
“I like what they do with their compost,” said Susan Reed, Borough Council member. “It’s recycling at its best.”
Public Works
Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township officials discussed how the two municipalities can coordinate with regard to public works and tasks such as street work, leaf removal and snow removal.
“That’s been happening on a regular basis,” said Ed Brown, Lawrence Township supervisor. He said the borough and the township often trade off on tasks such as mowing, lending equipment and street sweeping.
Brown added that if things were done correctly, the township might even be able to assist the borough in cleaning up after a snowstorm after all borough roads are cleared. He suggested that perhaps the day after a storm, the township could assist in clearing out the downtown. Such assistance would be billed to the borough.
Clearfield Borough Council Member Mike Errigo said if such activities that already happen or could happen were to be formalized, both municipalities could be eligible for more grants.
Clearfield Borough Secretary Pam Peters said Phil Scrimenti, local government policy specialist for the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, said a letter of intent expressing the desire for the municipalities to work together could result in a study being done in this area.
Brown said he did not believe the two municipalities were prepared to sign such a letter yet, adding that there were “small things” the two municipalities needed to work on first.
“We need to get some of this settled.”
Sewer Service
Lawrence Township Supervisor Bill Lawhead said Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township need to examine the fact that three entities control sewer lines in the municipalities. The third entity is the Clearfield Municipal Authority.
“If you want to start on something, that’s the way to start right there,” he said.
Clearfield Borough Council Member Mike Errigo said the reason CMA did not want to take over lines in the past was because the lines were in poor shape.
“You can’t say that much anymore,” he said.
Lawhead suggested that the two municipalities take action at their next meetings to send CMA a letter stating that it is time for CMA to take over the sewer lines.
The joint meeting ended with the municipalities agreeing to come together again Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Clearfield Borough building.
Only one resident attended Thursday night’s meeting. Marven Smith of Clearfield Borough said, “I’m very impressed with this meeting.”
Smith said the type of open dialogue he saw did not happen in the past, and that was a problem. He added that it was encouraging to see such cooperation.
Following the meeting, Clearfield Borough Fire Chief Brett Owens said the meeting went excellent.
He said the fact that both municipalities expressed interest in signing a letter of intent to study the fire departments was good news.
“Good news for us, good news for the community.”
Lawrence Township Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Jas Catherman agreed that the meeting went well.
“I think it has potential,” he said, adding that there is a need to educate the public and political leaders as to the plan progresses.
Clearfield Borough Council President Jim Leitzinger said, “I think it’s a good first step for the borough and the township. There seemed to be a real spirit of cooperation.”
“This should have been done years ago,” said Larry Mack, Clearfield Borough council member.
Lawhead said after the meeting that he was pleased with the way the meeting turned out.
“I think it went well,” said Lawhead. “Everyone on both sides understands now that something has to happen.”