By TOM DISTEFANO
Staff writer
Elk Township is planning its road work for this year, and may ask neighboring Paint Township to join in on one project.
Supervisor and roadmaster Keith Etzel said the township should consider paving projects on Evergreen and Hemlock drives in the Pine Meadow development and on Sycamore, Ridgewood and Highland drives in Marianne.
Etzel said he recently toured township roads with PennDOT advisor Jim Schepis.
A project that ended last year because of a question over the township boundary in Marianne should be completed, Etzel said, and Schepis told him the township could save money by making it a joint project with Paint Township.
Mobilizing equipment for a short stretch of roadway would significantly drive up the per-ton cost of placing paving materials.
Schepis recommended working with Paint if that township was planning paving projects in the same area.
“It would be nice to get with Paint if they are going to do anything there,” supervisor Brian Miller said. Etzel said he would contact Paint officials to see what their plans were.
Supervisors said they expected a change in the makeup of the Paint Township Board of Supervisors would increase the likelihood of a cooperative project, apparently referring to Don Clinger defeating Randy Vossburg in last year’s elections.
Assessment option
Township surveyor Greg Clark said he learned a property owner whose house straddles the Elk-Paint township boundary has his choice of paying taxes in either township.
Clark had surveyed the township boundary last year in response to a question of where road maintenance responsibility ended for each township.
Clark found the boundary ran though a resident’s house, which raised a question of which township the property should be assessed in.
Clark said he recently spoke to the property owner, the county assessor’s office and the county geographical information system department and learned the homeowner could have a choice of townships.
Clark said the homeowner estimated that being assessed in Elk Township and Keystone School district, rather than Paint Township and the Clarion Area School district, would save him about $600 a year in property taxes.
Clark Road repairs
Etzel said a $6,000 bond on Clark Road held by Interstate Gas will expire next month and he would contact the company to see if township might collect the funds to purchase stone for the damaged road.
Clark said he understands the township has the right to simply collect the bond.
There followed a discussion on negotiations with Interstate and whether there was adequate documentation of the road damage.
Township resident Stan Bashline asked if the township could repair the road in the next six months.
Supervisor Ray Rennard said the township would consider repairs if there are funds in the budget
Miller suggested applying for a Dirt and Gravel Road program grant through the Clarion County Conservation District to fund extensive, long-term repairs to Clark Road.
Clark said the township should develop a plan for repairing the road and should apply for Dirt and Gravel Road funding, which is ultimately supplied from fuel tax revenues.
“If we don’t avail ourselves, someone else will.”
Salt shed
Supervisors discussed replacement of the township salt shed. The old one is in poor repair and its rood is in danger of collapse.
Bashline asked if the township could put off the project for another year and use the funds for road work instead.
Miller said the next heavy snow could bring the roof down.
Time clock
Bashline suggested the township put its time clock back into operation, saying there needs to be a way to audit employee hours.
Etzel said he wanted to continue a discussion he and Bashline had apparently held earlier.
Bashline said he didn’t want to discuss the matter but just wanted to recommend turning the timeclock back on.
Miller said he supported the use of the time clock; Rennard said supervisors would discuss it further.