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Woodward supervisors list road projects

Names drawn at meeting for rental of two river lots

By WENDY STIVER

wstiver@lockhaven.com

LOCKPORT — The Woodward Township supervisors recently identified roads that need work, and they announced a list at their meeting May 15.

That evening the supervisors also pulled names for two river lots and heard Supervisor Chair Kyle Coleman give some of the history behind the boundary disagreement with Dunnstable Township.

The supervisors plan to see Cardinal Drive paved this year, probably in the fall, after sewer work is done there.

Other problem areas the supervisors viewed or discussed on a recent road tour include:

r A collapsed pipe under Riverview Avenue and River Street.

r Water flow problems at Crestview — Woodland Drive.

r A pipe problem under Shirk Hollow Road.

r Drainage on Croak Hollow Road. A pipe is needed parallel to the road from Swissdale Cemetery to Swissdale United Methodist Church, according to the supervisors.

r Trees obstructing drivers’ views at the intersection of Croak Hollow Road and Woodland Drive. The supervisors said they appreciate Pam Dillett for cutting her trees there, but the intersection needs additional help.

r A cul-de-sac on Village Lane.

r Ditch work in various spots.

RIVER LOTS

Two river lots were available for new tenants, and the supervisors followed their procedure of drawing names from people who had registered their interest in renting the lots.

These two lots are below Riverview Park, and they may be lost entirely to the bike-pedestrian path along the river PennDOT is designing.

Until their fate is known, these lots are being rented on a year-by-year basis.

A hat was used for the drawing, as the spinning barrel was not in the building May 15. A member of the public was asked to pull the names. Names of alternates also were drawn for each lot. The township secretary contacted the winners shortly afterward. One declined, so an alternate was tapped to rent one of the lots.

The lucky lot tenants are Lori Peluso of Mill Hall and Jerry Herman of Lock Haven, who was the alternate.

Coleman reported on a recent meeting with PennDOT regarding the proposed walkway, which could be part of the larger project of widening Farrandsville Road.

The walkway project would involve a “soldier pile” retaining wall on the riverbank, he said, and the township would have some say in what the wall would look like. An aluminum railing would run along the top of the wall, he said, and electric lights would line the walking path. The township could pick out the design of the lights, he said

The township could seek grants to cover its portion of the costs, he added.

In other recreation news, the township received a Clinton County Tourism Grant of $1,500 for safety upgrades to the boat launch and for adding park benches and pet waste stations.

This is not the full amount the township requested, but the grant is always appreciated, Coleman said when it was announced. Most of the upgrades at Lockport Boat Launch park have come from grant dollars, he said.

The township plans to add solar lights in that park whenever funding becomes available, he reported.

Solar lights have already been installed along the walking path inside Riverview Park, and Supervisor Brian Hoy discussed keeping the park open later, now that lighting is available.

New benches also have been added to Riverview Park, Coleman reported.

BOUNDARY DISPUTE

The boundary disagreement with Dunnstable Township seems likely to be settled in court.

The Woodward supervisors voted May 15 to have their surveyor complete his survey of the boundary line so the township can be ready to present evidence. (The original survey was of the disputed portion of the line, not the entire line.)

Woodward contends part of the boundary line was changed more than a decade ago by the county’s geographical information systems office, which caused Woodward to lose properties and potential gas industry impact fees.

The land in question is more than 250 acres, according to Dunnstable, and more than 500 acres, according to Woodward.

Coleman also talked about the various meetings on the issue that have been held since last August among supervisors of both municipalities.

He said the two townships had reached an agreement this year, but that does not seem to be on the table any longer.

“Five of the six supervisors want to work together and get it accomplished, and one is disrupting it,” Coleman said.

According to Coleman: Supervisor John Lucas of Dunnstable Township is not interested in the agreement now, although in August, when Coleman talked with the Dunnstable supervisors, Lucas had suggested all six supervisors sit down together and figure out a solution on their own.

The idea was then tabled until after last year’s municipal election, Coleman said. The election resulted in a new Woodward supervisor being elected and a longtime supervisor leaving the board on Dec. 31.

Early this year, Woodward received a letter from Dunnstable’s solicitor, Lee Roberts, stating Dunnstable wanted the line to remain as it is shown on the county’s map.

However, in late February, a special meeting with both municipalities was held in the Woodward Township building with all six supervisors and the solicitors for both townships. All six supervisors drew a line on a map “collaboratively,” according to Coleman.

Two of the Dunnstable supervisors later voted to go with the line drawn at that meeting, Coleman contended. Lucas then said he was against it and apparently the Dunnstable supervisors changed their vote, Coleman said.

Lucas lives near the disputed line, according to Coleman.

Also according to Coleman, Woodward had offered to pay Dunnstable’s surveyor to revisit the issue and physically walk from survey point to survey point with Woodward’s surveyor. This offer was not accepted, he said.

Using the line the six supervisors drew on a map in February, three properties would move from one township to the other. A property on German Road would go to Dunnstable, and two properties on Cider Press Road would go to Woodward.

It is possible to stipulate when a new boundary line goes into effect, according to Woodward solicitor Robert D. O’Connor Jr. The six supervisors reportedly had discussed allowing the owners of these three properties to continue to pay taxes to whichever township they have been paying them, until their property is sold to a new owner.

Although Woodward believes the entire boundary line dispute started with a county office, the county is “bowing out,” O’Connor said.

He said should the case go to court, the court would appoint a three-person board of view — probably an attorney, a surveyor and a regular resident — to view the property and have the two surveyors show where they believe the survey points are. Then both sides would present evidence and both would have the chance to file objections.

OTHER MATTERS

The township fired its sewage enforcement officer, Jeffrey B. Kreger, after Coleman said Kreger has spoken for Dunnstable’s view on the boundary line, and against Woodward’s view. Kreger also is the sewage enforcement officer for Dunnstable Township, and the Woodward supervisors see his opinions as a conflict.

They had voted in January to remove him from the position for the same reason but reinstated him the following month. However, Kreger has reportedly spoken out on the issue since then.

Trevor Reeder resigned as the township’s emergency management coordinator. Residents who would like to fill the position may submit letters of interest by June 19.

Aaron Shultz was hired for the summer. This will be his second year with the township crew, and he drove the township’s pickup competently and helpfully last year, the supervisors heard. They voted to give him a new pay rate, raising it from the minimum wage of $7.25 to $8.50 an hour.

Mark Stern told the supervisors the 2018 Great Island Race Series would be held June 29 and 30. The series uses Lockport Boat Launch Park, the river, and township roads, among other venues.

The supervisors approved the use of township facilities for the series and also donated $250 to it, the same amount as last year.

Stern also reported that the Rotary Club of Lock Haven, which runs the series, was able to distribute proceeds from the 2017 race series recently, donating a total of $7,000 to seven charities and non-profits.

Bids were opened for road salt and stone. Contracts were awarded to American Rock Salt, headquartered in Mt. Morris, N.Y., for salt; Hanson Aggregates, which has a local quarry and was the only bidder, for stone; and HRI Inc., of this general region, for asphalt materials.

The police report for the month showed 7 criminal arrests, 35 traffic arrests, 3 warrants dealt with, 48 written warnings and 6 verbal warnings issued, 1 commercial truck inspection, 214 calls for sevice, and 39 follow-up investigations.

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