Harford Township approves 2011 budgets

BY PAT FARNELLI

Harford Township supervisors accepted the 2011 final budget during their December meeting Tuesday.

The tax rate remains the same as last year’s, with the  2011 real property millage at 5.13 mills and the fire protection millage at 1 mill.

The 2011 budget for the township shows township expenses at $399,084 and state expenses at $180,500. The state funds is from liquid fuels money and is used only for road maintenance.

The sewer budget, which is funded by residents who are hooked up to the municipal sewer system, lists revenue at $100,300, and expenses at $143,806.

The supervisors approved the appointment of Wayne Federici as the township’s new emergency management co-coordinator. Federici will be able to complete training requirements online.

The supervisors reviewed a proposed ordinance for noise pollution from industrial sources. “We need to protect residents from noises from the gas industry,” said Supervisor Garry Foltz.

The proposed ordinance will be typed up by Foltz and then reviewed by the other supervisors and the township solicitor. It should be voted on at the January meeting.

The supervisors planned to meet with , loan officer for People’s National Bank, to refinance the sewer loan. “As it stands, we are paying a 4.5 interest rate, and at the refinanced rate it will be 3.25%,” Foltz said.

The supervisors noted that some of the monies budgeted for in 2010 were not spent, resulting in a surplus of $40,000.

The control panel for the sewer plant was repaired at considerable savings to the township, supervisors said.

The supervisors sent back 49 road signs to their vendor, Chemung Supply, because they were oversized and not suited for their purpose. They are now ordering the remainder from their second lowest bidder, Bradco Supply.

The supervisors received a letter from Southwestern Energy asking for copies of the township’s ordinances.

Four representatives of Southwestern attended the previous meeting, introduced the company, and said that they will be drilling for natural gas on some properties within the township.

Southwestern Energy also submitted a proposed “Harford Township Road Maintenance Agreement,” in which the supervisors said they “saw some concerns.” The document was sent to the solicitor for review.

The supervisors will be looking to purchase a new, 4 wheel drive truck that is larger than the 550.

The road report focused on pothole repair and ripples which were smoothed out during a spell of beautiful weather, according to Supervisor Terry Van Gorden. Several roads have line of sight problems for motorists, including the intersection of Tyler Lake Road and Tingley Lake Road. Some trees will need to be removed.

One resident, Dorothy Hagenbuch, questioned whether oil and chips will be used on her no outlet road for dust control. She said that although hers is a short road, it is a very populated one. The supervisors said that calcium might be a better alternative on less travelled roads.

Another resident brought in a coffee can of rocks that he said were excessive in size for road control purposes, which were spread on his road.  He said that if these were kicked up by a snow plow they could do considerable damage. The supervisors agreed, and said those pieces were probably scooped up out of some craters in the township lot that were filled in with road material.

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