Dimock residents question impact fee

BY PAT FARNELLI

Should Susquehanna County municipalities adopt an impact fee? That was the main topic at the Dimock Township supervisors meeting Monday.

Supervisor Matt Neenan addressed the agenda item, saying he planned to attend the county commissioners meeting the next morning to represent the township.

Many residents had questions on the impact fee, while few said they had read the document signed by Governor Tom Corbett. In this community which has seen more gas drilling activity than any other in the county, residents worried that adopting the impact fee would drive away drillers before they would see a royalty check for leased property.

Others had heard rumors that donations to the community by Cabot Oil & Gas would stop.

Township secretary Paul Jennings asked for residents’ input.

Bill Aileo responded that even if he were a gas company, he would probably approve the impact fee, just for the sake of uniformity. He said he had looked up the lengthy document online and skimmed the summary.

One resident worried that with the low current price of natural gas, and the profitable market for “wet gas” fromOhio, the companies might go elsewhere.

Another resident said that she had spoken with Cabot employees, and that they said they would not be pulling out of the area.

“Meeting guidelines” was another agenda item.

The supervisors referred to Montrose Borough Council’s recent changes in rules for their public meetings, and asked if residents had opinions about how meetings are conducted.

Jenningssaid that he was satisfied with the way meetings have traditionally progressed in Dimock. One visitor asked if the informal, interactive style should be based on Robert’s Rules of Order.

Resident Ron Teel suggested waiting to see if things settle down in the next few weeks.

The township building is due for some renovations, Neenan said. The office behind the large meeting room has been unused except for storage, and could be better utilized as an office for the township secretary.Jenningshas been working from home for years.

The project would involve adding some windows to the building’s exterior walls, and possibly an interior sliding glass window for the secretary office.

Jenningscould do the township paperwork on site, and move a computer and copier to the new office. The township is looking for a contractor to do the job.

A certified letter was received from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation saying that in order for any company to use township roads, they will have to go through an application and permitting process.

In addition, the township should perform some kind of engineering study to determine if the roads can handle trucks with 102 inch wide loads. There was no mention of a weight limit for township roads.

A number of permits were issued for gas well sites in theEly Lake Roadarea. Neenan said most were for road crossings for pipes.

Bids for the spring and summer months were discussed. The supervisors decided to advertise for bids for calcium and for the leasing of an 82-84 inch drum roller for finishing roads after they have been built up and graded.

Bids may be advertised for a boom mower for cutting brush, but they will hold this item until later in the spring.

One or more of the supervisors will attend the Emergency Management Agency meeting on March 22, on the topic of Hazard Mitigation Planning.

Four fire police officers whose names were submitted by the Elk Lake Fire Company were approved.

TheDimockTownshipsupervisors meet on the first Monday of the month at7 p.m.