Dimock notified of pipeline

BY PAT FARNELLI

Dimock Township supervisors received notification that the Williams pipeline company intends to install 1165 feet of pipeline in the township, between the west side of Rt. 29 and the east side of SR 3010.
Chairman Matt Neenan said Monday he thinks this is in the general area of the Church compressor station.
A state Department of Environmental Protection erosion and sediment plan was approved for the gas well pad on the property of Brian and Charlotte Severcool, located in Dimock Township on Route 29. Permits to drill an additional well were approved several months ago, and the erosion plan is for the new pad, which has already been completed, Neenan said.
A stack of DEP permits were available for public view, but none were for Dimock Township this month: they were all for neighboring townships.
Driveway permits for well sites was an agenda item, and this was discussed by the supervisors and residents in attendance.
Neenan said that it might be a good idea to raise the price for driveway permits, as the current $150 rate per year is “cheap,” he said. Also, many permits for driveways have expired after a year, and will need renewals when the gas company is ready to commence work.
Secretary Esther Rayias said that she had researched driveway permit fees, and that Bridgewater Township charges $250 per driveway per year, Middletown Township charges $300 for two years, with the stipulation that the company must maintain the driveway areas; and Springville Township charges $150 per driveway per year, with a $10 renewal fee for every additional six month period.
Supervisor Gerald Ellis said that he thought that the supervisors should first follow up on the idea by contacting the county Council of Governments.
Neenan explained that the COG grants the township’s driveway permits, and that the township only handles the pipeline crossing permits. The driveway permit issue was tabled until next month.
Township Constable Thomas Vlachos sent the supervisors a proposal, which was shared at the meeting. Vlachos presented the proposal himself, saying that he could provide his services in several ways: first, he could do three three-hour patrols per week at $30 per hour; or, he could be available on an on-call basis at $30 per hour; and lastly, the supervisors could fund his purchase of decals for his own police car, which could identify it as State Constable 911 Dimock Township Patrol. The decals could be magnetic so that they could be attached to the vehicle when on duty, and removed when he is not actively patrolling.
Neenan said that the responses he has received to having additional constable presence in the township have been mixed. He asked if those in attendance had an opinion.
Catherine Probasco said that a friend unable to attend asked her to comment in favor of constable patrols.
Resident Bob Ellis said, “I think it is something that should be on the ballot and voted on.”
Ellis also noted during public comment time: “I would like to see the township get a grader and an arm for trimming brush.”
Last year was the first year that the township rented a grader, and Neenan asked what the residents in attendance thought of the road conditions after the grader was employed.
Several said that they thought it made an improvement.
The supervisors voted to contribute $25 per child for the Springville-Dimock baseball program, which has 38 Dimock Township children on the roster now.
The 2012 county Hazard Mitigation Plan was adopted by the supervisors.