COG to enforce Harford flood plain

BY PAT FARNELLI

The Susquehanna County Council of Governments has decided to take on flood plain ordinances, Harford Twp. Supervisor Garry Foltz said.

Foltz reported at the July 9 township meeting that the flood plain ordinance for the township was more than 30 pages long, and that the supervisors were about to hire an engineering firm to monitor all building permits in the flood plain area.

“This frees us from hiring a flood plain inspector,” he said. “This would be included in fees already paid to COG.”

The supervisors unanimously voted to adopt resolution 2-13 appointing the Susquehanna County COG to administer and enforce the municipal flood plain ordinance.

The township received its 2012 Impact Fee check in the amount of $204,454.92, which was deposited in a capital reserve account; $12,000 was approved to be withdrawn for payment of a list of bills on Tuesday at the supervisors’ meeting.

The supervisors hired a part time secretary and a full time operator/driver for the road crew at the June meeting, and Impact Fees were used to purchase a Gradall for use on township roads. Renting a grader proved to be nearly impossible, as gas companies are leasing the machines for the season.

Carolyn Jennings was hired as part time secretary for the township on June 11, effective June 14, and is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the summer from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at $12 per hour with no benefits.

Harry Buchanan of New Milford was hired for the operator/driver position.
He has been working for the township as a part time road crew employee since May 22, and was hired with a start date of June 17 for the full time position.

Several pieces of equipment had been offered for sale, and the roller was sold for $350, and the generator for $100.

The bridge on Lower Podunk Road has been found in violation according to the state Department of Transportation. The supervisors are looking into what funding is available for this project.

Robert Doble of Reilly Associates has offered his services and submitted a letter he has written to the Northern Tier Regional Planning Commission concerning this matter. The supervisors approved giving their permission to Doble to send this letter.

The supervisors received Department of Environmental Protection notification about the Miller compressor station for the Williams Gathering Company about a week prior to the meeting.

The Miller station, to be located at the top of Miller Road, will be the first in Harford Township and will include the DeLucia well pad. The DeLucia pad has six acres, and the notification for the compressor station said that 28 acres will be disturbed. The station will be constructed in the middle of the woods at the highest point on Miller Road, with five compressors.

“The permit said that it will be surrounded by woods, but I don’t see how,” Foltz said. He said that most of the woods will have to be cleared for the site.

Foltz said that Conrad Owens, president of Harford’s water authority, had concerns regarding this development, and wants assurance that if water is affected, the Williams company will provide potable water to the township.
Foltz noted that the supervisors need to ensure that the company needs to alter its plan for accessing the station, which includes a path taking Tingley Lake Road to Grinnell Road to Miller Road, which Foltz deemed a dangerous path for truck travel. “We need to make sure they change the path to Stevens Road to Grinnell to Miller Road,” he said.

The Harford Water Association still needs signatures for its official paperwork, and is requesting that the supervisors complete identical deeds and submit the paperwork with all signatures attached.

Foltz said that the fire hydrant in front of Mr. Michaels’ house in town is broken and had to be disconnected for fire department use recently. Several have questioned who is reponsible for that hydrant. The water authority will not fix the hydrant if it is not owned by them. Foltz said that he has found that the hydrant was donated, and that the township pays insurance on the hydrants.

Supervisor Doug Phelps said that the main hydrants are on an eight to ten inch line directly from the lake.

Supervisor Sue Furney said that she would make a call to the Harford fire company to see when it can be repaired or replaced, and to find out if hydrants are being flushed or tested.

The township’s clean up program cost $2,700 this year, and they are hoping to get a check for the scrap metal collected during the collection of unwanted items.

The township’s legal expense for unpaid sewer bills has amounted to twice that budgeted, and Foltz said that these expenses should be somehow attached to the sheriff sales so that the township will be able to be reimbursed for these legal costs.

Several residents whose accounts have remained in arrears are going to court for judgements soon, then will be scheduled for sheriff sales.
Several township roads have been vacated in recent years, including parts of North Harmony, Foltz Road, and Deer Trail.

It was noted that Stevens, Grinnell, Miller, Jeffers, the rest of Deer Trail, Orphan’s School, and Bartholomew Roads as well as part of Tingley Street have been significantly improved by gas company road work.

Foltz noted that since the county has separated itself from the Conservation District, the committee dealing with soil conservation grants has not met since May, but that they will meet this week.

Dust on the roads has been “horrendous” this year, Supervisor Garry Foltz said, and calcium product needs to be ordered for application.