Bridgewater Township held its annual reorganization meeting Monday, Jan. 6, with new supervisor Russell Breeze coming on board, before the first monthly meeting of 2020.
The reorganization meeting began with recognition of the newly elected officials, including Breeze and two re-elected auditors, Beverly Way and Cheryl Myers. Kirk Heffner was thanked for his six years of service as a supervisor. He will continue as a full-time township employee, but decided not to run for supervisor again, leaving Breeze unopposed on the ballot.
Breeze has not been a supervisor before, but is not a new face in the township by any means, having started to work for the township in 1962. He worked as a township employee for 28 years straight, and six or seven additional years,” he said.
The township thanked the auditors for their service, as well.
For the re-organization meeting, Kenneth Mead was appointed temporary chairman. First, Chris Harris was appointed chairman of the board of supervisors, and Mead vice-chairman. Connie Ely was re-appointed as township’s secretary/treasurer.
The township employees were re-appointed and their list of salaries was approved. The four employees approved were Jerry Molfetas, Kirk Heffner, Don
Carroll Jr., and Charles Rosengrant. Full-time employees may elect to receive insurance benefits from the township.
A $1.2 million treasurers bond was set.
Appointments were made, as listed:
*Michael Giangrieco as township solicitor;
*Ed Belcher as emergency coordinator;
*Charles Mead, chairman of vacancy board;
*Tim Loomis, chair of municipal authority board;
*Peoples Security Bank and PLGIT were selected as depositories.
Meetings were set to be held on the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m., and the third Monday at 3:30 p.m. Nine holidays for township employees will remain the same.
All supervisors and the secretary treasurer are approved to attend the PSATS Annual Conference in Hershey, May 3-6.
Mileage reimbursement was set at 57.5 cents.
The township will continue with COG for sewage, building permits, and code enforcement.
Harris will serve as township representative for the Northern Tier Coalition and as the township’s voting delegate to COG.
After the re-organization meeting was adjourned, the monthly meeting was called to order.
Township resident Brian Woodruff spoke on the condition of Williams Pond Road during the citizen input section of the meeting. The road is currently undergoing hydrofracturing of gas wells, and the muddy, rutted surface is dangerous, with vehicles going off the road, he said.
Harris said he has just plowed that road, and it was rough, to say the least. Mead suggested that Woodruff call the gas company. “Bare Valley Road was the same way, and I called and said I was going to close that road,” Mead noted.
The supervisors approved sending Belcher to Emergency Management training.
A letter was received from County Treasurer Jason D. Miller notifying the supervisors that two repository properties have been to public auction twice with no bids, and are currently not generating tax income. Both are trailers in a mobile home court. Miller asked the township to vote to accept any price negotiated by the county tax claim bureau at the next meeting, and to forward the minutes to the Treasurer’s office. This will speed up the process of finalizing a sale.
A letter was received from the Pennsylvania America Water Company to ask for the township approval of their discontinuation of the policy of adding fluoride to the drinking water source for Montrose Borough and the surrounding area. There are only a few areas in the state still adding fluoride, and it is considered unnecessary.
The supervisors approved a motion to discontinue adding fluoride to the water source.
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