The West Finley Township Board of Supervisors held their monthly meeting on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 6:00 pm at the Township Office Building. All Supervisors were in attendance. Township residents present at the meeting were Mark Smith, Ed Ritsko, Craig Yoho, Steve Emery, Melinda Duncan, Emily Chambers, Cathy Chambers, Paul Chambers, Carl and Lorri Sharp, Greg Zozula, Bill and Lourae Rayl, Tim Sloane, Tim Collins, and Ian Martin. A Powerhouse.com representative, Brandon Bauer, was also present for the Board meeting.
CALL TO ORDER
The call to order was made by Chairman Martin at 5:59 pm.
READING OF PRIOR MEETING MINUTES
The Secretary read the minutes from the August monthly meeting. The motion to approve the minutes was made by Chairman Martin and seconded by Vice Chairman Pritt. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Lourae Rayl inquired about the status of public water for the township. Chairman Martin reminded everyone that we did apply for a LSA grant last November. We just received information from the engineering company that the state should be awarding these grants soon and we should have an update for the October meeting. Many residents are concerned about the lack of water in the area. It has been very dry, but some are also worried that the coal mine activity could be adversely affecting the water supply as well, especially on some areas of Chambers Ridge Road. There are also rumors of an airshaft reopening on Sprowls Road, which has residents concerned.
Melinda Duncan complimented the Road Crew on the tar and chip application to the roads. She thanked them for their hard work.
Steve Emery gave an equipment update to the Board. Currently, all equipment is back in the building. The tanker has finally returned from repairs. It was discovered that the injectors were properly functioning, and that the issue was software related. Chief Emery estimates the bill to be around $18,000.00 for the repairs on the engine, tanker, and service of the other trucks.
He also reminded the Board about the siren upgrade at the VFC. He was unable to find any grants to fund the purchase of the new system for the Township Building. Chairman Martin recommends the siren at the VFC be upgraded to test the system. Since this topic is still being heavily debated between residents and Board members, no official action was taken at this meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
County Convention RSVPs are needed by 9/20/2024. The convention is Thursday, October 10, 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe.
A new agreement between West Finley Township and the West Finley Volunteer Fire Company was presented to the Board. The Secretary edited the agreement to list the newly prearranged annual contribution of $25,000.00. It was also suggested to add a section stating the Township would not pay for any extra incidentals that the VFC may need. The motion to add this into the agreement was made by Vice Chairman Pritt and seconded by Chairman Martin. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
Chief Emery and the Secretary will coordinate to schedule dates to work on the Emergency Operations Plan.
The Township is still in need of a signed authorization to enter form from a landowner on Blockhouse Run Road. We did receive authorization for underdrains from the other landowner in Florida. There are materials that will need to be purchased to restore this slip. The Road Crew will need stone, fabric, and pipes totaling approximately $10,000.00. The motion to approve the purchases was made by Chairman Martin and seconded by Supervisor Collins. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
The Belford Subdivision was presented to the Board for approval. It was approved by the Planning Commission, as all the checklist items were completed and the payment for the application was made. The motion to approve the Belford Subdivision was made by Vice Chairman Pritt and seconded by Chairman Martin. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
There is one remaining certificate of deposit (CD) at First Federal Bank that matures on 9/10/2024. If the interest rates cannot be matched to the ones being offered at Community Bank, the certificate will be closed and transferred. The motion to do this was made by Chairman Martin and seconded by Vice Chairman Pritt. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
The financial reports for all Township accounts were presented. The August bank statements and QuickBooks reconciliation reports were reviewed.
The Board also examined an itemized list of current expenditures for September. Details regarding the bills were discussed. The motion to approve the financial statements and payment of the expenditures was made by Vice Chairman Pritt and seconded by Chairman Martin. All in favor, Ayes: 3, motion carried.
UPDATES
Chairman Martin gave a quick update about the progress of the fiber optic cable project. Brandon Bauer, from Powerhouse gave specifics regarding West Finley Road and its progress. There are several other roads where fiber is close to completion and will soon be turned on and available to residents. Mr. Bauer also reminded the residents that he is available to discuss concerns or issues that they may have regarding the project.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
The August State police report from Lt. Dowlin was prepared for the Board prior to the meeting.
K2 Engineering has begun sending a monthly report to the municipalities they service. There are several grants available for qualifying projects.
Chairman Martin recommended that the Road Foreman attend the monthly meetings to give a report. He would be paid to be present.
ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING
Chairman Martin adjourned the meeting at 7:20 pm.