SMETHPORT — David McClain was re-elected chairman of the Keating Township Supervisors, and Doug Covert was named vice-chairman during the board’s reorganizational meeting.
Melissa Jo Smith was reappointed secretary-treasurer and open records officer; Audrey Berne was appointed clerk.
Among the other appointments were Dana Spittler, emergency management coordinator; David Vossler, roadmaster/employee; Tony Alfieri, solicitor; Robert Bosworth, vacancy board chairman; Terry Carlson, wastewater treatment plant operator; Todd Fantaskey, sewage enforcement officer; and Bill Gallup, David Kibble and Mark Vossler to the UCC Appeals Board.
The supervisors tabled action for selecting engineering services.
In other action, the supervisors adopted a resolution naming Stapleford and Byham LLC to be the township’s third party solicitor for the municipal sewer account. The municipal rate is $115 per hour.
Hourly pay increases were approved for employees on a 2 to 1 vote, with McClain and Covert recorded in favor, while Richard Tanner voting against the resolution.
The new rates will be 50 cents for laborers, $1.50 for roadmaster, plus the laborer increase; and $2 for the secretary-treasurer for her additional duties associated with the new sewage system.
With another approved resolution, Bradford Regional Medical Center will conduct the CDL drug program.
The supervisors also favored a resolution requiring a permit for the installation of individual or community sewage disposal and providing a fee in accordance with the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
During the public section of the agenda, former supervisor Chris Chapman read a statement in which he questioned a supervisor’s vote against the 2017 budget because “it appears that one of the supervisors cast a ‘nay’ vote on the motion because after reviewing the 2016 budget and the amended 2016 budget, there were numbers in these documents he didn’t agree with.”
Without naming the supervisor in his statement, Chapman asked, “Did this supervisor attend any workshops to explain his concerns to the board so actions could be taken to achieve a unanimous decision for a proposed 2017 budget?
“The supervisor also stated that he would like a forensic audit done to satisfy him with the numbers, and if he is wrong, and the budget is not off, he would step down as supervisor.”
After explaining the definitions of “audit” and “budget,” Chapman then referred to the new business portion of the supervisors’ September meeting where it is recorded that “the township received the final 2015 financial audit from Felix and Gloeckler, P.C., and all the financials are in accordance with the government auditing standards.
Then, pointing to the article printed in The Era on Dec. 9, 2016, Chapman said it stated that Alan C. Felix, the CPA of the Erie-based certified public accountants who audit Keating Township financial records, told the supervisors he sees no problems with the municipality’s budget process.
“I have not heard any negative findings from the township’s elected auditors either,” stated Chapman.
Directing his attention to the minutes of the supervisors’ November 2016 meeting, Chapman called attention to the section where the supervisor stated he favored bringing in a Harrisburg firm, which he has contacted, to perform a forensic audit.
Chapman said he believes “if the majority of the board has voted to accept the proposed budget after much deliberation of all aspects of its preparation and that the tax-paying residents of the township should not have to pay for a forensic audit to be done when no less than two audits have already been performed with no negative findings.”
Chapman said the supervisor should have “explicitly expressed his concerns to the other board members” for consideration prior to any motion to adopt the proposed budget.
In conclusion, Chapman stated, “Being that a paid auditing firm and the elected auditors both have found nothing wrong, then I think that if this supervisor has any amount of measurable integrity within him that he should do what he said and announce his intention to resign as a supervisor tonight and follow up with an official letter of resignation given to the secretary prior to the February meeting.”
