HAZEL HURST — At Monday’s meeting, the Hamlin Township Supervisors set taxes for the year, and discussed a potential service extension proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc.
Taxes for the year 2017 were set with real estate at 4.8 mills, per capita at $5 per person under the age of 75, wage taxes of one percent with 0.5 percent going to the township and 0.5 percent going to the school district and a realty transfer tax of one percent. The rates will be adopted, effective today.
Moving on, the board discussed a potential water service extension being proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. extending from the Mount Jewett system through Lantz Corners to the township line. Aqua asked the supervisors to identify what potential volume could be expected and what interest there was among residents in the Lantz Corners area.
“They’re not asking for any kind of mandatory hook-ups,” said vice chairman Kenneth Stroup Jr. “It’s going to be totally voluntary whether you want to or not.”
Going on, Stroup added, “The benefits of this would be immense to the township as far as future tax revenue and just any increased development of the Lantz Corners area. Having fire hydrants available is certainly going to help people’s fire protection costs and their insurance rates. And just having good water. I know a lot of people in that area just don’t have good water.”
Cathy Himes, a resident of Hazel Hurst, asked, “It’ll just be off Mount Jewett’s water?” Stroup responded, “Yes, they have ample water with all the improvements they’ve made.”
Stroup went on to indicate that Aqua also had interest in connecting to the Hazel Hurst water system in the future if the water company would entertain discussions.
“We’re passing out information as far as Keystone, maybe even the township line. We’re going to do that starting tomorrow (Tuesday) I hope,” said Supervisor Jim Meyers. After correcting information that Stroup provided stating that Aqua had already passed out information, Meyers added, “They passed a lot of them out, but they didn’t cover the whole area.”
“They’re interested, there’s no doubt.” said Meyers. “I know there’s probably commercial interests out there right now that are brewing and it’s got them thinking along those lines.”
Also at the meeting, the supervisors heard from Dana Spittler, who requested that the township consider submitting a letter of commitment for $2,000 to help fund a new program focused on fire, emergency medical services and security through the career vocational center in Port Allegany. The requested amount would be an annual commitment to span a five-year period to cover transitional costs with adding the program.
“The only problem I got is right now the school districts cannot afford to put a tenth class in. They’re all good with it as long as I can fund it for a couple, three years until one of the classes drops out or something happens that we can fit in,” said Spittler.
Spittler went on to describethe goal of the program is to allow students to build credit hours towards a public position in firefighting, emergency medical services or security before graduation. Under the current configuration, students would have to start accruing credit hours once they graduate and this process was turning some away from public service positions.
“I sounds like a very good idea, it’s just the commitment of the money for us is difficult,” said Stroup. “We’re going to have to discuss it between the three supervisors and see if we’re going to find money for that. We can’t make a commitment tonight.”
Spittler confirmed that nothing would be done until June as far as invoicing, so the supervisors could take any time needed to provide a decision.
The next supervisors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. March 13 at the Hamlin Township Office located at 22 Park Road, Hazel Hurst.
