Code enforcement and the intersection of East Main Street and Derrick Road were hot topics at the October meeting of the Foster Township supervisors Tuesday evening.
A resident asked about an Interstate Parkway property that he mentioned in the September meeting, saying the property has several abandoned vehicles on it.
Code Enforcement Officer Bob Baker said he warned the property owner he could be cited for the vehicles; Baker later found out the property owner moved the vehicles to a different property. Baker said he is aware of how the man is trying to avoid taking care of the vehicles and will deal with him.
The group also discussed a property with propane tanks on it that has one resident concerned.
In his monthly code enforcement report, Baker said 16 of the 18 new complaints from September have been resolved. He has condemned one property and is in the process of condemning another one.
Baker was pleased to note that a blighted property on South Kendall Avenue — a fire-damaged building — has been torn down by the owner.
Regarding the intersection of East Main Street and Derrick Road, supervisors voted to reject the only bid submitted for a new traffic light.
This was the second bid opening for the project.
The only bidder was Cummins Construction, which submitted a bid of $208,010.95 — the same bid from Cummins Construction that the supervisors rejected at the September meeting.
In September, they also voted to re-advertise the bid. Cummins was the only bidder both times.
“It’s not for a lack of trying to get bidders,” said Shannon Morgan, township secretary treasurer, explaining that most companies won’t travel this far.
She called 10 contractors in the Erie area; the interested company did not have time to put together a bid. The engineer for the project contacted several in the Pittsburgh area, but the only interested company did not submit a bid.
However, Supervisor Chairman George Hocker explained, “We just don’t have that kind of extra funding.”
He noted Cummins’ bid is more than $100,000 over the cost suggested by the engineer and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The township has received a grant for $65,000 to go toward the project, and the township has saved the additional amount needed to meet PennDOT’s estimate.
When a resident complained because township officials said they would get the project done, Supervisor Gus Crissman responded, “How much do you want your taxes raised?”
Morgan said the project will have to be completed and finalized by June to use the grant.
Supervisors also approved a new collective bargaining agreement for the new Foster Township Police wage and policy agreement, which has a term from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2021.
Also at the meeting, Bob Esch, a board member for the Bradford Area Public Library, attended to extend an invitation for the library’s annual report at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Sarah B. Dorn Community Room.
Esch said library officials will honor 2017-18 donors, showcase new programs and introduce the new youth librarian. The whole community is invited; he just asked that individuals call the library to RSVP so organizers can make sure there are enough hors d’oeuvres.
In his road report, road foreman Chad Babcock shared his appreciation to the Derrick City Fire Department for helping put gravel into a recently replaced pipe. Under the 7-inch pipe, which replaced a 36-inch pipe, had to be filled in with 18 inches of gravel to protect animals such as fish and turtles that might have gotten in there.
In other announcements, supervisors said Halloween trick-or-treating in Foster Township will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
