During the regular monthly meeting of the Foster Township Board of Supervisors on Monday night, the board voted unanimously to accept through resolution a $260,000 Statewide Local Share Assessment Grant.
Supervisor George Hocker said, “It’s something you apply for but you never get.” His comment was followed by Supervisor Carl “Chip” McCracken, who said “It’s like winning the Powerball.”
Supervisor Bob Skaggs, Hocker, and McCracken confirmed this money is already earmarked for the purchase of a dump truck and a police vehicle.
The township also voted unanimously by resolution, after receiving member lists and event schedules from the Derrick City and Rew volunteer fire departments, to provide workman’s compensation while actively on duty during an emergency or a listed scheduled event, as per Pennsylvania state law. They noted that the event schedules of both departments are subject to change.
Drug testing of the sewer and maintenance workers to keep their CDL will continue through a consortium with a membership with Allegany Drive Ready, a third party administrator, and Bradford Regional Medical Center’s Occupational Health, per another unanimous resolution vote passed.
Township supervisors agreed to deny the sale of two parcels from the repository. These were the same two properties that Kevin Shaffer of Code Enforcement had recently condemned.
Betsy Costello, of the Save the Hospital Committee, gave a brief presentation of the current situation of BRMC.
“BRMC has the potential to service 50,000 patients a year. Olean General can service about 60,000 per year,” she said. “OGH cannot take the overflow if BRMC is completely shut down.”
She summarized what had happened in the most recent two years that the group had been working to save the hospital. And she left the supervisors with a request to prepare a document, a statement in support of saving the hospital.
“It only takes one accident. Hocker Construction, the oil storage, the police, anything could happen. If there isn’t a hospital here, it will be hard to bring development in this area as well,” Costello said. Her goal, she said, is to bring in more representation, from all the townships.
The committee meets on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bradford Area Public Library.
The next meeting of the Foster Township Supervisors is Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m.
