Morris Township
Washington County, PA
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Supervisor Meeting Minutes – August 21, 2018

The Morris Township Board of Supervisors met at the township office for their regular scheduled meeting.  Present were Supervisors Rob Sanders, Dave Dietrich, Doug Smith, Zoning Officer Bob Sanders, Planning Commission member Randy Hamilton and Carl Sanders.

Chairman Sanders called the meeting to order at 7:31 P.M.  Minutes of the previous meeting were read.  Smith wanted to be on the record as saying at the August 7, meeting that he felt the employee manual should be made public before the employee manual is in effect.   Motion by Smith, second by Sanders to approve minutes with the addition.  All agreed.

Dietrich stated that the gun safety class to be taught by the Greene County Regional Police Department will be held on Saturday September 15 and not on Saturday September 8.  Secretary to place notice in the Observer and put notice at store in Prosperity.

Regarding the personnel manual, Chairman Sanders stated that the employee manual is for the hired employees and not the elected Supervisors that are also employees, as the elected board of auditors control the pay and benefits of employees that are also elected supervisors.  He stated the Supervisors cannot develop a policy that would cover themselves.  Carl Sanders and Randy Hamilton both felt that there should be an employee manual that covers the employees that are also elected supervisors.  Chairman Sanders felt the auditors could come up with their own employee manual for the elected supervisors who are employees.  Hamilton stated the auditor could even review the employee manual the Supervisors are developing and decide if it would apply to the employees that are elected supervisors.  Smith felt the employee handbook should cover every employee.  There was much discussion and afterward Sanders reiterated that he has no objections with the handbook being made available for public review but in the end, the Supervisors will make the final decision of an employee manual. 

Moreland Vault has never returned the fees for the etching work it never performed on the Viet Nam memorial stone.  Moreland Vault previously told Rob Sanders that the check to reimburse the township was “in the mail.”  The township has never received the check.

Regarding the park pavilion, Rob Sanders stated he estimated the materials to box in the open areas of the ceiling area from the low point of the T-111 and wrap with aluminum around the entire inside rim.  It would be about $1,500.00 worth of materials and the job would be performed in house by the township employees.  Also, the park needs a different garbage can with a lid that would be easier to remove the garbage bag to throw it into the dumpster.  Motion by Sanders, second by Smith to have the township purchase the material necessary to fix the pavilion and have the township employees do the work as part of their hourly work week and also purchase a new trash can for the park.  All agreed.

Geo Energy will meet with the township, Consol and CNX, the beginning of next week to set a date to begin the road slip work on Dry Run Road.  The road will be closed during the repair work and Consol and CNX will be notified during that meeting about re-routing their traffic during the repair work.

Penn DOT denied Morris Township’s request to reduce the speed limit through Prosperity from 35 MPH to 25 MPH.

Randy Hamilton stated that we still don’t have approved applications from Conditional Use Requests, Zoning Variance Requests for Planning Commission action.  Smith felt solicitor Hook could have forgotten about it.  Hamilton felt the township should just approve what he initially drew up.  He also wanted to know where the township stood on the possible walking trail at the park and the possible storage building for salt and cold patch.  Chairman Sanders stated the walking trail is on the back burner and he contacted a second person to give us an estimated cost on the storage structure and he is still waiting to hear back from him.

In new business, Chairman Sanders stated that they have been looking into the possibility of having Bells Lake Road reprofiled from the intersection of Grove Road and Bells Lake to the Lake which is one mile.   They have already replaced the culverts and have done base repair.  They have received 3 telephone bids for the reprofiling work. 1) Suite-Kote Corporation $14,782.61.  2) Anderson Excavating $14,467.86.  3) Force $11,935.44.  Motion by Sanders, second by Smith to award low bid to Force $11,935.44 and to use Act 13 funds to pay for the project.  All agreed.

Chairman Sanders stated that there is blacktop project they would like to look at having done but would need to be bid out by sealed bids to see where we stand on cost.  Dunham Road 6/10 of a mile, Ealy Road from intersection of Quaker Ridge Road to where the old Ealy farm is about 3/10 of a mile. Quaker Ridge Road about ½ mile. They would like to have a skim coat and then put a 2 inch overlay on top of that.  Roads are currently wash board like and Dunham would be impossible to have reprofiled as it has very large rocks in its base.  Put all three roads out for bid perhaps only one would get resurfaced. Motion by Sanders, second by Dietrich to bid out Dunham, Quaker and Ealy for blacktop project to see if it is a feasible project. 

Motion by Dietrich, second by Smith to review and pay bills.  Motion by Sanders, second by Smith to adjourn.  Meeting adjourned at 8:33 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Lesnock, Secretary