Cranberry Township is withdrawing from a PennDOT program that pays a stipend to the township in exchange for township crews plowing and salting certain state highways during the winter season.
The deal was costing the township money as well as wearing on the township’s road plowing and salting equipment, township manager Chad Findlay said at a supervisors meeting Thursday.
Voting to stop participating in the road maintenance arrangement with PennDOT were supervisors Harold Best, Fred Buckholtz and Jerry Brosius.
‘It is actually costing us money, though,” said Findlay.
PennDOT pays about $29,000 to the township for the services. However, the township received less than that amount and also dipped into its own accounts for an additional $12,000 to pay for the work.
In discussing the issue with PennDOT officials, Findlay said he was told the reimbursement formula will not change and there was a suggestion that the township “plow less, salt less” to save money.
Brosius said residents traveling those roadways will see a difference in maintenance if Cranberry Township crews no longer handle the work.
“We put more salt, do more plowing. … so people will see a change in service if PennDOT takes over the maintenance,” said Brosius,
Buckholtz said the arrangement should be canceled “if they are not willing to negotiate and … we are losing money on it.”
In agreement, the supervisors voted to terminate the winter maintenance agreement with PennDOT.
“Maybe they’ll come back with a better deal,” said Best, adding that the agreement could be “renegotiated then.”
Corps comes to visit
In other business Thursday, Findlay told the supervisors that representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently accompanied him on an inspection of Riverside Drive and Deep Hollow Road, two areas that sustained heavy damages in a July 19 flood.
In mid-August, the township and the Venango County emergency management office contacted the federal agency to help find possible solutions to the devastating floods that have occurred with increasing regularity on Sage Run at Riverside Drive and Lower Two Mile Run along Deep Hollow Road.
“They said they will put something together, do some research, and get back to me,” said Findlay. “I expect we’ll get some technical help from the Corps of Engineers.”
Findlay added that the Corps of Engineers representatives also suggested the county’s Water Conservation District office could also provide flood mitigation assistance.
Flood work continues
Township roadmaster Ted Williams reported crews are continuing to repair washed out ditches and drainage pipes affected by earlier storms. Also on tap was the installation of two new benches on the bike trail.
Utilities manager Mike Erwin said two “washed-out sewer lines” along Sage Run are being inspected by an engineer.
Findlay said the expense for the work, which could top $100,000, may be able to be paid through the township’s Community Development Block Grants.
Erwin also said lead and copper testing was recently done on township water lines.
“There are no results yet but we’ve always been good with this. We never have had a bad sample,” he said.
In other matters Thursday:
– Township zoning officer Ben Breniman said 15 building permits were filed in the township in August. They listed an estimated construction value of $271,560.
– James Chandler was appointed by the supervisors to the township’s Planning Commission.
– Bonnie Summers of the township’s economic development commission said the annual Cranberry Festival will be held from 10 am. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Morrison Park.
– Findlay said the township and economic development commission have each sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf protesting the state’s decision to close Polk Center within the next three years.
