BY PAT FARNELLI

Dimock has opted to take a different path for its roadmaster position.

After hitting a minor snag over the appointment to the job at the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting and exploring the possibility of having two roadmasters, Supervisor Chairman Matt Neenan proposed a return to the township’s past practices at the Feb. 3 meeting.

During the Jan. 6 meeting, Supervisor Gerald Ellis declined a nomination to the position; and then Neenan nominated both Ellis and Charles Baker as co-roadmasters.

Secretary Esther Rayias noted that she would check on the legitimacy of a co-appointment, and no roadmaster was selected until the question is resolved, according to the minutes.

Neenan reported Monday that Solicitor Sam Lewis had been consulted on the question, and had sent a written response.

“We checked into the possibility of having two roadmasters….It turned out that (Dimock Township) had never had roadmasters before.” Neenan said.
For many years, Edwin Bunnell, George Baker, and Gerald Ellis or his predecessor had shouldered the road work as part of their supervisor duties, and were paid as foreman while working on the road crew.

Neenan proposed that the supervisors return to the system of three supervisors each responsible for working on the road crew as a foreman.

At the Jan. 6 meeting, Neenan made a motion, seconded by Baker, to recommend to the auditors that the labor rates for supervisors working on road crew remain at $17 per hour for supervisors with a CDL license, or $15 per hour for those without a CDL.

It was noted that all of the supervisors are paid $17 per hour even though Neenan and Baker do not have CDLs.

Rayias was instructed to review the minutes of regular and auditor meetings to determine the correct rate of pay.

Auditor Terry Way was in attendance. She responded, “The auditors set the rate for three supervisors at $17 per hour. I don’t remember setting anyone’s rate at $15 per hour. Looking back to Jan. 2011, the auditors set the rate at $17 for all three.”

When asked if there are other township road crew employees, Neenan responded that Ron Teel is the only one, and is paid at a rate of $17 per hour, as he holds a CDL. Neenan recommended that Teel be kept on at that rate, as he does a good job. The supervisors approved paying all three supervisors and Teel at a rate of $17 per hour.

“I want to thank Mr. Teel for such a nice job plowing and cindering Michaels Hill Road,” Way said.

In other business, Neenan noted that two Cabot well permits were received by the township from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and five from Chesapeake, for Dimock Township.

Several Consumptive Use of Water permits for gas well pads were available for public view, including Gesford P2, Elk Lake School District P1, Hunsinger P1, and LaRue CP2.

When asked about one of the Cabot sites on Carter Road, Neenan said that there was a pile of consumptive use of water permits last month that were for pads within the nine square mile area in which Cabot has been banned from new drilling.

The township also received a notification of a flowback fluid spill at the DePaolo site on SR 29 North.

Rayias was reappointed secretary-treasurer at the reorganization meeting, with compensation remaining at $10,000 yearly. The treasurer bond was set at $1,000,000. She is also the tax collector, and will receive seven per cent of the tax received by the township, as approved in Jan. 2013. Supervisors will receive $30 per meeting.

Mark Wood was retained as Emergency Management Coordinator for Dimock Township, Attorney Lewis was retained as Solicitor, and Peoples Security Bank appointed as depository for banking accounts.

Supervisor meetings will be held the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m., unless that day is a holiday, in which case the meeting will be held on the second Monday.

Rayias will serve as delegate for the township at the PSATS’ conference on Apr. 13-16 in Hershey.