MAHONING TOWNSHIP, PA. Officials seek designation of disaster for flood funds

Residents can be fined for not tapping into a new waterline.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HILLSVILLE, Pa. -- Mahoning Township officials are waiting to hear whether they will receive a disaster designation, possibly bringing in money for nearly $100,000 in damage to township roads by recent flooding.
Culverts and bridge abutments were damaged on River, Miller Farm, North Ambrosia, Evergreen, Matthews, Baird, Hillsville and Sankey Run roads.
U.S. Route 224 and Martin Kelly Spear Road also were damaged, but those are the responsibility of the state Department of Transportation.
Supervisor Poncho Exposito said all the necessary paperwork has been sent to the state for the designation. He urged residents to call the county courthouse to report storm damage on their properties. The courthouse number is (724) 658-2541.
It was also announced Tuesday that water will be turned on between Aug. 15 and 31 for residents on the recently constructed waterline in North Edinburg. Exposito said letters with information about the tap-in are being sent out.
Action authorized
Supervisors authorized Solicitor Thomas Leslie to file complaints with the district justice against about 15 residents who still have not tapped into the new waterline on U.S. Route 224.
Residents can be fined up to $300 per day for failing to connect to the line dating from their notification about one year ago.
Exposito urged residents to write their state representatives urging that some $90,000 in needed repairs be made to the bridge on 224 over the Mahoning River before 2005, when it is slated for reconstruction or repair.
He said the cost of detouring vehicles from the bridge could run $50,000 and it would be more cost efficient to do the repair now.
The township has received notice that the load limits on the bridge are being reduced because of its condition. The bridge is the township's main access to the commercial district in Union Township as well as New Castle.
Supervisors also announced that though they asked Lawrence County commissioners for $113,490 for the 2003 road paving, they will receive only $25,000 in liquid fuels funds.
Other matters
They also were notified by the Lawrence County Council of Governments that the successful bidder for two electronic speed signs the township sought was McCoy's Law Line Inc., Channte, Kan., which offered them for $8,150 apiece. The signs will flash the speed a motorist is traveling.
Supervisors agreed to set the final hearing on adoption of a new zoning map and book at 6 p.m. Aug. 26 in the township offices. The meeting will be combined with the monthly planning commission meeting.
Exposito reported that members of the volunteer fire department pumped water out of homes from Sunday night to Thursday morning. He lauded the volunteers for an outstanding job.
Supervisors also authorized the township engineer to prepare a storm water maintenance ordinance because of the many problems which have become evident in recent flooding. As an example, Exposito said, one resident has a 30-inch pipe flowing into a neighbor's 15-inch pipe.