Supervisors discuss paving of school road

Questions also arose about a township cleanup bill.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Union Township supervisors spent time discussing the legality of the township's paving of a private lane in front of Union Area High School.
Supervisor Kevin Guinaugh wanted to know why the private road in front of the school was paved instead of Camden Avenue, which runs alongside the school. Camden was listed as one road to be paved when the job was let out for bidding.
Supervisor Steve Galizia responded that the township has been maintaining the private lane for years. He said he obtained a legal opinion from Ross Taylor of Frank B. Taylor Engineering, the township's engineering firm.
He cited a section of the township code which states that every road used for public travel and maintained by a township for at least 21 years is a public road even though it was never dedicated for public use.
Maintenance
Guinaugh, who served as township roadmaster until this year, said during his tenure as roadmaster the township "maintained [the private road] a little for safety and plowed it a little." He said the school was billed for maintenance but not for plowing. He said the township did some road maintenance for the school because the school did not have the equipment and student safety was an issue. He asked why a private road would be paved when the township is so low on funds.
Galizia said after the Tuesday night meeting, however, that the road was paved by the township before the recent work. He said school officials have indicated they will deed the road to the township.
Guinaugh also questioned a $10,251 bill paid to Waste Management. The bill is in addition to a credit of about $9,000 which the company owed and was to be used toward payment of the township's spring cleanup. A township ordinance says jobs exceeding $10,000 must be put out for competitive bidding.
The cleanup was not bid because the township wanted to use the credit and the job was to be under the $10,000 limit. But Galizia said the bill also included the cost of numerous trash receptacles used to haul junk for three weeks out of Scotland Meadows Park in an extensive and separate cleanup there.
He said he didn't have the figures Tuesday night to know how much of the figure was due to trash pickup, but he added the spring cleanup did not exceed $10,000.
Clair Damon, former township supervisor, also asked supervisors how Cathy Schmidt, township secretary-treasurer, could receive payment to opt out of the township's insurance plan when she only works 21 hours per week.
He said the minimum number of hours worked per week to receive insurance is 30.
Galizia said, "I disagree with you. That's my opinion." He would not comment further.
After the meeting, Schmidt said it is up to the township, not the insurance company, to set the minimum number of hours worked to qualify for insurance coverage.