East Franklin to Advertise for Salt Building Construction

by Jonathan Weaver

East Franklin Township supervisors got an update about a pending construction effort next to their municipal building last month.

Engineer Ken Howard, of Bankson Engineering told township supervisors at their January meeting to be prepared to see a bid announcement soon for construction of a proposed salt storage building.

“We do have these plans and spec(ifications) prepared to bid that project at the February 23 meeting. I have four contractors very interested in bidding the job already,” Howard said.

The salt storage building, drawn by Axis Architecture of North Huntingdon, would be approximately 50 foot by 60 foot with a 10-foot overhang. Projected to stand beside a proposed new maintenance/municipal office building, both would use less than one acre of land on Cherry Orchard Avenue – the site of the current facility.

Alternatives for a 50-foot or 60-foot roof will also be included in bid documents.

A neighbor has reviewed the proposal and reportedly understands how much of her property she will lose, agreeing to relocate both a fire and horseshoe pit.

Howard hopes to bid the maintenance/municipal building by this Spring.

In other news, township supervisors will solicit help from Bankson Engineers to help with completing Chapter 94 reports of their sewage treatment plants. The annual reports authorized by the Department of Environmental Protection monitors flow data and makes five-year projections and recommendations on current practices.

East Franklin Auditors Reduce Hourly Wage

by Jonathan Weaver

Auditors in East Franklin Township tried to ‘even the tables’ among supervisors last night during their reorganization.

The three auditors further divided the wage by more than a dollar between working and non-working supervisors. After a unanimous vote, working supervisors will earn $16.05 per hour and non-working will earn $14.

Auditor Secretary Rose Brosius explained the difference to the supervisors and half-dozen public residents in attendance.

“A working supervisor is considered working 35 hours a week on the schedule every week,” Brosius said. “Non-working supervisor works only on an as-needed or on-call basis.”

In 2011, working supervisors earned $16.05 per hour, whereas non-working supervisors earned $15.35. Both groups of supervisors received a 25-cent raise last year.

Supervisor David Stewart was and remains the only current working supervisor. He also receives full health insurance as part of his benefits and will earn time-in-a-half for overtime work. Eight paid holidays are also a benefit.

Township Secretary Deborah Cornman was not at the meeting to ask how much the other two supervisors – Barry Peters and Doug Flanders – worked in 2011.

Chair Barry Montgomery proposed the wage reduction to auditors and why.

“With the work that’s being done, they could use the money elsewhere. As far as why we lowered it – they are still being paid 100 percent full benefits, so we are trying to even the tables out,” Montgomery said. “If you add the 100 percent, they would be making over $16 an hour – same with the (working) supervisors; if you add their 100 percent on to the $16 they’re making, that’ll bump it up to about $18 an hour. That’s pretty fair across-the-board.”

He said he was shocked the motion was unanimously passed.

“I’m totally surprised that Sam and Rose went with me because I wanted to drop it more,” Montgomery added.

Newly-elected Supervisor Dan Goldinger previously worked in the township as Roadmaster. He remains the assistant road manager on-call, even though he is a non-working supervisor.

Auditors were not open to discussing police salaries or contracts. Township supervisors are the only body with authority to change such. Sgt. William Evans is currently in discussion with the supervisors via his representative from the Fraternal Order of Police for a renewal of his union contract.

A township audit is due by the end of March.