Liberty Township reorg brings little change / By Martha Knight

LIBERTY VILLA—The Liberty Township Board of Supervisors seated recently-elected supervisor Fred Ernst III Monday night, and retained Gary Turner as chairman.

There were few changes in the other appointments and decisions made annually. Bruce Klein was chosen vice-chairman. Lucinda Speeth continues as secretary-treasurer, with her compensation set at $12.62 an hour. She is bonded in the amount of $200,000.

Cody Wright was named shop supervisor, and will be paid $18.56 an hour. Another full-time crew member will be paid $18.03 an hour.

Roger Bickleman continues as sewer enforcement officer. Larry Norton is Emergency Management coordinator.

Berkheimer Associates will remain as earned income tax collector and handle collection of delinquent taxes. Sandra Kinney, the elected property tax collector, will continue to collect per capita taxes.

Cliff Frederick was appointed chairman of the vacancy board. Dawn Fink was reappointed solicitor, at a retainer of $500.

The First National Bank will continue to serve as the township’s depository.

Klein will be delegate to the annual convention of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) in Hershey.

Township meetings will continue to be held at 6 p.m. on second Tuesdays, at the township office building.

Supervisors adopted a policy of having orders to the highway crew come through wither the chairman or the vice-chairman.

In connection with that policy, Klein had high praise for Turner and former supervisor Chuck Safford for the time they had devoted to working with the road crew. “Their hours have been awesome,” he said.

The supervisors voted to continue the local policy of allowing supervisors to serve on the highway crew without compensation.

In the regular business meeting that followed, supervisors voted to continue as a dues-paying member of PSATS, without adding any other services.

Supervisors voted to keep their request for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for assistance to new water-sewer customers to fund connection laterals, in case funding becomes available for sewer and water line extensions into the Liberty Villa area.

One township resident suggested that crews apply “more gravel on ice” where freezing weather creates road hazards. Turner said crews will do their best to respond to hazardous cinditions as observed or reported, but supervisors believe a “bare road policy” is not feasible.

So far this winter, conditions have demanded much greater use of road treatment materials, up to half the indoor stockpile, it was mentioned. A third truck is being equipped as a standby snowplow if the need arises.