Supervisors choose lender and financial counsel / By Martha Knight

LIBERTY VILLA—Liberty Township supervisors made key decisions Tuesday night having to do with the upcoming water-sewer project scheduled to get underway in the coming months. It will extend water and sewer service two miles south of Port Allegany Borough, into the township, in the area along Route 155 South.

Chairman Gary Turner and fellow supervisors Bruce Klein and Fred Ernst III agreed that they should accept the loan offer of First National Bank of Port Allegany, whereby up to $400,000 would be available as needed, to fund the local portion of the project. A state grant will provide 75 percent of the project’s cost.

Fixed-rate interest was set at 3.65 percent for 20 years. However, the supervisors plan to retire a major portion of the loan by using funds they hope to receive from the Act 13 Impact Fee fund McKean County has available for eligible projects of municipalities.

Supervisors also voted to engage the firm of Stapleton & Byham, LLC, of Warren, for legal services in connection with financing the project. The fee will be $9,000.

Supervisors were irked at a request from the railroad operating services on the tracks in the area of the project, for its request of $3,000 annually for the right-of-way needed for the water-sewer lines’ installation. The Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad is not the owner, supervisors pointed out—Norfolk Southern is. They considered the requested fee to be exorbitant. Plans call for contractors to bore under the tracks and Route 155 where the new lines will cross those transportation facilities.

The township-sponsored clean-up event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31. Supervisors said township residents may bring in mixed large trash or discards for a charge of $25 per truckload, and $5 per regular-size tire. Electronics may be included, but will be kept separate for disposal. Liquid paint and chemicals will not be accepted but empty, dry paint cans may be included. Quantities of roofing will not be accepted.

Turner said the abuse by some users of the recycling bin at the township compound may force the service to be discontinued. Supervisors have been forgoing their meeting attendance fee so as to use those funds to pay SDS Casella to service the bins. But they find excess materials and unacceptable items littering the ground around the container, almost daily.

Asked by a member of the public when the water-sewer project might be completed, Turner said he hopes it could be finished by next June. He added that he would like to think substantial work can be done this year.

The supervisors also discussed and agreed upon the amounts of various materials to obtain for use in the highway repair season.