Liberty supervisors and AMEIA talk land deal / By Martha Knight

LIBERTY VILLA—A delegation from the Allegheny Mountain Engine and Implement Association (AMEIA) attended the monthly meeting of the Liberty Township Supervisors last Tuesday night, to open discussions about their future lease or purchase of the township-owned site of their activities.

The nonprofit organization has leased about 7.5 acres of township owned land since 1988. They have placed a number of buildings there, over the years, on which they pay property taxes.

AMEIA’s initial lease was for 20 years. Since it expired they have been leasing the property year to year, but they would like a longer-term arrangement. Spokespersons Dan and Peggy Cass said they would be interested in discussing another lease or a purchase.

At supervisor Bruce Klein’s suggestion it was decided that the supervisors or AMEIA will have the property appraised. Meanwhile, supervisors agreed, the current lease will continue in force.

Township residents who attended the meeting included Kirk and Nancy Nichols, who delivered a letter of thanks and voiced their appreciation of the rebuilt Cady Hollow bridge. The bridge over the Portage Creek had been in poor shape for years, with a weight limit so low emergency vehicles would not be able to cross it, at least in theory.

Recently the township crew rebuilt the bridge, prefabricating the superstructure at the township highway barn so as to avoid a lengthy interruption of access to the Cady Hollow properties on the west side of the stream.

Supervisor chairman Gary Turner said that more needs to be done to improve the road itself, along with the railroad grade crossing and the junction with Route 155.

Turner praised the work of Sandy Thompson of the McKean County Conservation District for her assistance with the project.

Turner also shared with fellow supervisors some praise received from Two Mile Road residents who were pleased with the recent improvements there. The road has been bermed and rolled, ditches have been cleaned and sluices opened.

Supervisors approved sale of a Brooklynside property from the county tax repository. Supervisor Fred Ernst III said it will be good to have the property back on the tax rolls.

Turner mentioned having read a news report indicating that a portion of Edison Bates Drive, the street leading to the Seneca Highlands Career and Technology Center, lies in the township rather than the borough. He said this would mean the school itself is also in the township.

Supervisors said they would be interested in seeing official maps and other documents clarifying the boundaries of the municipalities in that area. The question had arisen in connection with recent Port Allegany Borough Council discussions of street lighting along Edison Bates Drive, and responsibility for replacing the lights deemed obsolete by Penelec. The borough has paid for the electricity for the lights for many years, and maintained the street.

Prior to the regular meeting the supervisors held an hour-long budget preparation meeting. Working from a draft budget package prepared by township secretary and treasurer Lucinda Speeth, they agreed that only a few changes were necessary, from the 2014 fiscal plan, and they do not anticipate any change in tax rates.