August 30, 1994

The special meeting on front foot assessment on Silverthorn Road,
held in the Franklin Twp. Vol. Fire Dept. Social Hall, was called
to order by Chairman Benjamin Sitek with the Pledge of Allegiance
at 2000 hours.  Present were Sitek, Herbert Netzler, David
Henderson, Attorney Mark Prenatt and residents of Silverthorn
Road.

Ben Sitek - we're here to answer your questions to the best of
our ability.  

Ben Sitek, Jr. - there's a rumor that the proposal will be
changed.  Are there any changes?

Sitek asked Attorney Prenatt if it was legal to hold an executive
session to discuss any changes to the proposal.  Attorney Prenatt
said it was legal.  Executive session held in the fire hall
O.I.C. at 2005 hours.  Regular meeting reconvened at 2020 hours.

Sitek - if a paving program is to be by front foot assessment
then the Township will do the prep work and the residents will
pay for blacktopping only and the price is estimated at
$5.68/lineal ft.  This may extend the paving to '96-'97, however
long it takes to save up for the prep work.  This will be the
formula for all Township roads.  Some of you have asked how this
idea got started.  The Supervisors have been approached by
numerous citizens asking about paving from West Stancliff to Old
State.  The Second Class Township Code says we can pave by front
foot assessment.

Jim Frye - when does this paving vote go through?

Sitek - you the residents decide not the Supervisors.

John Pekelnicky - the Second Class Township Code says "may be
charged to property owners."  The front foot assessment is wrong
according to my deed.

Attorney Prenatt - we only gave you a rough idea of your
frontage.  If you know your exact frontage let us know, we only
estimated.  If a majority votes yes then it will be paved.  The
Township is trying to subsidize paving by doing the base, it's up
to you whether you do it.

Denver Ireland - you have a permanent improvement fund.  Will the
Township use it for paving.

Sitek - for prep work only.  We only collect $13,000 a year in
that fund.  It will cost $41,280 just to get that one section of
road ready for paving.  It will take time to save it up.  It will
be 1996-97 before we have enough to do the base, berms,
driveways, cross pipes and ditches.  That $13,000 isn't so big
anymore.

Ireland - what about county liquid fuels?

Netzler - we get around $9,600 a year from the county liquid
fuels, $57,000 from state liquid fuels.  Each year we take what
we can from it for road improvement but it's not enough for
paving.

Sitek - our budget is around $270,000 a year, $107,000 of that is
for roads which includes everything.  If the Township had the
money they wouldn't bother you.  The cards shouldn't have been
sent out.  We're new at this, we all make mistakes.

Henderson - that $107,000 goes for equipment payments,
maintenance and repairs, snow plowing, labor, etc.

Netzler - the letter was for information only.  I never knew the
cards were sent out.  We'll keep trying to get money out of
Harrisburg.  If you don't want your section of road paved, don't
sign the petition when it comes around.

Prenatt - get a chairman for each section of road to take the
petition around door to door.  The Township only got involved to
try to give you an idea to help you make a decision.  If you know
your front footage, tell us.  After the votes are tallied and if
the vote is 51% or more you get your road paved.

Debbie Myers - you're telling us it's up to us to do something. 
We need to encourage those who started this thing to take the
ball and go with it.

Prenatt - someone expressed an interest in getting that road
paved so they were advised by the Township that you can do it by
petition if you can get enough percentage of the front foot
assessment.  Get enough votes on the petition and the Township
will do it.  

Mary Sitek - you're acting so surprised, like who is this that
wanted it and something is wrong.  No one comes to the Township
meetings or you would know the budget is nothing.  We came to
meetings and asked how we could pave and the Supervisors were
nice enough to tell us how.  There is more than like three people
who expressed interest.  It's not like those of us who want it
done have the money to plop down and say pave it.  Many of you
have said the road is bad.  If you want it done fine say so, if
not say so.  We're looking into fund raisers and other ways to
come up with the money.  If you say no, fine.

Ralph Myers - it's not written in stone, the $5.68.  In 1996 we
may be able to get it cheaper or get federal funds.  The one
section between West Stancliff and Old State may want theirs
paved, other sections may not.

Sara Hollobaugh - unless someone comes to our door with a
petition, this whole discussion is moot.

Mike Brinker - how much will the Township spend for prep work in
1996?

Dave Henderson - $2.34/lineal ft. for base, crushed, ditches,
berms, driveways, pipes.  The price is an estimate.  The paving
is a double base course and one wear course 20 feet wide and it
would go out for bid.

Dan Wheeler - this meeting should have been held before the
letter went out.  The letter seems socialistic to me for the
Township to assess my property which I own, sheriff sale my
property if I don't pay.  That's not right.  There must be other
ways to raise the money.  What about tar and chip to lessen the
cost.  What happens to the money from the gravel pits.

Sitek - we don't sell gravel to anyone other than to other
municipalities, we aren't allowed.  The price is in the crushing,
hauling and loading.  We can't make a profit by selling to other
townships.  We trade gravel to Elk Creek Twp. for berm mowing.

Al Machinski - these roads were built many years ago for farmers,
not for the present heavy load of traffic.  Don't complain to the
Supervisors.  How much should normal maintenance be to maintain
the road.  How much savings in tax dollars saved by paving. 

Ireland - what happens with a no vote, will you still rebuild the
road.

Henderson - if you vote to pave it, we will rebuild it.  If you
vote no we will top gravel it in several years.

Netzler - it will take us at least three years of Permanent
Improvement funds to save for rebuilding, even longer if we have
a bad winter and spring.

Sitek, Jr. - what's the worst case scenario on the lien, would
you sheriff sale a property?

Prenatt - the Township has the right to but whether they would is
another thing.  A lien will show up if you apply for credit.

Henderson - if someone was destitute and can't pay, the interest
would continue to accrue.  We would collect whenever the property
was sold.

Hubert Taylor - McKean paved my road, what I have now is a
speedway and you will too.

Mary Sitek - why not tar and chip.

Henderson - it's only good for a daily traffic count of 100 or
less.  Your road is at 250 and climbing.

Tim Kuntz - the people on Fry say their taxes increased.

Sitek - no taxes were raised on Fry.  

Henderson - there are three taxing authorities.  Your assessed
value will not go up because of paving.  Assessed value is what
raises taxes.

Netzler - paving does not make a change in taxes.

Debbie Myers - speeding is bad enough on the dirt road, it will
be even worse on paved.  What can we do to control speed if it's
paved.

Sitek - I bought "children playing" signs for my grand kids and
it didn't slow anyone down.  The speed limit is 55 m.p.h., get a
cop to set there and pick them up.

Kyle LeSuer - is there any guarantee that everyone will see and
sign the petition.

Sitek - everyone should be contacted, if yes they sign if no they
don't sign.  When the petition is done, you can see it.

Myers - have a yes column and a no column so each person can sign
and then there's no question on whether everyone saw it and
signed.

Wheeler - my mailbox was hit 4 times last winter, who is
resonsible. 

Netzler - it's the homeowners responsibility to care for his
mailbox.

Myers - you did a good job on the road this year.  Last year in
1993 it was atrocious.  If we want it rebuilt and not paved would
you spend that much money on it?

Henderson - no, we only spend that much prior to paving.

Sitek - if we could raise taxes like the school district we could
pave all the roads.

Sitek thanked everyone for coming and voicing their opinions.

Pete Gregan - when will you clean my ditch.

Sitek - we'll be to that point tomorrow.  We're cleaning
waterways and bucket ditching by pipes.

Daniel E. Parker - what about the north corner of Crane and
Silverthorn?

Henderson - the pipe under Crane is plugged.  We have told
PennDOT to clean it and they haven't done it.  Discussion on the
water problem at that corner.

Well and Septic/Former Hart Property on Eureka - Netzler moved to
approve the use of the existing well and septic system on the
former Hart property on Eureka Road south of Crane as it's use
has been okayed by Erie County Health and is grandfathered in
(put in around 1957.)  Sitek seconded.  Carried.

ADJOURN
Sitek called the meeting adjourned at 2136 hours.

Bonnie J. Bernhardt, Secretary