November 15, 2000

The budget meeting of the Supervisors of Franklin Township, held in the 
Township office, was called to order by Chairman John Sachar at 0825 hours.  
Present were Sachar, Denver Ireland and David Henderson.

EXPENSES
No new purchases are planned for the coming year.

401 - Sachar said that it would be nice to trim the phone bills.  Dave answered 
that we did when we changed plans on our wireless phones.  The wireless bill 
has dropped 50%.  The base rate on two phones is $50 on the new plan.

402, 403, 404, 405 - no comments

407 - included is $500 for software upgrades.  Dave said that the office computer 
is coming off warranty and there may be a cost there but we will keep it another 
year.  When software upgrades come out, we upgrade our system.

408 - Ireland asked if we would have any special engineering expenses on Falls 
Road Bridge #1 this year.  Dave answered that all he needs to do is to get it on 
the next round of the transportation plan.

409 - includes cleaning and painting the walls of the back bay.  The ceiling will 
not be done.  Township crew will do the work.

411 - John asked if we have locations in mind for more dry hydrants.  Dave said 
no, not yet.

413 - no comments.

414 - Dave said that we would have to wait and see what happens with the 
building codes.  This expense category could go up but revenues received would 
also.

415 - no comments.

427 - we are running two years behind on recycle expense reimbursement from 
DEP.  Basically we are fronting the cash to put on a recycle day.

430 - no new purchases planned.

431 - Denver asked if we did any ditching this year.  Dave said that a little was 
done on the west side.  It has to be dry so we can dump without getting stuck.

Ireland - we should go back where the ditcher can't go.

Henderson - we've been doing that for three years.  It's a whole lot more efficient 
to use the ditcher.  It is much more costly to bucket ditch, you're using three 
pieces of equipment and three guys.  The ditcher only maintains the ditch.  It 
doesn't cut new ditches.

Ireland - you need to do something at Bannister's on West Stancliff.

Henderson - he won't let me do anything.  He doesn't want his pipe replaced and 
he doesn't want a ditch in his front yard.

432 - no comment.

433 - John asked if we've had a reduction in sign theft since we started painting 
them with goop.

Henderson - yes, as we go around we goop up the other signs too, like the horse 
signs at the saddle club as well as the road name signs.  Under the new 911 
laws, road name signs are covered under hand-me-down money from the county 
plan.  Discussion.

434, 435 - John asked how we left things with Rudy Ivancic.  Dave said that 
Rudy thinks we're not taking any more gravel out of the pit.  Our lease agreement 
says we can and there is maybe 5,000 yards in the front that we could take.

436 - the large cross pipe on New Road west of Route 98 will be replaced along 
with a general allowance for other smaller pipes.  Pipe will be upgraded in size.

437.1, 437.2 - discussion on payment schedules and the replacement of 
equipment.  

Sachar - when the grader/truck loan is satisfied, maybe we could pave a section 
of road.

Henderson - don't forget, as equipment get older, the cost to maintain it goes up.  

Sachar - would it be possible to go at least one year without a payment.  Then 
the following year, you could pay cash for a piece of equipment.

Henderson - you'd have to go at least two years to pay cash.  The reliability   
declines, as the trucks get older.

Ireland - you need to stretch it.

Henderson - how far do you stretch it Denver?  You do it by decreasing your 
reliability.

438 - Ireland - we took money from the Permanent Improvement fund to pay for 
the bridge, will it be replaced?

Henderson - no, we planned on taking $20,000 from Permanent Improvement 
and we spent $10,000.  I can't think of a more permanent improvement than a 
bridge.  We put far more into that fund than necessary to satisfy the agreement 
with Karl Boyes.  The money we took out was far less than what we put in.

Ireland - we're trying to save for paving.

Sachar - a bridge is a logical use of the funds.

Henderson - $12,900 goes into that fund, the seed money for the Boyes 
agreement is $4,250.  The rest can be used for other permanent improvement 
projects.

439 - our share is $12,111 this year.

441, 472 - no comments.

487/401 - discussion on the employee pay and benefit package.

Ireland - you have 25 cents an hour for longevity.

Henderson - read #2.  It's 25 cents for each five years of employment.  Rick 
goes to 15 years this year and will receive the 25 cents longevity for each five 
years.  His base rate is $10.000 and the longevity would be 75 cents.

Ireland - cut out the premium bonus for plowing snow on Sundays and holidays.

Henderson - it's time and a half, unless you were already on overtime, then it 
would be double time.  It's half time greater than the regular rate.

Ireland - I can't see paying you time and a half if you haven't worked all week.

Henderson - this was instituted before our time.  Rick is the only other one who 
qualifies.

Sachar - if I missed a family function, I'd want to be compensated.

Henderson - our part-timers don't get any benefits.  If they say no to coming in to 
plow, now you really depend on your regular guy.  Neither Larry nor Ray draws 
unemployment.

Ireland - I'm not raising a stink, I just want to make sure you don't call someone 
who says yah, I'll come in and plow today who refused during the week.

Henderson - I left $46,644 unaccounted for in the budget.  I feel we have three 
choices.  One is to gravel and not build an anti-skid building.  Two is to build an 
anti-skid building and not gravel.  Three is to gravel and finance the anti-skid 
building.

Sachar - what is up for graveling?  Graveling implies purchasing all the gravel 
doesn't it?  Dave answered yes.  Board reviewed the gravel plan.

Henderson - Silverthorn between the blacktops and Eureka from Old State to 
New.  By John Hudy's we're right down to the rock base.

Sachar - what is the cost of an anti-skid building?

Henderson - around $50,000.  The package is $25,000 and it's reasonable to 
double it.  Dentcsil LeSuer gave us a quote of $63,000.  To trim the cost, Bob 
Everhart recommended using asphalt instead of concrete.  That could save 
$8,500 to $11,000.  We could do some of the work ourselves.

Sachar - we could find $3,000 in the budget somewhere for graveling.  What 
impact would financing the building package have on our budget?

Henderson - it depends on when you finance.  If you do it at the end of the year, 
not much and it depends on if we use 2% money.  To build we have to draw up 
plans and bid each component separately.  That is the way the law is written.  

Sachar - go ahead with graveling and financing the building.

Ireland - go ahead with the graveling and not build a building.

Henderson - some municipalities already have a storage building.  We can't 
save much with a three-sided building.  I will check on the amount of snow that 
gets on the anti-skid when you use a three-sided building.

Ireland - if no one else in Erie County has a building for anti-skid, we don't need 
one.

Sachar - call the other municipalities and see if they have or are going to build 
one and what type.  Pass the budget now.

Henderson - make provision for it in the budget.  If we decide, we can vote on it.

Ireland - did you add anything else in these benefits?

Henderson - yes, vacation.  One week for each five years.  Rick will get 3 weeks 
paid vacation.

Henderson moved to approve the tentative budget including the pay and benefit 
package for advertising.  Ireland seconded.  Carried.

FTVFD 2% Loan - the Board authorized the Township Solicitor to give the fire 
department an opinion letter stating that they are tax exempt so they can get a 
low interest loan for the purchase of a new ambulance.

ADJOURN
Sachar called the meeting adjourned at 0937 hours.

Bonnie J. Bernhardt, Secretary