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Cecil addresses pothole problems

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Paving equipment parked at the freshly milled parking lot of the Cecil Township municipal building didn’t sit well with residents who said there has been a lack of action on potholes.

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Robert Arista of Muse complained about a lack of action on blight, prompting an immediate hiring of a zoning enforcement officer.

CECIL – The milled parking lot of the Cecil Township municipal building didn’t sit well with residents who said they’ve been dodging potholes on local roads.

The frustrated comments at the Cecil Township supervisors’ meeting Tuesday spurred action to hire a code enforcement officer, but not before transparency issues with advertising job postings were discussed and voted on.

“I have no problem with the people we’ve hired, but these positions should be advertised,” said Supervisor Elizabeth Cowden, referring to three public works employees who were hired at an Aug. 3 meeting without the jobs being posted. They were Elizabeth Ross, office manager, at a salary of $38,000; Kirk Edger, laborer, hired at $23 an hour; and Ranato Ruzzini, a full-time permits manager hired at a salary of $48,000.

“I have the utmost confidence in them, but we need to interview them (as a board of supervisors),” Cowden continued.

“I was shocked,” said Supervisor Cindy Fisher. “I agree with Supervisor Cowden that in this day and age, resumes should not be passed back and forth behind closed doors.”

Cowden then made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to update municipal policy to require all positions to be publicly advertised. Township manager Don Gennuso confirmed there was no formal policy requiring advertising of positions.

“Some of these positions we have advertised for but couldn’t fill,” said public works Director Bill Bottorff. “We had advertised for the Teamster position in the past and couldn’t get it filled, so I reached out to individuals in other municipalities (who had done this type of work).”

Several residents criticized Bottorff for not repairing potholes on Profio and Coleman roads, but he explained an wet early summer paving season washed out public works crews’ plans for timely repairs.

As for Coleman Road, Cowden commented she wanted to seek public water options for some residents who said they wanted to tap in. Engineer Dan Deiseroth said if that were the plan, wholesale repairs would have to wait until lines could be installed. Bottorff said the department is catching up on its schedule, and anyone who has issues with state roads, like Reissing Road, should call their state representatives to lobby the state Department of Transportation for repairs.

During public comment, Robert Arista, of Beech Street, said the number of blighted properties in Muse has increased from 10 to about 18 since 2002. Arista said problems include abandoned cars, tall weeds and collapsing hillsides.

“We are angry and frustrated. We just want to see action on something,” he said.

That led to a unanimous vote to offer Michael Behrens employment as code enforcement officer for a nine-month probationary period with a “salary to be determined, pending he accepts the position,” according to Supervisor Andy Schrader. Supervisors said they conducted interviews with three candidates in July.

In other business, zoning hearing board solicitor Jeff Ries confirmed an unadvertised meeting took place Aug. 26 with MarkWest attorneys and board members “to discuss litigation only with no action” regarding a potential natural gas compressor station about a half-mile north of the intersection of routes 980 and 50.

No official has taken place since June, when the zoning board was ordered by a Commonwealth Court panel to approve the compressor station. MarkWest had appealed 26 conditions the zoning board added to the conditional use application. Ries said the meeting was “a fact-finding executive session,” and there are plans to hold a public hearing Sept. 21.

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