Mt. Pleasant Township seeking manager
Mt. Pleasant Township has been without a municipal manager since the end of December after the board decided not to renew the contract of Mary Ann Stevenson.
Karen Fein has been appointed acting secretary and right-to-know officer, solicitor Thomas McDermott said.
“The supervisors chose not to renew the former manager’s employment agreement that ended on Dec. 31. We have accepted and received résumés and are reviewing candidates. A manager is an optional decision. Statutorily, the secretary is meeting and serving the duties that a manager would; all those obligations are being met right now,” McDermott said.
The situation was confirmed at the supervisors’ meeting Feb. 24, when the board approved an amended motion by Supervisor Brian Temple to investigate options for evacuation sirens in the township. That motion came after Supervisor Donald Reed sought a motion to buy a nondetailed siren. The amended motion to explore options for a differentiated-sound siren passed 3-0.
“Residents of Westland were requesting info on evacuation plans, and that’s where this came from. They evacuated a couple of times, so we’re looking into what we can do in that respect,” Reed said.
Board discussion revolved around how residents would differentiate between fire sirens and sirens that indicated specific emergencies, such as gas explosions.
Jane Worthington of 135 Main St., Hickory, said during public comment Fort Cherry School District doesn’t have an evacuation plan in place in regard to oil- and gas-drilling accidents or railroad explosions.
“The township doesn’t have exhaustive, complete evacuation plans for these types of situations, either,” Worthington said. “Is that what that motion does? I think this is a bigger potential problem than sweeping this under a plan to buy some sirens.” .
Reed said the township has a number of emergency management plans in place from the county, as well as specific ones for populated areas near businesses. As for an exhaustive plan as described by Worthington, Chairman Gary Farner said the township “probably doesn’t, but we probably should.”
In other business, the board approved a contract for $47,000 with John Stewart of Canonsburg for drainage work and stormwater improvements along Serenity Farms Road, an unpaved road. Reed said the entire project was funded through a state grant.