During the regular Bradford Township Supervisors meeting Monday
night, Supervisor Steve Mascho proposed borrowing money from the
township’s garbage fund to pay one of the township’s bills on time
– something that has not been done in three years, he said –
potentially saving taxpayers about $16,000 annually.

Chairman Tom Vickery, however, adamantly disagreed with Mascho’s
suggestion, going so far as to say that “if one cent is taken from
that (garbage fund), I will turn it (the transfer) in to the state
ethics commission.”

Mascho said he wants to borrow the money from the garbage fund
to make township employees’ pension payments on time, then replace
the money when the township received its taxes “a couple of months”
later. In inspecting the township’s records spanning the last three
years, he said more than $30,000 was paid out in interest or late
fees. Making those payments on time, he said, would save the
taxpayers about $16,000 a year.

“I’m appalled,” Mascho said, referring to the late fees he
discovered. “Those are your tax dollars,” he said to the residents
attending the meeting.

He and Vickery disagreed on the legality of the move,
however.

Mascho said township solicitor Greg Henry had told him that not
only was the transfer of funds perfectly legal, but that they
“should have been doing it all along.”

Vickery contended that his personal research showed the transfer
of money in that fashion – from one department to another – was
illegal. Moreover, when that practice was utilized in the past
under a different administration, it escalated to the point where
$250,000 was being borrowed in one year.

It was just that situation that resulted in the township losing
about $750,000 years ago, Vickery said after the meeting,
reiterating he would report any such transfer of funds to the
state.

Henry, who did not attend Monday’s meeting, was not immediately
available Monday night for comment on the legality of that
transfer.

Supervisor Cary Frigo proposed borrowing $75,000 from the
garbage fund to buy a new “packer” – equipment used in the
collection and processing of the township’s garbage.

While all three supervisors agreed they needed a new “small
packer,” there was disagreement about which old truck to trade in
and whether to also buy one or two new “large packers,” as
well.

The supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to purchase a
small packer from the Westmoreland County Council of Governments,
leaving a point of contention – whether to purchase a four-wheel
drive or two-wheel drive unit – to be determined in the next week
to 10 days.

The resolution to purchase one new large packer, trading in the
newer of the older trucks, a 2000 model, and to discuss the
purchase of a second new large packer at April’s meeting, was
approved 2 to 1, with Vickery voting against the measure.

Vickery said after the meeting he voted against the resolution
because he thought it was a better idea to buy two new large
packers at once.

Regarding the issue of the pensions of the uniformed and
non-uniformed employees of the township that was brought up at the
February meeting, Frigo said the supervisors and employees were set
to meet April 6 on the matter.

Vickery said during February’s meeting that the contracts
drafted with the uniformed employees, or police officers, dictated
that those employees “shall contribute 5 to 8 percent of their
wages toward their own pensions.” An oversight on the part of the
previous supervisors, however, resulted in the township not asking
for a contribution from the officers in several years, he said last
month.

Vickery said during Monday’s meeting that he was not opposed to
changing those stipulations, but in the meantime, wanted to enforce
the contracts that are currently “on the books.”

All three supervisors had agreed during February’s meeting not
to take any action on the pension issue until talking with the
police officers. The trio stuck to that Monday, reserving any
movement on the matter until after their upcoming meeting April
6.

In other business, the supervisors approved a resolution
detailing the township’s involvement in the economic development
master plan for the Bradford area proposed at last month’s meeting
by Sara Andrews of the local Office of Economic and Community
Development, Rick Esch from the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford and Mike Glesk of the Bradford Area Alliance.

The township will contribute $10,000 to the development of the
master plan through the Pittsburgh-based firm responsible for the
master plan used to develop the Pitt-Bradford campus.

“It doesn’t take a genius to go out there and see that the
master plan (at Pitt-Bradford) is bearing fruit,” Vickery said
before taking a vote on the resolution. The supervisors approved
the township’s involvement unanimously.

Supervisors accepted the resignation of Bradford Township Police
officer Bob Hodgdon, who served for 20 years. Hodgdon will be
replaced by Rob Shipman, who has been a part-time police officer
for the township since September of 2004. Hodgdon’s term will end
April 7; Shipman started officially March 2.

The supervisors approved a resolution extended the terms of code
enforcement officer Merle Silvis and zoning permit officer Jack
Carnes for 30 days, pushing their terms to the end of April.

The next Bradford Township Supervisors meeting is set for 7:30
p.m. April 17.