HAZEL HURST — A new township supervisor, solicitor and engineer highlight changes made in the Hamlin Township organizational structure for 2016.
While Supervisor chairman Jim Trussell reprises his role in 2016, newly-elected Supervisor Ken Stroup Jr. became vice chairman of the board of supervisors. Kathy Sluga was reappointed as the township secretary-treasurer and right-to-know officer.
Stroup, a retired building contractor who has previously served as a Hamlin Township supervisor, is a graduate of Santana High School in Santee, Calif. He was born in Kane, but moved to California at an early age. Stroup moved back to McKean County 35 years ago. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three children and three grandchildren.
The new township solicitor is Christopher Byham of Stapleford and Byham of Warren. Byham also lists the Kane Area School District, Bradford Township and Hamilton Township among his roll call of clients. Byham replaces former solicitor Dan Slagle, who declined to ask for reappointment.
Also new to the township this year is C.J. Wallace Engineering LLC. of Bradford. Wallace replaces long-time township engineering firm Nichols and Slagle Engineering Inc. of Coraopolis.
Dan Slagle, a fixture at the township meetings, designed the recently completed Lantz Corners sewer project for the township, the construction of a pump station on Campbelltown Road, and started working on the design of a small sewage treatment plant for the Kushequa area.
Trussell declined comment as to the reasoning for the change.
Dale “Wally” Howard was reappointed as vacancy board chairman.
Meanwhile, Scott Powers was reappointed as the certified sewer plant operator, and Brett Morgan and Rick Kinner were appointed as assistant plant operators. The supervisors reappointed Todd Fantaskey as their sewage enforcement officer and Nick Melnick as his alternate. Both Fantaskey and Melnick are employed with Northwest Soil Services of Warren.
Mark Grassi of Kelmar Services LLC of Bradford was appointed for township building code enforcement.
Stroup was appointed township roadmaster. Morgan’s wages as township road foreman were set at $16.50 per hour, while Kinner’s wages were set $14 per hour. Powers’ wages were set at $275 per week, and the minimum labor wage was set at $7.25 per hour.
The supervisors also reappointed Sue Jordan as the Act 32 delegate to the McKean County Tax Collection Committee, and Mary Jo Kriener as Jordan’s alternate. Act 32 is a law that reduces the number of earned income tax collectors from 560 to 21, and each county has representatives from local municipalities and school districts.
The next supervisors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 8.
