Approval of a bid to upgrade the Foster Brook traffic signal and discussions on fines that will be leveled against blighted properties were some of the orders of business at Monday’s Foster Township meeting.
During discussions regarding the Foster Brook traffic signal at the intersection of East Main Street and Derrick Road, Supervisor Chairman George Hocker said the township received a $116,953 bid for the project from M & B Services of Clarion.
The township had re-advertised for the bid in September after receiving bids of $208,010 from Cummins Construction on two previous occasions. According to earlier reports in the Era, the township has received a grant for $65,000 to go toward the project, and the township has saved the additional amount needed to meet PennDOT’s estimate.
Supervisor Gus Crissman said the project is hoped to be started in May, but could offer no exact time for the onset of construction or completion.
Crissman said new poles and lights, as well as handicapped-accessible sidewalks, will be installed at the intersection. He said the foundations for the lights are hoped to be constructed next month, followed by the installation of the poles and lights in the following months.
Under old business, the board discussed road inspection matters that involve review of blighted properties in the township.
“It’s that time of the year when road inspection takes place, so people will want to think about cleaning up (properties) a little bit because we’re going to take pictures and start enforcing it,” Crissman said. “We’ve tried everything and it’s not working so we’re going to fine them.”
Hocker said some residents are leaving bags of garbage on their properties as well as abandoned vehicles and other unsightly items.
“It’s not the raking of the yards and getting the leaves out, we’re looking for the blight,” Hocker explained.
He said that now that an ordinance is in place, the township will fine residents anywhere from $50 to $300 for blighted properties.
“We have been enforcing it and it’s slowly taking effect,” Hocker added.
He noted a resident who has an old vehicle on his East Main Street property past Tuna Crossroads has claimed he will remove the vehicle by the end of May and will fill in the yard with topsoil and grass seed.
Following Hocker’s statement, a man in the audience remarked, “Don’t hold your breath, that’s been like that for six years, they’re not doing anything with it.”
The man also noted there are no utilities at the unoccupied house.
To that Hocker retorted, “We are trying — I met with (the property owner) today and services won’t go back on in that house until it gets brought up” to standard.
“We are aggressively working on it,” Hocker added.
On another topic under old business, Hocker said the board had met on the proposed zoning changes for the township. According to previous Era reports, the changes are expected to impact zoning for the business districts, as well as single-family, multi-family, industrial and manufacturing, and agricultural/conservation districts in the township.
“It’s all been forwarded to the attorneys so we can get our zoning changed,” Hocker stated. “We’re looking at June 20 to have it finalized if everything falls” into place.
Items under new business include the scheduling of the spring clean-up event from 8 to 10 a.m. May 11.
“As of right now, we are not taking electronics because we cannot get anyone in the state to take them,” Hocker said, noting tires are also banned from the clean-up. “Everything else is fine, we’ll take the metals and garbage” as long as it’s bundled.
