Various points during the Bradford Township reorganizational meeting Monday became contentious.

Supervisor Mark Cline called the meeting to order and welcomed Laree Sue Behan as the newest supervisor.

Cline then asked for a motion to nominate a temporary chairman of the board. Supervisor Steve Mascho initially stated he abstained. When Behan made a motion to nominate Cline as the temporary chairman, which Cline seconded, Mascho then voted no.

Behan and Cline voted in favor and the motion was approved.

Behan also made the motion to nominate Cline as the chairman of the board, which Cline seconded. Mascho stated he abstained from the vote, with both Behan and Cline voting in favor. Cline made a motion for Behan to be vice-chairman of the board, which she seconded. Both voted in favor, with Mascho abstaining. A motion to appoint Susan Gibiser as township secretary/treasurer, Robert Shipman as Chief of Police and Frank Behan as foreman for both the Road and Garbage Departments was made by Cline and seconded by Behan. Both voted in favor, with Mascho stating he voted in favor of Shipman but was a vote of no on the other two appointments. Cline told Mascho he had to vote on the entire resolution, and Mascho disagreed.

A motion was made to appoint various individuals to positions for 2022, including Behan as voting delegate for the State & County Conventions and Gibiser as alternate, Cline as Roadmaster and Superintendent of the Garbage Department, Behan as Superintendent of the Police Department and Sewer Department, Mascho as Superintendent of office personnel; Michael Salerno as zoning officer and code enforcement/inspection officer; Todd Fantaskey as sewage enforcement officer and Nick Melnick as alternate sewage enforcement officer; Stapleford & Byham LLC as township solicitor; Campbell, Durrant Beatty, Palombo and Miller as labor attorney & counsel; E&M Engineering as the township’s engineering firm for Chapter 94; ETA, Inc/Jason Snyder as township engineer for bridges, Laurel Highlands Structural/Owen Beachy as township engineer for bridges; George Hart as township engineer for sewer projects, Dan Burkhouse as Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief and Jay Bradish as Emergency Management Coordinator. The motion was made by Behan and seconded by Cline, both of whom voted in favor as well. Mascho voted against several of the positions within the resolution, specifically mentioning Snyder and Laurel Highland.

A motion was discussed to appoint someone as a Vacancy Board member. Cline stated the township got two letters of interest.

“We didn’t ask for letters of interest, so it doesn’t matter,” Cline said.

Mascho requested to see the letters and nominated Dave Geitner, one of those who submitted a letter of interest, to fill the position. Behan made a motion nominating Jim Erwin to fill the vacancy at the same time.

The secretary pointed out that a motion was on the floor. There was no second for Mascho’s motion.

Cline seconded the motion from Behan to name Erwin to the vacancy. Behan and Cline voted in favor, while Mascho voted against. There was discussion of a previous situation in the township, when letters of interest were requested. At that time, the position was given to someone who had submitted a letter.

“That’s totally wrong what you did, you’re starting out on the wrong foot already,” Mascho said, directing his comment to Behan.

Cline reiterated that this time, letters were not requested.

A motion to adopt six resolutions for 2022 was also made by Behan and seconded by Cline. The resolutions included enacting the budget for 2022, designating the township secretary as Chief Administrative Officer for the Police Pension and Non-Uniform pension plan and also as the voting delegate for Bradford Township on the McKean County Tax collection committee, with Behan to serve as alternate, adopting the sewage enforcement officer fee schedule for 2022 and designating the board of supervisors and the township secretary as the authorized signatures on all Northwest Bank accounts.

Behan and Cline voted in favor, with Mascho voting against several resolutions, including the last one. The township secretary pointed out that Mascho can’t vote against the resolution, as it involves the authorized signatures.