Township considers helping PennDOT fix roads
By Karen Cresta, Staff Writer, The Times
EAST MARLBOROUGH – Due to the upcoming Labor Day holiday next Monday, the East Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors held its meeting a week earlier on Tuesday evening. The meeting was only a little over an hour long but discussions on the current road conditions, specifically pot holes on state roads, took precedence after announcing the newly appointed township representative to the Kennett Public Library Board.
After the board approved each conditional use order for the Walnut Walk townhouse development and approved a lot line change for a subdivision on North Mill Road, the board, along with Library Director Donna Murray named Stanley Allen, a 16 year East Marlborough Township resident, as its replacement representative to the library board. (The previous representative served his maximum time per the by-laws and, according to Murray, must wait three years before being considered for the position again.)
Currently, the library board selects its own members unless a municipality contributes the appropriate dollar amount or dedicates a library tax to financially support the library, like East Marlborough does. The library’s Policy Committee could vote as soon as Sept. 15 to amend these by-laws so that each municipality has the ability to appoint a representative themselves. Neighboring Pocopson has cut its funding of the library over the board representation issue, while the same issue has been a point of contention for Kennett Township and Kennett Square.
“We are looking at revising the by-laws and we want it to be written that it serves the municipalities very well. So, we expect to vote in September, to give each municipality a designated board member regardless of funding,” Murray stated.
Allen stepped forward and offered to represent East Marlborough Township on the library board and Township board member Robert Weer and Chairman Cuyler Walker then had the opportunity to meet with Allen. They learned that Allen took an interest in libraries while travelling around the world with his family and he is anticipating retirement in a few years and would like to actively serve the community.
“Mr. Allen and the Allen family are contributors, if not the most significant individual contributors, to your Adult Literacy Program. The Allens have been actively involved in the library and supportive of the library and we appreciate that we have someone with that background to represent the township on the library board,” Walker said.
The board unanimously approved Allen’s appointment and he will fill the vacancy and serve the balance of 2015 and then the board conducts its reorganization meeting in the new year.
In other township business, Jane Laslo, Township Manager, informed the board of PennDOT’s proposal to encourage local municipalities to repair potholes on state roads as needed if PennDOT was unable to handle increased workload due to weather conditions that create extraordinary circumstances, such as last winter. She indicated that PennDOT would incur all expenses.
Walker wanted to make it clear that these are PennDOT’s responsibilities because they are state roads not township roads that are affected by the potholes of last winter.
“I think it may be something the board may want to do for one year and see whether or not this costs us money or whether or not we end up making money. Well, we can’t make money on it but whether or not it turns out to be an okay situation. The primary reason I would recommend doing it, and I know it’s a lot of work for our crew, is for the motorists and I get all their complaints. There are many, many, many who called in and had to replace a tire this year,” Laslo said.
“…Because of PennDOT,” Walker added, which invoked laughter from the room.
In the absence of Roadmaster Dennis Mellinger – who is also a volunteer fireman and was called to a Pocopson house fire just prior to the meeting being called to order – the board put the discussion on hold until next month. The board would like to consult him and gain his input regarding operational aspects and his opinion on the matter, as well as the need for the Township Solicitor, Frone Crawford’s review of the agreement.
The agreement to patch potholes would be an “extra” if the potholes could not be handled by PennDOT so they would still have primary responsibility.
“I’d like to hear what the Chester County officials and the municipalities have to say,” Weer added.
Mellinger was also on the agenda to discuss the damage to the township road, East Doe Run, due to large trucks using the road as a normal traffic pattern repetitively throughout the day – specifically mentioned were trucks hauling heavy scrap metal.
Chief Robert Clarke who spoke to Mellinger regarding this issue wanted to know if the trucks could be restricted in some way and asked Diamond State Recycling Company, who was observed using East Doe Run Road up to six times a day to haul scrap metal to Wilmington, why they used this particular route. He indicated that he was told by the company that the trucks are unable to make the turn at Route 926 where Landhope Farms is located. Clarke suggested placing a restriction on the road but was unsure of the process to do so.
Weer suggested that Clarke ask the company to have the driver take an alternate route such as Route 1 to Route 82.
Walker asked Crawford, “In order to protect Doe Run Road and avoid further costs of maintaining it, can we restrict the road?”
“I’m very confident that the answer is yes. We will see what the procedure says,” Crawford answered.
Walker indicated that if a weight limit could be imposed on the township road, it would force the heavy trucks to take Route 1 to Route 82 instead – since these roads are built to a higher standard to handle the heavy load. Clarke would see what he could do by asking the company about the alternate route and Crawford will research the process of enforcing a weight restriction on a township road and meeting any requirements to do so for the next meeting in October.
The board acknowledged Weer’s 80th birthday on Sept. 3. He has served on the township’s Board of Supervisors for 28 years and prior to that he served on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Board for 20 years. Walker acknowledged that his fellow board member and friend served the community for more than half his life and thanked him for his dedication and service.
