ATLAS - Following the public comment period of Wednesday's meeting of the Mount Carmel Township Board of Supervisors, chairman Charles Gasperetti praised the work of borough employees who have come under fire at recent meetings.
Resident Rich Mychak spent about 20 minutes questioning supervisors on a number of topics including incomplete permit records, required compaction reports on roadwork, how township street department workers manage their time and how the supervisors handled one employee who has fallen behind in property tax payments.
Gasperetti, who was not in attendance at last month's meeting, defended the street department, which he oversees as roadmaster.
"Do I know what the employees are doing every minute they are working? No, I don't. Do they work hard? Yes, they do," Gasperetti said. "Should there be a monthly report as to what they do at this meeting? Yes, there should. Should I be the one giving it? No, because I can't be straightforward with the answers."
Gasperetti then turned his attention to code enforcement officer Don Geary.
"Don is employed part time as our code enforcement officer, but he is handling not only code violations, but building inspections, occupancy permits and delinquent sewer and garbage bills," Gasperetti said. "It's too big a job for a part-time official."
Gasperetti asked the other supervisors, Joseph Zanella and Reynold Scicchitano, to consider hiring a full-time code enforcement officer and a full-time roadmaster.
He also challenged them to begin putting an allotment aside in next year's budget to help take care of blighted properties.
"When you have an elderly lady who can't get insurance on her property because of the blighted structure next to her, we've got to step up and do something," Gasperetti said.
In other business, the board voted unanimously to advertise an updated ordinance for handicapped parking place permits.
Under the new ordinance, the new initial application fee will be $150, which will reflect the cost of materials and labor to install the sign. Annual renewal of the parking spot will cost $100.
Supervisors took steps to expand the Mount Carmel Township Police Department building by approving the purchase of a modular classroom from the Danville Area High School at a cost of $5,011.73 and the purchase of two lots from the Atlas Fire Company at a cost of $11,000.
The board also approved a contract to provide Marion Heights Borough with police protection for 2014 and accepted a offer of $3,050 from Mostik Brothers Disposal for the 1990 trash compactor truck.
Mount Carmel Township will purchase a tar buggy from Home Depot at a cost not to exceed $5,000 to do crack sealing on township roads with its own crews, saving some money.
Because of an increased workload, a motion was approved to increase township secretary Marian Klingerman's schedule from 16 to 32 hours a week, beginning Sept. 1.
Supervisors thanked police officer Kelly Campbell for his work at the recent National Night Out event, and reported a representative from Congressman Lou Barletta's office will be available for community outreach from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the township meeting room.