Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director In an unusually brief Foster Township supervisors meeting sewer issues, for a change, did not take center stage. Sewer and sanitary authority issues were discussed, but shared time with police, emergency management, code enforcement and business development. When asked by resident Bill Hallock how much it would cost to develop property at the Foster Brook intersection, supervisor Dale Phillips said there are no figures from PennDOT but development and occupancy permits depend on use, and how many cars are going in and out. “I believe we’ve got some great potential down there in that area,” Phillips said, adding that he likes to go Applebee’s in Olean on Saturday and “it’s like Bradford day. I know everybody in there.” “Why can’t I know everybody in Applebee’s that’s in Foster Township? Why are we going there instead of them coming here?” he asked rhetorically. He said he’s called the owners of the Kmart property in the Bradford Mall in ...

Purchase of New Firetruck Approved By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Tempers flared during Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting. Foster Township supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr., who is also a landlord in the city, asked how the city plans on paying off its 2012 bond. Mayor Tom Riel said the city has set aside money for this year’s payment, and then started to explain why the city needed to borrow money, giving the “deplorable” condition of the streets as one reason. Connelly interrupted, saying he agrees the streets are in deplorable condition, but he didn’t need an explanation on why the city borrowed the money. He wanted to know if the city is going to have to raise taxes to pay it off. Riel asked if Connelly was finished; Connelly said he asked Riel a question; then they talked over each other for a few seconds. “Mr. Connelly,” Riel said, “here is how it works here: A citizen stands and addresses council and we respond. We don’t banter and go back and forth ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Sewer issues once again dominated a Foster Township supervisors meeting, but they also discussed the township’s hiring practices, the Foster Brook intersection and new Tasers for the police department. During Monday’s meeting, township engineer Harold Bloomgren said the layout of the sewer line extension project is being finalized, and once it’s complete they will address issues concerning streams and wetlands. Bloomgren also explained the formula for PENNVEST funding, which is based on a points system. The more points a project has, the higher it moves on the priority list. He said one of the most important factors is whether a project would create or retain jobs. Another concern is “wildcat” lines flowing into waterways. An October 18 meeting has been scheduled for residents to get more information about the sewer line extension project. Bloomgren said while engineers were out working in the Kendall Avenue corridor, the question people asked o...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township’s sewer line project could cost about a million dollars less than originally planned. “We’ve taken what was thought to be a 5, 6 million dollar project and … I think it’s about 4.4 million,” said new township engineer Harold Bloomgren of Northwest Engineering. “That’s a little easier to handle.” Bloomgren attended Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting and gave a report on the updated Act 537 Plan. Northwest has taken over engineering duties from E&M Engineers after a mistake by E&M cost the township a low interest PENNVEST loan. E&M’s insurance company is currently considering an “errors and omissions” claim so the township can get its money back. The new plan developed by Northwest calls for using low pressure sewer lines with grinder pumps instead of gravity lines. The actual cost to township residents will depend on if funding comes from PENNVEST or Rural Utility Service, and the terms of the loans and/or gr...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors on Monday decided to cut their losses and hire a new engineering firm to finish their Act 537 sewer plan. A mistake by their previous engineers cost them a PENNVEST loan and about $200,000. Supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. also detailed other instances where the company cost them about $44,000 worth of extra labor and materials. They hired Northwest Engineering to complete the sewer plan and act as the township's new engineering firm. Supervisor John Sullivan voted against hiring Northwest because, he said, he was not impressed with the company's presentation to them. Sullivan did say, however, that he is "thrilled" that they made a decision and can move forward with the sewer plan. Also Monday, Connelly said he spoke with PennDOT earlier in the day about the problems at the intersection of East Main Street and Derrick Road. He said the agency has spoken with Reid Petroleum (owner of Crosby’s) and they ar...

Anger and frustration freely flowed into and infiltrated last night’s Foster Township supervisors meeting, when the better part of two hours was taken up by a variety of sewer line-related issues. Even before supervisors introduced a motion to appoint a township engineer, residents – who packed the meeting room in the municipal building – brought up issues concerning hook-up fees to the new sewer line. But the discussion really heated up after supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. made a motion to appoint The EADS Group as township engineer. He read quotes for the sewer line project from EADS ($684,000), Hill Engineering ($576,000) and E&M Engineers ($320,000). For months residents have been asking the supervisors to take action against E&M for a mistake that cost the township a PENNVEST loan for the project. But, last night, they were not happy about paying twice as much money to another engineering firm. Connelly said if E&M hadn’t made the mistake they wouldn’t even be ha...

Car Show May Move to the Bradford Mall By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township residents won’t see tax or sewage rate increases in 2012, but they may see the Autumn Daze Car Show move into the township. During Monday night’s meeting supervisor Dale Phillips said he has been working with the owners of the Bradford Mall and Street Dreams Car Club president Gary Hoy about moving the show from downtown Bradford to the mall. “It looks very good so far, knock on wood,” Phillips said, adding that Hoy was submitting all the necessary information to the mall’s management company. Phillips said the car club would be teaming up with the township’s volunteer fire departments and 100 percent of the proceeds would go to them. The show is scheduled for September 9. Also Monday, Bolivar Drive resident Bill Hallock asked about the $216,000 “error” made in the funding process for the sewer project, saying he believes the supervisors are taking the situation too lightly. “We should be up...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors on Monday deflected fallout from last month’s meeting when statements were made about former supervisors and township employees. Former supervisor Chris Wolcott, who resigned in December, said he is “very disturbed” by some of the statements made at the June meeting. Wolcott said current supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. “has been blaming former supervisors and (former township secretary Jennifer Gorrell) for not getting a recent PennVEST loan “and that is just ludicrous.” He added that blaming Gorrell is “despicable.” “Somebody dropped the ball and it wasn’t the secretary or former supervisors,” Wolcott said, adding that he believes the responsibility lies with E & M Engineers. “It was a slip,” said township engineer Roy Pedersen. “This was a procedure we’d never had to follow before.” Wolcott also took exception to Connolly, last month, questioning diesel fuel contracts given to Wolcott’s employer, William G. Satterle...

Backroom deals, questionable contracts and other business dealings were contributing factors to the mass exodus of Foster Township employees six months ago. That's according to supervisor Jim Connelly Jr., who was asked during Monday’s meeting to elaborate on the “turmoil” that led to the resignation of several people, including two supervisors. For the next half an hour Connelly explained some of the things he saw going on in the township, the steps he took to rectify the situations and the reactions he got. He said he was approached about making a “backroom deal” that would keep residents Tom Perry, BJ Campbell (who was not a supervisor at the time), Joe Piganelli and himself quiet. “They wanted to negotiate on what it would take to keep this group quiet,” Connelly said. “Not me. That’s a backroom deal. I just took office in January and I wasn’t going in that room to make a backroom deal.” Perry wanted to change the practice of allowing then-police chief Jeff Wolbert and then-roa...

John Sullivan is taking over as Foster Township supervisor sooner than expected. BJ Campbell, who Sullivan defeated in last month’s primary election, tendered his resignation Monday and Sullivan was immediately appointed to the position. In accepting the resignation supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. explained that Campbell is not resigning out of hostility. It’s simply that he “feels that he would like to give (Sullivan) the opportunity to get on board a little earlier. We are facing some pretty major decisions in regard to this township.” Connelly mentioned the sewer project and labor negations with the police and road departments. “BJ Campbell did a super job for this township,” Connelly said. “When I was sitting up here in December – It was a pretty rough night when everybody quit. I’ll be honest with you.” But, he added, Campbell had said that if anyone ever quit he would step up to the plate, and he did. Connelly went on to say that during his first week in office Campbell was ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors are asking people who have not turned in their easement agreements for the new sewer line project, to turn them in as soon as possible. “We’ve got to get the project going,” said supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. “It’s no longer February. We’ve got a contractor out there that wants to go to work.” He said he and supervisors BJ Campbell and Dale Phillips will be going door-to-door to talk with people who have not turned in their agreements yet, and asked that people who have a problem call them. Township engineer Roy Pedersen noted that Al Vanderpoel, also with E&M Engineers, has worked with a few residents who had issues and those issues have been resolved. Connelly wondered – because EDUs have been shut off in the Tuna Valley – if residents will be able to use the sewer system after they pay the tap-in fee. Pedersen because this is part of the Act 537 Plan people who hook up to the system will “absolutely” be ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township has a new supervisor. Businessman Dale Phillips was appointed during Monday’s meeting to fill the position left when Chris Wolcott resigned in December. Phillips is the brother-in-law of Bradford Mayor Tom Riel. Also during Monday’s meeting, Jim Connelly Jr. was voted chairman and BJ Campbell vice chairman. Campbell also resigned his position on the Zoning Hearing Board because he can’t hold both jobs. Virginia Hinaman also resigned from the Zoning Hearing Board. They were replaced by Bruce Cauvel and Norm Strotman Jr., who will serve for five years. Campbell said Hinaman was a “very attentive” board member and did a good job. Connelly thanked Cauvel and Strotman for “stepping up and serving Foster Township.” Also during the meeting Connelly acknowledged the work that Sally Scrivo does as emergency management coordinator for the township. “Unless there’s a major emergency or a catastrophe most people don’t even know Sally’s out ...

Foster Township supervisors Bob Slike and Chris Wolcott have resigned, along with longtime township secretary Jennifer Gorrell. At the end of Monday’s meeting Wolcott announced that his resignation would be effective Tuesday. Slike’s resignation is effective immediately. Slike, who had been supervisor chairman for many years, would have been entering his 20th year on the board. Wolcott has been a supervisor for 12 years. Both men said the meetings had gotten to be too much to deal with. Remaining supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. must work with the vacancy board to fill the positions. Gorrell tendered her resignation earlier in the day, and it was accepted during Monday’s supervisors meeting. It was effective Monday.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Some people think Foster Township residents are paying too much for their sewer tap-in fees, and that should change. Others agree the fee is too high, but think it should stay where it is. The $2,000 tap-in fee was one of the topics of Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting. Bradford Township residents pay $1,000. City residents pay $500. The issue arose, in part, because residents are concerned about what would happen if the three municipalities consolidate sewer services. Supervisor Jim Connelly, who believes the tap-in fee is too high, is hoping to find ways to cut costs – including being more diligent in collecting from delinquent customers – to lower the fee. “I think that’s ($2,000) a lot of money to ask somebody to pay,” Connelly said. He added that there are $30,000 in delinquent bills. “It’s not fair that some of us have to pay our sewer bills and some of us don’t,” Connelly said. East Main Street resident Don Pistner wanted to kn...

It feels like Christmas in September for Foster Township, supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. told WESB and The HERO this morning. He says Bob Baker of Baker Contracting volunteered his company’s time and some supplies to put a new roof on the pavilion at the township’s community park. Township Secretary Jennifer Gorrell says Baker knew the township had been talking about the need for a roof on the pavilion, and he decided to do it as a community service. His company, along with Union Sales Corp. and Armor Building Supply in Olean, donated supplies for the project, which was done last Wednesday and Thursday. “That’s a nice thing for someone to do,” Connelly said.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Different municipality. Same question. Why is code enforcement complaint driven? South Kendall Avenue resident Barb Price again on Monday asked Foster Township supervisors what’s being done about the “deplorable” conditions on her road and other areas in the township. Supervisors said letters have been sent out to several property owners about the problems. But Price still had a question. “Why is it that the citizens have to be the ones to complain about these conditions in the township when we have the township workers that are up and down the roads? The police can see them,” she said. “I don’t think that I have to be a watchdog for the township.” Supervisor Jim Connelly, who took a drive with Price to see some of the problem properties, asked Police Chief Jeff Wolbert and Road Supervisor Joe Sweet to report abandoned cars, junk and other problems. He said if they report the problems, the supervisors will make sure code enforcement officer John...

Yes, work on the former CVS store at the Bradford Mall means a new store is moving in. During Monday’s Foster Township Supervisors meeting, supervisor Jim Connelly formally announced that the new store is moving in, which means new jobs. After the meeting, he said the store is LabelShopper . The store’s website says it sells "bargain, name-brand clothing at amazing prices." The closest LabelShopper to Bradford right now is in St. Marys. Connelly said he is happy that the company is uisng a local contractor to do work on the new store. “They didn’t outsource everything and bring their own crew in,” he said. He said it’s been his experience in his time as supervisor that the owners and manager of the mall are “more than willing to work with (Foster) Township and I think they’re showing a significant change – that they do care about our community. They do care about our economic base.” “It looks like things are moving up,” he said, adding that he’s not going to let up on the own...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Most of the oil and gas drilling companies working in the county have been cooperative in fixing the roads they damage, according to McKean County Commissioners. Commissioners Joe DeMott, Al Pingie and Judy Church attended Monday’s Foster Township Supervisors meeting as part of their effort to attend meetings in every municipality in the county. So far, in three months, they’ve visited 20 of 22 municipalities. Seaward Avenue resident Tom Perry asked who’s responsible for making sure the companies adhere to weight limits, and take care of damaged roads. Pingie said it’s up to the municipalities to make sure the companies are following the rules and regulations. “So far … they’ve been very good about taking care of the roads,” Church said. “They replaced a road in Norwich Township.” She said supervisors met with the drilling company, got an estimate for road repairs and company paid it. DeMott added that the companies have been cooperative. “Most ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director There was more trash talk at Monday’s Foster Township Supervisors meeting. Residents wanted more details on a plan that was introduced last month about changing the way trash is collected in the township. Last month supervisors voted to start a study to look into collecting its own trash instead of having several haulers do the pickups. Derrick Road resident Ron VanScoter said one of the reasons he’s against the township getting involved is that it would be taking business away from private enterprise. “You have private enterprise that works and they’re doing a good job. If the township collects their own, they’re going to put people out of work,” VanScoter said. “Once the government’s involved, it seems to go out of hand,” he said. Township resident Kira Leck said she hauls her own trash to the landfill, and thinks that people who don’t want to pay for trash collection shouldn’t have to. “I work really hard at lowering my trash output. I recycl...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Changes will be coming to one of the busiest spots in McKean County. Shults Auto Group has applied for demolition permits for the former Rink Brothers property on East Main Street. Foster Township Supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. said during Monday night's meeting that they haven't applied for any building permits yet, though. He did say he's heard "a few things" concerning what they're going to put in there, but hasn't heard it from a Shults representative yet. "I've said for years that corner down there .. is one of the most valuable pieces of real estate that we have in McKean County," Connelly said. He added that the Shults businesses are "good neighbors and I'm sure they're going to put something in there that's going to be a good addition to Foster Brook." Connelly did say they are moving their dealership from South Avenue to East Main Street, adding that First Street residents a...