Smithfield Township adopts 2010 budget
Review Photo/BRIAN BISHOP Retiring Smithfield Township Supervisor Zane Chamberlain, center, holds a plaque given to him in honor of his eight years of service to the township. At left is Supervisor John Allford, and at right is Supervisor Jacqueline Kingsley.
SMITHFIELD TWP. - The Smithfield Township supervisors adopted their budget for 2010, discussed a road improvement project and a natural gas pipeline agreement and said good-bye to a retiring fellow supervisor at their most recent meeting.
The 2010 budget for Smithfield Township stands at $385,911, and the tax rate for the township remains unchanged from last year at 4.3 mils, according to budget documents.
Pipeline
The Supervisors also voted at the meeting to accept an agreement with Chesapeake Energy to allow the natural gas firm to construct a pipeline on a portion of the township's VFW grounds.
The pipeline would stretch for around 700 feet across the northwest portion of the grounds, according to Supervisor John Allford. The pipeline would not be near any buildings and won't interfere with activities held on the grounds, he said.
The agreement states that Chesapeake will pay the township for its use of the land when the pipeline is constructed, Allford said, and any revenue from the pipeline agreement would be used to support the VFW grounds. The amount of payment depends on the exact route of the pipeline and how much of the township property is crossed, Allford said.
Hoblet Road project
The supervisors also voted to accept a bid from Calvin Cole Construction of Milan to complete work on Hoblet Road.
The project will consist of paving a section of Hoblet Road, which is a gravel road, near the intersection with the Berwick Turnpike, Allford said, and will be funded through a safety grant from PennDOT.
The project aims to prevent debris from the gravel road from entering the Berwick Turnpike, he said. Cole's bid to complete the project was $8,650, according to the minutes of a special meeting held in November to discuss the issue. The supervisors had to wait until PennDOT reviewed Cole's qualifications for the project to award the bid, Allford said.
Zane Chamberlain retires
The most recent township meeting was Supervisor Zane Chamberlain's last as a Smithfield Township supervisor.
"I think the township has been very fortunate (to have the service of Chamberlain) for eight years," Supervisor Jaquelyn Kingsley said. Kingsley presented Chamberlain with several tokens of appreciation, some more serious than others.
Among the items Kingsley presented to Chamberlain was a framed photograph of Chamberlain applying a bandage to a small child. Kingsley said that while township residents aren't always pleased with the decisions of the supervisors, the picture commemorated the one time Chamberlain made a township resident happy.
Chamberlain also received a plaque commemorating his service, and a sign was attached to a chair in the township building "reserving" a spot for him at future meetings.
"It's always nice to be appreciated by your peers ... I couldn't ask for anybody to work with that's any better," Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain urged the residents of the township to "be kind" to the supervisors, as with the challenges of gas drilling, increased regulations, and continuing to meet necessary expenses with the township's limited income being a township supervisor is "going to be a lot more work than it has been."
Chamberlain's place on the board of supervisors will be filled by Russell Burkett, who takes office next month.
Brian Bishop can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or e-mail: bbishop@thedailyreview.com.
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