Whitmore resigns township office
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

ROBERT WHITMORE

In a surprise announcement at the tail end of a lengthy meeting Aug. 14, Chairman Robert Whitmore stated he would be resigning from the Antrim Township Board of Supervisors, effective Aug. 31. He has been on the board 15 1/2 years. His current term ends in two-and-ahalf years.

Citing the workload of his daytime job, he said he could not continue with his board responsibilities. Whitmore is Chief Executive Officer of Manito.

"I've run out of time and energy. I can't keep up. I love serving the people but just can't keep doing this," said Whitmore. "Sorry, it's just what I need to do."

Conflict

Earlier in the evening, township manager Ben Thomas Jr., asked if the board would fund the $3,000 cost should Thomas be selected to attend the Pennsylvania Rural Leadership Program in 2007-2008. He said it had been an honor to be nominated by the Executive Director of the Governor's Center for Community and Economic Development.

Thomas said the Program was sponsored by Penn State and the legislature, with a value of $15,000. Should he be selected following an interview, the township could use part of the $4,000 in the education fund.

Supervisor Sam Miller asked if he needed the training.

Whitmore replied, "Leadership is not a stagnant thing. It's good if you want to stay current."

Thomas added he would benefit from experts brought in to the sessions, and that the networking itself was valuable.

Whitmore asked Miller, "What's your vision for the township? Part of that is professional development."

Miller suggested that Thomas pay upfront, and the township would pay him back if he completed the course.

"That's not the way you develop managers," said Whitmore. "This is an absolute nobrainer."

Supervisor Curt Myers asked who would run the township when Thomas was out of town. He wondered if the municipality needed a manager.

Thomas then suggested moving along on the agenda. No action was taken on the funding request.

Who pays for what?

Attorney Paul Schemel, representing Anton Mourtil and Bayside Homes, spoke about a proposed housing development beyond Rosebud Drive. He said the developer planned to widen Rosebud, which would link to Walter Avenue. The road would serve traffic from Williamson Road and Route 16, which would ease the congestion at the Route 16/U.S. 11 intersection. Bayside also offered to put in a right turn lane from Route 16.

Schemel asked the township to fund the traffic light at Rosebud and Route 16, since the development of 84 homes was offsite. He said developers couldn't be required to put in a light if the intersection didn't touch their land.

He also noted that Bayside would only contribute to a small portion of the traffic, since a nearby development would have 444 homes, and residents at the golf course, Heritage Hills and regular motorists would use Rosebud as a bypass.

Township solicitor John Lisko said that the township had to apply for the Highway Occupancy Permit to widen Rosebud and perhaps it would not do so if the developer would not pay for the light. He considered the Bayside property on-site. At the least, he wanted Bayside to pay a portion of the cost.

Thomas noted that PennDOT decides when a light is warranted, and it could be years from now.

Schemel said he was amenable to exploring all avenues and would consult with a traffic study engineer to get an idea on what was fair.

Personnel

Thomas stated that while the township had a receptionist vacancy, he was going to leave it open for now. Since the housing slowdown meant a reduction in permit applications, he said the current office staff could handle the work load.

Whitmore read a letter from Supervisor Scott Diffenderfer, who was not present, resigning as a member of the Municipal Authority, effective Dec. 31.

Supervisor James Byers said, "I'm disappointed. He's been a real asset."

Other business

Martin Malone and Husam Obeid from P. Joseph Lehman Engineers asked for an update on Antrim's plans for Martin's Mill Bridge. The firm had inspected the bridge in December and found it had less that a twoton capacity. It then recommended the bridge be closed to vehicular traffic.

Malone said the time was right to seek federal funding now, so they wanted to know if Lehman's offer would be accepted. If Lehman received grants for bridge rehabilitation, its $15,000 consulting fee would be waived. If another firm did the work, the fee would be due. He estimated the project would cost $900,000 and it could take more than one try for grant funding.

"I'm in favor if you're going to do it for free," said Miller.

The board reviewed a proposal by Associated Engineering Sciences, Inc. from Hagerstown, Md. Thomas said the company had an impressive record. Its inspection fee would be $20,000. The supervisors gave a go-ahead to accept Lehman's proposal.

Thomas stated he was sending a letter to the DEP dropping out of the Recycling Performance Grant program. Due to stipulations in Act 140, Antrim did not meet requirements such as conducting monthly collection of leaves and yard waste or have a no-burning ordinance.

"It's not worth the check you get on an annual basis," he said, noting that a number of townships are opting out of such grant programs.

Residents of Moss Spring expressed concern about water drainage issues, irregular macadam on the streets and the absence of tree screening by developer Frank Plessinger. The board set a Sept. 4 hearing date to discuss the tree easement only. It also approved a request by attorney William Dick to address two buildings in Moss Spring that encroach on the open space by less than an inch.

Thomas announced that farms belonging to Ronald Elliot, Gareth Myers, Robert Rebuck and Constance Tracy were eligible for Agricultural Preservation.