Mar 28, 2014 4 min read

• Date: March 24

• Action: Council approved an amendment to a township ordinance that will increase the permitted square footage on a scoreboard from 20 to 65 feet. The change will permit the Peters Township Junior Football Association to purchase a new scoreboard that will include advertisements to help defray the cost of $16,000 to $18,000. The current scoreboard on Hofbauer Field in Peterswood Park is about 15 years old. The township will begin to solicit bids from advertisers.

Council voted to assess $4,300 in liquidated damages for late delivery of road salt by the supplier, Cargill Inc.

• Discussion: Council asked Ed Zuk, planning director, to investigate single-family homes that are in areas zoned residential-2. Zoning does not permit single-family homes in the R-2 district and, according to Zuk, the planning commission does not wish to change the zoning, as the members feel R-2 zoning encourages multifamily housing. The issue came up when one of the homeowners attempted to refinance a house on Camp Lane and was denied by the bank. The other properties are on Sheriff’s Court and Maid Marion Drive. If the house is destroyed by fire or natural causes, the single-family house could not be rebuilt on the same property under current ordinances.

It was announced that ballots were returned regarding the traffic calming measures for Center Church and Johnston roads. Residents approved a request for a two-phase project, with phase one being stop signs and speed signs. Phase two involves construction of traffic islands. Council voted unanimously to proceed with phase one.

• Next meeting: 7:30 p.m. April 7 in the municipal building.

• Date: March 20

• Action: The board approved payment of the $3,500 estimated cost for Raffaele Casale to obtain professional certification to become a mapping specialist for the county.

The commissioners approved an additional $3,400 to HRG Inc. to complete a revised bid package for a solar grid tied to electrical service for Shelter No. 3 in Cross Creek County Park. The cost of design and construction of this system, now esimated to total $23,100, will be paid with oil and gas revenues.

The commissioners approved contract renewals for two criminal conflict attorneys, Molly Gaussa and Thomas Agrafiotis, from April 1 through March 31, 2015, not to exceed $25,000 per attorney. The five criminal conflict attorneys handle about 200 cases a year total, 40 per attorney. In cases involving a pair or more of criminal defendants who cannot afford to pay for legal representation, one defendant is entitled to use the services of the public defender’s office, which is paid for by taxpayers’ dollars. The court appoints, also at taxpayer expense, what is known as a “conflict attorney,” or conflict attorneys, for a second or additional indigent defendant.

At the request of Children and Youth Services, the commissioners gave the agency approval to contract with Dr. Terry O’Hara, a psychologist, through June 30, and for services rendered since July 1, 2013, at a cost of no more than $10,000.

The board approved an agreement with Community Action Southwest to provide rapid rehousing services to homeless people at a cost of $122,500 from Sept. 26, 2013, to July 25, 2015, paid for by the state Department of Community and Economic Development through the Emergency Shelter Grant program.

At the request of the Human Services Department, the commissioners approved expenses for a summit meeting scheduled for May 21 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, at a cost of $5,500 through a human services development grant from the state Department of Public Welfare.

Also in the Department of Human Services, the board approved travel for Jennifer Johnson, housing and homeless services coordinator, and Jason Bercini, fiscal manager, to Minneapolis, Minn., for the National Human Services Data Consortium from April 30 to May 2, at an estimated cost of $2,500.

At the request of the health center, the commissioners approved a professional services agreement with Dr. Julie Wilcox to be the medical director of rehabilitation services for six months, at a rate of $1,500 per month.

• Next meeting: 10 a.m. April 3 in the public meeting room of the Courthouse Square office building