May 12, 2004 By Jackie Beranek 3 min read

UPPER TYRONE TWP. – Supervisor Charles Cook tried and failed to get the auditors recommendations concerning internal control passed Tuesday. Township auditors Judith Gilpin, Nancy Killinger and Gertie Friend presented eight recommendations a couple of months ago to the supervisors to help them to operate more efficiently.

Those suggestions were:

– All mail should be addressed and delivered to the township’s existing Post Office box in Everson instead of going to secretary Louise Koza’s house.

– The supervisors instead of Koza should open the mail. Koza should oversee the opening of the mail but not open it herself.

– Only township employees should collect the mail and do the banking.

– The supporting documentation for each disbursement should include the date paid and check number or should have a photocopy of the check attached.

– A list of bills to be paid should be presented to the supervisors prior to monthly meetings.

– The supervisors prior to the regular monthly meeting should review all financial decisions requiring a vote.

– All financial matters should be officially approved at the monthly meetings including the budget.

Cook said an additional recommendation concerning the township’s long distance carrier has already been checked into. The auditors found that the township’s long distance carrier, AT&T, is charging about $23 per month just for the privilege of having the long distance service.

The auditors recommended that the supervisors call different places such as Verizon, who now has long distance service, and see if they could get the monthly cost reduced.

Cook, who asked for a second to his motion Tuesday, did not get an answer from supervisors Jack Fullem and Sam Killinger. Koza, however, was visibly disturbed at the suggestion that someone else open the mail.

Gilpin said following the meeting that even though the suggestions or recommendations did not sit well with Koza, they are necessary.

“No one should be opening the mail except the supervisors,” said Gilpin “And no one should be picking up the mail or taking mail to the post office except someone authorized by the supervisors.”

In unrelated matters, an argument broke between Killinger, his wife Nancy and resident Rich Shirey over a drainage pipe on Killinger’s property. Shirey said he paid to have the pipe fixed and said that the pipe was causing flooding in the area.

After a 20-minute standoff between Killinger and Shirey, the two men agreed to allow their attorney’s settle the dispute.

In other business, Esther and Walter Kruckvich said they also need the township attorney to settle a problem with a burned mobile home on their property. According to Cook, the couple sold a property to Victor Rozycki of Alverton on McClure Road in 2003.

Cook said apparently Rozycki didn’t list the deed with the county, and when his mobile home burned in May 2003, the township code enforcement officer held the Kruckvich’s responsible for the clean up.

The Kruckvich’s have hired an attorney to settle the matter.