Senior workers will help in Lower Tyrone
LOWER TYRONE TWP. – The supervisors announced Tuesday that they will be getting four senior workers through the Experience Works program to help out in the township. Supervisor Chairman George Gillespie said that the township’s newly hired maintenance worker would more than likely be laid off after the senior workers arrive.
“We can get them (the senior citizens) for 20 hours a week at no cost to the township,” said Gillespie. “The state and federal government will pay their salary.”
When questioned by a township resident as to why the supervisors had already hired a man to replace former township worker Charlie Ludwig, who quit, Gillespie said supervisor Ernie Walters hired the man.
“We didn’t know that we could get the older workers for free,” said Gillespie. “Had we known, we wouldn’t have hired the guy.”
Ludwig asked the supervisors if he was caught sleeping on the job and if he had a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) license. Walters said he was not caught sleeping on the job and said that he does not have a CDL license.
Gillespie quickly added that if the township vehicles are less than 1,700 pounds, a CDL license is not needed.
“When they first came up with the CDL license, the rule was to drive an air-brake truck you had to have the CDL endorsement on your personal license, but you don’t anymore,” said Gillespie.
“The law was changed because of private ownership of trucks,” he continued. “The law now says that a truck with air brakes under 1700 pounds is exempt from a CDL license.
In other related matters, Ludwig asked if Walters defrauded Unemployment Compensation and Gillespie immediately called for an executive session to be held following the meeting.
However, Ludwig left the meeting early saying, “I’ve had about as much of this as I can take,” so an executive session was not held.
Resident Windel Hayes told the supervisors that they should hold onto the township ball field since federal and state grant money was used for upgrades.
The Dawson Grange leased the ball field to the township in 1990 for 99 years at $1 a year and has been trying to get the township to return the property to them since the ball field isn’t being used.
Hayes said he talked to several officials and they told him that a lawsuit could be filed against the township if the property is returned to the Dawson Grange since federal and state money was used.
Grange treasurer Sharon Ferris and secretary Janet Smith said the lease has already been broken because the township has not held up its end of the bargain by maintaining the ball field.
The discussion on the ball field will be revisited at the Sept. 11 regular supervisors meeting at the Brownfield Community Center.