Feb 28, 2008 4 min read

By Jenny Susa Herald-Standard

WASHINGTON TWP. – The public once again approached the Washington Township Municipal Authority this week with questions concerning how some of the board’s financial mistakes would be handled.

The board approved the payment of excessive amounts of overtime wages to its former office manager, Judy Arrow, and while the public has been hearing that the matter is under investigation, residents told the authority they wanted to know if anyone would be held responsible for approving payments to which Arrow was not entitled.

Dee Fisher, the new chairman of the board, said that the matter is still under investigation.

“Meetings are being set up and it is being looked into,” said Fisher. “I can’t tell you exactly where it is right now.”

Resident Chuck Yetsconish asked solicitor Michael Witheral if the board members who wrongly approved the expenditures could be surcharged, so that the cost would not come back on the ratepayers.

“Surcharge actions are taken by individual taxpayers and ratepayers who take action through private counsel,” said Witheral. “I’ve heard of ratepayers filing a surcharge, but I have never heard of a board attempting to surcharge itself. Surcharging is not that simplistic of an issue.”

Resident Myron Sipitko also asked the board what would be done about the additional medical benefits that were paid to former employee Michael Latkanich. When Latkanich was suspended after assault charges were filed against him, he was not supposed to receive payment of benefits after nine months off the job, but the board later found that he was still receiving benefits for a few more months.

Board members said they did not know what they could do about the additional benefits that were paid.

In another matter, the board adopted a public participation policy for its public meetings, in which they ask the public to sign in and write down any topic they would like to discuss. During the public forum, the residents may still talk about other issues if questions arise, but they are asked to be respectful and not make their comments too lengthy. Agendas will be available at each meeting, and posted in the authority’s office the Friday before each meeting is held.

“If you have anything you would like to discuss at length, you are welcome to discuss it with the board as a whole after the meeting has closed,” said Fisher, explaining that when the public comments take too much time during the meeting, the solicitor is kept on the clock longer than necessary.

During the sewerage portion of the meeting, the board heard from engineer David Kerchner that 561 rights of way are still needed to proceed with the sewer project. He said that while letters have been sent to every property owner from whom rights of way needed to be obtained, only 776 people have responded. Kerchner asked the public to encourage their neighbors to sign the rights or way, because they will have to begin the condemnation process for properties that the owners have not signed for.

Witheral also prompted people to sign the rights of way to save on costs.

“Condemnation is a costly process,” said Witheral. “You’ll be paying attorney’s fees and engineer’s fees. The filing rates alone will be substantial, and that will show up in the rates. So encourage your neighbors to sign these and save yourselves some money.”

Kerchner said that engineers will be available at the CAS building for a public meeting to answer questions on March 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.

He said they would like to avoid filing condemnations if possible, and he hopes that they will be able to address everyone’s concerns at that public meeting.