Officials proceed with investigation
Connellsville Twp. supervisors to track township equipment CONNELLSVILLE TWP. – The Connellsville Township supervisors plan to investigate the purported sell, transfer or giveaway of equipment by their predecessors.
In action taken last week by the supervisors, an independent investigator will be retained to conclude what township-owned equipment was in the possession of the municipality in 2004 and whether it continues to be a part of the inventory or has been divested and what action was taken to dispose of the machinery, vehicles or other items.
Supervisor Chairman Rick Adobato declined to discuss the scope of the investigation, but acknowledged that there has been information brought forth that allegedly indicates certain township property was turned over to unnamed recipients by the former supervisors without following proper procedures.
“We’re turning this over to an independent investigator so that we can get to the bottom of this matter,” he said. “We want answers to these questions and so do the residents of the township.”
The resolution, adopted by Adobato and Supervisors Bob Carson and Tom Cesario, did not name the person who would be retained to conduct the investigation or the expected cost to the township.
Since April, two of the supervisors that held office during the timeframe of the investigation, Sally Stoots and Donnie Hann, have resigned. The third supervisor, Charles Basinger, was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election.
Shortly after taking office in January, Carson began to question the whereabouts of certain equipment, specifically a snowplow that was purchased by the township but is no longer a part of the property inventory.
Carson also declined comment.
Last month, Hann stated that he had been falsely accused of wrongdoing and said that he had been forced into resigning by Adobato, Carson and township solicitor Richard Bower.
“It was a set-up deal,” he said during the June township meeting. “I was forced to resign (from my position) as the chairman and roadmaster.”
Adobato, meanwhile, said that is unknown how long the investigation will take or what action will be taken should improprieties be found.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” he said.
Turning to other matters during Thursday’s meeting, the supervisors agreed to oppose two General Assembly bills that would, if adopted, change the state Constitution and establish the county as the basic level of local government in Pennsylvania and create an unelected, statewide boundary commission to review and make conclusion to the General Assembly for the merger, consolidation or annexation of municipalities.
“Townships are excellent fiscal stewards that have been doing more with less ever since the days of William Penn and are run by elected officials that live and work in the communities they represent, and are more committed to pinching pennies and working together to stretch tax dollars than anyone else in government today,” said Adobato when reading the resolution. “No one has ever proven that bigger, centralized government is better or even more cost-effective than township government.”
In other action, the supervisors also conducted the following business:
n Agreed to meet with the Hillcrest Mobile Park owner to discuss taking over the maintenance of roads within the park.
n Discussed the creation of a township website to aid residents and visitors in obtaining information about the municipality, including demographics, hospitals, residential services, leaf collection, recycling and activities. Cesario requested that anyone with information about the history of the township contact him.
n Commended the Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Department for its efforts in rescuing an injured man and his companions who were lost in the Casparis area on June 17.
n Adopted the 2009 multi-municipal plan for the township, city of Connellsville and Connellsville Township.
n Agreed to sell a township-owned trailer to David Lynn of South Connellsville for $435.
n Approved the addition of Carson into the state-funded, non-uniformed workers pension fund.
n Tabled action on adding Hann and Basinger to the pension fund until supervisors conferred with Bower.
n Agreed to earmark about $14,000 of state liquid fuel revenue received by the township to an equipment fund. The funding is to continue through 2015 to help defray the cost of future equipment purchases.
n Banned burning within the township through July because of dry conditions.
n Agreed to solicit quotes for materials and labor for the installation of electrical service at the new township building.