Feb. 13--Several problems have developed with the new 9-1-1 addressing in Banks Township, especially where emergency units are concerned.
Township Fire Chief Joe Geusic said that when the Tresckow Fire Company gets dispatched by Carbon County 911 to "Spring Mountain Road," it can be one of three different roads.
"When we get dispatched outside of Beaver Meadows, which is Route 93, we are being dispatched to what they call Spring Mountain Road," Geusic told the supervisors at their meeting Monday.
"We'll be on three different roads, at different times, for different calls, and it's all the same address. One is Route 93, the other is what we know as the Weatherly Planes Road, and the third is the one that goes over the mountain to Still Creek. The maps call Route 93 Hudson Drive, they call the Weatherly Planes Road Spring Mountain Road, the road up over the top has no name."
Geusic said the supervisors have to name the roads and tell Carbon County 9-1-1 what those names are.
Township resident Bill Dever said all three roads have a state route number.
Meanwhile, two township residents said ambulance personnel mistakenly appeared at their doors recently, confused by wrong addresses.
Supervisor Rick Porpiglia said the supervisors are reviewing addresses in all areas of the township.
"We are working on each separate area, one at a time," he said. "Coxeville is out of the way. Hopefully that is 100 percent good. Jeanesville is 100 percent good. Now we have to go over Tresckow, Audenried and Junedale, just to make sure everything is in line. It's a work in progress."
The supervisors approved a resolution changing five addresses that were Church Street, Jeanesville, to Holly Street.
"They are actually in Banks Township," Porpiglia said. "We will send confirmation to 9-1-1 and the U.S. post office."
Nuisance ordinance
The supervisors voted 3-0 to re-enact the nuisance ordinance that had been repealed by the previous board of supervisors.
"Nothing's changed," township solicitor Chris Slusser said of the old law to the new one. "There were some things that had to be cleaned up, from a formatic standpoint."
Slusser said the law was properly advertised. Supervisor Joe Clark said it was posted at the township garage.
"If anyone has a question about an ordinance, they can contact my office, and we'd be happy to email a copy," Slusser said.
All ordinances will be posted on the new township website, which is under construction. Clark indicated it may be some time before they are there.
One of the reasons the nuisance ordinance was re-enacted now is because it includes rules for snow plowing. Township resident Marlene Micalyshin complained a private snowplow operator cleaned her neighbor's property and pushed all of the snow into the driveway of her two-stall garage.
The supervisors cautioned private snowplow operators not to repeat that practice, or they will face action by the supervisors.
Porpiglia said it was too late in the winter season to enact the township's snow parking ban.
Employee conduct
The supervisors also voted 3-0 to repeal seven resolutions approved by the former board regarding employee conduct and supervision.
The move prompted two humorous comments from the supervisors.
"Let me make a motion," Supervisor Charles Schalles said. "I do all the writing and you (Clark and Porpiglia) do all the motions."
"I want to keep the one that says chairman is king," Clark joked.
The supervisors also voted to move Charles Parker from code enforcement officer to zoning officer.
Clark said Parker already has been working with zoning solicitor Cindy Yurchak on some matters.
"We are going to sit down with the zoning board and look at the zoning book, which has to be revised and updated. We will do that at a time convenient to all," Clark said.
The supervisors then appointed James Sharp as code enforcement officer.
"He has experience and all of the codification requirements," Clark said.
Copyright 2014 - Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.
