Obsession or social relationship?

By KRISTA GROMALSKI

SHOHOLA — A shouting match between Supervisor George Fluhr and resident Joe Zenes broke out during an August 9 public discussion of Zenes’ ongoing safety and environmental concerns for a section of roadway near his home.

Since October of 1999, Zenes has questioned the township, both verbally and in writing, about a situation that he calls “a safety and electrical hazard,” on the property of resident Dan McKean. In a letter to the township, Zenes said McKean had run “electrical and water supply lines through township culvert pipes to his property” on Shohola Falls Road.

In April 2000, consulting engineer Richard McGoey inspected McKean’s property on behalf of the township. In May of that year, Fluhr advised Zenes that the work done to McKean’s property had been determined “acceptable.”

At last week’s meeting of the Shohola Township Supervisors, Zenes said the wires are buried only at a depth of two inches, and recent rainfall had caused them to become exposed. Fluhr said the township spoke with McKean, who corrected the problem by covering the wires with dirt and sod.

Fluhr said this was a matter that Zenes should have directed to McKean himself, while Zenes said it is not his responsibility to address township safety issues with other residents. Fluhr then told Zenes to direct any safety concerns to local police.

Showing his impatience with Zenes’ persistence, Fluhr called the residents’ continual questions about the McKean property “an obsession.” Zenes has, in the past, asked the township to investigate possible zoning violations on McKean’s property in relation to an alleged shooting range and golf course.

In May, a zoning hearing determined McKean’s property not to be a shooting range. Since then, Zenes has appealed the decision.

Due to that “case pending in Pike County court,” Solicitor Edwin Abrahamsen advised the supervisors not to discuss the McKean property with Zenes.

Relating to the discussion at the meeting, resident David Churchill asked if a “social relationship” with McKean was affecting Fluhr’s treatment of Zenes concerns.

McKean was not present at the meeting and could not be reached for comment.