Shohola chairman abruptly resigns

Conflict of interest dispute continues

By TOM KANE

SHOHOLA, PA — The dispute between two Shohola officials and a local attorney reached its fourth month.

Again this month, on February 11, residents crowded into the township hall, most of them in support of Nelia and Don Wall, the township supervisor and zoning officer respectively.

The couple, who are husband and wife, were accused by attorney and Shohola Township resident Eric Hamill of a conflict of interest. Hamill alleges that they championed the use of their construction company, TLC Excavating Company, in the handing out of construction permits.

The couple, who strongly denied the allegations, were exonerated by the township council at the last monthly meeting in January.

Before the February 11 meeting began, chairman Steve Dellert, who has been under extreme pressure in the matter, surprisingly announced his resignation and subsequently left the meeting.

As the meeting continued, with Nelia Wall taking over as the assistant chair, the newest supervisor, George Fluhr, refused to approve the payment of the monthly bills since one item directed the township to pay the legal expenses of the Walls in their dispute with Hamill.

The township’s regular attorney, Michael Parker, had recused himself from defending the Walls because he rendered legal assistance to them at a previous time. At that time, the board engaged the legal advice of attorney Ronald Bujag who defended the Walls.

“I cannot approve something I know nothing about,” Fluhr said. This was Fluhr’s first meeting as supervisor.

The council was unable to resolve the question because Nelia had to abstain from voting on the approval. In the absence of Dellert and with Nelia recused, for the purpose of the vote on the bills the council consisted only of Fluhr and therefore had no quorum and could not resolve the matter.

After an executive session, the board returned and approved the payment of the bills with the exclusion of the attorney’s fees. The board then directed attorney Parker to contact the township’s insurance company to see if there was some way to resolve the issue and pay Bujag’s fees.

As the meeting began, Bob DiLorenzo, the assistant zoning officer, read a statement accusing several people, Nelia included, of maligning him in the local press. DiLorenzo stated that a news article suggested that he wanted the job of full-time zoning officer and thereby supported Hamill’s complaint. He forcefully denied the suggestion and bemoaned the fact that the matter was being resolved in the press.

At the end of the meeting, Nelia urged all to put the matter behind them and focus their attention on matters that were vital to the township and were not being addressed.