Damascus sets cell tower hearing, seeks local litter ordinance

Linda Drollinger
Posted 8/21/12

DAMASCUS, PA — At its May 18 meeting, the Damascus board of supervisors dealt with a number of long-standing issues, including multiple PennDOT bridge replacement projects; amendment of the …

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Damascus sets cell tower hearing, seeks local litter ordinance

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DAMASCUS, PA — At its May 18 meeting, the Damascus board of supervisors dealt with a number of long-standing issues, including multiple PennDOT bridge replacement projects; amendment of the township’s cell tower ordinance; a proposed conditional-use cell tower; and a proposed nuisance-abatement ordinance. By happy coincidence, it was also the annual Supervisor for a Day education event in Damascus Township. That meant that Wayne Highlands Damascus eighth-grade social studies students Jacob Adams (son of supervisor Steve Adams), Thor Crozakian, Brandon Lawson and Garrett Quick would preside at the town board meeting.

Proud teacher Pete Casazza introduced his students to the board and its officials. Saying that this event was a unique opportunity for young adults to learn firsthand about local government and the specific challenges facing their community, Casazza also noted that it was one way for them to see how they can make a positive contribution to the community before they are old enough to vote.

The foremost order of business was to schedule a public hearing on a proposed conditional-use cell phone tower to be located in the Duck Harbor Pond area off Route 191, near the Callicoon Road junction. The hearing will be held at the Damascus Community Center on Tuesday, June 9, immediately following a 7 p.m. hearing for amendment of the township’s existing cell phone tower ordinance.

The next resolution that the students introduced was a directive to the planning commission to develop a local nuisance-abatement ordinance designed to curtail littering and illegal dumping of garbage. It will mirror the state’s ordinance, which currently punishes violators with $300 fines, but will instead set a range of fines from $400 to $1,000, all of which will accrue to the township.

Zoning officer Ed Lagarenne said that the township receives only a couple of dollars return on fines collected from violators of the state’s ordinance, even though it is the township that bears full responsibility for enforcement of the state ordinance and all expenses incurred therein. The bulk of fines collected go to the state, with a smaller proportion going to the county.

Lagarenne said that the local ordinance will have a threefold purpose: the higher fines will serve to discourage the littering and dumping practices rampant of late; the wide range of fines will give magistrates the latitude to punish repeat offenders with stiffer fines than first-time offenders; and the township can put fine monies collected to practical use in cleanup efforts

The board moved on to a discussion of PennDOT’s plans for summer 2015 repair and/or replacement of several bridges in the area. Steve Adams, the board of supervisors’ representative at a meeting of area municipal officials, expressed concerns about the inconvenience of designated detour routes. In the case of all bridge closures, state road detour routes will be designated, even when local roads would be much more direct. Adams said the law mandates that a state route be substituted for one undergoing repair or bridge replacement. Most affected are truckers and businesses reliant on trucking services, as detours mean both transport delays and dramatically-increased transportation costs.

As they adjourned the meeting, it must have been obvious to the students that local government is dependent on the ideas, suggestions and concerns of all community residents, regardless of age, education level and eligibility to vote.

For complete meeting minutes and full text of resolutions, see damascustwp.org.

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