SHOHOLA, PA — At the Shohola Township meeting on June 11, resident Carrie Thomas raised the issue that the Pike County Humane Society (PCHS) is currently suffering from a lack of funds. The PCHS is the only non-kill shelter in the area. Thomas was upset that the PCHS will now accept animals only from townships that have donated money to the society this past year. Barry Heims, director of the PCHS, essentially confirmed this statement by writing in an email that “...in order for us to survive we may have to cut the services to the municipalities that do not support us.”

The township supervisors said that they have not contributed to the PCHS because, in a face-to-face meeting approximately two years ago, Heims was unable to account for a $125,000 legacy left to the society by Dr. Thelma Flint. Heims responded by first stating that there was never any audit conducted by the Shohola municipality.

Regarding the allegedly missing money, Heims stated that: “Regarding the $125,000 bequeath from Dr. Thelma Flint. The money was received two years ago. When we received the monies we were $34,000 in debt. Part of those funds was used to pay the outstanding bills. The shelter did purchase a 2012 E-250 Cargo van. The previous van that we had was constantly breaking down and the air conditioning did not work. Since then, most of the remaining monies were used to pay bills because of the shortage in our income versus our operating costs. $1,300 [went] towards park improvements and activities.”

When contacted again, the Shohola Township supervisors insisted they were never given any accounting for the missing money and stand by their original statement.

Heims wrote, “Shohola never did an audit of our books nor did they request the PCHS financial information! All my financial records are audited annually by our CPA Dale Kirk of Kirk Summa Co. in East Stroudsburg. I have the audited statement from our CPA. As usual someone is talking [expletive deleted] to start trouble. I would like to know who made such a ridiculous statement. Our organization is completely on the up-and-up. We are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations, and our audit is filed every year by November 15th.”

Until these issues can be fully resolved, it seems clear that Shohola Township will not be prepared to make any donations to the PCHS.

Also at the meeting, the supervisors announced that they are close to approving the nearly completed new zoning ordinance for the township. The changes would include new areas of commercial zoning. However, many restrictions would still apply to those areas and the emphasis is on controlled growth, as Aaron Robinson of the planning commission has underscored a number of times. The completed zoning map will be made available upon its final approval by the supervisors, which is expected to be done at next month’s meeting. John Graber has also announced his resignation from the planning commission, so an open seat is available to any interested individuals.

In other business, a new cell tower is to be constructed over the summer in the Woodtown Road area of Shohola. This construction will be significant and will include a closure of a portion of Woodtown and a detour onto Parker’s Glen Road. This has presented some concern, as Parker’s Glen is mostly unpaved and not intended for heavy traffic. The work will be done by Walsh/Granite. It has assumed all responsibility for any changes or maintenance required in order for drivers to safely use Parker’s Glen as a detour. The board voted to approve both this road maintenance agreement and also the use of a $50,000 grant that has been made to assist with the cost of the detour. The work is due to begin on June 26 and end August 20 in order not to interfere with the school bus runs that will begin again in late August.

Also at the meeting, Twin Lakes representative Alice Jane Loewrigkeit voiced concern regarding the use of short-term leases for Twin Lakes Community homes. She said that certain homes in the area are being advertised as available for lease and are essentially being utilized as hotels, and therefore lowering the quality of life in the area. Supervisor George Fluhr was hesitant to make any concrete comments on the subject, since the legal foundation of what a short-term rental is and the legal foundation regarding the township’s involvement would require research.