HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Commissioners on October 19 formalized the budget reduction plans they warned about earlier this month.

According to their statement, “…Wayne County may be forced to reduce and/or interrupt some of the social services the county provides to our community’s families by the end of December… During the next eight weeks, the county and its Human Services Agency (HSA) will be planning for a staged and systematic approach to what may become a considerable reduction and/or shutdown of some services in the event the [state] budget impasse is not resolved…. ”

The announcement at the same time emphasized that reduced services will not impact those receiving services covered by the Commonwealth’s Medical Assistance (MA) programs, for whom the state has promised continuing services.

“The county will begin announcements during the month of November of any services which may be delayed, reduced and/or curtailed during the month of December, 2015,” the statement continued, detailing problems that are likely to arise.

“The Commonwealth’s budget impasse has sorely strained the resources of our county and our local community resources as we have struggled to maintain uninterrupted services to local residents who are most vulnerable….

“If the Commonwealth does not pass a budget on or about December 1, 2015, so that funds may begin to flow to the county, the HSA will be unable to continue to provide some services to Commonwealth funded programs greatly used by so many, with such positive effects for the entire community. Service interruption will have a considerable impact, as all funding has the goal of helping people to remain independent, contributing members of our community, and keeping them out of more restrictive alternatives with higher costs, such as emergency rooms, physical and mental health hospitals, other institutions, and even prisons.”

The Wayne statement called on the state to release state lottery funds, which have in past budget delays remained available to counties. “The county encourages interested parties to contact our governor and all state legislators to urge that (1) a budget compromise be reached; and (2) that, separate and distinct from the impasse negotiations, the lottery funds held and being accrued by the Commonwealth be authorized to be released to counties immediately.”

‘I’m no dam expert’

Taking the unusual step of speaking as a citizen during the commissioners’ October 15 public comment period, Chairman Brian Smith said, “I’m very upset about our lakes being drained—Miller Pond and White Oak are to be drained. I’d like to see some sort of accountability, not just saying that (dams) are impaired. We need engineering statements and corrective action alternatives,” he said.

Smith spoke of an ongoing Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) program which is removing the dams deemed unsafe that impound many lakes central to lakeside community developments.

DEP has not responded to repeated TRR inquiries about the agency initiative.

Aside from the impact on the county’s property tax values, Smith said the state action is impacting the lives of people who retired in Wayne County and expected to spend that retirement in a lakeside community.

Several audience members supported his statement, noting that impacted lakes were in all cases principal water sources for Wayne County firefighters.

Noting the large number of Wayne County lakes and ponds, Smith concluded, “This is an epidemic across the state…. We’re in a situation where there are no checks and balances, and it’s going to cripple this county and Pennsylvania.”

Gina Ehrhardt, local representative for state Rep. Mike Peifer asked that any lake communities issuing concerns about the DEP program copy those statements to their state representatives.

A public hearing on the matter will be held at 6 p.m. on October 22 at the Forest City High School Auditorium in Forest City. Some of the people who live in the area are hoping to pack the meeting with people who will tell the DEP and the Pennsylvania Boat and Fishing Commission to figure out how to keep the lakes full and repair the dams.