Berlin: challenger hears challenges

By Linda Drollinger
Posted 7/17/19

BEACH LAKE, PA — Jocelyn Cramer, Democratic candidate for Wayne County Commissioner, attended the July 15 Berlin Township Board of Supervisors meeting with three goals in mind: to introduce …

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Berlin: challenger hears challenges

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BEACH LAKE, PA — Jocelyn Cramer, Democratic candidate for Wayne County Commissioner, attended the July 15 Berlin Township Board of Supervisors meeting with three goals in mind: to introduce herself and her initiatives, to meet her future constituents and to learn firsthand of the challenges currently faced by Berlin Township.


Cramer heard from resident Jim Barth about the sign facing the eastbound lane of Route 652 near the county recycling center that reads, “74 acres for sale—no zoning.” Barth fears it is an open invitation to unscrupulous developers and shady business operators. “And still, zoning is off the table in Berlin Township?” asked Barth.

Cramer heard from supervisor Cathy Hunt, who read aloud a July 5 letter from forester Craig Olver, saying that his firm, Forest Care LLC, is developing a timber harvest for the Beach Lake Hunting & Fishing Club, Inc., to take place sometime in late 2019 or 2020. Two log landings are planned for Peggy Runway Rd., which is currently undergoing reconstruction by PennDOT and has been closed in segments, as rebuilding work requires. Wondering if the several years locals have had to wait for that rebuilding project will turn out to be in vain, Barth asked how heavy those logging trucks will be and how they will negotiate the narrow, twisting Peggy Runway Road. The road, he said, has barely enough clearance for two small cars to pass each other in opposite directions. “Will their weight contribute to shoulder breakdown?” asked Barth.


In the same vein, Hunt read aloud a July 9 email from PennDOT civil engineer and transportation planning specialist Emma Pugh that outlines a new PennDOT initiative, PennDOT Connects. Per the message, “PennDOT Connects is a process designed to consider community needs at the beginning of the planning process... To ensure the best allocation of resources, we reach out to the individual municipalities as early as possible in a project, to hear your thoughts and opinions on things like safety, congestion, public transit, stormwater and more… We have identified a maintenance funded project within your municipality and have attached a map and a brief description of the project. Please review the attachment and let us know if you have any input.” Peggy Runway Road is the project referenced.


Barth also asked why reconstruction of Miller Road, set to begin a month ago, has not yet started. Hunt informed him that the bid notice for that project was complex and had been misinterpreted by three of the four contractors who submitted bids. For that reason, a new bid notice will be published, with bids to be unsealed at a special meeting of the board on July 30 at 11 a.m.


Cramer heard grumbling among the three roadmasters, a rare occurrence, about another project, Branning Road. Originally scheduled for contractor rebuilding, two of the roadmasters thought it might be done cheaper by the township’s own highway department.


Road business concluded, supervisor Charlie Gries asked Cramer what her first priority would be. “Better waste management” was her response. She said her role as Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support (SEEDS) representative in Wayne Tomorrow, a coalition of nonprofit organizations committed to helping the county re-imagine itself, has shown straightforward paths to fiscal profit through responsible waste management. Cramer said other initiatives will follow.

Berlin, Democratic candidate, Wayne County Commisioner, Berlin Township Board of Supervisors

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