The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

Our Valley

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January 16, 2013

East Buffalo Township lauds fire company's initiatives

By Evamarie Socha The Daily Item

— LEWISBURG — The William Cameron Engine Company’s new fire chief and assistant chief are confident the fire house is moving in the right direction despite having management and organizational issues at hand, they told the East Buffalo Township supervisors during their meeting Monday night.

Chief Stephen Bolinsky and Career Assistant Chief Richard Scheesley told the board their door is always open and they welcome questions, Supervisor Thomas Zorn said.

Bolinsky told the board he plans to designate one or two deputies in the next few days. Also, while the supervisors did not learn Scheesley’s salary — he’s the first paid official for the William Cameron — they found out he’s retired from the Prince George’s County, Md., Fire Department and collecting a pension.

The William Cameron also is saving money because it stopped using services of the Roberts Co., which furnished paid personnel to the fire company.

It was good news to the municipal officials, who had concerns over the William Cameron becoming a hybrid company when about 21 paid members voted to unionize in May. The union side received its charter last week.

“It was very positive (news) for the three of us and the township manager, hearing that they are not just sitting back” and not acting on recommendations from consultants Emergency Services Alliance Group, Zorn said. “All the supervisors were impressed.”

East Buffalo Township has contracted with the William Cameron for services through June, waiting to see the study results and William Cameron operation plan before committing to more time.

The fire services consultants, based at Harrisburg Area Community College, reported the findings to the William Cameron in the fall.

Also at the meeting:

n The supervisors approved an agreement with Biomass Fuels for residents to drop off yard waste at the company’s location in West Milton, effective immediately.

n They approved a draft amendment to a memorandum of understanding to submit to Meridian Development Partners. As part of the Penn House Commons project, the memorandum would ensure that Meridian covers expenses for work along North 15th Street and Route 45 that is not covered by a state Department of Transportation-administered grant. Project officials learned last summer the street and sidewalks are not wide enough to meet specifications in order to be covered by the grant.

n Darwin Swope, legislative aide to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, followed up on a discussion about natural gas service to the Linntown area, single-stream recycling in the township and whether it could make for an exception to the curbside rule.

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