DAMASCUS TWP., PA — At the Damascus Township Board of Supervisors meeting on December 16, the 2020 budget was adopted. Chairman Joseph Canfield told all in attendance that the budget is available at the township building between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Dan Rutledge, the parks and recreation supervisor, informed everyone that the board had received a notice from the PA Department of Conservation and National Resources (DCNR) that the township got the $200,000 grant they had applied for. The Local Share Account (LSA) was the second $200,000, grant they applied for, as the in-kind for the first grant. Between the two grants a total of $400,000 was received.

Steve Adams, operational supervisor, gave his recent report on the roads. Repair work and grading were done on Nobel, Dilmuth and Wood roads. The ditches were fixed on Edwards and Oakley roads. Culvert pipes were also replaced on Oakley. The intersections were fixed on Sheard, Owl Wood and Dilmuth roads and a washed out section of road was repaired on Henderson. Brush was cut on Bush, Stone House, Rock Run, Baker Hill and Anne Mitchell roads. Patching was done on the Bavarian Hill, Sky Lake, Boyds Mills, Barkley and Weiland and River roads. All of the township trucks were prepped for winter.

It has been a goal of the Damascus Board of Supervisors to fill the position of secretary/treasurer before the end of the year. The board ran a newspaper advertisement to replace the present secretary/treasurer Dolores Card. For the past 17 years, Card has held the position of secretary/treasurer, and she has been looking to retire. Recently a resident of Manchester Township., Melissa Haviland has been training with Card. As of December 2019, Haviland was the new full-time secretary/treasurer for the Damascus Board of Supervisors at an hourly rate of $12. After December 31, there will be an increase to $16 an hour.

Ed Langarenne updated the commissioners on a violation. At 178 Baldwin Hill Rd., there were several bags of garbage piled up in an unclosed container, creating a health hazard that can attract vermin. The owner was given a short correction date. Due to the violator’s lack of response and correction, the township filed a criminal complaint. The Magisterial District Court found River Clark guilty in absentia for operating a junkyard without a license and a fine was levied. Clark has appealed this conviction and a court session was scheduled for December 27.

Steve Bussi, a resident from Steiner Road, addressed the board: “One of the reasons I moved to this area because it is pristine and beautiful. I’ve lived here since 2007. I’ve seen more locals leave and more people coming in from the outside. One of the biggest peeves I have is the garbage cans are being left out… you have problems with bugs and wildlife.

“It’s become like a cancer. This isn’t the locals doing this. When you start seeing garbage cans left out, you then see debris on the ground. This is not the city,” he said.

Bussi questioned why people have to leave their garbage cans out. He proposed a new ordinance be created that no garbage cans can be placed outside until the day of collection, and they must be brought back in the same day. He said, “I think people should have to pay a hefty fine if this is not done.” The board of supervisors acknowledged his comments.