By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

Property issues were the central point of conversation for Weisenberg Township supervisors during their June 14 virtual meeting.

The first was an outstanding municipal lien on the property of resident Raymond Bear in the amount of $2,197.

Township Administrator Brian Carl noted that the matter had been discussed at the previous meeting, and Bear had contacted the township about setting up a payment plan, offering to pay $50 per month.

Carl said the amount seemed too low and supervisors agreed, noting at that rate it would take nearly four years to pay off the lien.

Board Chairwoman Linda Gorgas said the township needed the lien to be paid.

“This has been going for so long, I’m not in favor of any payment,” Gorgas said. “I feel like we’re setting a precedent here.

“Anytime anybody is in that situation, are we going to accept four years’ worth of payment?”

Township Solicitor Peter Lehr noted the lien was on Bear’s property, and the sheriff had attached pieces of personal property to the site, including several motor vehicles.

Lehr said his preference would be for Bear to sell one of the vehicles, which would then be released from the attachment, in order to raise funds to pay off the outstanding lien.

Lehr added if the board were to deny the payment plan request and, if the landowner was not favorable to selling any property, the other option would be to list at least one vehicle for sheriff sale so the township can recoup the balance.

The three supervisors said they were not in favor of accepting the extended payment plan and after some additional deliberation, passed a motion to give the property owner a 30-day notice to pay the lien amount in full, or else a vehicle or other piece of personal property would be put up for sheriff sale.

In his report, Fire Chief Matt Krapf reported the department has responded to 88 calls for the year, with 15 last month.

He said the fire department has been very busy, responding to 29 calls in 44 days including five structure or dwelling fires and a tractor trailer fire, and 18 different members responded to calls throughout May.

Krapf also told the board the department’s new tanker/pumper engine’s cab had been painted and begun assembly.

He said some new equipment for the vehicle has been received.

For the Environmental Advisory Council report, Chairman Martin Rakaczewski told the board he and Carl had been working with the local Sheetz to address reports of littering and trash buildup.

Rakaczewski said the EAC had received its fifth complaint of these issues since Sheetz opened.

He also said a report was received about several tires illegally dumped along Silver Creek Road near I-78.

Information had been collected from the landowner and surrounding residents.

He said there were no signs of a consistent trend of dumping but if such a trend emerges, the EAC will set up cameras to capture the illegal behavior.

The next supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 12.