The Snyder Township Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Wednesday morning to discuss a possible ‘Fire Service Agreement’ with Tyrone Borough. Borough Manager Al Drayovich was unable to attend the meeting due to an illness, therefore Tyrone Borough’s Director of Administration Phyllis Garhart filled in for Drayovich.
The proposed Fire Service Agreement from the borough is asking for a 30-percent increase of contributions of Snyder Township. Presently, the township pays $15,327 yearly. The borough pays 75 percent to the fire company and keeps 25 percent for administration purposes. Each fire company receives $3,832 under the current agreement.
With the 30-percent increase, the township will pay $19,925, but each fire company will receive $4,982 a year. The increase is for all service agreements with Snyder Township, Birmingham Borough, and Grier School, other than the borough.
“The current contract with Snyder Township went into effect in 1996,” said Garhart. “There has been no increase to this contract to provide services from the three fire companies for the borough, which would be the Citizens, Hookies, and Neptune.”
Garhart continued, “The borough has been experiencing an increase in insurance costs and capital contributions to both the companies, therefore we feel that an increase in the contribution of Snyder Township is warranted.”
But, the supervisors felt they didn’t receive enough information on the increase and the reasons for it, so a decision was tabled by supervisors until more information was attained.
“We wanted to talk with them and get a few answers,” said Chairman of the Board Jim Daughenbaugh. “Our fire company was here to talk and they should of had somebody here from their fire company.”
He added, “We can’t make no decisions today.”
Viola Dysart, secretary/treasurer of Snyder Township, said the supervisors want something itemized because the borough keeps one-fourth of what the township gives for administration fees.
“I think we want a breakdown of what they’re doing with the fees they’re keeping, to see what they’re paying out for the fire companies to get a better idea of what exactly is going on,” said Dysart.
The Bald Eagle Fire Company has no problem with the proposed increase that the borough is asking for.
“I think it is well worth it,” said Bald Eagle Fire Co. Chief Scott Illig. “How can you put a price on fire protection? We definitely could use the extra money.”
He added, “Things aren’t cheaper in Bald Eagle compared to anywhere else. We need to climb with them too.”
Fire Marshal of Snyder Township Paul Morrison also agreed that the increase is appropriate.
“We think that Tyrone deserves it, we’re in the same situation as they are, and we think that this increase is deserving,” said Morrison. “We have a good relationship with Tyrone and we want to continue to do so, the only thing that we ask for is that we’d be included in first calls on their box alarm.”
Garhart said the proposed increase definitely benefits Snyder Township because it totally surrounds the borough. She also stated that she will put together all the information the township has asked for.
“The detail I’ll be pulling out will be the increases the borough has since the early 1990s, as to what they’ve been paying whether or not they have the breakdown on their apparatuses,” said Garhart. “That’s detail that I have to pull out still and put together.”
In other business:
• Snyder Township resident Joe Diehl questioned the township’s secretary raise of $5 per hour, which totals a little more than $10,000 per year. Diehl said that the increase is unnecessary and that many other township residents feel the same way. Supervisors did not respond to the questioning of the secretary’s pay increase.
