First Posted: 8/26/2014

Clarks Green Borough Council voted unanimously at its regular council meeting Aug. 20 to appoint Dave Kohinsky the new Department of Public Works (DPW) supervisor.

Council member and chairperson of the personnel committee Keith Williams recommended to council on behalf of the personnel committee that the borough hire Kohinsky, who has been serving the past few months as acting foreman, for the DPW supervisor position.

Williams said the committee advertised in two local newspapers, made the community aware of the open position and conducted interviews before deciding upon Kohinsky.

“In the interview process and discussion, the committee felt Dave is the person for the job,” said Williams.

Council also voted unanimously to advertise for the vacant DPW staff position, and discussed whether or not the staff position hours should be full or part-time. Council member Lynne Earley, chair of the Public Works Committee, said a full-time DPW staff member is necessary due to MS4 requirements.

As a result of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act, administered under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Program or MS4, Clarks Green and other municipalities are now required to further reduce pollutants associated with storm water runoff.

“There’s a whole new territory out there with the MS4,” said Earley. “We have a lot more work than we ever have before. We want to be in compliance with the government.”

Council voted unanimously that the borough will run an ad for the DPW staff position with verbiage indicating the hours are to be determined, and the personnel committee will discuss further and evaluate whether or not the DWP staff position will be full-time or part-time.

During the finance committee’s report, council member and chairperson of the finance committee Alan Hughes reported on the borough’s status collecting delinquent sewer bills from residents.

Hughes reported $10,644 was collected of the almost $26,500 delinquent sewer bills.

“We’ve made some progress,” Hughes said. Ten accounts had liens and the borough sent letters to the financial institutions holding the liens in order for the potential of payment from some of the financial institutions.

Hughes said the committee determined the lien holders without doing a great amount of searching, costing the borough nothing but giving it the “chance we might get some reaction.”

Council also passed a unanimous motion, made by Hughes, for a five calendar day grace period to receive sewer payments. The grace period will allow for payment to be received without the late fee in situations such as in August, in which the 31st is a Sunday. Council passed the motion of the five-day grace period just in regards to the borough’s receipt of payment, not the date on the check.