CLARKS GREEN — At the June 20 borough council meeting, Leah Rosenkrans, CPA of Murphy, Dougherty, & Co., went through Clarks Green Borough Council’s 2017 audit and announced the general fund as of Dec. 31, 2017 was approximately $295,000.
“That is actually an increase of $71,000 from the prior year,” she said.
Rosenkrans said the revenues and general fund combined was about $750,000 and expenditures were approximately $685,000.
“So, the net revenues and expenditures are $71,000 that you guys were able to add to the fund balance,” she said. “You budgeted to add approximately $5,000 to the fund balance but you were actually able to add the 71 ($71,000), which is pretty impressive.”
Rosenkrans also said the liquid fuel fund as of Dec. 31, 2017 was approximately $12,000, a decrease of 2,800 from the previous year. She attributed this to the council receiving a revenue of $47,000 and spending $49,000. She also announced the fund balance for capital projects as of Dec. 31, 2017 was $99,000, an increase of $40,000 from the previous year and attributed that to fund transfers.
“You transferred $20,000 in from the general fund and $20,000 from the sewer fund,” she said.
Rosenkrans then reported the sewer fund as of Dec. 31,2017 was $581,000, an increase of $21,000 from the previous year. She said total revenues were approximately $432,000 and expenditures $391,000.
“I always come up here and say ‘What a great job you’re doing’ and I’m here to say it again,” she said. “We don’t always see this in boroughs and townships, especially in this time. You have a solid fund balance and you keep your expenditures down.”
The council members thanked Rosenkrans and voted to approve the 2017 audit.
In other business …
• Councilman Bill Toms, in his building and grounds report, mentioned the planning commission sent a letter stating three conditions the council needs in order to combine the parking lot of St. Gregory’s Church with the parking lot of Our Lady of Peace School. He said the cuncil needs an occupancy permit from PennDOT to clear the church’s driveway and the council needs a lot combination to combine the lot adjacent to the southern border of the church property with the lot of Our Lady of Peace.
“They (planning commission) need to do a lot combination to reverse subdivision to combine those two lots so they become one building lot,” Toms said.
Toms mentioned the council needs to hold a public hearing to receive public input of the proposed conditional use expansion and land development. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 18 in the Clarks Green Borough Building.
• During public comment, borough resident Alan Smertz, who resides in Rabbit Run, complained that his house has had problems with water runoffs for years. He said the closest catch basin is halfway down the hill from his house and said water is flooding in his driveway, which becomes frozen in the winter.
“If you look down the street, it’s the only house in my development that water is running continuously in front of the driveway,” he said. “In the winter, it becomes a major issue with freezing and liability.”
Smertz asked the council if they can find a solution. Council president Joe Barrasse replied he can ask DPW (Department of Public Works) supervisor Dave Kohinsky to take a look at it. He asked Smertz if he can provide photos. Councilman Keith Williams said he spoke with Kohinsky and suggested to facilitate a time to talk with him.
