Photo by Joseph Bell
Ridgway Township supervisor John Gardner, left, reads from the agenda last night at their meeting alongside fellow supervisor Millie Bowers.

By Joseph Bell

Staff Writer

After further investigation into recent subdivision plans regarding Paul Rees and Howard McClain, Ridgway Township supervisors announced last night that tentative approval has been rescinded.
“On the advice of our solicitor, we rescinded the conditional approval of that subdivision,” supervisor John Gardner said last night during a 45-minute meeting. “It goes through the whole process again.”
The subdivision plans involving Mary Jeanne Hosmer, and Paul and Shirley Oldland were approved.
Supervisors also discussed the elimination of funding for Act 167 from the state budget.
“This impact’s the county’s watershed plan as DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) has been funding 75 percent of the project,” Gardner said.
According to the Elk County Web site, ‘the purpose of the plan was to provide comprehensive storm water management designed to preserve and restore the flood-carrying capacity of commonwealth streams; to preserve natural storm water regimes and natural course; current and cross-section of waters of the commonwealth; to protect and conserve ground waters and ground water recharge areas; and to encourage planning and management of storm water runoff in each designated watershed which is consistent with sound water and land use practices.’
“They should’ve budgeted to at least complete the project that was started,” supervisor Millie Bowers said regarding the issue.
Elsewhere, supervisor Sarah Dickinson discussed the upcoming 2010 census and its value to Pennsylvania citizens.
“This year, everyone will be asked to fill out the short form,” Dickinson said. “I encourage everyone to fill out the form when it arrives because it will impact the number of representatives that we have in Congress and with the last census, only 76 percent of Ridgway Township filled out the census.
“We want 100 percent this year.”