Correction

Duda’s vehicular homicide case moved to juvenile court

First Posted: 12/17/2014 DALLAS TWP. &#8212; The board of supervisors passed the 2015 budget at Monday&#8217;sregular meeting.
&#8220;We&#8217;re in fairly good shape,&#8221; said Grant, of the $3.4 million spending plan, which has a surplus of about $19,000 and no tax increases.
Grant attributed the surplus to a reduction of about $20,000 in worker&#8217;s compensation premiums and also a health insurance premium increase of only 4.5 percent.
In another matter, Chairman Frank Wagner suggested purchasing body cameras for the township police officers.
&#8220;It will save us a lawsuit,&#8221; he said. &#8220;At least the officer will have something to go by besides his word.&#8221;
Police Chief Robert Jolley said the state&#8217;s current wiretapping laws prohibit the officers from recording audio, even though there are video cameras on the police cruisers. The law also prohibits video and audio recording inside of homes, he said.
The board voted to draft a resolution urging state legislators to revise the wiretapping laws to allow for the use of the cameras inside homes. The purchase of the cameras, which Jolley said cost around $1,000 each, is included in the 2015 budget.
The board also accepted the resignation of Tax Collector Leonard &#8220;Pooch&#8221; Kozick, effective Dec. 31. The board will vote on a new tax collector and a deputy tax collector at its regular meeting, which will immediately follow the reorganization meeting on Jan. 5
Also, Supervisor Liz Martin said she looked into the state&#8217;s Fleet Card Program in an effort to reduce fuel costs for township vehicles. Currently, the township, which uses Penn Fern Oil exclusively, pays about$70,000 annually for fuel.
Through the Fleet Card Program, township vehicles would be able to fuel up at most gas stations rather than just Penn Fern, and the township would see a savings of about 15 percent Martin said.
&#8220;Our vehicles can get gas at any gas station in the Back Mountain,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t limit us.&#8221;
Roadmaster Martin Barry said the Fleet Card Program is a good idea because the Road Department workers often travel out of the area for training or to pick up parts and being able to get gas at other stations would be convenient. Each vehicle would also have its own gas card, which would provide better tracking of purchases, he said.
&#8220;You&#8217;ll be able to see who&#8217;s getting fuel and when.&#8221;
In other business, the board voted to purchase an equipment trailer in the amount of $7,800 from Trailer Corner in Old Forge.
Jim Hennings, representing the Fellowship Church on Hildebrandt Road, asked the supervisors if the township would consider revising its parking ordinance. Currently, the ordinance restricts parking on all township roads during the winter months after 6 p.m.
Hennings said members of the church hold small gatherings at each other&#8217;s homes throughout the township and those meetings are usually held after 6 p.m. Hennings said, several of his guests had to park on the road when they attended a meeting at his Garfield Street home recently and were ticketed.
Barry said the parking restriction is to help the road crews with snow removal, and that some residents are habitual offenders. He admitted, however, that an ordinance should be drafted that deals specifically with emergency snow removal. Martin told Hennings the board would look into revising the ordinance and that he should notify the police department in the future when meetings will take place to avoid being ticketed.

Dallas Township passes budget