Maxatawny Township Board of Supervisors Vice-chairman Mel Fishburn resigned.
Not present at the Sept. 10 meeting, Fishburn resigned from his position on the Board of Supervisors and on the township’s Municipal Authority.
According to Township Manager Justin Yaich, Fishburn stated his resignation in a letter to Yaich that he received on Aug. 28.
Yaich cited that Fishburn resigned for work-related reasons, including increased demands with his job that required him to be out of the area more often.
The board’s two remaining members, chairman Allen Leiby and supervisor Heath Wessner, approved Fishburn’s resignation. They will have 30 days from Sept. 10 to approve a new board member, or a vacancy board will be convened to help finalize the decision.
In other news, the Deysher Road Bridge is progressing.
Gone are the old beams that once belonged to Deysher Road Bridge. In its place will be new beams that will be implanted in the near future.
The bridge was deemed deficient around five to six years ago and reduced to one lane, before it was approved that it be replaced at a Board of Supervisors’ meeting on July 9.
According to Township Roadmaster Richard Grim, the bridge was enacted in 1972, so it was not very old, but cracks in the two outer beams resulted in a need for its replacement. Grim was confident that the construction will remain on schedule, and that the bridge will be open before winter.
In other road-related news, the board agreed to have Grim pursue the possibility of putting up a cautionary sign on Grim Road to limit the amount of tractor-trailers that drive on the road. The sign would most likely be a “No Trucks Except Local Deliveries” sign, or something of that nature. Cautionary signs are not enforceable by law, but would help to prevent tractor-trailers coming off Route 222 from driving down the steep and narrow road.
“Most of them [the drivers] use a GPS, which according to the GPS it would look like they could get out that way [using Grim Road],” Grim said in an interview with The Patriot. “But then they get into an area that’s tight, and they have trouble turning around.”
Lastly, at least one member of the board will be attending a meeting to close out the former Berks-Lehigh Police on Sept. 22. The commission, which was disbanded back on Dec. 31, 2012, is having the closeout meeting to resolve some final points.
“They’re basically trying to wrap up all the loose ends of the remains of what was the commission, primarily the remaining pension issues because the commission disbanded,” Yaich said.
The next Board of Supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the township building. A new board member will likely be officially approved at that time, and will join Leiby and Wessner to complete the three-person board.