Morrisons Cove Herald - Putting cows on the front page since 1885.

Going into the Catharine Township meeting, both sides – the Catharine Township Supervisors and the Farm Show Board – were hopeful to have a lease signed and finalized, but this was to no avail.

The lease would be for 8 years, then 33 and then another 33 so that it coincides and matches the other lease between the two parties.

Jeff Walason, president of the Farm Show Board, attended to discuss some of the clauses he questioned. One of those was the notice to sell. In the lease as it was presented by Solicitor Nathan Karn, who was also in attendance, it said the township could give a 60-day notice to Farm Show about selling.

“We need to find something that protects us, too,” Walason said.

Township officials said they had no interest in selling, but might have an interest in selling the land north of the Farm Show building. Karn said this would be added to the lease following a GIS designation of the area.

Walason also wanted to discuss the inspection clause which allowed the Township to give 48 hours notice to inspect the Farm Show properties and grounds.

“In the time I have been here, there hasn’t been an inspection,” Chairman Heather Flaig said.

Walason said that if an inspection would occur, he would prefer to have a Farm Show Board member present during walk-through. Township officials agreed.

The last note in question for the Farm Show Board was the definition of what an improvement is. In the lease presented by Karn, the township must be informed of and approve all major improvements. Karn said the township did not need notified of minor changes like painting or light fixture changes.

Following discussion and edits, Karn said the final edit should be ready for the August meeting for both sides to sign and approve.

Ganister sewer project

Bob Miller, a Ganister resident, spoke on behalf of the residents of Ganister. Other residents also attended the meeting. Miller wanted an update on the Ganister sewer project. The residents said they had heard that Catharine had already received the grant funding for the project.

However, this was not the case. Flaig explained that all financial surveys collected were turned into Trina Illig of the Blair County Planning Commission. Depending on the results of the surveys, the project could be 100 percent paid for with grant funds.

Miller asked what type of sewer system the township was discussing with Keller Engineers. He explained that after talking to Borough Manager Joe Lansberry about Woodbury Township’s system, he believed that a gravity feed system and a lift station would be the township’s best option. Chairman Heather Flaig said she would contact Keller for an update on the sewer project and what system they could potentially use.

There was an executive session held following the meeting to discuss legal matters.