On September 13, 2004, Vestal Asphalt began placing tar and chip in developments and other roads as part of a maintenance program to preserve the roads. Residents complained that the loose gravel posed a hazard to vehicles, pedestrians and children and that it was damaging their property. In October 2004, Township Supervisors rented a sweeper and cleaned the roads, but that did not work. The gravel continued to come loose. It appeared that the job was not done correctly but now we know the truth. The Supervisors took the cheap way out. All they did was waste money and cause people to get hurt.
Piles of stone that were left from snowplows. Columbus Cir. May 10, 2005
Last month residents filled the township building and demanded that the roads be fixed. The loose gravel on a hard surface is like trying to walk on marbles. Many of the roads are on hills compounding the problem and creating and extremely hazardous situation. Mrs. Edith Macintire, Hemlock Drive stated that she and other elderly people could not walk in the development because they will fall. Carl Caswell stated that his 800-pound motorcycle fell on him because of the loose gravel and that his children and other children in the Forest Acres development have been hurt. The Issue of liability came up and the solicitor advised the Board that the Township could be held liable for known defects. The supervisors instructed the road crew to clean the roads.
The roads in these photos were swept about two weeks ago but the stones keep coming up. We have a report that David Kalinoski was injured from falling on stones on Earl Drive. The extent of his injuries is unknown at the time of writing this. Earl Drive, May 10, 2005.
Monday night residents filled the township building again because the roads are not fixed and people are getting hurt. Linda Hatton from Summit Lake Acres told the supervisors that she slipped on the gravel while picking up a ball that went into the road. Ms Hatton stated that she hit her head on the road and had cuts on her head, hands and legs, her glasses broke and she had a black eye. She stated that she was hurt so badly that she could not get up and that her neighbors Mike Beck and Joe Pappas helped her off the road and into her home. The injuries to Mrs. Hatton head eye and legs were clearly visible. Terry Bockelkam stated that she has to get the mail for her mother because she cannot walk on the gravel. There was much more discussions about the roads. Then Maria Deibert approached the Board complaining that the supervisors did not show any concern for Mrs. Hatton injuries and that the least they could do was buy her a pair of glasses because she cannot see without them. The Supervisors had a discussion and then stated that she should fill out a claim form to submit to the township’s insurance company.
The following day I met with Mrs. Hatton and she told me that her husband went to get a claim form but that the Township did not have any. I told her that it did not surprise me and I explained to her that the Township’s so-called insurance company is not an insurance company and they are NOT licensed. This is another matter that I want to clean up as a township supervisor.
Linda Hatton shows where she fell and we have a close-up of the road. Mrs. Hatton is physically fit but many elderly people cannot walk on the roads.
We got a lot of lip service from the supervisors about the roads but no real answers. The more that I checked the less sense it made. Pieces of the puzzle were missing. It was time to hear the other side of the story.
I called Vestal Asphalt and spoke with Mike Spolar. Vestal is located in New York and Mr. Spolar is the regional representative in our part of Pennsylvania. Vestal has a one-step and two-step process of applying tar and chip and he said the two-step process was used in Newton. I asked why they did not use the one step process. He stated that he advised the supervisors against the one step process because it is a light coating and it would not last for long because the roads were not constructed well and he recommended the two-step process.
The two-step process involves applying a layer of tar with extra stone to increase the base, that would cover road defects and cracks. That is the first step and it was done. The second step of the process is to apply a special formula of tar that binds everything together and provides a smooth surface that is similar to blacktop. Step two was not done.
I asked Mr. Spolar why they did not apply the second coating and he stated the Supervisors did not want to spend the money. I asked Mr. Spolar why would they do a two-step process if the supervisors did not want to pay for the second application. Mr. Spolar explained that it is not uncommon for municipalities to do that. Many cannot afford to do it all at once and they do the second application later. It is a trade-off as it provided protection to the road but stones will come loose and they will have to sweep the road. Some municipalities choose not to place the second application and leave it as is.
I asked Mr. Spolar if anyone contacted him last year about problems with the roads in the two developments. Mr. Spolar stated that Supervisor John Shaffer contacted him about the loose gravel and he told Mr. Shaffer that without the second application, they will have loose stone and they will need to sweep it.
I told Mr. Spolar that I looked at other roads in the township that they resurfaced and there was loose stone, but it was nothing like the problems in the two developments. Mr. Spolar stated that a larger amount of stone was placed in those developments and he stated that if the roads were not swept correctly it would bring up more stone. On the other hand, those developments had a good base of stones and if the final application were made those roads would have held up very well.
I asked Mr. Spolar if there was a way to correct the problem. Mr. Spolar stated that the second step of the process would correct the problem and that the roads would look like they were blacktopped. However, the longer it is put off the more stones you lose, and the stone is your base. He also noted that nothing including blacktop will last a long time because the roads are substandard. There is no drainage system along the roads and no curbs. If you look at the side of the roads they are crumbling in many areas because the water gets under them. He went on to say that they use the two-step process in many areas and it looks and holds up like blacktop. It is also very economical when compared to blacktop. Blacktop cost around $10.00 per square yard while their two-step process costs around $2.50 per square yard. Newton Township only paid around .90 a square yard because they did not want to pay for the complete process and without the second process the stone will continue to come loose.
Mr. Spolar was very cooperative and told me if I needed any additional information to give him a call. He also offered to show me where they were permitted to complete the two-step process including large highways where their system is used as an alternative to blacktop. Mr. Spolar represents a large company that does work for many municipalities and is approved by PENDOT. They are a member of the piggyback program, which means that the work that they do, does not have to be bidded or bonded because their rates and the work that they do is approved by the state and that helps to reduce the costs.
Mr. Spolar also explained that he was very upset because he takes pride in the work that he and his company does. He feels that the supervisors set him up to get residents angry at him and use him as a scapegoat simply because they do not want to pay to get the job done the right way.
The discussion with Mr. Spolar shed light on things that made no sense. For instance: last year in the middle of September Vestal begins resurfacing roads in Newton Township and people complain about loose stone. If it was Vestal’s fault, why did the supervisors pay $1,500.00 to rent a sweeper and pay people to remove the stone? Because vestal told them that this would happen without the second step and it would be the Townships responsibility to remove the stones.
Many of you that attended the meeting last month will recall that the supervisors were not willing to take action against Vestal and in fact Supervisor Gary Martinson stated that the work that Vestal did was not defective. That seemed odd because it looked defective to us. But the supervisors knew that the reason the roads are like that is because they took the cheap way out.
At Mondays meeting Mr. Martenson stated that he did not think we would get anywhere with Vestal. Why? Because the supervisors know that Vestal did nothing wrong and the work they did is not defective.
Another thing that made no sense is if Vestal did not do the work correctly, why did the supervisors approve final payment to Vestal on April 6, 2005.
To pacify you they had the lawyer send a letter to Vestal which will do nothing but cost us more money for the lawyer.
So why is it that the supervisors are not telling you the truth?
Tuesday is Election Day. They do not want you to know that the reason you had to suffer thru this and the reason that adults and children are being injured is their fault.
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