(4/21) Liberty Township Receives Request To Expand Site R
The United States military compound dubbed Site R is seeking to expand, according to Liberty Township Planning Commission Chair Judie Hogan. Hogan told the supervisors during their April meeting she received a request to hold the meeting in secrecy but has not yet reviewed or responded to the request.
Site R, formally known as the Raven Rock Military Complex was built in 1951 and opened in 1953. According to the Washington Headquarters Service’s website, Raven Rock Military Complex provides round-the-clock, secure, fully-functional operational continuity support for the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, select DOD components and non-DoD agencies of the federal government.
Nepotism Policy Removed
Liberty Township supervisors nixed their nepotism policy during their April meeting.
Supervisor Chair Walter "Mickey" Barlow proposed the change because the township struggles to find employees and occasionally family members of current staff offer to help.
"We cannot get employees to come here and work for the township for low wages and no benefits," Barlow said.
Barlow and Supervisor Chair Bobby Keilhotlz voted to ease the employment restrictions. Supervisor Brandon Lowe was absent.
More changes to township personnel policies are expected, Barlow said. Police Chief Don Boehs is in the process of updating the police department’s policies and procedures manual. Boehs said Solicitor John Lisko is reviewing proposed revisions to the department’s disciplinary code. Boehs is also identifying other areas of the manual that are outdated.
Spring Showers Flood Roads
Flooding issues have plagued township roads as the seasons transitioned from winter to spring, Barlow said. Barlow urged township residents to be mindful of road closures.
He said going around designated signs puts drivers at risk, as well as rescuers responding to the high water. It is illegal to ignore a sign indicating a closed roadway and citations will be issued, Barlow said.
Barlow said the township’s road department is identifying roads that need deeper ditches to mitigate flooding. Road crews will continue to tackle flood mitigation throughout the summer so fewer roads will be closed next spring.
In other road department business, temporary patches have been applied to potholes appearing on township roads, Barlow said. A more permanent fix, called cold patching, has been delayed until consistent good weather graces the township, according to Barlow.
Police Department To Update Policy Manual
In other business, housekeeping amendments are underway to update the Liberty Township Police Department’s Policy and Procedures Manual.
Revisions have been finished regarding the department’s disciplinary code, according to Chief Don Boehs.
Officials including the township solicitor are now renewing the manual to identify any other policies in need of update, he said.
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