North Strabane Furloughs 12 Employees

For the second month in a row, North Strabane Supervisors limited their meeting numbers to one per month. Supervisors had a busy agenda and one of the items approved was an additional month of meeting cancellations. The May legislative meeting will be cancelled and all council business will be conducted on May 19 during what would normally have been their agenda meeting. Council also authorized a declaration of emergency to coincide with the county and the state of Pennsylvania. This declaration is to make reimbursements to the township easier when dealing with PEMA and FEMA for any kind of pandemic expenditures. Supervisors also extended the discount rate for real estate taxes until April 30. Taxes paid after April 30 and until December 31 will be levied at the face rate. No penalty will be assessed until January 1, 2021. Additionally supervisors froze several capital projects until funds begin to come into the township coffers. The biggest project to be frozen was the road paving project. Supervisors also formalized the furloughs of 12 township employees. Township Manager Andrew Walz spoke to all of the employees being furloughed and he states that they all understand the circumstances. Walz also indicated that all are having their health benefits paid and he expects all of them to return once the pandemic eases.