Woodward Township Supervisor, County Commissioner Make Amends
LOCKPORT — It was handshakes and apologies all around as Clinton County commissioner Jeff Snyder and Woodward Township supervisor Kyle Coleman appeared to resolve their differences at tonight’s township supervisors meeting.
Snyder was on the meeting agenda at Snyder’s request, in response to Coleman’s recent accusatory letter to the editor to the Lock Haven Express. That letter contained hearsay alleging that Snyder had been involved with county planning office employee Greg Smith to end county recreation money to the township if the supervisors hired Coleman’s brother Chris as the new township zoning officer.
Smith is a township resident who submitted his resignation from a role with the township recreation board the same day Coleman’s letter was published. Snyder said Smith was not able to attend the supervisors meeting as he was at a planning meeting.
The Smith letter of resignation absolved Snyder of any wrongdoing in any threat to withhold county funds from the township: “I should not have included Commissioner Snyder’s name in the remarks. He made no such comments or suggested in any way that county grant money would be in jeopardy.” Smith wrote that his comments were in his capacity as an advisor to the township rec board, not as representing the county or the county commissioners.
A 15 minute back-and-forth ensued among Snyder, Coleman and Coleman’s father Dave. It finally ended after board chairman Clyde Glossner said there was “some misunderstanding here” and called for all involved to “rectify” their differences. Handshakes and apologies followed.
Glossner said the township is not yet ready to hire a new zoning officer, Chris Coleman one of two candidates to be interviewed for the post.
On a non-related matter, township solicitor Robert O’Connor reported that the next round in the pig-raising dispute near Swissdale will be heard in Clinton County Court May 26. Counsel for farmer John Grand is seeking reconsideration on a court order directing the removal of some 400 piglets in a barn along German Road.
