Letter to the Editor

Editor:
Over the past year Castanea Twp supervisors, with our engineer Tom Levine, have been working on sewer main lines. Several months ago, our engineer presented a bid project which would finish off the current multiple-phase project that Castanea Twp has been working on. We approved, and our engineer was directed by the supervisors to move forward with the project. From that point, the Supervisors have had no involvement with the bid process; contractor questions or issues all went to the engineer.

Our engineer requested to make the work session on Feb 17 a voting session for the purpose of opening the bids. At the meeting the supervisors were informed that our engineer received 6 contractors requesting information on the project and there were only two sealed bids that were received. Our engineer physically opened the bids, gave us the dollar amounts, and took the bids with him to review. The supervisors didn’t touch the paperwork. The supervisors approved the lowest bidder based on review from the engineer’s approval and review. That bidder was Pine Mountain Excavating.

On Feb 19 there was a social media post on a private group (Watch Dogs) titled, “IS FAVORITISM BEING CONSIDERED IN CASTANEA TOWNSHIP”. In that post the author goes on to state that there was favoritism with awarding the bid. The author then stated that because I am a supervisor and I know the owner and worker of Pine Mountain, our bid process should be investigated by an independent entity rather than our Engineer. This comment made by the author is degrading to our township engineer and [is] making people assume that our engineer is not professional and does not have the ability to do the job. I completely disagree with the author and support our township engineer. Tom does a great job for this Township and I am excited to continue to work with him on getting things done here. The author should be held accountable for his comments about the engineer.

The author then goes on to lay out that Dean Edwards is an owner [and] supervisor of Pine Creek and that he was supported by Woolrich Fire Company members, which I am a member of. As far as his comment about shirts we wore to support Edwards and Reese was completely wrong.

The author then goes on to state that Brian Hoy [is] a co-owner/employee who also is a Gallagher Township Supervisor and member of Woolrich Vol. Fire Company (Captain/President). Brian is a member of the Woolrich Vol. Fire Company and is president and captain. However, after reading the author’s post, the owner was questioned; Brian is not a co-owner. Another comment the author is wrong about.

The last thing the author wrote about is that my personal and professional relationships involving Pine Mountain were not disclosed during the meeting. The author states that omission highlights the necessity of mandating municipal leaders to publicly disclose any relationships they have, or that could be perceived to have with bidders of taxpayers’ money. The author wants followers to believe I have broken a rule. The PA supervisor’s handbook defines “conflict of interest” as:

The Public Officials and Employees Ethics Act prohibits public officials and employees from committing a conflict of interest. (32) A conflict of interest is the use by a public official or public employee of the authority of their position, or any confidential information received through their position, for the private pecuniary benefit of himself, a member of their immediate family or a business with which they, or a member of their immediate family, is associated. (33) In other words, township officials are prohibited from using their office to financially benefit themselves. The Ethics Act defines “immediate family” as a “parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister.”

With that being said I could assure you that there was no confidential information to give and that the owner and the employee of Pine Mountain are not immediate family. There is no way I financially benefit from Pine Mountain getting the bid, and if there was a concern, I could have simply just recused myself and everything would proceed still.

I want everyone to know that the process for this project was followed based on the rules set by the state. The author of this social media post only did what he did because of hate and obsession. The author writes things constantly about the individuals involved because those individuals have not agreed, surrendered, or cowered to the author in times of his persistence of his beliefs and the way he wants it done. The author’s behaviors have become concerning to those he is obsessed with. Their posts are filled with misleading beliefs and false names and accounts. Freedom of speech is a right however, attacking individuals and causing defamation is an issue.

Brandon Coleman
Castnea Township