Park investigation drags on

Some residents are upset that the investigation into unwanted debris from a 2005 donated fill at Friendship Park has lasted months longer than agreed upon by the board.
Former township trustees Will Wilsher and Burke Cueny both spoke during public comment at last week’s board meeting, indicating their disappointment that a report has not come back to the public.
In early June, the board authorized a report back from Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk within 60 days. Dywasuk said the reason for the delay is based on the involvement of the township attorneys.
‘Something like this isn’t supposed to be rushed and we’re going through it very thoroughly,? he said.
Attorney Shannon Ozga confirmed that her office is investigating the issue, though she is not personally on the case.
Dywasuk said the outside investigation is something that members of the public were asking for in the first place.
‘I had been investigating it, but hit a roadblock, so I got Jerry Fischer involved,? he said.
The investigation, according to Dywasuk, centers on the involvement of a local contractor who completed court-ordered community service by providing rough grading for a multi-purpose field in the rear of Friendship Park.
The contractor arranged an opportunity for the township to get the donated fill in question, according to memos from the township.
There is still no timeline for when a report might come back to the board.
Wilsher expressed concern that cleaning up the debris, an ongoing process that includes installment of the multi-purpose field, will cost more than the estimate (which was awarded to Glencorp, Inc. for just under $400,000 in August). He said the clean-up area is more than double the size of what was indicated in the bid.
‘I’m extremely disappointed with how this process is going,? Wilsher told the board.
Dywasuk is confident the end price will be consistent with the bid price.

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