COAL TOWNSHIP – The ongoing county prison dispute between Northumberland County and Coal Township over permit fees is beginning to cost the township big money. According to a report in The Daily Item, the township estimates $20,000 will have to be used in labor, overtime and attorney fees to obtain five years of building permits requested by the county. The paper says overall, Coal Township has spent more than $40,000 on defending the lawsuit so far.
County Commissioner Chairman Rick Shoch told the paper he won’t let Township Board President Craig Fetterman’s “Poor decision making to drag down the rest of the county.” Shoch even went on to tell the paper to call voters to remove Fetterman from office.
The county is suing the township for over $220,000 the county has paid in third-party inspection fees. County Commissioners Rick Shoch and Sam Schiccatano voted to file the lawsuit, saying the fees are unreasonable, not enforceable, and unconsitutional.
