The condition of township roads and the use of a new paving machine were scrutinized at the recent meeting of Towamensing Township supervisors.

When asked how much money was spent on the repaving of Koch Road, Guy Seifert was told that approximately $100,000 has been expended for asphalt by July 7. Roadmaster Rodney George said the township did not receive any complaints about the condition of the road.When Seifert asked if George received any training on using the new $100,000 paving machine, he was told that a salesman from the company came and worked with him."If a contractor did that job it wouldn't be acceptable. The roller was not working in places. You spent $100,000 on a paver and did not have the equipment to support it," said Seifert.He said the supervisors got the paver so they would not have to pay prevailing wage. It took two to three weeks of township manpower to pave the 1-1/2 miles of road.The township was hauling its own asphalt, which was ready when it went to the plant through prior arrangement with Hansen Aggregates."We typically do three miles a year. We did 1-1/2 now. It looks bad. When is it going to stop?" Seifert asked. "What's your intention? Will you go over some of those spots? Are you doing anything about driveways.?George said they would be putting modified stone on the shoulders July 8."It takes you so long because you don't have the resources to do it," Seifert said.George said it was a short week because of the July 4th holiday. He borrowed Lower Towamensing's 10-ton roller and used that in place of the township's six-ton roller and four of their people and some trucks came up to help.When Seifert asked what was next on the list, George answered that there are only small areas.Resident Earl Beers said he had questioned buying a paver in April."When I spoke against it I did not know you had already bought one," he said. "Maybe we can trade that paver in on a backhoe which would have more use.""We help Lower Towamensing with mowing," said supervisor Penny Kleintop. "They don't have a mower."In another road matter, Russell Unangst said he planned to pick up where he left off six years ago regarding complaints about his driveway on Margaret Drive. The stones which were placed to "fix" the problem soon washed out.Unangst said he had fixed it and the garbage truck drove through the dirt before he could plant it. The road is breaking up not because of the water undermining it but due to the heavy township equipment running over the edge.He presented the township with a bill for the seven hours he spent placing and smoothing dirt for planting."If I don't get results I'll be at the district judge," he said.When George and Phil Costenbader were out they talked to him in a condescending tone, said Unangst.You hurled a rock, said Kleintop."I picked it up and threw it into the woods," he said, adding that in no way did he indicate he was throwing it at the men.Josephine Cacace, also of 355 Margaret Street, asked if George was out as a supervisor or roadmaster, since he can't be both in checking his own work. She said it is a big cul-de-sac and there is no need for the garbage truck to be off the paving.Unangst said the supervisors are there as public servants. He built the dirt into a swale so the water would be controlled.Kleintop said she would call township Engineer Ron Tirpak the following day and make an appointment to visit the site, adding that Unangst would be informed when that was to happen, but he would have to be civil.Unangst said he would wait a week before filing a complaint with the district judge.