(AP) It may be difficult for Banks Township residents to address the township's board of supervisors at their next public meeting.

That's because the board has scheduled its next public meeting for 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, some 80 miles outside the township.Township Solicitor Joseph A. Woitko said this week the relocation is taking place for safety reasons, claiming Chairman Walter Bobowski has received a death threat, something minority Supervisor Rick Porpiglia questions.While Woitko says scheduling the meeting in Harrisburg is legal, an attorney for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association argues it presents "serious access" issues that may violate the state Sunshine Act.Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for PNMA, said "Holding public meetings in a location over 90 minutes away from residents and taxpayers directly conflicts with the law's plain language and clear intent. In this situation, the agency has not only removed themselves from the problematic situation, they have removed themselves from the entire community."The out-of-the-area scheduling is the latest in a long series of controversy in the township. Bobowski was defeated by Joseph Clark in the May Primary Election and is scheduled to leave the board at the end of the year. Clark and Porpiglia are slated to comprise the new majority, with Supervisor Theresa Shott being the third board member.Since the election, residents have complained Bobowski and Shott have made an attempt to bankrupt the township by spending all of its reserve funds. Porpiglia said as of Nov. 30, the township has spent $61,345.11 more than what was collected from taxes.He also questioned the death threat, asking if there is a police report on it.An attorney for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association says the move of the Banks Township supervisors' meeting to Harrisburg next week "presents serious public access issues and may run afoul of the Sunshine Act."Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for PNMA, said Wednesday the Sunshine Act intends to encourage public access to meetings."Holding public meetings in a location over 90 minutes away from residents and taxpayers directly conflicts with the law's plain language and clear intent," Melewsky said. "In this situation, the agency has not only removed themselves from the problematic situation, they have removed themselves from the entire community."On Tuesday, township solicitor Joseph A. Woitko said death threats caused the supervisors to move their monthly meeting to the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel and Conference Center at 1 p.m. Dec. 20.Melewsky said moving the meeting that far did not add security to the meeting."I'm certainly not insensitive to the death threat situation, but moving meeting locations in this manner is not a reasonable or acceptable way to deal with the problem, and it raises serious Sunshine Act compliance issues," she said. "The public is entitled to witness and participate in public meetings, and those meetings must be held in a location that readily enables public attendance for township residents and taxpayers."State police at Hazleton said the supervisors told them the meeting was being moved, but didn't say why.Minority Supervisor Rick Porpiglia said moving the meeting that far is uncalled for."The Second Class Township Code says the meeting has to be held in a convenient time and place for taxpayers," Porpiglia said. "We have a lot of elderly residents who walk to the meeting. This is absolutely ridiculous. This is just a last kick in the face to township residents."Woitko declined comment to the Standard-Speaker, and referred to an interview given to WNEP-TV. Supervisor Walter Bobowski did not answer a telephone call and Supervisor Theresa Shott referred all comment to Woitko.In the television report, Woitko said Bobowski received a threatening phone call last week."The threat was very specific," Woitko said. "One or more individuals were going to attack our security guard, Mr. Bobowski and me."The shooting deaths of three Ross Township, Monroe County, officials in August have Woitko and Bobowski worried enough to move the meeting 80 miles."Regardless of the criticism, at the end of the criticism, we'll still be alive," Woitko said.At that session, Woitko read a long statement that chronicled occurrences between Bobowski, Shott, Woitko, members of their families and township workers and township residents in which residents acted "in a threatening manner" toward the supervisors, their family members and workers at township meetings, and at other locations.Woitko said the move to Harrisburg will cost the township $424.