Schuylkill Township residents will soon be able to make a choice in their cable TV and internet provider.

Monday night, the township supervisors voted 2-1 to approve a nonexclusive, seven-year franchise agreement with Comcast to provide those services.

Supervisors Charles Fayash and Charles Hosler voted for the agreement.

“It will provide competition for cable,” Fayash said, “It will give the residents a choice.”

Supervisor Gary Feathers has been against the agreement since Comcast approached the township in April, because the company has refused to serve all areas of the township, particularly those who live on Tuscarora Mountain, which has no service.

The supervisors have been negotiating with Comcast to get them to revise their territory.

Attorney Joe Baranko, the township solicitor, said the agreement covers only cable television. Comcast has the right to string cable to provide internet and other telecommunication services without any permission.

“McAdoo, and Kline and Banks townships, have approved the agreement for the same reason - it provides competition,” Baranko said.

Feathers was also concerned when Comcast runs its lines, whether there will be enough room on utility poles with the Hometown Hero banners.

“All of the banners are up, and we’ve had a lot of good comments on them,” Feathers said, “(Township Secretary) Denise (Hill) did a good job running the program. We have a couple more orders. As soon as we get 10, we can order them.”

While Feathers was concerned whether there would be room on the poles for the new lines and the flags, there are a lot of poles for the banners.

“We have only 19 in the first round,” Feathers said, “The cost has gone up to $250 each. All you have to do is call the township building, and leave a message.”

There are order blank forms available at the township building, Feathers said.

In another matter, the supervisors approved a price increase for line painting in the township with DeAngelo Contracting Services, Hazleton, over the $14,000 quote the company provided in March. The new price is $15,840.

The lines will be painted once the new ordinance is approved for parking on Valley Street. Baranko said he will advertise the ordinance for approval next month.

The supervisors learned that woodlands in the township a state forester told them would not be worthwhile to timber is more valuable to timber, to a commercial forester who looked at the 20 acres the township owns recently.

“He said there is a lot of saleable lumber there,” Feathers said. “It will be select cut, not all of the trees. He is getting bidders together to put a proposal together.”

The township had been seeking to give the property to Schuylkill County because they thought it was worthless.

The supervisors also voted to increase township zoning permits from $10 to $25 each. “The average for other municipalities is $50,” Feathers said. “With the paperwork and administration, we need to raise it a little.”

The supervisors are also looking into using a billing service to do garbage bills. So they want to talk to the service used by the township sewer authority.