In 2011, the Forks Township Board of Supervisors, in a 3-2 vote, Howell, Gioia, and Billings voting "yes," Egolf and Chuss voting no, permitted the building of a multi-million dollar public works garage that ended up costing taxpayers more than $1 million than originally estimated. 

At the general meeting on Feb. 16, 2012, taxpayers learned that they would be paying an additional estimated $57,995.

According to Township Solicitor Karl Kline, Forks Township had sent out for bid before a Department of Environmental Protection permit was obtained.  When the results of the DEP inspection came back, they indicated that the public works garage needed a liner that would give it some protection from sinkholes. 

The cost for this liner was not included when the project went out for bid, so it has resulted in a change to the project that will cost about $57,995.

Someone had to know that this permit was still pending before the project was sent out for bid. Obtaining this permit is part of the legal ramifications for building the overpriced public works garage, and it was not done properly. 

While it is true that this liner would still need to be installed whether the permit had already been obtained or not, this isn't a good enough excuse for me.  The cost that the Supervisors approved did not include this $57,995 and was a rushed, uninformed decision to have appoved sending out for bid for the garage without having obtained the proper permits for it.