Pocono News Section

Scott Township considers "addressing ordinance."

Scott Township considers "addressing ordinance." - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 1:08PM EST

Reported by: David DeCosmo WYOU TV News
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 @ 01:08pm EST
SCOTT TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Officials in Scott Township are considering an ordinance that would require the numbering of all houses and buildings and the naming of all streets.

The township covers nearly 28 square miles and includes 120 miles of State, local, and private roads. Some of its roads have no official name making them hard to identify for emergency responders. Many have 'unofficial names." There are three "Craig Roads" in the township.

Police Chief James Romano says most sections of the township are known by their postal mailing addresses. And that, he says, can be a problem. Chief Romano says reports of a fire last year prompted the County Communications Center to dispatch the Jermyn Fire Department to "Suzanne Road." But there is no "Suzanne Road" in the Borough of Jermyn! That street is in Scott Township. Chief Romano says some 13 minutes were lost before the proper fire company was dispatched.

Township Supervisor Michelle Duchkin, who proposed the addressing ordinance, says township is also losing some tax dollars because of the addressing confusion. A township resident with a Jermyn or Olyphant mailing address may be
getting and paying tax bills from those communities instead of to Scott Township. She believes the addressing ordinance will correct that problem.

Scott Township supervisors will consider the ordinance at a special meeting on April 24th.