By Tom Gilchrist
Staff Writer
ARBELA TWP. — Arbela Township Clerk Mary Warren wonders whether Trustee Wayne Schultz had anything to do with overhead water pipes freezing and cracking Feb. 24, costing taxpayers about $1,000, according to Warren.
Schultz “has been insisting for a couple months that we keep it too warm in here, and he came in after hours and turned the thermostat down, and when the (township) police officer came in that day, the heat wasn’t even on and water was pouring in out of the ceiling,” Warren said.
Warren estimates costs for repairs related to the pipe break, and for higher electricity bills in the days following the break, total about $1,000.
“We took pictures of the damage so we could show ‘em to (Schultz), so he would leave the thermostats alone,” Warren said.
Warren alleges someone shut off the heat and turned on a fan — only — prior to the break of the pipes above the kitchen area in the township complex off Birch Run Road. She said that in the weeks prior to the pipe break, Schultz kept lowering temperatures in the township complex, which includes offices for township officials and police, and a reception hall.
“He would come in after we left for the day and turn the thermostats down,” Warren said. “He would say it didn’t need to be that warm, and it should be 50 degrees. And of course, Feb. 24 was when we had that horrible, horrible cold spell when it was 25 below.”
Schultz denies turning off the heat prior to the pipe break, or even turning the heat down that weekend.
“If you wanna get the facts straight, the fact of the matter is the furnace just went out,” Schultz said. “I was gone all that day. I’m not gonna say I didn’t turn the thermostat down in the past, but you couldn’t turn it down low enough to cause pipes to break. Water does not freeze at 50 degrees, but I’ve never turned it down to 50 degrees.”
Schultz said he has lowered the thermostat in the township office area to 65 degrees, and lowered the thermostat in the reception hall to 60 degrees in the past.
Schultz said he took exception to Warren and other township employees keeping the temperature too high in the reception hall.
“They were keeping that at 70 degrees in the day, with nothing going on,” Schultz said. “Just keep the mice and everybody happy. It’s no big deal.”
Warren said township Supervisor Kenneth Panek has Schultz’s ear when it comes to cutting costs.
“He’s a trustee but the supervisor is always telling him that it’s a trustee’s job to look over how we’re spending our money. (Schultz) has taken it to a new high.”
Schultz, meanwhile, accuses Clerk Warren and Treasurer Jody Hunt of being out of touch with township residents trying to make ends meet.
“If you go in (township offices) right now, the thermostat is turned to 76 degrees, and our treasurer and clerk have space heaters on, too, to keep their feet warm,” Schultz said. “And when they leave, they leave it there (at 76 degrees). I’ve said ‘Why do you have the thermostat set at that temperature when there’s nobody here?’ It just doesn’t make sense.
“Take a poll of the people out here to see if they even have their house thermostats set at 70 degrees. Hell no, they don’t.”