Muncy Township Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss on Terri Lauchle's Incarceration and What's Next for Supervisors

During a Contempt of Court hearing on June 4th before Lycoming County President Judge Eric R. Linhardt, Muncy Township Chairman Supervisor Terri Lauchle refused to sign off on a land consolidation plan pertaining to the Bass Pro Shop Outpost at the former Lycoming Mall.  As a result, Judge Linhardt immediately sentenced her to six months in jail until she signs the document and pays $7000 in accrued contempt fines.   Lauchle was handcuffed before the pack courtroom and escorted out, flanked by four sheriff's deputies.  

After the hearing, Radio Novo News sought reaction to the court proceedings from Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss, who also laid out the next steps that could be taken by the Board, in the wake of Lauchle's incarceration.  

Link to Transcript:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619137/19301429-muncy-township-supervisor-heath-ohnmeiss-on-terri-lauchle-s-incarceration-and-what-s-next-for-supervisors/transcript

Transcript

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 0:00

Your thoughts on what transpired in court?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 0:02

It's a shame. I don't know understand why we're gonna hold out for this and uh continue to be stubborn like she was. Um I'm glad the judge finally put his foot down and said enough's enough. Um I guess now at this point in time we're just gonna have to go back, start can't damage control, and uh hope we can pick the pieces up, put them back together, and get moving.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 0:25

What do you envision that damage control looking like?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 0:28

Uh well, we currently have a alternate supervisor that can fill in temporarily, but I heard he had some health issues, so I don't know if he's even able to do so. So with that being said, we're gonna have to find uh a way of bringing somebody else on temporarily and fixing everything that was that was done that that's not right.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 0:54

Will you re-elect a new chairman supervisor?

Speaker 0:56

Yeah, so we'll probably uh at the next meeting hold a prior reorganizational meeting just so that we have uh a chair and a vice chair. Uh whether the vice chair moves up or I move up, I that'll be determined at a meeting.

Speaker 2 1:12

Alright, so why? Um talk about her your reaction to her statement that she read.

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 1:18

It just keeps being regurgitated, everything she says, and I just don't I don't comprehend why she is is just so dead set on not signing this. Like she just keeps on saying that everything has to be done properly and she's not doing anything properly. So we're we're spinning our our wheels here trying to get get going, and she she can't even figure out how to start to go.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 1:45

Do you think she comprehends what the judge is saying that you know her position is just wrong by by the law?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 1:53

I would I believe she thinks she's in the right, but I I don't know as as far as mentally where she's at.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 2:01

Have you had any conversations with her privately? I know, I mean, I'm not sure.

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 2:05

Uh we we have we've had some discussions.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 2:07

Um to say what what are you doing?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 2:10

Uh not not those types of discussions. I I uh I have recently become very agitated with this whole situation. I mean, we're six months into the new year here and and and we haven't made any progress from where we should be. Uh so I uh my comments have been kept short and sweet because I I I have uh a temper that I've uh I try to keep in check for the most part with dealing with her and and everything that's going on when things should be done right, but they're not being done right, even though she says they're doing them right.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 2:46

On a related note, this kind of opens up the ability for the firehouse to be professionally clean.

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 2:52

Which needs it to happen. I need it to happen the day after the sewage backed up, but and I and that's another thing I don't understand where she would read something and and just comprehend it in her own way.

Speaker 2 3:04

And then where does the uh subdivision like what's the um status on that now that she's locked up?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 3:12

Um well it's probably gonna have to go to the next meeting. Uh we're gonna have to vote uh for reorganizational, and then at that point in time I assume the new acting chair can uh sign it as a chairperson and we can get the plans moved along.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 3:27

In that same meeting?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 3:29

Hopefully.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 3:32

Is there a is there a solicitor?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 3:34

There isn't. As far as I'm aware, no. Orso was the uh solicitor, he resigned as a solicitor, and then he was only uh in contact with the township because of this this court case that we just finished up here. Um, but that was the previous once he once he submitted her appeal for the previous uh court case, uh he was done. Once he finished all the paperwork, he has no ties as far as I'm aware anymore with the township as being our solicitor. So we are without a solicitor still.

unknown 4:09

Yeah.

Speaker 2 4:09

You could tell uh what's the plan for that for a solicitor?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 4:13

Well, next meeting we'll have to figure figure out where we're gonna it's it's it's not gonna be overnight, and I know people want it to be, and everybody wants everything just to just to be ready tomorrow, but uh it's gonna take a little bit, there's gonna be some growing pains, and we're just gonna have to as a community come together and make it through it.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 4:33

Is there any thought about trying to um re-engage some of those prior solicitors that quit?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 4:41

Most certainly, most certainly. I uh obviously we're gonna use somebody closer to our area, um, but that's that's gonna be something me and uh the supervisor's gonna have to sit down and discuss uh in a meeting or or in an executive session. That way we can get our game plan uh around to to help this community move forward from where we're at.

Speaker 2 5:01

Have there been any discussions with Denise about changing the office, eliminating Terry?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 5:11

I have not. I have personally not had much contact with uh or conversations with Terry or with Denise about Terry. Um there was some discussion previously about uh finance-related stuff with a township that I think needs to come before a meeting. Uh but other than that, that would be something me and Denise would have to figure out at something you were going to make that door open. Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, most certainly we're gonna have to do something because I can't I I can't imagine the being very illegal running a s a township from inside a cell or a jail cell.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 5:51

Do you worry that Denise might change her opinion? She was kind of close to Terry initially and only signed because she didn't have the money to pay the fine. Do you worry that she might flip now or something?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 6:04

Uh I mean she I I guess she could probably try. She could probably try to redact, but she had already signed the papers as a as a vice chair, so I as soon as as soon as somebody, uh maybe me half taking the chair person and then signing it as chair would would be sufficient enough to uh for the plans to go through.

Speaker 2 6:22

She voted for it in fact in December.

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 6:25

Yes, yes, she was on that with the contingency plan that that something with the deed had to be uh followed up with, and once it was followed up with, then it would have been approved, and all they needed was signatures, but it didn't move fast enough to get before the board before the new board took effect.

Laura LeBeau of Radio Novo News 6:42

Do you expect your upcoming meetings uh minus Terry to be more tranquil than they've been of late?

Muncy Twp Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss 6:51

I hope so. I I think I I I think the people well done well come to understand that that we're trying, I myself's trying to help. Um, and I think they understand that obviously I'm not a perfect person. So, and I mean our some of my meetings that I ran back previous years have been a little chaotic, but I think if they get the answers that they are looking for or they deserve to have, uh they won't have too many issues, and I don't I I'm here to work for the community, so as I'm sure it'll be be a lot better than what it was.

Speaker 2 7:32

Thank you. Anything else you want to add or enter to you to see reaction or terrifying.