Commission president Harry Ritter was "on vacation," said Commissioner Larry Downing, and Robert Bledsoe "had to work." As a result, Downing and Commissioners Carol Simpson and Donald C. Smith faced a standing-room-only crowd that was openly angry about recent board actions.

Hammered during the evening by allegations that he, Ritter and Bledsoe have been intentionally keeping Downing and Simpson in the dark because they oppose a $20 million community Center, Smith snapped.

"Ask the two commissioners if I've ever hidden anything from them in all the time I've been on this board," he said.

Downing and Simpson remained silent, causing a visibly stunned Smith to gather up his notebook. Glaring at his fellow commissioners, he said, "I'm leaving."

Applause by angry residents followed him out.

Ed McClune, who had been questioning Smith at the time, asked, "Can we expect your resignation?"

The explosion came after a two-hour meeting where everything from building a dog park to buying golf carts led to a lengthy and heated debate over spending.

Early in the meeting, Steven N. Bussanmas, a member of the Overlook Community Foundation board, discussed a $77,000 dog park earmarked for Overlook Park. Previous discussions about the proposed facility sparked questions, but no dissent. But the atmosphere Monday was decidedly different.

One resident said dog parks are "horrible to maintain and manage," while another asked if the township was liable in case of any legal actions resulting from dog bites or attacks.

Others wanted to know why the township was building it in the first place.

"Why do we have to subsidize someone walking their dog?" a man asked.

Bussanmas tried to explain that a dog owners association would be formed and would be responsible for seeing that users follow the rules and police the area.

McClune asked that any action be tabled until the public's questions have been answered. Downing asked Bussanmas to make another presentation at the Feb. 15 meeting of the Foundation and encouraged residents to attend the meeting at the township offices.

Foundation chairwoman Karen Melchionni said she was "flabbergasted by the negativity."

Stoking the flames was the recent news that the board is pushing ahead with the controversial community center, which includes a $14 million fitness center component.

Residents have accused Ritter, Bledsoe and Smith, none of whom is running for re-election in November, of pushing the center through before leaving office. The commissioners have denied the allegation, saying that after six years of planning, they simply are moving it forward.

McClune inquired about a petition he discovered on township stationery that asked the commissioners to "proceed with the construction of the community center." McClune asked who authorized the petition. The commissioners expressed ignorance of how the petition was begun and told McClune it will be removed "tomorrow morning."

Downing further assured McClune the petition "has no value" as an official township document.

At the outset of the meeting, the board announced that a lawsuit between the township and political activist Ron Harper had been settled.

Last August, Harper challenged the board over alleged violations of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. Ritter accused Harper of speaking out of turn, and since Harper was neither a resident nor taxpayer of the township, Ritter had him removed from the meeting. Harper filed criminal charges and a suit in federal court.

The criminal charges were dismissed by District Justice David Miller in October, on the grounds that the law was not intentionally violated. But the lawsuit remained.

On Monday, attorney Christopher Underhill announced the suit had been settled. Harper was to get a payment of $4,000. In addition, Ritter's letter of apology was to be read at the public meeting.

Because Ritter was absent Monday, Simpson read the letter. In it, Ritter wrote that he "did not realize anyone could raise a Sunshine Act objection at any time at a public meeting."

He apologized for not allowing Harper to speak and for having him removed from the meeting, vowing he "will not make that mistake again."

Ritter added that there was "never any intent to violate the Act" by the board of commissioners.

Harper at the meeting said the settlement was done to avoid defending their action in court. He added that Ritter and Bledsoe "were chicken and didn't show up."

"It was clearly done to avoid an eventual defeat in court," Harper said.