Delays in mandated upgrades leave Masontown facing $30k in fines

MASONTOWN — Officials said the borough is facing about $30,000 in fines from the state Department of Environmental Protection for failing to complete mandated upgrades to the sludge removal system of the water plant.
The DEP has levied a $250 daily fine against the borough, and the project is currently about 120 days behind schedule, said council President Frank McLaughlin. However, McLaughlin said, officials have no intention of absorbing the fines. He said the final amount of the fines will be deducted from the payment to the contractor working on the $600,000 project.
“The penalty language is standard, and he signed a contract that has terms in it that we can hold him to,” said borough Engineer Rob Sleighter of the Greensburg-based contractor.
Council on Tuesday approved payment of $1,653.75 to Sleighter Engineering in additional engineering fees incurred by the contractor. Last month, council approved a similar payment of $3,500 with the stipulation that the contractor repay the borough at a later time.
Also at the meeting, and after reworking a tentative 2016 budget that at first reflected a $250,000 deficit, officials on Tuesday approved a balanced budget for next year that includes no increase in taxes.
McLaughlin said residents can expect no increases in water utility rates, either, in 2016.
The budget includes $3,588,400 in revenues and expenditures, up from $3,208,700 in revenues and expenditures in 2015. A budget must be adopted by the end of year, as required by law.
Currently, the mill rate is set at 3.426, meaning that residents pay $171.30 in taxes annually on a $50,000 property.
Council also heard from resident Duane Pratt, who asked why two basketball hoops at the John Lewis Memorial Park on Redwood Street were out of commission.
“There’s no ribs, but there’s backboards there. I just want somewhere for the kids to play basketball,” said Pratt, who coaches in his spare time. He said his home on Woodside Road is not able to accommodate the number of youngsters wanting to play.
McLaughlin and Councilman Harry Lee said that the hoops were taken down several years ago because of constant fighting instigated by people who came from outside the borough to play basketball there. One of the melees resulted in one person being hospitalized. Since the hoops had been taken down, there had been no more issues.
“We never realized there was such a problem,” said Pratt, adding that he had been using facilities in Point Marion and Ronco for coaching purposes.
Lee and Councilman Mike Washko suggested putting the hoops back up so that young residents may enjoy a healthy activity in town.
“We can always take them back down again,” Lee said.
Following the discussion, council voted unanimously to have the recreation board look into the possibility of replacing the hoops.
In other business, council:
n Approved the drafting of a letter to PennDOT to address what they believe to be potentially dangerous conditions on Rt. 21 by the Hatfield Power Plant where the highway narrows without sufficient warning to just one lane.
n Following an executive session, took no action on a proposed easement agreement with property owner Frank Martin. Easement to Martin’s property is critical to completing a waterline interconnect project with Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority, officials have said. Failure to reach an agreement has stalled the project, which was approved in May.