Authority unable to extend water lines
EAST BETHLEHEM TWP. – Much to the dismay of many local residents, the Tri-County Joint Municipal Authority is unable to extend the water lines they are putting in as far as they would like. According to Ron Sicchitano, a resident of the Half Moon area on Route 40, the water there has a bad odor and is undrinkable.
“There are 35 homes in that stretch in desperate need of water,” said Sicchitano. “We’ve been told that we were getting city water, and now we find out we aren’t going to get it because we are just beyond the point where the lines are going to stop. It’s kind of hard to swallow.”
He asked the board if there was any chance that they could extend the line, adding that he lives only one mile from the point at which the line is supposed to end.
Chairman Ron Dellarose suggested that there could be grant money available to assist the residents in that area with their situation.
“I don’t know how there could not be a grant when your water is so bad,” said Dellarose.
Sicchitano then asked if they were able to get the grant money, “would it be feasible to extend the line that extra mile?”
The authority’s engineer, Daniel Slagle of Nichols & Slagle Engineering Inc., said he thought that perhaps they would be able to make the adjustment.
“There is a possibility to amend our contract to include that,” Slagle said.
He explained that there was a certain “project scope” set by PENNVEST, and they cannot exceed that scope without an agreement.
Therein lies the problem, according to board members, because while they want to help the residents who need city water, they don’t want to put their contract in jeopardy either.
“We’ll have a lot of people down the road asking us why we can’t extend it further,” said Dellarose. “I understand that, and we want to help, but we don’t want to jeopardize the water line we have. I hope you can get something moving along there and that something will work in your favor,” he told Sicchitano.
The “good news” from PENNVEST, according to Slagle, was that they approved the authority’s request to extend the loan they received for 30 years.
This will reduce the debt payment from $303,535 to $212,235. Authority charter extension was prepared and presented to each founding municipality with positive results.
“I want to thank each municipality and township for a quick response in the charter extension,” said Slagle.
In other matters, manager Jeffrey Kovach said a new home was being built on Linton Road, and the owners wanted to be tapped in to the water line there.
Lisa Kennedy and Michelle Hickey, two residents on Linton Road, came to the meeting to discuss the issue.
“We would just like this to be resolved,” said Kennedy, in reference to the line, which they are currently responsible for.
The two neighbors want the properties to be split and said that there was never any paper work prepared for that, although they have discussed it several times before.
“I realize it is a small issue for the board, but it has to be resolved,” said Kennedy.
Slagle suggested that all three parties must be in agreement about the properties being split and then they could enter into a developer agreement.
He said that it might be best for solicitor Melinda Dellarose to draw an agreement for them. The authority could then assume ownership of the line.
Hickey expressed concern that the owners of the new home may try to tap into the line illegally.
“There is a possibility that could occur,” she said.
“You’ll want to tell them it is your own line and that the authority has indicated they will take it over once everyone has tapped in,” said Slagle, adding that if the line was tapped illegally, water would not be provided.
The board is also discussing the purchase of new residential water meters that Ron Dellarose said would be used in Scenery Hill.
They will purchase 400 meters from Iron City Water and Waste Inc., which was the lowest responsible bidder at $32,000. The motion was carried to grant the contract with the approval of the solicitor, the manager and the engineer.
The board is also planning to purchase pagers for employees working on lines so that they can reach them in case of an emergency. Ron Dellarose said they will buy up to six pagers, after they have seen which workers will agree to use them.
“We are at a point in our system where there is no doubt that we need them,” said Kovach.
In other issues of finance, Kovach said there were some residents who reported to the authority that they could not afford the required tap in fee of $1,000.
“There are grants and loans available for low-income and elderly people,” said Slagle.
“Depending on each individual case, they may be able to get some assistance.”