Oct 18, 2006 By Christine Haines 2 min read

BROWNSVILLE – While West Brownsville is awaiting funding for its own sewerage project, the Brownsville Municipal Authority is reminding its Washington County neighbor that it still owes money to the Brownsville authority from nearly 40 years ago. According to solicitor Ernie DeHaas, West Brownsville signed a service agreement with the Brownsville Municipal Authority in 1968.

“They didn’t connect, but it was agreed that this authority would build sufficient capacity to take them into the system. If they didn’t connect, they would still owe that money, plus interest,” DeHaas said.

The amount financed by the municipal authority in 1968 for the capacity for West Brownsville was $23,000. The bond interest rate was 5.9 percent, DeHaas said. Authority member Henry Vulcan estimated that at simple interest, the total bill would now come to about $73,000.

“When they close their financing for whatever project they do, this amount would have to be paid,” DeHaas said. “They need to factor that into their costs for the closing.”

The authority directed DeHaas to send a reminder about the old debt to West Brownsville.

In other matters, engineer Bill Johnson reported that the new treatment plant is now on line, with all of the borough’s sewage going to it instead of to the old plant. Johnson said the system is still being fine-tuned, but it is operational and handled the high flow due to the recent rain without a problem.

Johnson said fencing, grading and paving needs to be completed around Pump Station A at Bank and Water streets. The contractor has also been called in to make repairs to sections of High, Water and Angle streets where the paving has settled. Johnson said High Street would be resurfaced from curb to curb, tentatively starting late next week.

“Every time we get a rain day, we push the paving schedule back one day,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that it will take about six days to mill and pave High Street. The borough streets, which will only be paved along the trench line, will be done once the state road is completed, Johnson said. Johnson said paving can be done as long as the daytime air temperature remains above 40 degrees.