Sewer Tap-In Fees:
Too High? Too Low? Just Right?
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Some people think Foster Township residents are paying too much for their sewer tap-in fees, and that should change. Others agree the fee is too high, but think it should stay where it is.
The $2,000 tap-in fee was one of the topics of Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting. Bradford Township residents pay $1,000. City residents pay $500. The issue arose, in part, because residents are concerned about what would happen if the three municipalities consolidate sewer services.
Supervisor Jim Connelly, who believes the tap-in fee is too high, is hoping to find ways to cut costs – including being more diligent in collecting from delinquent customers – to lower the fee.
“I think that’s ($2,000) a lot of money to ask somebody to pay,” Connelly said. He added that there are $30,000 in delinquent bills.
“It’s not fair that some of us have to pay our sewer bills and some of us don’t,” Connelly said.
East Main Street resident Don Pistner wanted to know how the township would pay for future expansion if the fees were lowered. Pistner agrees that the fees are high, but says the township needs to think ahead.
“Let’s not get carried away with trying to cut the budget and then bite ourselves in the backside later on,” Pistner said.
Supervisor Chris Wolcott agreed that they have to look at future growth, along with inflow and infiltration problems.
Township engineer Roy Pedersen added that the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST) give communities guidance on what the fees should be. He said although the fee is higher than the other communities in the Tuna Valley, when you look at the rest of northwestern Pennsylvania it’s in line with a lot of other communities.
Wolcott said DEP told Foster Township they were charging way too little for their monthly fee and everyone else should be charging more for their tap-in fees.
Both Wolcott and Pedersen said DEP and PennVEST “hold your feet to the fire” when you’re looking for funding for new projects or Act 537 approval and you’re not charging enough for tap-in fees.
In a related matter, Pedersen said PennVEST told them in order to get the money for the next section of sewer line from Lafferty Hollow to Corwins Corners the township needs to have “bids in hand.”
He proposed that bids be opened during the supervisors’ February meeting because that’s “the ideal time for contractors looking for work for the next season.” Pedersen said when they have bids in hand, PennVEST will finalize paperwork for the loan.
Turning to code enforcement, John Place said two cases are before District Judge Rich Luther. As for three other old complaints, he said he’s been trying to track down the people responsible for the properties. He said he’s also received three new complaints.
In other matters, Connelly said he has a meeting scheduled with PennDOT for November 9 concerning the traffic flow at the intersection of East Main Street/Bolivar Drive/Derrick Road.
Also Monday, new road superintendent Mike Fox said his department has been trying to patch all the roads, but the weather hasn’t been cooperative.
“I think it’s rained every day since I’ve been here,” he joked. “Bear with us. We’re doing what we can.”
He also said he knows there have been complaints about the lack of berms on East Main Street, but he said the weather hasn’t been conducive to doing that project.
“We’ll get to it,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we’re going to try our best.”
He also set up a weekly maintenance schedule for all township vehicles to be washed, waxed and greased, and to change oil if necessary.
“Our equipment will look good when it’s out on the road,” he said.
Fox also said there’s a new schedule for winter maintenance. Crews will be out on the roads starting at 4:30 a.m., before people go to work and school.
He said he found while working in the Town of Carrollton, New York, that schedule has cut down on overtime and that “everybody on the roads will be safe, and that’s my job -- to make sure that they’re safe.”
WESB/WBRR News Director
Some people think Foster Township residents are paying too much for their sewer tap-in fees, and that should change. Others agree the fee is too high, but think it should stay where it is.
The $2,000 tap-in fee was one of the topics of Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting. Bradford Township residents pay $1,000. City residents pay $500. The issue arose, in part, because residents are concerned about what would happen if the three municipalities consolidate sewer services.
Supervisor Jim Connelly, who believes the tap-in fee is too high, is hoping to find ways to cut costs – including being more diligent in collecting from delinquent customers – to lower the fee.
“I think that’s ($2,000) a lot of money to ask somebody to pay,” Connelly said. He added that there are $30,000 in delinquent bills.
“It’s not fair that some of us have to pay our sewer bills and some of us don’t,” Connelly said.
East Main Street resident Don Pistner wanted to know how the township would pay for future expansion if the fees were lowered. Pistner agrees that the fees are high, but says the township needs to think ahead.
“Let’s not get carried away with trying to cut the budget and then bite ourselves in the backside later on,” Pistner said.
Supervisor Chris Wolcott agreed that they have to look at future growth, along with inflow and infiltration problems.
Township engineer Roy Pedersen added that the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST) give communities guidance on what the fees should be. He said although the fee is higher than the other communities in the Tuna Valley, when you look at the rest of northwestern Pennsylvania it’s in line with a lot of other communities.
Wolcott said DEP told Foster Township they were charging way too little for their monthly fee and everyone else should be charging more for their tap-in fees.
Both Wolcott and Pedersen said DEP and PennVEST “hold your feet to the fire” when you’re looking for funding for new projects or Act 537 approval and you’re not charging enough for tap-in fees.
In a related matter, Pedersen said PennVEST told them in order to get the money for the next section of sewer line from Lafferty Hollow to Corwins Corners the township needs to have “bids in hand.”
He proposed that bids be opened during the supervisors’ February meeting because that’s “the ideal time for contractors looking for work for the next season.” Pedersen said when they have bids in hand, PennVEST will finalize paperwork for the loan.
Turning to code enforcement, John Place said two cases are before District Judge Rich Luther. As for three other old complaints, he said he’s been trying to track down the people responsible for the properties. He said he’s also received three new complaints.
In other matters, Connelly said he has a meeting scheduled with PennDOT for November 9 concerning the traffic flow at the intersection of East Main Street/Bolivar Drive/Derrick Road.
Also Monday, new road superintendent Mike Fox said his department has been trying to patch all the roads, but the weather hasn’t been cooperative.
“I think it’s rained every day since I’ve been here,” he joked. “Bear with us. We’re doing what we can.”
He also said he knows there have been complaints about the lack of berms on East Main Street, but he said the weather hasn’t been conducive to doing that project.
“We’ll get to it,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we’re going to try our best.”
He also set up a weekly maintenance schedule for all township vehicles to be washed, waxed and greased, and to change oil if necessary.
“Our equipment will look good when it’s out on the road,” he said.
Fox also said there’s a new schedule for winter maintenance. Crews will be out on the roads starting at 4:30 a.m., before people go to work and school.
He said he found while working in the Town of Carrollton, New York, that schedule has cut down on overtime and that “everybody on the roads will be safe, and that’s my job -- to make sure that they’re safe.”
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