Council OKs water deal

By Tom Davidson
Herald Staff Writer

SHARPSVILLE May 14, 2008 11:07 pm

— “C’mon, this is the borough of Sharpsville, suck it up, do what you have to do,” Sharpsville resident Connie Munger said Wednesday night at a packed borough building.
They did, but the result wasn’t what she wanted.
A divided council voted 4-3 to accept an offer from Aqua America to buy bulk water that will get the borough back into compliance with the state.
Before the vote council members and residents voiced their opinions on the subject for more than two hours, with council member Jack Cardwell participating by phone because he’s vacationing in Florida.
“I don’t want to be beholden to anyone, you need to do what you have to do,” Mrs. Munger said. “This town has always survived on its own, you have to keep it that way.
“I don’t want my kids and your kids to be beholden and in the palm of everyone else’s hand. You’re all Sharpsville boys, stay that way,” she said.
She had supporters in the audience, but there were also those with a differing opinion.
Resident Cheryl McLean has seen her water quality decline since moving to town in 1995.
“Let me show you what you’re drinking,” she said, holding up two discolored filters she uses to clarify her water.
“Please council, be reasonable, think logically. Because there’s a lot of illogical emotion in the room,” Mrs. McLean said.
Under orders from the state Department of Environmental Protection to improve water quality, Sharpsville leaders faced the choice of building a new plant or hooking up with a commercial supplier. Aqua America supplies water to the rest of the Shenango Valley.
The first option required the town to borrow the cost of construction. The second could cost the borough less than it does to produce its own water.
The situation comes three years after voters overwhelmingly rejected a plan to sell the town’s water system to Aqua for $7 million.
Council made the decision despite an 11th-hour offer from Fulton Bank, Lancaster, Pa., that wasn’t set in stone and contained several provisions that gave pause to borough solicitor Joe Joseph.
Councilman John Alfredo said he’d rather take the matter to “crunch time” — essentially the end of business Monday — before making a decision, with hope that a loan with Fulton could be negotiated.
That idea failed when Councilman Guy Moderelli’s motion to reject bids totaling $8.06 million for the project was seconded by Robert Piccirilli. They were joined by councilman Alex Kovach and council President Tom Lally in the final vote.
Council members John Alfredo, Chris Combine and Cardwell voted against the motion.
The vote was the same when council approved the agreement with Aqua.
The 20-year pact calls for an initial rate of $2.20 per 1,000 gallons for 5 years with future rates then tied to the Pittsburgh-area Consumer Price Index, which averages between 1 and 3 percent a year, Joseph said.
“I’m not willing to admit we’re selling out yet,” Lally said. “If we’re truly committed we’ve got five years to put together something.”
Others saw it differently.
“This is the bitter end,” Kovach said, adding that in more than two decades as a councilman this is the toughest decision he’s made.
“Chris, I admire you’re fortitude and stick-to-itiveness, but the time’s up,” Lally said to Combine.
“This is very interesting as far as I’m concerned,” Combine said.
He lamented that South Pymatuning Township’s dispute of a bulk water agreement between the township and the borough hampered attempts to secure state or federal cash for the project. Under the 1996 agreement, the township would have had to pony up 40 percent — $4 million — or the estimated $10 million cost of the new plant. There are 150 water customers in South Pymatuning, including Dean Dairy.
Council members vowed they will continue talks with the township for reimbursement for what’s been spent on the engineering, design and permit fees that total about $1 million.
Council will also work with the plant’s three employees who will lose their jobs when the deal is done. The system should be online with Aqua this summer, according the deal approved Wednesday.

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