Franklin Borough officials are poised to make a critical and potentially expensive decision about the future of the financially distressed town’s sewage system.
The small borough’s sewage lines require costly repairs mandated by state regulators.
Franklin has two choices: Undertake the job on its own, or allow the larger, neighboring Pegasus Sewer Authority to take over and replace the borough’s lines.
Either way, bills soon will rise for Franklin residents. Facing a Sept. 4 deadline set by the state, Borough Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. today to decide.
“I guarantee you, we’ll do the best thing we can for Franklin Borough,” council President Richard McNulty told citizens at a public meeting Wednesday.
The problem in Franklin and other area municipalities is simple: Too much surface water infiltrates sewage lines, causing overflows throughout the entire Johnstown Regional Sewage system.
Pegasus, which covers Conemaugh Township, Cambria County, has been planning a sewage-line expansion. So the authority made an offer: Pegasus would, as part of its project, also fix sewage-infiltration problems in both Franklin and East Conemaugh.
Pegasus would take control of both boroughs’ sewage systems and offer those municipalities representation on the authority board.
“It would become a joint authority,” Pegasus Chairman Kurt Freidhoff said.
However, East Conemaugh already has rejected that plan. And it appears that Franklin may follow suit.
In East Conemaugh, officials believe it is cheaper to go it alone and have asked an engineer to proceed with a sewage project, council President Steve Coy said.
East Conemaugh residents’ “collection” fees – a small sewage bill charged by the borough separately from the treatment bill residents receive from Johnstown Regional Sewage – certainly will increase dramatically.
The fee now stands at $3.33 monthly, or $40 annually. How much residents will have to pay depends on project costs.
“The fees are going to rise as the project goes along,” Coy said.
It is the same story in Franklin, where citizens now pay only a $1 monthly sewage-collection fee.
Borough Solicitor Nicholas Banda said that may gradually rise to $35 monthly by 2013 to cover sewage-line repairs. But that still is less than the amount residents would pay if Franklin joined with Pegasus, Banda contends.
However, there are risks if Franklin does not accept the Pegasus offer. The community’s finances remain shaky, though officials are hoping their “distressed” status helps land state grants and other financing.
Also, borough engineers have not yet completed their studies of Franklin’s sewage system, meaning project costs for the borough and its residents could rise.
“(Costs) are a projection based on what they’ve seen so far,” Banda said.
Local News
Franklin Borough mulls sewage repair
- Local News
-
-
Johnstown man charged with giving fatal Methadone dose to girlfriend
A Johnstown area man has been charged in the death of his girlfriend, who died in August from an illicit drug that he allegedly gave to her while she was a patient at Indiana Regional Medical Center.
-
Somerset County teacher accused of using insulting names
School board members and administrators say they’re still investigating whether a teacher called her eighth- and ninth-grade algebra students names like “retard,” “idiot” and “moron.”
-
Seward tax preparer set to plead in federal court
A Westmoreland County tax preparer is scheduled to plead guilty or no contest to charges that he filed fraudulent income tax returns for his customers and asked some of them to lie to Internal Revenue Service investigators.
-
Blogging with heart
Anyone else have this issue: The more I know, the more I want to learn.
As I am writing my heart month stories for this week’s packages, I occasionally come across a term or description unfamiliar to me. So I look it up. And then the definition or article has something else that sounds important, so I look that up. -
Police probing financial irregularities at Indiana County parish
State police say they’re investigating financial “irregularities” at a Catholic parish with five worship sites in Indiana County, after the local diocese reported the problems to police.
-
Video: Young bear, wolf play together
It’s like something out of a children's book: A bear cub meets a wolf cub and they become the best of friends. Even though they are different species and ferocious predators, the unlikely couple stays pals for life.
-
Two Cambria district judge offices to be cut
Two of Cambria County’s 10 magisterial districts could be eliminated as President Judge Timothy Creany looks at realigning boundaries to cut costs while taking into consideration caseloads of the district judges and population changes.
-
Westmont couple inseparable, even in death
People who knew James and Marjorie Landis of Westmont said the two were nearly always together.
-
Company buys valuables from people ready to unload
Jan Hagerich’s buffalo nickel was “healthy” – which was unhealthy for her finances.
-
Special Olympics return to region
More than 300 athletes eager to show off their skills, along with 135 coaches, will be coming to the region to take part in the 2012 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Winter Games.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Johnstown man charged with giving fatal Methadone dose to girlfriend
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
