VALLEY VIEW - Despite several widows in the room claiming they would rather be dead than have to pay to hook up to the public sewer system, Hegins Township supervisors voted 3-1 on July 14 to move forward with the Act 537 plan.
Supervisor LeRoy Shuey provided the dissenting vote.
"I've been coming to these meetings since the beginning of the year; I agree with Mr. Giansello, who spoke earlier in the meeting. I do not think we are ready for this and the reason I'm saying this is because I'm a widow and this is going to place an extra hardship on me that I'm thinking, down the line I don't want to be around when it comes through," Sandra Stutzman, Hegins, said. "Seems to me that we aren't getting anywhere. I'm just a plain, old widow - well, not too old - but this gives me a great deal of concern, and this is why I come to these meetings ... but I don't know what else to do about it so, I pray to God, I'm not around when it comes through."
Prior to the vote, Shuey proposed a motion, "To adopt the joint Act 537 plan with the service area to include all of the core areas of Hegins Township and Hubley Township as part of this plan and for capacity at the wastewater treatment plant to be reserved for the Lamberson and Fearnot service areas but that they be identified as a future service area. The timing to serve Lamberson and Fearnot service areas based upon the approval of grants for those service areas and subjected to further evaluation of either an on-lot management program or community on-lot sewage system that would be owned and operated by the water authority."
Although it seemed those in attendance favored Shuey's motion, it died for lack of a second.
Supervisors Chairman Mike Begis said he didn't believe the plan could be submitted contingent on grants.
James Rhoades Jr. of Alfred Benesch & Co. said they have never had a plan approved that was written based on contingency of grants. He said the legal department of the state Department of Environmental Protection wouldn't permit it.
Kevin Walsh, an attorney with Donald G. Karpowich, Attorney-At-Law, PC, spoke on behalf of concerned residents.
"Regardless, if adopted here tonight or not, there are significant issues in this plan that have not been dealt with," Walsh said. "He said if the board wanted to move forward with the plan they should at least have a third party engineer review the plan. I believe you need to take a long hard look at this plan before voting here tonight."
Prior to Shuey's motion being addressed, a motion was also proposed by Supervisor Brad Carl to move forward with the plan as it is and see what the DEP does with it.
"We have been over this 150 million times, and it's getting steadily worse," John Giansello, Hegins, said. "The people are right that comments have been responded to but haven't been addressed and the indifference is that you are hell-bent for approving the plan in its present form. You also have a parliamentary problem, you have a motion on the table by Shuey that you need to take action on before you deal with Carl's motion. This is a half-baked plan, and it's still half baked no matter how many times gone over only argument Mr. Begis has is the age-old, timeworn argument that we have so much into that can't stop now. That's a very bad argument and a poor way to address public policy. You are not doing constituents service by taking this action. Shuey is right, we are not ready to make this commitment which is the largest public works in history for this township, it's premature, ill-advised and goes against the majority of constituents."
"Just remember you live in Hegins Township," William Wolfgang, Hegins, said.
Begis said the sewer situation should have been addressed in the 1960s and 1970s when it was first discussed. He said he's moving forward and taking care of it now because he doesn't want his children to have to pay for it.
"You know what went on here with this cracker jack, Rolls Royce of a plan - why else would the Hubley supervisors all but have a secret meeting to cram this plan through," Giansello said to Begis. "You are asking us to buy a pig in a poke, you said you don't want your children to pay for this at an increased cost, but you're not on the system, you arranged to take yourself out."
Begis did point out that 19 written comments were received in regards to the Act 537 plan and he said they all will be addressed.
Begis said he would second Carl's motion to move forward and submit the plan to the DEP and let them determine if it's suitable.
"You may as well call Masser and tell him you approved it," Wolfgang said.
Wolfgang also questioned if the township has to pay Dave Miller and engineer James Rhoades Jr., both of Alfred Benesch, when they are present at meetings. Begis said they did.
"We may as well send Miller home, he can never give an answer to a question anyway when he is asked something. Why pay him to be here?" Wolfgang asked.
During the discussion regarding the Act 537 plan, former Hegins Township supervisor Sue Troup asked why the site location was changed and why Jacqueline Peleschak was left go as the project manager.
"The location for the plant was set to be down by CASA Trucking and then all of a sudden it was changed. I would like to know why. Was Peleschak left go because she stated early on in the project that outlying areas could be taken care of with on-lot management? I would like my questions answered, since you didn't answer them earlier," Troup said.
The supervisors offered no answer.
"We have 30 days to write our letters," Randy Shadle, one of the concerned residents, said. "Get your pencils and stuff out and get legitimate thoughts you want to say. They just passed this, but we're not done yet, we can appeal this."
"How long are you chairman, Mike?" Bruce Klouser, Hegins, asked. "I've been coming to these meetings for 20 years; they chose Deibert over you, Begis, and he had it and then you got on the ballot and I thought you would be good to run with your two degrees in engineering."
"You stopped coming to my house because you didn't want to hear what I was telling you, Bruce," Begis said. "You didn't understand then and you don't understand now, and now you don't like me. Too bad."