Board passes $30 sewer rate hike
Sewer authority says increase needed to keep up with infrastructure
A $30 annual increase in Hatfield residents’ sewer bills has been approved.
Township commissioners voted unanimously last week to approve the 201718 budget for the Hatfield Township Municipal Authority, which includes a $7.50 per quarter increase in customers’ sewer rates — the authority’s first raise since 2013.
“With the rate increases, the sewer rates for HTMA still would be in the top ten lowest among the 75 sewer providers in the region,” said township Manager Aaron Bibro.
Last month HTMA Executive Director Pete Dorney described for the board how the rate hike is meant to help the authority stay ahead of needed infrastructure upgrades that are required by state and federal mandates. The 2017-18 budget matches expenses and revenues at just shy of $8.5 million, and the authority is currently planning a $1 million sewer line project to add capacity near Lenhart Road — which officials have said is just one of several major projects scheduled for the next few years.
“It was justified based on a lot of the capital improvements over the next few years that will need to be done by the authority,” said Bibro.
Resident Bill Forst asked if several new housing projects currently underway in the township will contribute to covering the costs of new infrastructure meant to handle their increased sewer flows, and Bibro and Planning and Zoning Officer Ken Amey said those developers are already doing so.
“The Fortuna Station project was required to upgrade the sewer lines in their area, that run into the Lenhart Road interceptor,” said Amey, referring to a complex of homes being built at Cowpath and Lenhart Roads.
“That was part of the project. That cost is being borne by the developer,” Amey said.
The township commissioners unanimously approved the HTMA’s 201718 budget, and board President Tom Zipfel extended his thanks, on behalf of the board, for the sewer authority’s staff.
“The folks over at the HTMA do an absolutely fantastic job. They have no days off — they are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They are a group of unsung heroes in Hatfield Township, and we really appreciate everything they do,” Zipfel said.
Hatfield’s board unanimously approved several other action items during their Feb. 22 meeting, including an ordinance updating the township’s leash law regarding how animals are kept under control.
“What this does is edit, or adjust, our ordinance, so that dogs in particular would need to be on a leash no longer than six feet in length, and dogs would not be permitted to run at large in public locations,” said Zipfel.
The least law update was discussed at length during the board’s Feb. 8 meeting, and approved unanimously Feb. 22, with no comment from the public. Also discussed and approved on Feb. 22 was an agreement for the township to purchase 59 street lights on the eastern end of Hatfield from PECO, and convert those streetlights to energy efficient LED models.
The board also approved a $175,464.25 payment for work done to rebuild the Walnut Street bridge, which has been the subject of talks for several years since weight restrictions were placed on the bridge due to age-related deterioration. The bridge is slated to open in August, according to Bibro, and will be the last of four township bridges that have been repaired over the past two years.
A resolution was also approved formally opening the maintenance period on the new Citadel Federal Credit Union branch at Forty Foot and Welsh roads, built on the site of a former Univest Bank branch. According to Bibro and Amey, with construction of that branch now complete, the project now moves into an 18 month maintenance period, and a maintenance bond has been posted to cover any improvements that may be necessary.
Hatfield’s commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on March 8 at the township administration building, 1950 School Road. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.HatfieldTownship.org or follow @HatfieldPA on Twitter.