Ford City council votes to build water treatment plant
Ford City is going to build itself a new water treatment plant.
Council on Monday chose to build a water plant, at an estimated coast of $2.2 million, rather than to buy Ford City's water from a private company.
The decision was made by five members of council during a special meeting that followed a contentious town hall meeting where the borough's water supply options were discussed.
The vote was tied 2-2 with Mayor Marc Mantini tipping the balance in favor of building the new facility. Councilwoman Vickie Schaub and Councilman Gene Banks voted to build. Councilman Josh Abernathy and President Kathy Bartuccio voted against.
Councilman Jerry Miklos abstained, and Councilman Scott Gaiser was absent.
“I will break this tie,” Mantini said. “Because Number One: the people want it.”
He argued that it would be an asset for the town to keep ownership of its water supply because the current — although outdated — plant brings in at least $150,000 in annual revenue.
A new facility, he said, is likely to make a profit once the estimated $2.2 million debt is paid off.
Of the close to 200 residents who showed up to the Slovak Club on Sixth Avenue to weigh in on the option to build or contract with Pennsylvania-American Water — the majority showed support by a show of hands and applause for building the plant.
Petitions in favor of a new water facility that had been circulating through town since last week purportedly contained about 300 signatures.
Borough engineer Jim Garvin told the public that he thought it was better to build the water treatment plant than contract with Pennsylvania-American Water because the town could better control its own water rates.
Ford City's three wells produce good water from aquifers and the borough has an existing infrastructure in place, he said.
If the borough decided to go with Pennsylvania-American, the water would come from the Allegheny River instead, and the town would still have to pay the cost to maintain the majority of its waterlines, Garvin said.
Abernathy said he was concerned that Garvin's cost projections for the new facility were unrealistic and that the actual cost would exceed $4 million — which would mean a shortfall of about $250,000 a year for the borough.
“This engineer hasn't built one water plant,” Abernathy said.
To which Garvin replied, before making a quick exit: “I won't take this abuse right now. I'm out of here.”
Ron Olsen was one of the few residents present who was in favor of going with Pennsylvania-American Water.
“The information that's been supplied here tonight has been totally inadequate,” he said, adding that he believed the water system has been mismanaged.
Bernard Grundusky, director of business development with Pennsylvania-American, said it had prepared a “very good proposal” for the borough.
Although he didn't have a cost estimate for an average monthly bill, he said residents would initially be charged $3.65 per 1,000 gallons with a 1.65 percent annual rate increase.
After the meeting and council's vote, Miklos said he abstained because he didn't feel comfortable making a decision so quickly.
“Can we afford it?” Miklos asked. “We have to be willing to make some cuts in other areas. If having our water plant is so important, what are we willing to give up?”
Brigid Beatty is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-543-1303 or bbeatty@tribweb.com.
