My view on Sewage

Delmont has not had good leadership in at least the last twelve years, which I know from personal experience or any true Visionaries in at least a quarter of a Century: Well at least operating in any official Borough position.  The only Visionary acts that have taken place within our Borough, of which I am aware, are those individuals who have been involved in the Library project and our local Service Clubs, the Lions and Rotary, have been supporting groups and youth to hopefully foster better leadership and Vision With any luck some of the fine Youth developed through programs these organizations will stay around our area.  Perhaps these observations play into the reason of it taking so long to fix the Sewage issue.

I am writing this now because I feel that this issue is too big to sit on.  I feel like some of our Professional Experts are trying to hold the members of Council “hostage” with potential legal or regulatory consequences for speaking.  All of our professional service people indicated expressing our thoughts to the public might sabotage our chances of coming to agreement with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  The other point that I would like make about my belief in DEP based on the work with many states’ regulatory agencies across the country.  DEP’s mission is not to put undue burdens on local governments or fine them beyond their means.  Of course if local governments ignore, don’t comply, or disregard a regulatory agency’s area of responsibility they will take appropriate and necessary actions to ensure public health and safety.  Regulatory Agencies tend to be harsher towards industries that disregard regulations for profit motives then punishing governmental jurisdictions.  I don’t believe anything I say here would be found offensive or troublesome to any regulatory agency.  I am simply writing my opinion on a problem and that I am unwilling to vote for a resolution that does not include a third party review.  This is being prudent towards a costly long range plan.

 I want to make it perfectly clear that the ideas expressed in this post are solely my responsibility.  Some colleagues may agree in principle with some of the thoughts expressed in this post but would never agree I should commit it to writing.  Everything can be viewed as my opinions or perceptions based on the information I have.  I am writing this post as an elected official carrying out my responsibilities to the Citizens of Delmont.  If anything I say is radical or you feel that I am making up a bunch of stuff to “stir the pot” so to speak, or make unfounded problems for Counsel,   Please use your Constitutional Right and vote me out of office in November.  I believe every citizen has the right to hear, if they so choose, what I have to say about this issue.

Guiding points of my intent in this post

• I deeply appreciate all the hard work of the Sewage Committee and it is not my intent to harm in any way their efforts to solve the Sewage Problem.
• It is not my intent to prolong starting remedial measures or in any way jeopardize any Regulatory efforts.
• It is not my intent to aggravate any of the parties who are negotiating a resolution to the sewage issue either private or public.
• It is my intent to encourage a discussion, to lead to dialogue and hopefully a good resolution.

The Issue from my perspective:

·         The “fix” is for 40 Years.

·         Although overall projected costs not expected to reach levels were a review of the proposals would be mandatory $1-3 Million is a boat load for our small community.

·         There is so many years of emotional animosity and distrust between two major parties that potential “good ideas” leading to a better fix may not even be considered. 

·         Sewage rates have to increase; it becomes a matter of how much.  Currently, some of the Projected Engineering costs are being built into rate height suggestions.

·         A better solution may be achieved through a cooperative approach that includes those that may have been adversarial for two decades.

My Position:

I will not support any type of sewage increase, or Consent Agreement from DEP until a third party Engineer would review the proposed plan, information gathered by Engineers and Representatives of the Rock Springs Trust, and the ideas of the former Counsel President who now reportedly claims, as reported by members of the Rock Springs Trust, could solve the problem in about a month with five helpers.  I want the best possible Solution for My Children and their children, should they choose to reside around here, for the next 40 years.  Many of us members of Counsel may no longer be here when the full effects of our actions would be known.  It is essential that Consent agreement details are done in full public view.

Perhaps it is Time:  Should Delmont call a Lateral?

This is an answer that a unbiased third party could shed some light on.  One of the issues that is buried in the sewage quagmire of Delmont is the Public versus Private debate.  To simplify should homeowners of older buildings (I am one.  My house was built in 1891) inspect and fix their lateral connections into the main sewage?  Individually, the price estimate I have heard could be between $15,000 - $20,000.  We have been told that this is what the building owners in our Borough could be responsible for if their lateral is not attached properly to the sewage line.  What if…… All of the citizens of Delmont banded together and everyone agreed to have their lines inspected and fixed at the same time?  I am not sure of the exact number of buildings in Delmont but let’s say 750.  How much of a discount would a plumbing contractor give say 500 people who would do it together?  Could the price come under $5,000?  The very worst case scenario (Assuming maximum of 750 structures costing $20,000) would be $15,000,000.00.  The challenge would be how to set up a “Lateral Bank” of sorts that would make low interest loans available to fix all laterals feeding into our sewage system.  Members of the public must recognize that sometimes Government Monies are given (or lent) to very specific projects and local officials have no control over what it must be spent on.  For example, there is a $50,000 grant available to plant a flower garden.  We win that grant but decide we would like to plant trees instead.  We would be told the money is for flowers.  If you do not want to plant $50,000 for of flowers return the money.  The money will be used for flowers, if you don’t want them fine someone else will get the flowers.

The major point is this.  Either because of a desire not to spend money, ignorance of hazards posed by improperly connected waste pipes, lack of regulations, or any combinations of these reasons there is a potential estimated expense of $15,000-$20,000 for property owners of older houses and buildings.  We can continue to totally ignore the problem and have it severely hurt property values into the future, or we could ban together create some unique funding engine to fix the problem and save citizens money.  Many boroughs and townships across the State are in a similar situation.  Infrastructure seems to be a current buzz ward which means unique funding and financing options may be available.  Let’s just make sure we carefully choose the fix of our sewer system.  It has to last 40 years.  Questions comments feel free to contact me: david4delmont@gmail.com  

So where are Delmont Police?

There are some citizens that have asked this question, and I hope to answer that question to the satisfaction of all readers of this blog.

Many citizens have either confused or distorted my position about the Police Budget with a desire to "Get rid of Delmont Police"  There have been many changes in the Environment in the Country, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, and our small Borough that requires a shift in mindset as well as exploration for sustainable solutions.  After many months of thinking about issues concerning the Police Budget and acquiring more information about Environmental conditions two points have come to mind why the Police may be receiving some unnecessary criticism from some citizens as well as myself at times. 1)  The environmental changes have forced a shift in policing priorities that makes it appear that they are not responding to routine small town issues that many of us "Old time" Delmont Citizens were use to when the environment wasn't as complex as it is today.  Items such as routine and periodic patrols in all areas of the borough, quick solving of minor vandalism events, or actions that cause minor property damage. I assure you these issues are important to our Police Department and there was a time when the environment allowed them all to be solved quickly.  Complexities have forced a shift.  2)  The benefits of the money spent in the Police Budget are what would be called in corporate America "Soft Benefits".  By soft I mean it is extremely difficult if not impossible to see a dollar for dollar benefit.  In some incidences the benefits are priceless.  Even for Fiscal realist such as myself it is difficult to remember and count soft benefits when analysing Cost vs Benefit.

This new environment has me concerned on many levels.  1)  In the current situation, the Police Budget remains unsustainable.  However, it may be possible to take this economic challenge and change it into a point of economic growth and development for our community.  I look forward to discussing and sharing ideas with the Mayor, fellow Council members and the Chief.  I am currently seeking possible sources of money that will prevent the need of acquiring a Tax Anticipation Loan should that become necessary until permanent sustainable solution is attained.

Many citizens may be shocked that I voted in favor of acquiring two part-time Police Officers when we have five full time.  I am going to share a little Police secret that I hope doesn't get me in trouble.  Before I do, I have a question:  Have you ever thought of the Police and other first responders as "Parents"?  Like parents these individuals have 24/7 responsibilities and sick days are very problematic although they are built into contracts.  The secret is although they keep long hours, often deal with little sleep, are in better shape than the average, sometimes do things that appear superhuman, they are human like us and some have been afflicted by the flu that has been hitting so many so hard.  As far as I know all officers are currently healthy, but there needs to be coverage when illness does strike.  I do have some concerns for the health and safety of our officers in this environment and having the possibility of part time help for them available at this time is prudent.

It concerns me that some people may think that I have "switched sides" and became a victim of the status quo.  Every position I take is based on the information I have and the current environmental conditions.  The only side I am on is the Citizens of Delmont and the ability to provide us with the services we need and expect.  As political leaders our positions must evolve with the conditions.  Our guiding principle must remain the best interest of those we serve.

The environment we are in is dynamic it is important that we make the best of it and attempt to turn the situation around to the benefit of our Community.  Delmont Police are out there and they are working at protecting us in both hard and "soft" ways.  We need to be as supportive as we can and balance any potential harms in other areas while doing this.

Where Are Delmont Police?       

Holiday Wishes

I hope everyone, who celebrates Christmas and Chanukah, has had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah.  Kwanzaa ends on January 1 any citizens celebrating hopefully your Holiday was happy as well.

I have been working on my budget post since December 16, 2017.  I realize that since Delmont has avoided for the most part a major crises many citizens may think that I am making up a crises that is non-existent.  I hope that my post will explain the true problem that we have, and the budget won't be viewed as merely a subject around Election Time.  The budget is the lifeblood of our Community that has not received the attention that it demands if Delmont is to even grow much less thrive.

I ask that all citizens pray for us as there are many deficiencies in establishing the proper priorities to allow our community to live and grow.  The New Year offers many opportunities to address these issues if we exhibit the proper courage and strength to make the needed changes.

To all families I wish Peace, Health, and Happiness in 2018.  May God's Grace and Wisdom guide us and bless us.  Not only Delmont, but our Nation could use this Guidance.


     

Stormwater Ordinance Update

On Thursday I attended the third meeting of the Watershed Advisory Committee for Westmoreland County.  We were given the draft copy of the County Ordinance. 

In our fine community issues sometimes are mixed and can be confusing.  Stormwater and the associated MS4 regulations are intimately related to sewage issues but the regulations also differ.  I believe that Borough has been criticised for not Budgeting for Storm water issues for at least 10 years.  The reality is the Regulations addressing stormwater issues did not become final until December 9, 2016.  So, there was essentially nothing to budget for before this date.  There have been many people throwing around the phrase unfunded mandates.  What is an unfunded mandate?  In the "Good ol days" when the Federal Government issued regulations that were delegated to states to run there would be money given to fulfill a portion of costs associated with the program.  There are portions of the program  that require money to operate but do not include sources of funds.  This means it is up to the states, counties, and local governments to decide how to pay for the programs.  Consequently, this means that money can be taken from General funds, or special funding mechanisms.  Unfortunately, most political subdivisions will not have the luxury of simply paying the bills from the General Fund.  I can assure that Delmont does not have the available funds, and as I stated before our Budget is not currently sustainable.  Delmont is going to have to start thinking and even acting on raising funds for these programs.

One of the most interesting parts of the meeting is how normal lightly, to not regulated activities can have impacts on stormwater runoff.  Here is brief non-inclusive list

• Widening a driveway.
• Paving driveway or walkway.
• Building an outbuilding.
• Cutting down trees
• Building patio, pads to hold vehicles or boats
• New gardens

Anything that changes the way water enters the ground can have an impact.  Some jurisdictions that have implemented Stormwater charging programs use criteria such as the amount of pavement in an area of land, or standard fees for residents.  There is a fair chance that the fees associated with stormwater management issues would be slightly higher than the current per capita charge.

Fees are never a pleasant thing to think about.   The reality is someone is paying for stormwater runoff all the time.  Everyone who has a flooded basement, plants or vegetation washed away, structural damage caused by stormwater has directly paid as a result of stormwater.  From a community point of view property values will increase, or at least not decline when a stormwater program is in place.

Ordinance Idea

The fiscal mismanagement of the previous decade, (What I consider fiscal mismanagement is the failure to budget money for Economic Development, Community Development, Parks and Recreation), it is evident that Council needs an Ordinance to force certain levels of Fiscal responsibility.  The examples that I am thinking about are Capital funds for Boiler and Vehicles that previous Council's with some foresight have established.  The two years I have been on Council many members have complained about the statutory amounts we had to set aside.

I believe there should be an Ordinance that would that would require: 1) Money received from Marcellus, 2) Money received from Recycling, 3) A portion of or fees for property use, and yes 4) A small percentage of Sewage be placed in a Special account for Projects similar to areas covered under Act 58 including Stormwater efforts.  This fund could be used to help meet grant matches for these types of activities.  This shouldn't be too hard to do because some of this funds have been referred to as extra icing, or bonus money.  I will probably be expanding on some of these issues as time goes on.

It is a pleasure serving you.  I can be reached at david4delmont@gmail.com      

Thanksgiving Wishes and Thoughts

To everyone who is traveling to be with family this Thanksgiving, may your travels be safe and the time spent with relatives and loved ones happy and fulfilling.   Make every minute count and avoid unnecessary conflicts.  Life is a fragile thing and we never know how much time is left, or when our next encounter with family, friends, and acquaintances may be our last.

We should all take a moment and count the Blessings we have living in the greatest Country in the world.  Most of us our blessed with adequate food, clothes, and shelter.  We have family, friends, and loved ones to share our time with.  We can travel freely and speak our minds.  We can choose to worship God in any way we wish, or choose not to believe One exists.

When I was a youngster more time was spent on Thanksgiving, there was little to no Black Friday activities, but Friday after Thanksgiving was meant to spend more time with family and friends.  It has taken a half-Century of life to figure out why there is the push to glaze over this really important day.  See things that bother me deeply include Christmas Decorations and music before Thanksgiving.  It seems like some Christmas stuff starts coming out in conjunction with Halloween.  Perhaps the reason that there is not an over commercialization of Thanksgiving is because decorations are not necessary.  All that is required is a gratitude of having the the essentials to sustain life: food, water, simple clothing, and shelter.  At a bit of a higher level a Community that shared the bounty of the earth and offered a sense of protection and purpose.  The problem from the modern consumption point of view is this " If you practice gratitude and Thanksgiving everyday, this leads to feelings of love and contentment.  When you are experiencing love and contentment your awareness and focus are honed in laser sharp on the things that really matter.  The things that really matter can not be manufactured, bought, and sold.  They are freely given one to another.  The result is Black Friday would lose all importance as a major shopping day.  We have all that we need and it is within and can't be bought out there."  ( The quote is my own words and thoughts.  It is the way that I would imagine some defining the "problem" of practicing gratitude daily.)

God Bless us all.

Scouting in Delmont Update: Let's Continue to Build Community

I had the pleasure of attending the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Scott Armentrout of Troop 211 at Faith United Methodist Church.   Scott was the young man that planned and organized the rehabilitation at Shield's Farm that showcased the new "Welcome to Delmont" sign on one of the buildings and the painting of buildings.  This was deeply appreciated by all who attended the Apple Fest as it showed all visitors that Delmont takes pride in keeping our Resources looking good.

I was wondering why the Ceremony was speaking to me in a very special way.  It wasn't until after that I realized Scott and I share an interesting Eagle history.  It was 33 years, 4 days, and 8 Scouts that separate our Eagle awards.  He was Eagle Number 504 in 2017 and I was 512 in 1984.He completed his requirements on September 22, and I completed mine on September 26.  The principles and obligations of Eagle Scouts remain timeless.  Congratulations again Scott.

Cub Scouts

I am very grateful to Delmont Volunteer Fire Department for hosting Pack 211 last week at the Fire Hall, and a special Thank you to MaMa P's for providing pizza.  These are the types of things that build a stronger community.  Delmont Churches played a vital role and continue to struggle to play a role.  Please don't misunderstand my comment.  Delmont Churches continue to do great things for our Community, but they have been struggling with aging parishioners and declining membership like most organizations. 

I am sure that many do not appreciate or realize the uniqueness of our Cub Scout Pack.  The Lion Cub Program (Age 5 Kindergarten) is currently in pilot mode and Pack 211 has one with some Special needs youngsters.  Our Pack would not be growing without the excellence of Johnathan and MaryAnn, nor the continued dedication of the Scout Master George Caldwell.  The dedication, enthusiasm, and drive to make Cub Scouting a vital part of Delmont's future far exceeds any requests or requirements on my time to help with these efforts.

It hurts me that there is still some hard feelings in the Scouting Community.  Before Pack 212 folded a plea was made to a leader to take over the Pack.  The leader enrolled his children in another Pack.  It is understandable why this has caused some feelings of betrayal and Community abandonment.  We need to get over this and I implore the hurt people to let it go and pray for a healing Spirit to intervene. Forgive and Let go.  Delmont is too small to be further divided by these types of disagreements.

Delmont has the potential to make many good things happen.  We need a Plan, Purpose, and direction to bring it all together.  Doing what is right is vital but one small part, we need to Plan our future.  The future will come.  We can be the architects and design it, or we can be the participants (victims)  of the outcome.

November's Meeting: Ah the Budget

It was great seeing all the newly elected council members at the meeting and there was a fairly large turn out. 

Budget

I voted to advertise the Budget but I am not going to vote for the Budget.  It is not sustainable.  I am going to briefly describe what I mean by Sustainability.  As an aside I am currently working on three potential webinars for PSAB to introduce three aspects of this term.  The great thing for politicians is this buzzword is flexible and it can mean anything or nothing and being used without a firm context can make the user of the word appear like they are in the political know.  Here is how I mean the word when I use it:

Sustainability is using today's resources to satisfy all basic needs and reasonable wants without depriving future generations the same opportunities to meet their basic needs and reasonable wants while considering the three main pillars of Social, Environmental, and Economic factors and maintaining no net loss of those resources.

I have no idea what other council members have in mind when they use the term.  

After all essentials were budgeted we were approximately $10,000 over expected income.  As an aside remember even doubling the per capita tax to the maximum allowable by law would only yield approximately $9,000.  We made the $10,000 disappear by reducing amounts for gas for vehicles, electricity, building maintenance, tool expenditures, and vehicle maintenance.  Any unexpected expenses in these areas or exceedances in the cushion amount for public safety and we are in for some real issues.  This is the icing on the cake on my views of why the budget is unsustainable but the key factors prior to this realization where:

• No budgeting for Planning.
• No budgeting for Council Education and Training.
• No Budgeting for Community Development
• No Budgeting for Economic Development
• There is no budget for Grant acquisitions- By this I mean money set aside to meet any necessary matches for funding opportunities.

Sewage

Yes, I made the proposal to raise the sewage rate $4.00 and I was removed from the Sewage committee for bad behavior.  Did, I want to raise it?  Heck, No!!  I don't want to pay more!!!  By ignoring or not taking initiative will not make problems go away.  Ignoring them will compound the issue, weaken the infrastructure and make Delmont less desireable.  For anyone that wants to write to me and complain feel free.  Nothing that could be said to me would be worse than when I told my wife what I did.  I have to live with her and still do.

I would also like to comment on a point made by Ms. Rebitch about the issue on the Rock Springs Trust Property.  She made a comment about the inconsistency of inspections of the area being made at the property after a substantial rain event by Borough employees that was made by a former Sewer Committee Chairman a number of years ago.  In all honesty, I was never aware of that requirement when I served in the position either.  In my view this pointed out a much larger issue that transcends Borough operations.  That is a need for a Policy, Procedure, or Operations manual of some sort to remind everyone of things that have been said or down by previous Council members that are still current although Council has changed.  If I had $1 for every time I heard Phrases like: "Did we do that?"  "Where we suppose to do that?", "We did what?", "Wasn't that how it was always done?", "Who was responsible for that before?", and put that $1 in the General Fund I doubt we would have had to shave off that $10,000.  More writing and documentation may not always be fun and can add a bit of administrative burden and maybe slight cost, but it would be the right thing to do in all areas of Borough Administration and not just with sewage practices.  

Zoning Ordinance Adoption 

I know it is not necessary for me to explain my reasons for proposing or voting the way I do on certain issues, well any issue.  I have been involved with this project from the very beginning ( I view it a vital piece of the planning process.  Many would argue that the Plan should come before the Zoning Ordinance.  Any progress is welcome and beneficial to Delmont as a whole).  I have spent many hours reading and thinking about the consequences of this Ordinance from all perspectives.  I was a bit taken back when Becky Matsesevac implied I was giving special consideration to Kelley's Auto over Thompson Machinery's request.  1) The request of Thompson was the same as another stipulation that Kelley's and Manordale Tire would have liked to see as well.  I thought the slight modifications that were made to address the C-1 and C-2 Designations were more than reasonable for the initial Ordinance.  2) The request made by Kelly's service has been going on for decades and is part of present day use.  3)  The C-1 and C-2 controversy are  based on future as yet undetermined impact on sale of property and consideration of other uses.  When I studied the various uses in the categories and available land for use it seemed highly unlikely, in my judgement, that the designation difference would not substantially reduce the property owner's ability to make money on the sale of the property. 4) The Thompson request directly affects three properties that are being used as primary residence.  5)  Nothing is in stone and land uses can be challenged at any time.  It is always easier to have stricter standards to start a process, then to have less strict initial requirements and try to stop an activity after it started.  6)  There is no standard that everyone would find 100% acceptable, a lot of time, money, and energy went into this project it was time to move forward.

I took the time to explain my reasoning because it is important to me that you the people I have the pleasure of representing spend a lot of time researching and studying important issues.  I like to have a solid base of information to base my decisions and votes upon.  I will make mistakes because I am human but I will always strive to serve your interests the best I can.

Resolution Roulette 

To me this was the most comical part of the whole meeting.  Serving on the Policy and Resolutions Committee for Westmoreland County's representation at PSAB I have been aware of the push to allow local governments (aka: Delmont Council and others) more say so over the ability of utility companies to place small antennas and cellular signal boosting devices on utility poles.  

Before I go on explaining more about this particular issue, I want to make a comment about the irony of deciding not to support this resolution by highlighting a citizen's comment, who was once on Borough Council, about the Municipal Planing Code.  I am paraphrasing the sentiment of the remark the best my memory allows me.  If I miss the sentiment in the meaning of the question, I hope this citizen will contact me and tell me I screwed up.  It goes something like this, "Why do we have to allow areas for those kinds of businesses or structures when we don't want them in Delmont?"  One reason is because people, even local officials, do not always know what is going on in higher levels of government, nor how it could effect them.  Furthermore, they may have information, but for whatever reason do no act on it.  The result is legislation is passed, and we like the citizen paraphrased above are asking How? or Why did that happen?

I did not make any reports to counsel because: 1)I didn't think there was any interest.  This is not to imply that Counsel necessarily lacks interest in what is happening at the State level, but the reality is that it is difficult to keep abreast of developments within the Borough. 2) I really didn't think Counsel would be interested in what I had to say. 3) In all honesty I viewed passage of the Resolution as symbolic only and not having a chance to succeed based on the strength of utility lobby.  On a personal note, I feel that utilities become monopolies, they don't really have to worry about customer service, they provided services deemed necessary so they can do almost anything they want with little recourse.  Some utility companies do try to provide good service and have good relations with customers, but if there are any issues with their delivery systems and property rights.  They don't care about the property rights so that the least costly option for them is exploited.  Communications seem to me to be the worst offenders of not caring on multiple levels.  Consequently, I believe strongly that local authorities ought to have say in where and how the placement of these antennas is accomplished within it jurisdiction.

Now the part I find amusing.   I was ecstatic that Becky had the Solicitor draft a Resolution, my best guest is this action cost between $150-$175 unless it is included somewhere else to support this activity, and when I moved to pass it she didn't even support, by seconding, the resolution she drafted.  When I called her on this at the meeting the Solicitor responded something like, " That is ok, she wanted to see what it looked like in a Resolution."  I would say get the facts and decide how you feel about an issue before having the Solicitor draft it.  I will have  to say that Dave Weber made some interesting points that I was ignorant of, but like most people didn't necessarily process he said something like, " Coming from the Telecommunications Industry......"  This statement has two very important points to keep in mind 1) He is a subject matter expert and has more knowledge on the subject then I do, and 2)  His subconscious bias could be arguing for the industry he served for so many years.  Right or wrong by bias is for autonomy in local governance as much as practicable.  Another possible issue and I studied this when I worked for a cellular carrier is the radiation associated with cellular phone use.  I believe the research that indicates that cancer could develop from use of this technology, but weighing all the evidence and probabilities of it happening to me, I choose to still use my phone.  Would I like these antani devices close to schools and playgrounds? No!, but that is my opinion based on my interpretation of the data I have read.

Recreational Survey

It was ironic that our Solicitor asked Stan if an informal recreational survey would be comprehensive enough to obtain funding.  Why am I even mentioning this in my blog?  Simple this information could be part of the Master plan of how we want Delmont to grow and develop.

Conclusion

One ting that concerned me was when I had some constituents ask me why it appeared that members of Counsel are afraid to talk and lead discussions on issues.  I told them that I wasn't sure but that I would have no problem presenting the concerns that citizens ask me to present, or discussing any issues that I think will make Delmont a better place.

As always if you have any feedback feel free to contact me at david4delmont@gmail.com.