Township Council moves to dissolve MUA

Cara Latham Staff Writer
   WASHINGTON — The Township Council unanimously voted on Aug 23 to introduce an ordinance to dissolve the Municipal Utilities Authority.
   The move comes three weeks after officials said they were reconsidering dissolving the authority, based on the idea that the MUA’s power as a debt issuing entity could be valuable in the future.
   In the meantime, township officials continued to work on an application to the state Local Finance Board, and submitted it last week.
   Last week’s decision was based on the LFB’s preference that the council introduce the dissolution ordinance before heading to a hearing with the board. The council must gain approval from the LFB before dissolution can occur.
   Township Council President Dave Boyne said Monday he wasn’t reconsidering the dissolution at all, and that talk of reconsideration sprouted from a generalized conversation he had with Township Administrator Mary Caffrey about the different options the township had regarding the MUA.
   Township officials, who began discussing the dissolution of the MUA — which controls the township’s sewage disposal, pipes and pump stations for an estimated 5,000 customers — earlier this year, said the move could potentially save the township an estimated $183,000 annually.
   Township Administrator Mary Caffrey said during the meeting that the township submitted the application to the LFB last week.
   ”Procedurally, (the LFB) would like to see the ordinance introduced prior to their consideration of the application and putting it on the schedule,” she told the council members at last week’s meeting. “If you are inclined to (introduce) the ordinance tonight, we would be scheduled probably for the Sept. 12 (LFB) meeting.”
   The authority voted to dissolve itself on July 18, a move designed to make it easier for the township to secure needed LFB approval to fully dissolve the MUA. Prior to that, the Township Council — when former council members Larry Schneider and Ronda Hyams were in office — voted 3-2 in March, with Mr. Schneider and Ms. Hyams casting the dissenting votes.
   Ms. Caffrey had said earlier this month that regardless of whether the Township Council ultimately decides to continue with dissolution or go with an interlocal agreement, the council will take another vote because there are two new members.
   Nancy Tindall, former MUA member, who urged the council earlier this month to reconsider dissolution, said she was slightly caught off guard by the ordinance introduction because she thought the reconsideration would be discussed publicly. She asked if there would be opportunity for public comment before a final decision is made.
   A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for Sept. 27, after the LFB hearing.
   Township Attorney Mark Roselli said that the LFB put the “cart before the horse” when it told the township to have the ordinance introduced before the hearing, and said that “the next time there would be public discussion would be if, in fact, they approved the dissolution, and then there’s consideration” before the council adopts the ordinance to make the dissolution official.
   If the township’s application is not heard during the Sept. 12 LFB hearing, but at a later date, the council would open the public hearing on Sept. 27, but adjourn it to a later date, after the LFB hears the application.
   If LFB approval is granted and the Township Council adopts the ordinance, the dissolution would go into effect 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 14.