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Storm brewing over stormwater system transfer

The city administration and some on City Council are at odds on transfering stormwater assets to Williamsport Sanitary Authority for $1.

Mayor Gabriel J. Campana said this past week he believes he can negotiate a better deal that includes leasing or having the authority pay for city infrastructure and equipment, such as a truck used by the Streets and Parks Department to suck out dirt and muck from drains.

William E. Nichols Jr., city finance director, said taxpayers shouldn’t pay for the transfer.

“It is my opinion we should not expect the taxpayers to pay taxes that would go toward debt for infrastructure that we would no longer own,” he said. “That’s like paying a mortgage on a house you don’t own.”

Nichols did observe the effort and work that went into preparing the transfer on council’s part, and said it should not be discounted at all.

However, he said, it should be recognized the administration’s suggestions are meant to build on that effort and protect taxpayers.

“We need to recognize the investment the taxpayers have made, not to raise additional revenue, but to provide revenue that will be used to pay debt incurred by the city,” he said.

Councilwoman Liz Miele noted the authority has the expertise and the city doesn’t have staff to repair aging infrastructure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is mandating the city reduce sediment entering the river toward cleaning the Chesapeake Bay.

Doug Keith, authority executive director, said the authority awaits the city decision.

To accomplish the task of repairing systems, the authority intends to impose a stormwater discharge fee on residences, businesses and non-profit organizations.

The lowest average fee amounts to $17 per quarter, according to Charles Hauser, authority engineer.

Nonprofits can’t be taxed, so it is a way of assessing an equitable fee across the city, he said.

“The city doesn’t have the financial means to accomplish this on its own,” said Councilman Clifford “Skip” Smith, chairman of the city public works committee.

But valuation of stormwater assets has been done in other communities in the state and nearby states.

“I don’t know what’s on the mayor’s mind, but I think it is an appropriate course of action to ask an independent organization to provide a valuation of these stormwater assets before a transfer occurs,” said Jason Fitzgerald, president of Penn Strategies, the city economic development consulting firm.

“We spent money on William Street and also Church Street Transportation that benefitted the authority. The city needs to be reimbursed for what the taxpayers paid for that,” Campana said.

“I would appreciate that council would not interfere with my ability to negotiate this,” he said.

“I don’t want to have council pull a fast one,” the mayor continued. “If I can negotiate a better deal, why on Earth would council move on this? It is outrageous, ridiculous, and I am going to push forward on a deal that gets the city a lot more than $1.”

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