PLUMSTED – Township Committee members discussed the township Municipal Utilities Authority rate hike and the need for the township to subsidize that agency.
The township wastewater treatment plant was built for $32 million several years ago as a means to reinvigorate the community’s downtown business district. The facility was described as being able to make wastewater so clean that it can discharge into Crosswicks Creek which flows into the Delaware River.
The small and compact plant resembles a red barn and treats the sewage of around 500 customers in New Egypt, the downtown section of Plumsted. It also treats 380 customers from Lennar’s Venue at Longview which is an age-restricted community still being built. Unlike most treatment plants, this one uses a three-stage process instead of two.
Some customers however remain in sticker shock having been hit with a 128% sewer bill increase following years of initial warnings.
Committeeman Robert Bowen discussed the November MUA hearing where that increase was announced. “I am aware that the police needed to be called. My understanding is that we had employees of the township and volunteers who felt unsafe and that their safety was at risk.”
Township Attorney Jean Cipriani had to quiet the audience who spoke out regarding what transpired during the PMUA rate increase hearing.
MUA Executive Director Brian Brach told The Jackson Times, “as is standard protocol when significant public participation is anticipated, the PMUA preemptively scheduled two off-duty Plumsted Township Police Department officers to be present at the November 12, PMUA public meeting. They were not called, per se, and were initially observing the beginning of the meeting out in the hallway of the Municipal Building.”
“The PMUA Board immediately convened an executive session at the start of the meeting, as had been indicated on the agenda, to discuss confidential and protected matters. The public took exception to this and acted in a manner which can only be described as unacceptable and troubling,” Brach said.
He noted that while in executive session, “there was screaming in the Municipal Chambers, which the Board had vacated. At that time, the PMUA Board called the PTPD officers into the executive session.”
“PMUA Chairman Kubiel requested that the officers deescalate the situation prior entering back into public session; and further requested that the officers stand at either side of the dais. The PTPD officers are commended for their professionalism, as once the PMUA entered back into regular session, there were no further disturbances,” Brach added.
Brach said, “the fact that the PMUA Board had to request that the officers stand at the dais in and of itself would dispute any claims from the public that they were acting appropriately.”
Bowen thanked the volunteers within the community, “be it the coaches, New Egypt Historical Society, volunteers at school, volunteers on our boards and committees. I particularity want to thank our MUA volunteers.”
He noted that he and MUA members attended a meeting in Toms River “with Ocean County Board of Commissioners Director Bobbi Jo Crea and Commissioner Frank Sadeghi and members of the Ocean County Planning and Engineering, Recycling (departments).”
“Members of the MUA board and executive director were there asking the Ocean County Commissioners how do we work together to improve the MUA and enhance what we are doing and also bring down the cost for the users,” he added.
Bowen said, “I commend them for two days later front and center seeing what they can do to improve the MUA and to bring down the costs. It was a very constructive meeting. There is a lot we can pursue and I think there are a lot of opportunities to partner with the County to enhance our operations.”
“They are working on possibly having a county presence here in Plumsted down on Main Street and have a lot of productive meetings. Commissioner Sadeghi has been the point person for them and has gotten up to speed and will continue during this transition period and hit the ground running in January,” he said.
Mayor Dominick Cuozzo also touched on the MUA situation. “I’ve gotten a lot of complaints from township residents. I appreciate those working in a very difficult situation. It is not an easy thing to do. I can’t speak for the MUA. I know there is a lot of frustration. The MUA is a separate government entity.”
“It is outside the direct jurisdiction of this body,” the mayor added. “I will gladly pass all your complaints on to them.” He said he and his wife had spoken about the matter and “I know how we would feel if we were forced to connect to a sewer system at a certain payment amount and had it been raised 128 percent and how that would make us feel.”
The mayor said the governing body “is trying to help. We have about a $7 million budget. Despite that we have made over $3 million in a one-time settlement being made just this year and we had committed to a $250,000 annual operational subsidy that we have re-upped for $500,000 in an annual subsidy for the MUA.”
He added, “we will take additional action on that subsidy as the executive director of the MUA “wrote a resolution with a bit more teeth to it and we are voting on that resolution here. It won’t change a bad situation all that much but we are doing our best.”
The PMUA’s shortfall has led to a series of short and long-term fixes that include customers being asked to pay higher fees despite over 200 customers already being delinquent on bill payments.
Township Committee members introduced an ordinance that night to rezone the downtown area in hopes that it would bring in more development projects that might provide new customers to help cover costs for the plant. That ordinance however has been facing stiff opposition by residents. A second reading will feature a public hearing this month.
The rate hike wasn’t a complete surprise as residents were warned 10 years ago that the plant’s construction would lead to increased costs. Brach was brought in last year to address the utility’s troubled finances.
Brach who is also the executive director of the Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority told The Jackson Times that the situation is complex, that a rate increase was necessary and securing funds for operations was difficult.
While Cuozzo and Brach have expressed the belief that Plumsted will eventually see some financial gains they also agree that the plant came online before the township could actually afford to operate it. One factor being that the Lennar development wasn’t finished, and the PILOT program which is phased in over five years, didn’t allow for the township to be able to collect total amount.
PILOT means payment in lieu of taxes.
Brach stated that operation costs for treatment plants rose far more than was expected.
“We are doing our best to help each and every one of you,” Deputy Mayor Herb Marinari assured residents during November’s Committee meeting, “finances and financing this year have been very difficult with anybody especially new homeowners at Lennar (development). This Committee is doing the best they can. We will do whatever we can to support the MUA and more so, taxpayers.”
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