Politics & Government

Lower Macungie Commissioners Address Unpaid Sewer Bills

One ordinance was passed unanimously, the other was tabled until May 5.

With two ordinances that dealt with better ways to collect overdue sewer bills in front of them, the Lower Macungie Township commissioners passed one unanimously and tabled the other.

Both pieces of legislation were designed to amend the current ordinance. The first says sewer bills will go to the owners of multiple-unit properties who will be responsible for paying the sewer bills instead of having individual tenants pay their own bills.

Resident William Mayo spoke against the amendment saying when people are not responsible for their own consumption, they tend to waste water by running it to keep pipes from freezing, and they're less likely to fix a leak.

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Another resident, Grayson McNair, also was not happy and called the amendment "bad legislation," because it forces property owners to become collectors. More seriously, however, the amendment does not protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords who may gouge them for money they don't owe.

"This is poor public policy," McNair said.

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Township solicitor Richard Somach said this was already the township's policy, and the commissioners were merely putting in compliance with their vote.

The amendment passed unanimously.

The second amendment, in which tenants could face having their water shut off if they don't pay their sewer bills, was tabled.

McNair told the board that a provision in the amendment that said the Board of Commissioners "may by resolution adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section," would cause the board to do away with transparency altogether. Any changes, McNair said, should instead be processed by ordinance so that it has to be published beforehand. Resolutions can be passed without publication other than being included on the meeting's agenda.

The commissioners and Somach agreed, and the ordinance was tabled. It will be re-advertised and will be reintroduced at the May 5 meeting.

In other business the commissioners also unanimously approved the plan for subdividing the Lichtenwalner farm, along Route 100 just north of Alburtis Road. The lower acreage will be kept as green space, and the upper lot -- including a house and a barn that was built in the 1740s -- will be sold with covenants on the land to restrict future development.


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