VIDEO: Reprieve of Dissolution of MUA?

VILLAS — Lower Township Mayor Walter Craig spoke of better cooperation from Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) Jan. 23 but at the same time council appointed a new commissioner to the authority that could change the voting balance of its board of commissioners towards dissolution.
The term of MUA Commissioner Bill Thomas ended and he was replaced with Steve Morey by a vote of council. While Thomas and commissioners Charles Garrison and Tom Wall said they opposed dissolution of the MUA, creating a 3-2 majority over commissioners Pete Biting and Tom Brown, that dynamic has now changed with the replacement of Thomas by Morey.
A vote could swing 3-2 for dissolution if the matter arises and Morey cast a positive vote.
Craig said he had served with Morey on the township’s Recreation Board and Morey was a member of the Optimist Club, County Chamber of Commerce and Society of Wetlands Scientists.
Craig said it would be “premature to come out with a full plan of action,” but a lot of positive communication has taken place between council members and the MUA Board of Commissioners.
The MUA holds its annual reorganization meeting Feb. 6 in which it renews or changes its professional contracts such as engineer, attorney and auditor. Craig said on Feb. 20, council would invite MUA Commissioners to attend a work session with council.
He said at that time, council would be prepared to make public some of the dialog and concerns it has had with MUA Commissioners and the direction it wants to see the authority take.
Craig asked public comment about the MUA be held until that meeting. He said he would have a plan of action from the MUA that would be beneficial to ratepayers and township at the Feb. 20 meeting.
Councilman Thomas Conrad said he had a long conversation with Thomas after the last council meeting. Thomas, who has 37 years in experience in water authorities and government, predicted he would be replaced at council’s Jan. 7 meeting.
“We may not fully agree on everything but I think we both respect each other’s opinions and the fact we both have similar ideas and I believe things are going to be worked out,” said Conrad of Thomas.
Councilman Glenn Douglass said council and the MUA commissioners “have come to a working agreement. He said he was working with the cooperation of Craig and Township Manager Joe Jackson and Bitting and Brown.
“As has been reported, we are not working to dissolving and we will move forward and try to make a communication gap go away so we can have open communication with different departments in our township,” said Douglass.
Deputy Mayor Robert Nolan said Douglass, Brown, Craig and Bitting put a great deal of effort in hashing out differences and improving communications with the MUA and council.
During public comment, Taxpayers Association of Lower Township Vice President Ed Butler said he was troubled by a statement he said Craig made to the press indicating Craig felt council would have control of the MUA Board of Commissioners following the appointment of a new commissioner.
Craig said he did not believe he made that statement.
Resident Steve Sheftz, a former MUA Commissioner, blasted the authority for a number of mistakes and oversights. He said while there were “good hard-working people at the MUA,” he said he was not pleased with the management.
Sheftz called for quick action in dealing with the MUA. He said some residents had “horrendous” contaminants in their well water and continued to wait for the availability of municipal water.
If residents become ill or die from drinking their well water, the responsibility lies with council, said Sheftz. He said the executive director of the MUA in 1990 promised to have water available to all of Villas within one year.
Sheftz said in Feb. 2001, MUA Commissioners were presented with a five-year plan that would have made municipal water available from one block north of Whaler’s Cove in Town Bank to the northern end of Villas. Connection fees were estimated at $850 to $950, he said.
A water tower promised in 2001 has just been put into service this year, said Sheftz. The MUA failed to approach council since 2001 to apply for an annual $400,000 grant for “in ground infrastructure.”
Resident Joe Winters asked Craig if Township Manager Joe Jackson would oversee the MUA.
Craig repeated it would be premature to divulge the nature of discussions with the MUA.
“We can’t tell you what we don’t know is going to happen,” he said.
Winters said he said he had a problem with the township manager “having anything to do with the MUA.”
Craig said it has been agreed upon the MUA needs to seek grants aggressively.