I figured everybody could use a giggle. I’m sorry if it’s at Willistown‘s expense but it is pretty funny.
You will note with this sign that, although people in Willistown know how to spell the word rooster at the township, they don’t know how to spell recycling.
It’s not RECYCLEING!
That gets a FFS dear old Willistown. But hey, it’s a busy time.
But there are things that Willistown needs to do in order to come up with the times.
Like take for example, whatever the work is being done in the boardroom and right now meetings are being held elsewhere off site, and no meetings are being recorded. That is not sunshine friendly. They could have someone recording the meetings and uploading them free to a YouTube channel but instead, Willistown wants to revert to form and make people think they have something to hide.
Please note, I am not specifically saying they are hiding anything, but I am saying they are taking full advantage of not having to record meetings.
Now we’re going to go back to ordinances that haven’t happened and zoning where the cuffs don’t ever match the collar so to speak.
One of the biggest flaws that Willistown has other than the sewer rats, who are incredibly rude at meetings, is the fact that they leave themselves as a township wide open to so many things, because there are problems with their zoning. If zoning doesn’t align with the Municipalities Planning Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania it can and will get overturned if challenged.
Or take for example, if there is no ordinance for something like noisy roosters in 100% residential neighborhoods. Even if a judge said in the past that someone shouldn’t get another rooster, it doesn’t really matter a hill of stinky goat manure, because the zoning and ordinances, in Willistown say nothing.
If you go to one Willistown neighborhood, there are a lot of unhappy neighbors who avoid one neighbor in particular. And that neighbor has who knows how many goats at this point, two donkeys that should NOT be grandfathered to anything, countless chickens, and a rooster as loud and obnoxious as their owner. And an absolutely beauteous manure pile. It’s Fred Sanford designing for the Clampetts. Basically it’s like farm animal hoarding. And yes, that is an opinion, and it is allowed under the first amendment.
Willistown is a beautiful township, but there are neighborhoods that are definitely agricultural-centric and others more residential-centric. Please note flower farms and great agricultural uses like actually growing beautiful crops are so amazing to see. And I love those belted cows, AKA Belted Galloways, and the horses. And I really like goats, but not when they are jammed up in a small space in a residential neighborhood. They aren’t living their best lives and that is grossly unfair.
But all of these things actually occur on farms NOT on residential streets that are all residential houses under 3 acres, in most cases 2 acres. And a conglomeration of shoddy sheds does not a barn make.
Willistown’s zoning guy knows all this. Yet…problems persist. And not just with the eternal circle jerk of roosters. As a matter of fact, one of Willistown‘s greatest flaws is they never quite have really good zoning people. You have seen this historically over the years.
There are two supervisors, whom I think are very nice gentleman. I actually really liked both of them, but I do think (and I say this with respect), that they do need to deal with things like the rooster of it all. And ensuring that meetings are recorded, even when offsite from the township building.
And then there is this whole growing thing about sidewalks again. Willistown has a lot of roads that are not made for sidewalks, and I know there are people who are going to disagree with me and I don’t really give a damn. For example, sidewalks on Sugartown Road and some of the windy and hilly roads like Providence Road are pretty much the dumbest places in the world for sidewalks. And to put sidewalks in front of active farms presents a unique set of liabilities that these farms have to deal with, and I don’t think that’s fair.
And as we have all seen in East Goshen, sidewalk conversations can and have led to eminent domain attempts. Eminent domain does not breed a sense of community. It only breeds a sense of divisiveness.
The other thing about sidewalks that proponents of sidewalks don’t get in Willistown is that once the sidewalks are put in place, the property owner, who has the sidewalk on their property becomes responsible. There is nothing that will change that it’s the basic law of the land. You might be able to dig up grants to put sidewalks in, but once they are in, maintenance on other people and it’s not the municipality unless the sidewalks are in front of the municipal building or police station or fire house.
However, in the meantime, we’ll start with correct spelling on the township sign 🤣
Honestly….you just can’t make this stuff up if you tried. The latest tempest in a misplaced sense of entitlement teapot in Willistown Township, Chester County is because the township is essentially calling for resident decorum at township meetings. Basic Roberts Rules of Order, truthfully.
Shock and horrors, the overly entitled meeting savages are being told that people have to act like grown-ups. You would think someone was being put in a pillory wearing a scarlet letter. It’s hysterical.
“We are not most places.” That, dear readers, sums it all up. Utter misplaced sense of entitlement and we are all peasants by comparison.
So now we know the natives are restless once again in Willistown Township.
I had to laugh when I started to read this commentary above because this is kind of the way a lot of municipalities operate. And the reason this is happening in Willistown is because sometimes the residents are so incredibly rude when they are speaking.
I completely understand being passionate about something, but you have these people in Willistown that literally monopolize the meetings and have misplaced sense of entitlement.
And in the same vein, they are horribly rude to the manager and other staff at the meeting as well as the supervisors.
Now, I totally get being terse addressing elected officials as some of them can just make you crazy, but they take it to a whole new level.
And some of the former main sewer rats, whom you thought would sort of calm down after the sewer sale was yanked, still monopolize every meeting and they don’t just speak once or twice they go on and on, and on a lot of the time. They interrupt, they interject, they act like they run that township, and they do not. Whatever points they’re trying to make get lost in translation every meeting and if you’re watching the meeting you just sit there thinking it would be more fun sticking needles in your eye.
At some point towards the end of 2023 they were incredibly vile to the new township manager. I forget which meeting it was, but it was on a recording and it was just terrible so this is a Roberts Rules of Order they reap what they sow.
I will tell you what bothers me honestly is the fact that Willistown is in temporary meeting spaces for I don’t know what reason – I guess they’re having work done on the township building – and they’re not going to be recording meetings or offering Zoom. I find that in particular a problem and truly anti-sunshine, because there is so much technology out there today that they could indeed at least record the meeting and put it up on YouTube or something. Especially because they are in schools and most schools have recording equipment right?
RoosterGate discussion is back. On June 8th, I wrote about the irascible, irritable rooster, waking everyone up in a neighborhood any time from 4 AM forward, usually around 5 AM in Willistown. I will note I am not making this my raison d être, but I am following up.
Well shockingly, it’s now 11 days later and after all the grief I took and the crap I took via comments and private messages, etc. about I was being mean and bullying the person who owned the rooster, which, of course is completely ludicrous as I’m expressing my opinion, but hey whatever have another cocktail. (And yes, holy run on sentence Batman!) And anyway, anyway, would you believe that the owner of said rooster has not done anything to remedy the issue?
Call me crazy but instead of sending people to chastise and harangue me for writing about said rooster, wouldn’t you try to do something so it wasn’t waking your neighbors up every day?
Yup. Rooster still free crowing and waking up neighbors. I guess this person with the rooster really needs attention or something right?
So now we get to see if Willistown is going to be an ostrich again over this issue and for how long. I say bring the popcorn.
Now amusingly enough in 2017, a woman for Michigan on Facebook offered to give away her rooster because it was that loud and obnoxious. See screenshots below ⬇️
And by the way, just so rooster owner fans are clear, I have an opinion on this. And that’s why I wrote about it. And I think it’s being a crappy neighbor to do this to people. I don’t have a thing against chickens, goats, or donkeys, other than I will say, billy goats and donkeys smell.
I will say I don’t particularly like roosters. And I’ve seen people do things like dump a bunch of roosters in front of my friend’s barn door years ago and make it their problem to rehome them. They were absolutely gorgeous birds, but they didn’t belong at my friend’s farm.
I have another friend who adopted a rooster with a broken beak, found wandering the streets of a not so nice section of Philadelphia, whom I suspect was either a bait bird or somebody trying to make it a fighting bird. I think that showed great compassion, but sad friend knows how to keep a rooster and has enough land to keep a rooster. And this bird was pretty traumatized, so I don’t even know if it knows how to crow.
And I just think in Willistown it goes back to it’s really rude and inconsiderate to not try to deal with this especially when you now know that your neighbors are upset. The rooster owner isn’t getting woken up just the neighbors. I think if the rooster owner was getting woken up, there wouldn’t be a rooster there. But is there actually zoning to be a rooster there in the first place and of course that’s also a moving target because it’s Willistown.
One inconsiderate rooster owner can cause issues for every single person who want to keep chickens in a municipality. And I think that is wrong. I was thinking about that this morning as I was working in part of my garden where I could hear the laying songs of the hens that my neighbors through the woods keep. Whenever I hear the hens singing their laying songs it’s a very comforting sound because they’re so happy.
Here’s hoping said rooster owner figures it out. Cock-a-doodle-do y’all.
So does anyone recognize that broad side of a barn or the logo on that tractor thing?
Well, apparently, if it’s something weird that will happen, it will happen in Willistown Township.
A friend has come to me asking if I recognized anything about this tractor like the logo and she knows it’s grainy because it’s from a security camera. Here is the tiny video. The video was taken May 3, 2023 at 9:50 AM. This video was taken on their property on Creek Road. They think that this vehicle came from Wildwood Drive.
The homeowners here were not home. They were out of town. They had not contracted with anyone for any sort of work on the property. And as far as they have been able to ascertain neither have their neighbors.
They went to the Willistown Police Department via phone because they were out of town when the security camera went off. They filed a police report right then, but right or wrong, recounted to me that they didn’t feel taken seriously, or the person taking the report didn’t understand how bad this could actually be.
Not only was their lawn completely turfed, and I have photos to post next, there is this smell emanating from where whoever this was dumped whatever it was and people need to know what the chemicals are! And yes the smell is still there! And it’s now days later!!
Now my friend does appreciate that Willistown sent an officer to check it out, however, this is something that is kind of a big deal potentially. Like many of us they are on a well. Like many of us, they have pets that could be potentially fatally sickened from whatever was tossed on their property. The officer who responded did not seem to get out of their vehicle?
This dumping event is SO not OK. Not only does this person not know what chemicals were dumped, but whoever the company is and employee totally ruined her lawn. She and her husband feel utterly VIOLATED and environmentally conscious Willistown Township needs to get on the stick here.
If you have any information, leave a comment, and or message any other kind of proof to this blog’s Facebook page. I will pass it along to the homeowner. If you saw the truck carrying this weird little tractor thing and Bubba in his big blue suit, also helpful information.
Illegal dumping is actually a crime. And this counts is illegal because they didn’t authorize any work or anything.
If you are media, and you would like to be connected to this person, you can similarly contact me and I will pass your information along to them.
We have enough environmental hazards on a daily basis without some thing that is intentionally bad news like this.
Another Aqua/Willistown post to add two more video snippets courtesy of Ginny Kerslake featuring the actual Willistown unanimous vote to break up with Aqua over the sewer sale and comments from Chris Franklin of Aqua who is a Willistown resident. I will note I am sure this was hard for Aqua officials to hear, especially on the heels of Bucks County dumping them and the controversy in New Garden Township.
I have never been a fan of sewer sales because of the rate hikes which occur. Other than that I am somewhat ambivalent. But Act 12, which allows the rate jumping I think is wrong. It’s greedy.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board September, 2022:
Officials in Bucks County were absolutely right not to sell their system to a private company. Now, lawmakers must reverse the measure known as Act 12.
The Bucks County commissioners were correct to cancel the proposed $1.1 billion sale of the county’s sewer system to a private company. Other local governments should follow suit and stop the sale of any public sewer or water systems to a for-profit company.
Better yet, lawmakers in Harrisburg should repeal Act 12, the reckless 2016 bill that opened the door for private companies to gobble up public water and sewer utilities.
The proposed $1.1 billion sale in Bucks County would have been the largest privatization of a public wastewater treatment system in the country. While the sale to Aqua Pennsylvania would have generated a one-time windfall for the county coffers, it also would have led to steep increases in sewer bills for consumers for years to come.
Other local governments have sold off their public water and sewer systems only to regret it as residents have seen their water bills increase by as much as 98%. The main argument from privatization supporters is that it leads to lower prices. But that has not been the case. An exhaustive study of the 500 largest water systems in the United States found that for-profit water systems charge an average of 58% more than publicly owned ones.
Video courtesy of Ginny Kerslake – Aqua’s Chris Franklin, also a Willistown resident addressing the Board of Supervisors April 14, 2023
If you have paid attention to what I have written, what I also had a problem with all along with regard to Aqua buying Willistown’s sewer, was the way the residents were behaving. I understand upset, I was part of a group which successfully fought eminent domain in Ardmore years ago all the way to Washington, DC. So trust me, I get upset. But we were in on fighting our issue from jump, and in Willistown it seems like they only woke up after the deal was initially inked. Then there was an ocean of nastiness, vitriol and misinformation at times (even directed at me personally.) Along with repeated accusations that Willistown had done this essentially behind closed doors in secret, which wasn’t the truth, was it? People simply hadn’t been paying attention. And before everyone wants to jump on me (shocker, for a change), the agendas told a different story.
Last night? Willistown’s residents stood up and were the people I had hoped they could be. They were clear. They were well-spoken. They were marvelous. They weren’t imitating the storming of the Bastille.
Hindsight they say is 20/20, but Willistown residents? Remember this moment. Look at what you accomplished. I have been reading the comments on social media, and what some residents don’t realize is a lot of people played a part here. It stopped being an isolated Willistown issue. People from other communities also offered support. Like Ginny Kerslake and folks from New Garden, Bucks County, Norristown. Me? I just wrote about it and was lambasted most of the time by some factions in Willistown because I didn’t live there. No I don’t, but refer to blog title. I write about what interests me. And I live in a municipality where they did sell to Aqua. Right as the deal with East Whiteland was inked, the OCA in PA filed suit against the PUC about Aqua. That is still in court.
When East Whiteland announced they were selling the sewer, there really was no pushback, let alone much interest from residents. It was advertised, discussed at meetings, and voted on. Residents for the most part in East Whiteland didn’t object. It was very different from Willistown. BUT East Whiteland as far as I know can’t do anything much with the proceeds until the litigation is completed. They are in a holding pattern as in East Whiteland has the proceeds . For a while there was misinformation being disseminated by Willistown residents about East Whiteland’s sewer sale. I think Willistown residents thought East Whiteland may have changed their mind because nothing was happening. That wasn’t the case. It’s as simple as worlds colliding when East Whiteland had finalized the sale literally at the same time the Office of Consumer Advocate filed suit against the PUC. So big pause button until litigation is concluded. How will litigation potentially affect East Whiteland? I have no idea. (Here is the link to the East Whiteland page on their sale: https://eastwhiteland.org/434/Sewer-Sale )
Here is the letter Aqua sent to East Whiteland residents in August, 2022:
Aqua’s Chris Franklin (he is Chair of Essential Utilities) spoke about his company last evening in Willistown. He is a resident of Willistown. He refers to the history of Aqua and Essential Utilities back from when it was Philadelphia Suburban Water. With all due respect, they aren’t that same company from years ago.
I go far enough back now that I remember when Philadelphia Suburban Water acquired property in Bryn Mawr to grow their footprint back off of Lancaster Avenue and expand their corporate campus as it were. I remember the houses that once stood there, and I remember them empty before Philadelphia Suburban Water did their building.
A group of more than 100 Aqua Pennsylvania union workers marched from Polo Field in Bryn Mawr to the headquarters on Lancaster Avenue late Saturday morning to express their anger at what they say are unfair contracts.
“Does Aqua PA, whose parent company recorded almost $124 million in profit last year, really need to increase the rates of hard working customers like you?” reads a flyer union workers were handing out to passersby. “Aqua PA seems to think so!”
Members of 32BJ SEIU, in purple union T-shirts, marched together westbound on Lancaster Avenue/Route 30 from Penn Street to Aqua America headquarters at 762 W. Lancaster Ave. shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday. The large group marched in both lanes, backing up traffic. Once at headquarters, they crossed the street and stood in both eastbound lanes, saying “Corporate greed has got to go.”
I have actually known some Aqua workers over the years. The guys on the job, not the suits in the proverbial ivory tower in Bryn Mawr. Nice guys, hard workers. But no more does Aqua have the lovely gentleman named Tim Lloyd who once was business liaison/PR guy for years and years. He was an amazing man. He talked to everyone. Even me. He was always super helpful. And for years if you had an issue you just called the main switchboard in Bryn Mawr, PA and spoke to a real live customer service person who cared. I remember a guy named Bill Miller who was a manager or a VP at Aqua. Also super nice and I am sure retired by now. But that was then, and this is now.
Sadly Aqua is out of touch today with their former local business selves. They are too big to remmeber or truly care in my humble opinion. The corporate suits are always out of sink with their workforce. The guys whom you see on the street are nice, just like Chris Franklin said. But are they really known to the suits in the proverbial ivory tower? Nope. (When I was looking for history, I found this page on Philadelphia Suburban Water and also this one.)
Aqua has an opportunity to do better. It’s not just about rescuing old municipal sewer systems and making buckets of money. It’s about the people they are supposed to serve, not take advantage of with rate hikes. They can learn from citizen groups like NOPE and Keep Water Affordable. And they can learn from the Willistown residents. I think we all underestimated the Willistown residents.
What the Willistown residents accomplished that culminated last night was amazing. Seriously. They should take a big old victory lap. However, is it over? Will Aqua let it go or will they file some sort of legal action? Time will tell.
Residents everywhere should pay attention to this as they organize to deal with issues in their own communities. Anything is possible if you come together and people put their egos and personal political beliefs aside. And you have to watch agendas and go to meetings, either in person or zoom.
The last word is the video of the Willistown Supervisors unanimously voting to break up with Aqua before prom. Willistown decided to have a date with her residents.
Dear Aqua, it’s me, Willistown. I’m sorry, but we’re breaking up. I have another prom date, the residents….
Well it’s over…for now. Willistown Supervisors actually voted unanimously to end the relationship with Aqua.
I have incomplete details, but I am told that there was an exit clause or sunset capability in the contract? The exit date was apparently today, expiring at midnight . The Board of Supervisors said they weren’t going to prom with Willistown just before 8 PM. It was further noted that some Aqua executive said something along the lines of Willistown needs to honor their contract which is confusing because wasn’t Willistown doing just that ?
People from New Garden and Norristown came to show solidarity with Willistown residents.
The following graphic is courtesy of New Garden resident, Bill Ferguson (KWA – Keep Water Affordable):
So oh what a night. That’s all I know. Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) is still in litigation against the PUC (Public Utility Commission). So although Willistown’s neighbor East Whiteland sold to Aqua, I am not sure that East Whiteland can use the proceeds until the litigation settles? I could be completely wrong, but I seem to remember something like that and also, it’s important to note that East Whiteland residents did not kick up a fuss about their sewer system selling to Aqua. As a matter of fact, sometimes you wondered if people had a pulse over this issue.
I have to wonder if Aqua will take this to court? The reason I wonder that is because Bucks County was a big kick in the teeth for them already. And just for gossip inquiries, someone also said that Willistown had their solicitor resign? Is that true?
This stopping the sale is quite the accomplishment on the part of the residents from Willistown and other communities.
Anyway, enjoy the following video snippets courtesy of Ginny Kerslake.
Please note that this is a developing story and I will have more video eventually. Stay tuned.
The hot news out here in Chester County is there is an unusual Friday evening Willistown meeting. it’s being held shortly at General Wayne Elementary at 7 PM sharp this evening.
It’s kind of unbelievable to think about it and realize it may happen, but in a little over two hours, Willistown Township could be breaking up with Aqua over the sewer sale?
Now interestingly enough today I have an afternoon reach out from Aqua. I don’t know why they reached out to me other than I write about this. But I’m not the media I’m a blogger. They sent me a document you can view HERE, but I am attaching screenshots of below. It has to do with Aqua and their rates.
I don’t have a horse in this race because it’s Willistown but we will see what happens. I do think Aqua needs to deal with what they do vis-à-vis rates, however.
I am told by my network of contacts that there are people in New Garden and elsewhere who rolled their eyes when they saw this document I was sent. They told me in their opinion it was truly propaganda, and they couldn’t understand why Aqua seemed like they were confessing about the New Garden rates going up like 90% and how this was so different from what residents there were told before the deal closed and that is kind of weird, right? They also asked where Aqua’s rate increase calculations were for Willistown?
Anyway, it’s looking like a pre-prom break up but who knows what will happen because this is Willistown we’re talking about…. also, this meeting will not be televised although for the life of me I can’t figure out why they can’t leave the Internet on a little better in this elementary school. Hopefully people record the meeting, but if you are interested, get to the meeting at 7 PM
Well I was talking to a very dear friend today. She lives in the New Garden area. She is one of the most diligent and practical people I know. Literally have known her since I was like maybe 12 or 13. Our parents were friends. And she quietly says to me today something about have I seen what is going on in New Garden Township about their AQUA issues. I said yes, a bit and I thought gosh I didn’t even send her my post on the extra special interim manager, but anyway….
Then my jaw hit the floor. My friend said her water bill under AQUA ownership went from $250 each billing cycle to $900!
That news made me go watch the recent New Garden meeting recordings that my friend and friend to all communities Ginny Kerslake had posted on Facebook.
So now I am wondering (aloud) if municipalities selling to AQUA is a mistake?
I don’t think we can un-ring the bell on inked deals, and things are still in court that would potentially stop the sales in East Whiteland and Willistown, although I find that unlikely, but who knows?
These municipalities can’t afford their sewer systems any longer, and I do believe that is true, BUT now I am wondering what part utility companies have in that?
And something else I am now wondering about might sound crazy BUT is there ANY way that AQUA could force those of us on septic and wells to hook up to them?
Oh and I think AQUA, or I should say I know AQUA watches this blog. But as a consumer and a resident where one of these sales is pending, I am actually allowed to have questions. Even now. And WHY do I have questions? Watching that whole crazy recent meeting that was held in New Garden. That and having a friend today tell me how much their bill increased (with kids in college and not there all of the time, no less.)
I also keep coming back to those lovely laws in Harrisburg that allow AQUA to increase their rates. So now I wonder aloud what so many others wonder: is AQUA just getting what they paid back via these increases so is that a good thing for consumers in the end?
Above is a link to a press release by State Rep Christina Sappey from this September. This is what jumped out:
Recently, rate increases for water and wastewater services provided by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. (Aqua) went into effect for over 400,000 customers in 32 counties across the commonwealth. Many residents, including seniors on fixed incomes, have been surprised and frustrated to receive bills that have nearly doubled.
The current rules regarding rate regulations and water utility sales are not in the consumer’s best interest. It is imperative that reform is considered in Harrisburg to prevent future prioritization of corporate profits over residents’ access to a basic necessity, such as water.
I share the frustration of Aqua customers going through this current increase. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is the regulatory authority in Pennsylvania for utility rates. Utilities wishing to increase rates must submit a request to the commission for approval. The PUC is currently comprised of three commissioners, each appointed by the governor on a five-year term and confirmed by the State Senate.
When Aqua submitted this request in 2021, I urged the PUC to hold in-person hearings for residents to voice concerns. When that request was denied, State Rep. John Lawrence and I hosted a telephonic public hearing and I joined many of you in testifying against the then-proposed additional charges. Despite these efforts, the PUC commissioners voted unanimously to approve the rate increase in May of 2022.
Recently, I wrote to the PUC providing examples of the negative impact the approved rates have had and requesting a review of current charges to ensure they align with the commission-approved rates. I encourage anyone who feels their bill does not properly reflect their usage or the approved rate to file a complaint with the PUC.
Today’s state laws allow for inflated valuations of financially solvent public water and wastewater utilities by private companies, enticing local municipalities and authorities to sell for a large return in the short term, only for those costs to be recouped through the ratepayer’s wallet. These processes are done with little transparency or direct input from those that it impacts most, ratepayers.
~ STATE REP CHRISTINA SAPPEY 9/30/22
I want to be abundantly clear here: I still do NOT approve the way Willistown residents have been treating Bob Lange and Bill Shoemaker. There is a THIRD supervisor, and there was the THIRD supervisor who was all for the sale and then resigned before she had been a supervisor very long, correct? What was her name? Oh yes, Barbara Handelin, right?
My other issue with this in Willistown is the inability for some residents to realize this is NOT a Democrat vs. Republican issue, it is a COMMUNITY issue that affects EVERYONE, i.e. it is non-partisan. I have NOT been a fan of the shenanigans to date and every meeting it is essentially the SAME people repeating themselves. Surely there are OTHER residents affected, yes? Well people, be polite and either zoom a meeting and comment or go in person. But the same people speaking pretty much every time? Umm, people tune that out after a while, even if they believe in the issue. And where were all of you while Willistown was deciding to sell or not? Why is it in Willistown it feels like people wake up only AFTER the horse has left the proverbial barn?
So yes, I am indeed wondering aloud in the final month of 2022 about this. It doesn’t mean I have been “won over”, it means for the first time I am articulating concerns I have always had. It’s like now that the 3 ring circus in Willistown has quieted some I have had time to think.
And when one of your more long term friends tells you HOW MUCH their bill jumped, well, it HAS to make you think. And of course how it all went down in New Garden also has to make you think. All those supervisors singing the chorus of hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil etc etc, right? Quid est veritas? What is truth?
I do know that Willistown and East Whiteland BOTH notified residents, held meetings, etc. COVID or not, meetings were zoomed if not in person and well, a lot of people did nothing. I even kept putting it out there. But New Garden? That place is rather odd, isn’t it?
And I also really want to know if those of us on wells and septic will be allowed to stay as we are? I have never heard that questioned answered. I also wonder aloud if AQUA could try to be more community minded? What if they supported measures in Harrisburg that might put the brakes on their rate jumping seemingly willy nilly?
It’s a recession. In my humble opinion we have been playing kick the can down the road with recession since circa 2008. Maybe it’s time to just stop and think on this a little longer?
Sign me, thinking out loud. Happy December, y’all.
For more than four hours at the New Garden Elementary School auditorium on Nov. 21, three factions sorted through the smoldering mass of information that lay at the creation of an agreement of sale that has been on the front burner of controversy in the township for the past several years.
In one corner of the room, the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors sat a table facing another table occupied by three executives from Aqua Pennsylvania (Aqua), including its president Marc Lucca. The most dominant presence at the meeting, however, were the more than 200 township residents who sat and stood in protest of the reason that drew them there: the massive increase they are seeing in their wastewater bills from Aqua – as much as a 140 percent increase over the past year – that are arriving in their mailboxes as part of the residue from the township’s sale of its wastewater system to the Big Water giant for $29.5 million in 2020….
Nearly from the start, the patience of those in the audience to sit through the complicated alphabet soup of agencies and legal and legislative delays was paper thin, particularly during an hour-long presentation by former township official and director of planning and projects Spence Andress, who painstakingly sifted through a two-inch high stack of documents that described the minutia of what led to the eventual sale of the township’s system.
He said that a major factor leading to the decision by the Board of Supervisors and the township’s Sewer Authority to sell off the system was influenced by the cost of mitigating the infrastructure problems of the township’s vastly outdated wastewater system, which would cost the township an estimated $1.5 million a year, as well as an additional $1.5 million for debt service.
‘Allow us to speak!’
Halfway through Andress’ presentation, Peter Mrosinski and Margo Woodacre, two of the most prominent voices of opposition, shared their argument that the nature of the meeting was designed to shut down the residents. Their argument reflected the contents of a flyer that was circulated by KWA before the meeting that said that a former agreement with board chairman Steve Allaband would allow the group to lead the discussion, but that the idea was rejected earlier that afternoon by the supervisors. “Unfortunately, our supervisors once again appear to be covering their tracks and doing the bidding of Aqua to silence any meaningful discussion,” the flyer read.
I have ZERO issue in residents fighting for what they believe to important. But I DO have a problem with sowing the seeds of misinformation in communities, especially for personal gain, whatever that may be, and can’t you agree with that?
This whole sewer system is a great mystery to me, along with the unsubstantiated claims that it will increase development and if you are on a septic or well, eventually you will have to change over to public sewer and water.
First the whole development claim. Good lord, are people so naïve and ill-informed? Development is controlled by local zoning. Local zoning is controlled by the Municipalities Planning Code (‘MPC”) of the Commonwealth of PA. The MPC has NOT been comprehensively updated since approximately circa 1969.
And the whole rate increases. Yes, AQUA does this and they are allowed to do it because of state laws which allow them to jump the rates. Those laws need to be changed in Harrisburg to protect residents and consumers.
Another reality, and not an alternate universe is development causes stresses on infrastructure, and sewer falls into that category. So pardon me while I do not necessarily shed a tear for those living in monster sized developments because ummm hello??? They helped creates the undue stresses on infrastructure.
And the whole 4 acre lot thing? Are the sure that is completely legal and not exclusionary to begin with? And developers aren’t going to slow down until the MPC changes. Fear mongering and misinformation is wrong. Kind of like stating people on septic and wells would HAVE to switch to AQUA, and since when? People can choose to switch to AQUA hookups but last time I checked you don’t HAVE to unless you have an issue and can’t do a new septic or new well?
The whole email about the agenda for Willistown this evening. Willistown is not discouraging residents from attending meetings if they tell residents on the agenda that the sewer sale is not a discussion topic of theirs for the meeting. And they provided a link on their website about the sale, which is about time and a good thing, but that is not discouraging residents from attending meetings. The business of a municipality is more than being a one trick pony, so they are telling residents IN ADVANCE it is NOT an agenda item so there are NO MISCONCEPTIONS since so many Willistown’s residents are in fact, one trick ponies these days.
It is my personal opinion that the township should in fact address this campaign of misinformation and ad hominin attacks on the supervisors because I still feel it all has much less to do about sewer than some let on. When those who will not be affected by the sewer sale makes this whole thing their complete raison d’être, it does make you wonder, doesn’t it? The loudest voices in this argument in Willistown seem to have very personal agendas here, don’t they? And yes, I can ask that question.
Willistown residents need to have a care. Why? This really isn’t about the sewer sale. I am not actually a cheerleader for AQUA or Willistown, but I believe in right and wrong. I am not actually a huge fan of small sewer systems selling out to giant companies like AQUA, but I get why it happens. The problem I have with this issue in Willistown is how people are behaving and a sea of misinformation that people are swallowing like pablum.
Residents everywhere NEED to be involved where they live and attend meetings and care. BUT there is also the question of proper meeting decorum which includes not acting like freaks to try to make a point. Fight smart with the proper knowledge. Beware Pied Pipers.
