Nuangola Borough 'Loans' Funds To Struggling Nuangola Sewer Authority

At the first regular meeting of the new year, Nuangola Borough officials agreed to loan $461.40 to the sewer authority to allow it to make the first quarterly interest payment of the year.

The quarterly payment owed on the sewer project debt is over $2,800, due in early February on a loan in the amount of $306,000 from Citizen’s Bank.

In a letter to borough council, the sewer authority board advised that the accounts are too low to allow full payment of the year’s first installment, and since the taxing authority was required to cosign the bank loan, council is responsible to now satisfy the debt.

In a unanimous vote council agreed to the loan on the condition of full repayment when the sewer system becomes solvent.

Staying with sewer matters, newly appointed authority member Sally DiRico accepted the appointment from her winter home in Florida, stating that she would be “out of town until early March.” In a unique twist for an acceptance letter DiRico castigated council for the way she was selected and admitted to “many second thoughts” about accepting an appointment to a board with such “negative members” and a council unwilling to support the sewer project.

In other business, new councilman Joseph Tucker and new Borough Solicitor Jack Dean were welcomed to the fold and the council immediately recessed into an executive session to discuss litigation.

Lake matters were also discussed with Council President Regina Plodwick reporting that officials from several state agencies were consulted about the unusually high lake level. She noted that it appears that a pipe installed at the lake’s outlet is blocked, backing water levels high enough to flood the borough’s North End Road. “No one seems to know who put this pipe in or when it was installed.” She said that council has been advised to remove the blockage by hand after the ice has melted.

Open ice concerns were also dis cussed by councilor John Kochan who commented that complaints were received regarding a large area of open water constituting a hazard to ice fishers and skaters.

“I believe this is from the bubblers put in by the Lake Association,” Kochan said. “I was on council when that was put in and the agreement called for them to maintain the bubblers, but for safety’s sake to shut them off in the winter. Two docks on the east side [of the lake] were completely clear of ice and after the owners were contacted, the lake froze over. But now it’s open again.”

Kochan and the other members of the Lake Preservation Committee will check to see if the timers on the aerator equipment have malfunctioned. “Either that or we suddenly developed a hot spring over there,” he concluded.

Residents were reminded that the recycling center winter hours are in effect, with the center opened only the first Saturday of February and March from 10 am to 1 pm.

Tax Collector David Pekar advised council that the “issuance of tax bills is in question” for the time being as a result of the lack of a budget from the county.

Council also cautioned property owners in arrears on their 2009 garbage fee and those who failed to have their septic systems pumped as required – delinquent owners will be taken to the magistrate.

This is part of the February 3, 2010 online edition of The Mountaintop Eagle.

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