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Mt. Jewett water board makes plans to move office |
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Written by Publisher
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Friday, 16 October 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
The Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority plans to move its business office later this month from the borough building on Center Street to this storefront at 44 W. Main St. This building, owned by John Archer, is on the north side of the street, not far from the veterans’ gazebo.
MT. JEWETT -- The Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority is making plans to move its business office from the borough building on Center Street to a storefront at 44 W. Main St.
During its meeting Thursday, the seven-member volunteer authority announced that it hopes to move next weekend, Oct. 24-25, and open for business on Monday, Oct. 26 at the new site.
The office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Christine Park, the paid secretary-treasurer and office manager for the authority.
Jim Troutman, chairman of the authority, said the board's decision to move its business office "has nothing to do with" a previous rift with some members of the Mt. Jewett Borough Council over a possible sale of the borough water system to a private company. Some council members wanted to take a hard look at the feasibility of selling the public water system. Private companies submitted proposals to buy the water system, but no deal ever materialized.
Troutman said the authority aims to "do what's best for our customers and that's what we'll do."
Mike Park, vice chairman of the water board, said the decision to move from the borough building to fill a vacant Main Street building is "not a vendetta" against the borough council.
"It's never been our intention to ridicule council," Park said. "We've talked about moving in the past."
Board member Mike Mix said the move "benefits both parties" because the shift will free up more space in the borough building for borough uses.
The authority now pays the borough $400 per month for rent in the borough building. The authority will pay the same amount in rent to John Archer, the owner of the building at 44 W. Main St.
The move, however, will result in a loss of $4,800 in income for the borough, which is preparing to consider a proposed budget for 2010.
The borough council earlier this month agreed to buy the authority's share of a copier machine and a "chop saw." These two pieces of equipment reportedly are owned equally by the borough, water board and the Mt. Jewett Regional Sewer Authority. The water board voted Thursday to sell its share of the equipment.
Council in a letter also asked the water board to return keys for the borough building by Oct. 26. While the water board plans to be out by then, Mix pointed out that the water board has paid rent for space in the borough building through Oct. 31.
"We might be out by the 26th," Mix said. "But, if we're not, they're going to have to bear with us."
Council also has advised the water board that it no longer can obtain tax-free fuel for its trucks from the borough pumps at the rear of the borough building.
The water authority plans to open an account for fuel at the Shur Save store on East Main Street. The authority will need to file documents with the state Department of Revenue to recover certain taxes paid on fuel purchased from a private dealer.
Notices about the office move have been mailed to 460 Mt. Jewett water customers, Christine Park said.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 October 2009 )
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