Penn Hills residents protest sewage rate increase
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Residents packed into the Penn Hills Municipal Center April 21 to express concern and outrage over increases in sewage rates.
The municipality approved a hike in the sewage rate from $8.38 per 1,000 gallons to $10.07 per 1,000 gallons and added a $30 per-quarter service fee in December.
Residents called the new fees exorbitant and expressed fears about how they'll pay when the next bill comes.
"We're going to be getting a one-and-a-half times bill come June, and its going to put more and more hardship on the average person, let alone people on fixed income," resident Jane Loney said.
"Something has to be done now to make sure the delinquency, the grace period -- whatever you want to term it -- is extended, because we're all going to be down there looking for a payment plan."
Mayor Anthony DeLuca said the rate increase was a long time coming because of a federal consent decree order imposed on the municipality in 1998 for unauthorized sewer overflows.
He said that despite the municipality paying more than $60 million to fix its sewage system, millions of dollars in punitive damages remain and can no longer be refinanced.
And while the municipality negotiates with the Department of Environmental Protection to have the decree removed, Mr. DeLuca said if that happened, it could be too late to affect the bottom lines for taxpayers.
"We're currently in negotiations, but the thing is, the damage has already been done," he said. "They realize it's not an effective way for Penn Hills to operate, but it's a little bit too late. [Municipal officials] should have thought about this 10 years ago."
But residents on fixed incomes weren't assuaged by the fact that their bills were higher because of actions taken a decade ago.
"What I don't understand is what happened in the past shouldn't be our problem," said Quincy Drive resident Cynthia Riddle. She presented council with an invoice from Central Tax Services listing her sewage usage as zero, but billing her $290. Her water bill was $50.
Landlord Marlene Schott said: "My tenant is on low income. She got a $120 sewer bill that went to $360 a month. I couldn't believe it.
"And to rent a house, you need an occupancy permit. Now you can't get an occupancy permit unless your sewer bill is paid up. To me, that's blackmail."
Deputy Mayor Sara Kuhn urged residents to consider council's efforts to have the decree lifted as progress. She also pointed out that many other municipalities will face similar increases to repair sewers.
"What has happened in Penn Hills in that time period [since 1998], in terms of the work that was mandated to be done and the debt that had to be incurred to get that work done, is now happening in every other municipality," she said.
"Unfortunately, Penn Hills was the poster child, the leader of the pack, if you will.
"The upside of Penn Hills is you are much better situated than the other municipalities because you've already done the work."
Mr. DeLuca said the municipality has had positive meetings with U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Swissvale, and Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, regarding the possibility of lifting the decree.
Mr. DeLuca reiterated that Penn Hills has limited options besides having the punitive damages lifted.
"No stones are being unturned," the Penn Hills mayor said. "But it was made very clear to us, by the federal legislators that you're not going anywhere because of this thing. This is a fine, and it's a punitive action."
First Published May 1, 2008 5:41 am
