The Breakneck Creek Regional Authority. 6/28/22

ADAMS TWP — Residents asked questions regarding the evaluation by and potential of sale of the Breakneck Creek Regional Authority to Pennsylvania American Water Company at the authority’s meeting Tuesday night.

Seven Fields resident Paul Adametz said he had heard there was a proposed sale of the authority and inquired as to why the board would sell the authority, and whether a sale would increase his sewage rates at a property he owns in Adams Township.

“It’s a little disappointing, I have had this (business) for 12 years, I’ve been open for seven, and I haven’t taken a penny in profit yet. I’ve dumped everything back into the place. Now I’m hearing that this board is going to make it a little more difficult for me to achieve profitability,” Adametz said. “Why would you do something that’s going to raise the rates on all of your residential customers, and more importantly, your business customers?”

Board chairman Bill Weaver clarified that a sale of the authority would not be the decision of the BCRA board, and that Adams Township’s board of directors and Mars Borough Council are the entities with the ability to make decisions on any potential sales of the authority. He also cited a confidentiality agreement signed by members of the Adams and Mars boards.

“We can’t control that, we wish we could, and we wish we could even have a say in it,” Weaver said. “But we don’t. So I don’t know where you take it from here. I know a lot of the people on the board feel the same way you do.”

The authority solicitor, Tom King, confirmed that in the case of a sale, the Adams supervisors and Mars borough councils would need to vote in a public meeting.

“The supervisors and borough council would have to approve that at a public meeting,” King said. “They have not said that they are selling just yet. The question was asked, is this the first step that you would take if you were going to sell. And the answer is, it is the first step you would take if you were going to sell, but they have said vehemently that have not decided to sell yet.”

At the meeting, board directors also voted to reduce the monthly sewage rate from $25 per month to $20 per month, effective starting at the third quarter billing cycle at the beginning of July.