Susses Borough approves new water/sewer manager
SUSSEX BOROUGH — The Sussex Borough Council approved $52,000 payment to Gerald G. Gardner of Houser Engineering to become the borouh's water/sewer utility asset manager for one year on Feb. 7.
Council President Linda Masson and Councilwoman Annette Stendor voted against spending additional money.
Before taking the vote, the council discussed extensively why it needed a manager for the utility. Masson said she was against bringing on another professional while Stendor said she did not want the borough to become "top heavy."
Councilman Robert Holowach said the council needs to begin to “be better stewards of the system and take ownership of what we (the borough) decided we own. (During the Nov. 2014 referendum, the residents voted to keep the utility.)”
Masson said during the last incident [Feb. 11-14 water break] the mayor was gone for the week. She also said that the borough needs a grant writer to look for grants.
Rose said a grant writer would be part of the budget process after the personnel committee submits a name.
The budget workshop meeting will be March 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Sussex Borough. No formal action will be taken.
Masson said it has been an exceptional year with the realignment of Route 23. If they had not had the realignment,
“There wouldn't have been 90% of the problems (without the realignment)," she said.
Mayor Jonathan Rose said he was managing the distribution system as there is no organizational chart designating assignments.
"It should not be this office," Rose said. "I am 'the conductor,' the decision maker."
Rose said that the borough is $54,000 in the negative: they started 2015 with a $37,000 budget gap, and the latest water break cost $18,000 to repair. With the addition of $52,000 for Gardner, the Borough will be about $100,000 in debt.
A rate increase of 5 percent from a $2.1 million budget would only cover the break and new utility manager.