Authority selects professional services
After considering the interviews from a special meeting the week before, Antrim Township Municipal Authority members announced their choices for professional services for 2010 at the regular meeting Jan. 25.
With the resignation of Shawn Meyers as solicitor at the end of 2009, the board had interviewed his former partner Thomas Steiger, Jr., from Mercersburg, and Linus Fenicle with his associate Wayne Martin from Reager and Adler in Camp Hill. The board acknowledged both men were qualified but Bob Schemmerling leaned toward Fenicle, who had someone to cover if he should need to miss a meeting. Steiger had indicated he cooperated with Waynesboro attorney John Lisko to cover for each other at meetings when necessary.
Bob Coladonato liked the fact that Fenicle came from a larger firm with expertise to rely on. On an Elwood Myers/Chad Murray motion, Fenicle was unanimously appointed.
Three firms vied for ATMA engineer. Brinjac Engineering, with 12 years at the post, might keep its job. Martin and Martin, Inc., though qualified, was seen as possibly needing to outsource because of its size, and Dewberry Goodkind, Inc. was viewed as a contender. Schemmerling suggested giving the company a shot at some projects during the year. He also wanted the Board of Supervisors to give their input before choosing Brinjac, already favored by Coladonato.
The rest of the board did not want to relinquish the autonomy they had in hiring an engineer. Rodney Eberly said ATMA would make a recommendation and the BOS could give its opinion. Myers said with so many projects underway, a new company could encounter problems. He added the issues with Brinjac over the past year were not all that firm's fault. "Some of it was ours, and some due to all the (Antrim) people getting fired."
On an Eberly/Myers motion, Brinjac was approved 5-0.
Antrim supervisors approved Fenicle the next evening, but tabled action on Brinjac. Fred Young III stated he wanted to talk to some of the ATMA members before voting.
Other business
The board will review information before responding to Eugene Strite's request to suspend sewer charges for a building at El Dorado Stone that has sat empty since August. Acting solicitor Lisko could find no provision for a commercial exemption and the matter had never come up before.
How to pay for six lift station generators in 2010 was also discussed. The board split the cost of eight generators with Antrim Township in 2009 because both sides agreed the supervisors had not properly maintained them, so the life expectancies were shorter than they could have been. Maintenance superintendent Paul Minnich reported the eight had been kept for parts and the next six didn't work due to maintenance issues.
Cleveland Brothers had proposed to service the township's 24 generators for $19,000 per year with two visits annually. That would include inspections and oil changes. Minnich was asked if current staff could handle the responsibility. He replied he didn't have enough people to maintain the roads, much less the generators. No action was taken.
Brinjac proposed $25,000 for administrative costs and $6,120 for onsite inspections if necessary, as related to the water plant upgrade. Neither was in the budget but the board agreed the services were necessary. David Brinjac was asked for more information.