ATMA may get day in court

Antrim Township Municipal Authority and Michael F. Ronca and Sons Contractors will meet in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in October. ATMA solicitor Linus Fenicle announced Monday night that his firm had filed a motion for partial summary judgment in June, and Ronca had until the end of July to respond.

In 2002 the contractor began legal action to recover excavating costs because it had encountered more rock than expected during the extension of the sewer line to Kauffman. The case sat idle until recently. ATMA had rejected the claim for reimbursement of approximately $400,000, considering it ineligible since the topic was unclassified in the contract. Ronca presented two other claims for $120,000.

Antrim Township administrator Brad Graham updated the board on the water treatment plant upgrade. Work was done except for a few minor details. Of the $1.25 million Infrastructure Development Grant for the project, only $2,265 was left, but he could find no approved means for using the funds.

Chair Bob Coladonato, Bob Schemmerling and Chad Murray discussed clauses in a resolution Fenicle was drafting concerning the dedication process for water and sewer systems. Schemmerling suggested wording to make sure no certificates of occupancy were issued until the deeds were accepted, and that review and other fees were the responsibility of the developer.

Chuck Frame from Boyer and Ritter presented the 2010 financial report. The audit of the modified cash basis of accounting system showed that the sewer side had assets of $3 million, and the water side $1.5 million. Because of two grants for the water plant, revenue exceeded expenses in that column of the balance sheet. The sewer portion showed a loss of $530,000 because of a transfer to Antrim Township.

Boyer said nine audit adjustments were made, considered a low number. "That's a reflection of the good job Mary (Klein, township secretary) and her department does."

Graham passed out a letter from the board of directors of the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce regarding the stalled sale of the ATMA water system to Greencastle Area Franklin County Water Authority. The letter stressed the importance of regionalization for the future of economic development, and an urgency on reaching an agreement on terms.

"Remind them we already voted to accept Greencastle's offer," said Coladonato.