RII
May 12,1976
SUSO
Vol. 76 No. 5
Bob Meckley (left) and Henry Klugh (right) run the Mount Joy sewage
February 4, 1
Susquehanna Times & The Mount Joy Builetin
MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA.
reatment plant.
They have to solve a lot of complex math and chemistry problems every day to keep the
complex plant operating properly. The present sewage overload doesn’t make their
work any easier.
photo by Judy Stoltzfus
Sewage plant improvements will
cost Mount Joy up to $2.5 million
State and federal anti-
pollution regulations may
cost the people ofthe Mount
Joy area up to $2.5 million in
the near future.
The Mount Joy Borough
Authority has been ordered
to improve its sewage
system by the State Dept. of
Environmental Resources
and the Federal Environ-
mental Protection Agency.
The borough has planned
$10 million worth of im-
provements to meet anti-
pollution regulations. The
federal government will pay
roughly 7S % of the cost.
The remaining $2.5 mil-
lion will be paid by the
Borough of Mount Joy.
The borough will raise the
money through a bond issue
which is a type of loan.
Sewer rates will be raised
to pay off the loan. Homes
and businesses in surround-
ing townships which use the
Mount Joy sewers will also
pay higher rates.
The Borough Authority is
doing everything it can to
lower the cost of the re-
quir§d improvements. The
Authority has hired a firm of
consultants to learn whether
clean-water regulations can
be met with a less expensive
system. >
However, even if the
Authority succeeds in cutting
costs by a few million
“dollars, the people of Mount
Joy will pay more for their
sewer service.
In return for their money,
the people will get cleaner
water in Chickies Creek.
There are two reasons
why the Mount Joy sewage
treatment plant is not
meeting government anti-
pollution standards: The
volume of sewage has in-
creased beyond the plant’s
capacity to process it
properly, and state regula-
tions have gotten tougher.
Present plans call for $5
million worth of improve-
ments to the plant itself,
plus a $5 million outlet pipe
to the Susquehanna River.
Treated sewage is now
being poured into Chickies
Creek. The DER and EPA
suggested that Mount Joy
pipe its sewage to the Sus-
quehanna.
The river can absorb more
sewage than the creek be-
cause of the river's large
volume of water.
To help rate payers
understand how their money
is being spent, the Susque-
hanna Times toured Mount
Joy’s present sewage treat-
ment plant, and looked at
the plans for new facilities.
[continued on page 9]
Councilman John Parker on the
John Parker
photo by Judy Stoltzfus
Marietta Councilman,
John Parker wants taxes to
stay down. He notes that
many of the town’s property
owners are elderly people
who live on fixed incomes,
and he is afraid they cannot
afford a tax hike.
Last year, when Mr.
Parker was Borough Council
President, the Council voted
unanimously to lower taxes
from 19 mills fo 16 mills,
after a wage tax refund from
Donegal School District
boosted Marietta’s re-
venues.
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Map of proposed historic district
in Marietta released by committee
The historic districting
committee of the Marietta
Res.oration Associates has
prepared a map showing the
boundaries of the proposed
historic district in Marietta.
The map was developed
in cooperation with the
Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission in
Harrisburg.
The area includes; Front
St. from the east side of New
Haven to the west side of
Perry St.; both sides of
Market St. beginning at the
west side of New Haven and
ending with the properties
on the east side of Jone St.;
both sides of New Haven St.
from Front St. to Market St.,
excluding the town hall;
both sides of Waterford
Ave. from Front to Walnut
St.; both sides of Gay St.
from Front St. to Apple
Ave.; both sides of Perry St.
from Front St. to Market St.
The committee plans to
visit as many homes in the
area as possible, to explain
historic districting and ask
how residents feel about it.
They will begin surveying
residents in May, and will
continue through June.
In July, the findings of the
survey and a draft of
proposed legislation will be
presented to borough coun-
cil. Members of the PA
Historical and Museum
Commission will also attend
the council meeting to
answer questions.
If the legislation is passed,
the law requires a review by
the PA Historical and
Museum Commission.
The proposed legislation
would set up an ‘‘architec-
tural review board’ which
would advise borough coun-
cil. All decisions reached by
the board would have to be
approved by the council.
The board would review
building permits and re-
quests to demolish or raze
buildings. Since building
permits are required only
for alterations costing 5300
fair market value, any
alterations costing less than
$300 would not require
approval.
Only future changes to thr
exteriors of buildings in the
district would need approval
by the review board and
borough council. No chang-
es to existing homes would
be required.
What would determine
approval or disapproval of
each request is the character
of the home and those
surrounding it. No set of
specific guidelines is estab-
lished for changes to any
home or business in the
district.
MJ Boro Authority given update
Mount Joy Borough
Authority was given an
update by the bond counsel
on the boro’s sewer and
water projects at their May
meeting.
The counsel said the
water project should be
under way by mid-October,
with bids to be advertised in
June and opened in early
August.
Authority members said
they should know by Sep-
tember the amount of
increase in water rates that
will be necessary.
At its April meeting the
authority voted to employ
value engineering whereby
an independent engineer is
called in to check the plant
design submitted by the
borough engineers. The
independent engineer
makes recommendations to
the borough authority which
are then submitted to the
DER and the EPA for their
approval. :
If the DER and EPA rule
changes are needed, the
project will be delayed six to
seven months.
The project is three
months behind the proposed
schedule now due to the
value engineering study.
Regarding the addition to
the present sewage facility,
engineer Gerald Voegler,
engineer, said the borough
engineers are ready for the
second phase of sewer line
inspections. He said the
physical inspection is com-
pleted and the lines are .
ready for television inspec-
tions.
Voegler said the televis-
ion inspection requires EPA
approval and a decision
should be received from
EPA within 60 days.
[continued on page 16]
future of Marietta; keep taxes low
Parker is proud of that tax
cut, and disagrees with
those councilmen who have
changed their minds about
keeping the millage low.
Parker notes that the town
has steadily improved over
the last ten years. As
property values rise, more
tax money will become
available for municipal
improvements, even if mil-
lage stays low.
John Parker has not taken
a firm stand on the question
of historic districting be-
cause no concrete proposals
on the subject have been
made to the borough coun-
cil. He notes that the only
information available on
historic districting has
appeared in newspaper
stories.
Based on what he has
read, Parker is not opposed
to the idea. However, he
thinks it is a question for
property owners to decide
by public ballot.
As a general rule, Parker
thinks his neighbors should
have the right to modernize
their property if the choose
to. He does not think the
borough should attempt
unreasonably strict or ex-
pensive restoration
schemes.
In John Parker’s view,
Marietta’s future should
depend more on its people
than on its elected officials.
He thinks the town govern-
ment should move cautious-
ly and carefully. He feels the
borough should take care
not to inflict unnecessary
hardships on the people or
to interfere with their rights.