charleroi abc
Honks from passing traffic outside of the Charleroi Borough building echoed for blocks Wednesday as residents packed council’s agenda meeting to protest an ordinance to dissolve the Authority of the Borough of Charleroi.
Council was expected to have its first reading of the ordinance to dissolve the authority last night – but after hours of passionate public comment — it was taken off the table.
Nearly two hours before the start of Wednesday’s meeting, residents gathered along Fallowfield Avenue with signs protesting the dissolution of ABC by council. Other signs offered support to ABC employees and board members.
Before the meeting was called to order nearly 40 people packed into council chambers where it was standing-room only and dozens more packed into the hallway outside.
Residents and others in attendance demanded the meeting be moved to a neighboring room to allow everyone to fit. Council President Frank Paterra, in one of several popular decisions he made Wednesday, obliged.
As people grabbed their chairs and walked across the hall to fill the community room, two Charleroi Regional Police officers stood at the door to ensure order.
The meeting was called to order by Borough Manager Matt Staniszewski and an announcement was made by Solicitor Sean Logue that explained how the meeting would operate with such a large crowd in attendance.
“Because of the crowd and the nature of this meeting we are going to have two different public comment sessions, first on the regular agenda, not the ordinance or the water authority, then a second session to discuss those issues,” Logue said.
He then went on to explain the borough’s public comment policy which allows a borough resident or taxpayer three minutes to speak before council.
Many people in attendance Wednesday, including elected officials from neighboring communities served by ABC, or other water/ sewage customers, did not sit quietly.
“That’s (expletive),” John McDonough yelled. “You don’t pay taxes here. I have been paying a bill for 25 years and you’re not going to let me speak?”
“If you don’t like it, you can leave,” Logue said.
“No, you can leave,” McDonough rebutted, as members of the audience became rowdy demanding council let their voices be heard. Before things got out of hand, Paterra made another popular decision among those in attendance when he announced that he wanted to hear from everyone in attendance regardless of their residency.
CHARLEROI PROTESTS • A7 FROM A1
“I want everyone to talk tonight,” Paterra said. “We are here to clarify these issues and I want to hear what they have to say.”
While many points were made Wednesday, there was one sentiment that reiterated time and time again: Table the ordinance or, tear it up.
“I don’t think we should take any kind of action tonight,” Paterra said. “The only reason to consider to dismantle would be if they refused to talk with us. Let’s push this back to July and have a resolution.”
Retired Magisterial District Judge Larry Hopkins said a resolution was clear.
“If you want to resolve this,” Hopkins said looking around to the packed room, “get rid of the ordinance.”
The ordinance was on the agenda to have it’s first reading Wednesday before a final reading and vote next week. The borough’s legal counsel, Logue and Thomas Wyatt of Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, the firm that was hired in March to deal with matters related to ABC, told the Mon Valley Independent in a requested meeting Tuesday that the borough’s intent, and ultimate goal, was not to dissolve.
They both reiterated that sentiment Wednesday as they fielded questions and statements from concerned residents in attendance who had several questions they wanted answered and other information clarified.
“A lot has been written and said, but there is one simple question that needs to be asked,” said resident Kristen Hopkins-Calcek. “Why? Why are we considering the dissolution of the (authority) of Charleroi? I want to get to the heart of the matter.”
She said she feels the dissolution suggests the borough is not happy with the job being done by ABC or the decisions being made by it’s board members.
“All five of these men were appointed by this elected body to oversee the water authority and the mere fact they were appointed by you suggests the borough had full confidence in them to do that, so what has changed? What have they done wrong?” Hopkins-Calcek asked. “Why does it need to be dissolved and why do you think you can run it better? Unless and until you can publicly answer these questions, I would urge you all to vote no or, better yet, remove it from the table for discussion.”
Terry Planton, a local economist, said there is a bigger picture to consider.
“I know your priority is Charleroi, but take a listen to this,” Planton said. “If water bills rise $100 that will suck $12 million out of the system, which is equivalent to what the payroll was when the Monessen mill closed. Look at the shock that occurred in this Valley. We all live in the same ecosystem, rising tides lift all boats and you are not living in a vacuum here. We are talking about a liquidating event. I don’t know if you want to be the council that causes an economic shock of that magnitude in the Mon Valley because it (the Valley) couldn’t withstand it.”
Adele Hopkins, resident and wife of the late Walter Hopkins, who served as chairman on the water authority until he passed away in 2021, was a bit emotional when she addressed council.
“You could say my family has lived the water authority for 20 years,” she said, before going on to say her late husband said he feared of the exact thing that is now transpiring.
“Before his death he was worried this would happen,” she said. “He knew several years before his death that this was in the works. He would be appalled now. This authority has been fair and treated our town generously, and it does not deserve this. I doubt this borough, or it’s attorneys, know how to run a water authority.”
Donora Councilman Gib Szakal, one of several neighboring community members who attended Wednesday, said Donora will not sit quietly without having it’s voice heard.
“We can’t put the cart before the horse,” Szakal said. “We have discussed this and at our meeting (tonight) we will be voting on a motion, regardless of what happens, to file an injunction to slow this down, but we need other municipalities from outside of Charleroi to come together with us. We want help participating in this and to get things rolling. If worse comes to worse, we can hold this up until January.”
His comments earned a loud applause from the audience and members from other communities began to shout that they were on board.
Charleroi resident Sean MacDonald asked for an honest answer to a simple question.
“This has been asked numerous times, Larry (Celaschi), Joe (Smith), Frank (Paterra), the rest of council, why do you want to do this? Larry can you tell me why because no one has answered that question.”
Celaschi gave an answer, but after hearing his explanation, many people in attendance were not satisfied.
“This is not about a personal agenda,” Celaschi said. “This is about the future of this town. To inject additional capital into our budget. Do you think Charleroi is in good shape? Has it been so the past 20 years? Has it not continually declined? Can we hire police and street workers that are much needed? Are we able to fund the fire department? So, with the asset this borough has, if you owned an asset like we do, you would hope that investment would produce some capital for your financial portfolio. What are we receiving from an asset with the value that it has? We receive no tax revenue from them.”
Celaschi said the goal was not to sell the authority.
“We aren’t selling anything, but the lease-back agreement that was produced we thought was a wonderful idea that would give long-term capital to the borough to do the things we need to improve the community, because we can’t do that right now,” Celaschi said. While his statement provided an answer as to why, it sparked more anger from the audience, particularly those in other communities who believe they have been shut out of the conversation regarding an asset they all have a stake in.
“We are just as important as Charleroi,” Speers President Curt Rice said.
While the authority is owned by Charleroi, it provides water service to Charleroi, North Charleroi, Speers, Dunlevy, Twilight, Donora, Monessen, Coke-burg, Fallowfield Township and Somerset Township. It also sells bulk water to Bentleyville and Ellsworth.
ABC provides sewage service to Charleroi, North Charleroi, Speers, Dunlevy, Twilight and Fallowfield Township in addition to operating the Fallowfield Township sewer system.
“Why have we not been brought in to be part of this conversation until now,” Speers Councilwoman Lori Spina asked.
North Charleroi Council President Fred Schwalb also said they would be interested in being involved.
“Why not let us in the discussion,” Schwalb asked. “Maybe someone else from another community have some ideas to help. I know I would be willing to sit down, I see two gentleman overthrew who would be willing to sit down.”
Aside from the stake other communities have in the matter, residents are not simply concerned about what a potential dissolution would do to their rates, but also to the dedicated employees of ABC.
ABC Director of Operations Chad Warfield said as the meeting was happening, at least eight employees were working on a work-related issue in Fallowfield Township and had been there for several hours.
“Everyone has touched on a few different things I wanted to talk about, so I will skip those, but right now we have eight guys who have been working for hours to fix water leaks,” Warfield said. “They are dedicated, all of our employees are, to this authority and to this Valley. Whatever you say here is a disservice to them and to the people in the back here tonight and the people in Fallowfield working right now without knowing what is going to happen tomorrow because of this nonsense,” Warfield said. “These people are clapping because they care. In 2018, you talked about selling the water authority, so that’s why no one trusts what is happening right now. Whatever happens with whatever deal, whatever lease, Charleroi will get it. These other communities won’t get a thing.”
Warfield said no matter the deal, rates would have to increase.
“We would have to pay the lease somehow. How do you think that happens? We have our operating expenses and now have to pay you money to run the authority the exact way it is run now? Leave it alone. Tear up the ordinance and drop it.”
After nearly two hours of public comment and working through the agenda, Paterra said the ordinance wouldn’t be read.
“I think we should hold off on this, for at least another month and hopefully this will be resolved before July,” Paterra said.
There was no motion to table the reading of the ordinance, as it was simply removed from the agenda.
Wyatt fielded several questions from those in attendance Wednesday to provide more information and clarification on the process of the dissolution and what could happen moving forward.
The firm is currently waiting for documents from ABC requested through a Right To Know to be able to more clearly see the path ahead and possibly further clarify specifics of the potential lease presented in a draft memorandum of understand to ABC last month. Those documents at due back to the firm July 2, at which point it will be able to further investigate and determine the specifics of the arrangement including costs and lease payments if the two agencies would continue to negotiate – which both parties have said they remain open to.