by justin strawser
ATLAS - Mount Carmel Township Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Wednesday night instructing the solicitor to seek professional assistance in recouping $130,000 in permit fees not collected during the expansion of the Mount Carmel Municipal Authority's sewage treatment plant.
Solicitor Vince Rovito said he will be reaching out to a King of Prussia firm that specializes in municipal litigation to ask for their recommendation on how the township should proceed.
"If there's a way of getting that money back, they'll tell us. If there's potential liability, we can turn that into proper authorities," Rovito said.
Supervisors Charles Gasperetti and Joseph Zanella made and seconded the motion to instruct Rovito to take action, and it passed 2-0. Chairman Reynold Scicchitano was not at the meeting.
Rich Mychak, of Shady Acres, thanked the board for passing the resolution. He has been advocating at past public meetings for the supervisors to take some kind of action.
He said permits were issued incorrectly for the expansion and inspections weren't done, costing the township approximately $130,000.
Mychak said he was informed the township could recoup the money only if a "reverse engineering" was performed. In short, the sewer plant would have to be taken apart to allow for an inspection before the structure would be put back together again.
In other business, the supervisors approved:
- Lenape Solar under PPL E-Power program to perform upgrades at a cost of $582.47 for the police station and $552.58 for the municipal building. It would take approximately 10 months to recoup the money.
- The township's contribution to police pension fund this year as $8,816.69.
- Trick or treat night to be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31.