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Residents and mayor debate stormwater fee and aging sewer infrastructure; city cites large repair estimate
Summary
Speakers at the March 27 meeting discussed the city sewer system's condition, a $50 per-household stormwater fee, and funds from the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority; a resident said repairs could total about $90 million and questioned whether the fee could be reduced given WVSA reimbursements.
Residents and council members raised questions about a $50 stormwater/sewer fee and the condition of Wilkes-Barre's sewer system during public comment at the March 27 City Council meeting.
Public commenter Sam Troy outlined what he described as major needs in the city's sewer system, saying the pipes are more than 100 years old and “probably around $90,000,000 of repairs has to be done to the sewer lines.” He questioned whether the $50 fee could be eliminated or reduced when, he said, the city receives reimbursements from the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA).
City officials responded that the city does receive federal funds that flow through the state to the city for public-health work and that the sewer system has required expensive emergency repairs. Mayor George Brown said the city had recently paid large sums to repair breaks and emphasized the system's age and depth: “The lines are 30 feet in the ground, Sam. That's a lot,” he said.
Troy said he believed about $200,000 comes back to the city's budget from WVSA for stormwater projects; officials did not provide a precise accounting at the meeting. Brown and others said the $50 fee remains low compared with surrounding municipalities and that the fee helps fund necessary repairs and emergency responses.
The discussion included references to WVSA officials (Andy Riley and Sam Gusto) and the authority's role in stormwater mitigation; council members suggested WVSA materials could be posted online to inform residents. No vote or ordinance was taken at the March 27 meeting on the stormwater fee; council members encouraged residents to pursue information from WVSA and the city to clarify how stormwater funds are allocated.
