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Bethel Park council approves sewer rate increase to cover Alkassan costs
Summary
Bethel Park Council on June 9 approved an ordinance amending sewer rates, citing anticipated increases from sewer operator Alkassan and the need to fund plant upgrades and compliance.
Bethel Park — The Bethel Park Municipal Council approved an ordinance amendment establishing new sewer rates on June 9, a move council members said is needed to offset anticipated charges from Alkassan and to fund capital work and compliance at the wastewater plant.
Councilmember Kamenicki moved to approve ordinance 6-9-25a, amending section 55.2 of the Bethel Park code (ordinance 7-12-93a) to set sewer rates; the motion passed on a voice roll call, 8-0. The action was presented as a response to Alkassan’s consent order and expected yearly rate increases.
Why it matters: Council members said the rate change is intended to maintain required operation and capital improvements at the borough wastewater plant and to accommodate projected increases from the borough’s sewage operator. Council discussion noted the last sewer rate increase went into effect in July 2017.
Councilmember Kamenicki summarized the rationale at the vote, saying, “I just wanted to reiterate what you already stated earlier, that the increase is needed because of the anticipated Alkassan rate increases, also to fund capital projects and ensure that the proper compliance of operation at the plant, and also note that the last increase was in July of 2017.”
Officials and procedural notes: The ordinance was moved by Councilmember Kamenicki; a second was recorded but not identified in the public roll-call exchange. Municipal Manager Kristen Denny and the presiding officer led the public reading and roll call.
Budget context: During the council’s bills and payrolls discussion earlier in the meeting, the council noted a $907,000 payment to Alkassan as part of the current bill list; council members tied that payment to the rationale for the rate amendment. The bill list for the meeting totaled $3,761,838.39.
What the ordinance does: The motion language recorded in the minutes indicates the amendment updates Section 55.2 — “rates based on water usage and customer service charge” — to establish the new sewer rates; the ordinance number on the agenda is 6-9-25a and it references the Bethel Park code (ordinance 7-12-93a). The council did not specify detailed per-customer dollar amounts during the public motion statements recorded in the transcript.
Next steps and implementation: The ordinance passed 8-0. The transcript does not specify the ordinance’s effective date or whether an implementation schedule or customer notice plan will follow; those details were not stated during the recorded motion and vote.
