Council member asks for investigation into unpaid Theta Drive connection fees

Council Member Carl Contino told colleagues during council comments on March 9 that he had requested a corrective action plan related to unpaid SCUMA connection fees for Theta Drive and had not received it. Contino said he read a resolution at the meeting asking the council to investigate and produce a corrective action plan.

The claim: Contino asserted that SCUMA connection fees for Theta Drive were not paid and demanded accountability; he framed the move as a call for follow-through, saying in the meeting that "freedom of speech does not mean freedom from accountability."

Council response and next steps: Council President William Higgins said he had spoken to two people from the Municipal Utilities Authority to attempt to clarify the Theta Drive payments. The minutes do not record a formal vote or a final determination; the matter was recorded as a requested investigation and follow-up.

Why it matters: Connection-fee payments typically affect utility financing and billing; unresolved fee accounting or missed payments can have downstream effects on utility budgets, property owners and potential lien or enforcement actions. The March 9 minutes show the issue remains unresolved and on the council's follow-up list.

Public comments related to administration: During the public-comment period, several residents raised related administrative concerns, including questions about signatures on checks, ownership of the McAfee Fire House and sewer-fee billing for Theta Drive; those items were noted in the minutes but not resolved at the meeting.

What happens next: The minutes record that Contino sought a corrective action plan; the council or relevant township staff would need to supply the plan and any findings in a subsequent meeting for the matter to be closed.