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Size of sewer plant depends on racino
Supervisors also passed a 2009 township budget with no tax increase.
HILLSVILLE, Pa. – Mahoning Township supervisors may downsize a planned sewage treatment plant if the proposed “racino” is not built in the township.
The racino project is on hold while its Indiana developers Centaur Inc. look for new financing. Supervisor Gary Pezzulo said at Tuesday’s meeting that township officials have heard that Centaur may have found a financial partner and will be making an announcement shortly. He said he expects something to happen before the end of the year.
In the meantime, however, supervisors are doing preparatory work on the $20 million sanitary sewer project and must decide whether to change plans and build a smaller sewage treatment plant that would be sufficient if the racino is not included. Current plans call for the plant to handle 360,000 gallons of sewage daily. But that figure was based on use by the racino and about 55 nearby homes that would come in with the extension of the sewer line to the racino. Before plans were announced for the racino, the anticipated sewage plant capacity was only 180,000 gallons daily.
The original sewer plant was $11 million, but was increased to $20 million once the racino was announced. But $7 million in Act 108 money for the project is tied to the 2,500 jobs the racino is expected to create. Other funding for the project is coming from a $9.2 million PennDOT loan and $1.2 million in grant funds. All the funding is not yet in place for the project, which is designed to serve 625 homes and the racino.
Township Solicitor Louis Perrotta is looking into bond financing to make up any shortfall in funding.
Also Tuesday, supervisors passed a 2009 township budget with no tax increase, but which anticipates a $57,000 deficit. Township Treasurer Gilbert Lucarelli said the deficit will be met from a $190,000 reserve fund. While $33,000 of the deficit is due to sewer project-related costs, the remainder is due to increases in the cost of propane and other fuel, insurance and workers’ compensation, officials said.
Perrotta also reported that he heard from Browning Ferris Industries officials who have agreed to install rumble strips where their private road meets Main Street, as a safety measure. Recently, a township man was killed in a collision with a truck at that intersection, and 61 residents signed a petition several months ago asking that BFI station a round-the-clock guard at the intersection.