Politics & Government

Baldwin Township Officials Raise Sewage Rate

And more notes from a March 6 board of commissioners meeting.

Sewage Rate Rises About $5 Per Month

By a unanimous vote, the Baldwin Township Board of Commissioners decided on Tuesday night to raise the sewage rate in the township by $1 per every 1,000 gallons used—from $4.50 to $5.50.

The reason for the increase, Commissioner Nick Pellegrino said, is to help fund pending repairs to be made to the McNeilly Road sewage system, though which , Dormont Borough, Mt. Lebanon and Pittsburgh residents send sewage.

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Baldwin sewage accounts for the smallest part of the McNeilly system, Baldwin Township Manager Mary McGinley said, and thus, the township will be the least financially responsible for the repairs of the four municipalities. Nevertheless, the repairs will be costly enough that the Baldwin increase was still deemed to be necessary by its board of commissioners.

The new rate, which McGinley said will equate to an average of about $5 more per month for township property owners, takes effect in 30 days.

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Pellegrino explained that, while the McNeilly project is the main reason for the rate increase, there is another reason.

"PAWC (Pennsylvania American Water Company) is going out of the business of billing for sewage (as of Oct. 12, 2012)," he said, "which they had been doing for about 10 years."

In turn, the township will have to look for another company to collect sewage bills, Pellegrino said, and he expects that the new company will charge more.

But he stressed that the pending McNeilly project, which is being mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to curtail flooding, is the main reason for the increase.

Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Baldwin Township Board of Commissioners also approved by a unanimous vote on Tuesday night the adoption of Allegheny County's hazard mitigation plan, developed by the Allegheny County Emergency Management Agency to reduce losses to life and property by natural and human-made hazards.

 as opposed to developing ones of their own. Adopting the plan gives township officials the opportunity to obtain hazard mitigation program funds in the event of a disaster.

Eagle Scout Recognized

The board of commissioners commended and thanked newly honored Eagle Scout Matt McGervey on Tuesday night for raising around $3,700 to get markers placed on fire hydrants around Baldwin Township as part of McGervey's Eagle Scout Project.

McGervey, a Castle Shannon Borough resident and a junior, also placed the markers on hydrants in Castle Shannon, as Castle Shannon and Baldwin Township make up the Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department's response area.

The markers—McGervey said that there were around 160 of them—help firefighters to locate hydrants when they've been covered by snow. Not only did he raise the money for the markers, McGervey also physically placed them on the hydrants.

McGervey said that he will officially receive his Eagle Scout badge from the Boy Scouts of America in May, as the completion of his Eagle Scout Project was recently approved.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts program.

Zoning Hearing Board Appointment

Adrian Markocic joined Baldwin Township's zoning hearing board on Tuesday night, the township's commissioners decided by a unanimous vote.

Markocic, 33, has been a township resident since February 2009. He lives on Highridge Drive.

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