BASA officials mum on possible sale to Pennsylvania American Water Company
BUTLER TWP — While various items on Tuesday’s meeting agenda suggest the issue remains front and center, Butler Area Sewer Authority leaders remained tight-lipped on any impending sale of the wastewater treatment system to Pennsylvania American Water Company.
The agenda stated the board and staff met with special counsel for three hours June 15 “to discuss the potential sale of the authority.”
The board, staff members and solicitor met in another three-hour executive session with special counsel June 22 to discuss the sale again, and a 45-minute session occurred Monday morning.
The board of directors approved the hiring of Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy, a Pittsburgh public relations firm, at a cost of $9,500 for a period of three months.
That agreement takes effect immediately.
Sewer authority board chairman Paul Sybert said the PR firm was hired “in anticipation of the sale of the plant.”
Regarding the agenda item on the potential sale of the wastewater system to PAWC, Sybert said there was nothing new to report at the time of the board meeting.
However, he did refer to the confidentiality agreement between BASA and PAWC, which was extended in June.
The agreement, which allows PAWC officials to seek a value of the plant to determine whether they want to buy it, expires at the end of the month.
“There is no agenda item to extend that agreement,” Sybert said, indicating that the decision whether to sell would be made by July 31.
Some customers oppose the sale of the system to PAWC due to the potential for significant increases in charges and because Center Township and East Butler, which have BASA customers, would not have a voice in the decision.
PAWC owns 26 wastewater plants in 15 counties in Pennsylvania.
PAWC provides public water service in and around Butler city and township, Evans City, Saxonburg and other areas of the county.
