Glassport approves hike in sewage rates

A public town hall to discuss the rates will be held after the workshop meeting on Jan. 13.

By THOMAS LETURGEY
For the MVI

The new year will bring higher sewage service rates in Glassport.

Council approved the increases during a voting meeting Tuesday.

“We approved of a rate study based off of the capital improvement needs and line ratings we had done all year,” council President Anthony Colecchi explained after the meeting.“We were going to operate on a deficit if we didn’t raise the rates. The $10.05 line fee will go to capital improvement, and the new rate will fund general operational costs that have increased since the last rate increase.”

The motion went without comment from the few residents in attendance at the last general meeting of the year. Officials had noted that social media posts on the subject had residents interested.

Rates will increase from $14.30 to $19.30 for the first thousand gallons of water used and then from $1.43 to $1.93 for every 100 gallons after that. Council added there will also be a new flat rate fee per service of $10.05 per month for the Capital Improvement Fund for the sewage plant.

The borough will host a town hall meeting on the subject to “discuss and explain the increase in the sewage rates” Jan. 13, immediately following council’s workshop meeting. No voting will take place at that meeting.

Beginning in the new year, Glassport Borough council meetings will start at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.

Road crew praised

Also Tuesday, Councilman Bob Miskanin thanked the borough’s public works employees for maintaining the roads during last weekend’s snowstorm.

“I want to thank the public works guys for a great job with the snow removal,” Miskanin said. “It was a tough task this time around, snow kept piling up.”

Miskanin reminded residents to not park close to street corners so that borough trucks can get around them. “Try to keep off the streets to keep a clean path,” he said. There are also a few dumpsters that got in the way of plowing, and he said the borough will be addressing that.

One of the borough’s truck beds got stuck during the snowstorm, but he said it had been repaired.

Miskanin also noted that crews have cleaned up garbage around the Honor Roll as they were putting up Christmas lights. “(People are) throwing garbage at the Nativity set,” he said. “I don’t know why. We got that cleaned up.”

He also reported that Detroit Hollow “was cleaned out again. We cleaned the pumps and screens so it doesn’t flood.”

In other business

Council approved and discussed the following:

• A new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Public Works Department effective Jan. 1, 2026.

• Councilwoman Meghan DeVerse noted that the total delinquent sewage collections for November totaled $15,012.35.

• Council ratified the resolution between Glassport Borough and the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the 2026 Street Reconstruction Project for $404,149 requesting Local Statewide Assessment funds.

• A motion to award the construction contract for the remainder of the HVAC work to the borough building to Tobey Karg in the amount of $105,375. Additionally, council approved engineering expenses to Glenn Engineering equal to 10% of the total project cost. This will be funded through the Local Share Account grant for the building renovations.

• Approved a two-year agreement with Borough Manager Elaine Skiba. Solicitor Falco Muscante noted that Skiba and borough secretary Andrea Foster are getting raises and “slight adjustments” to their comp time, in lieu of overtime pay.

• The borough’s International Construction Codes and Property Maintenance Codes have been updated to a more modern 2021 code. Muscante said he believes the borough was using a version from 2007.

• Council submitted the application and is waiting for the announcement on the Banner Community Program. Council will decide who will be working on the Military Banner program. “Tom Bradley has gone through the banners and pulled the ones that are unusable for next year,” Colecchi said. “He will be reaching out to the veteran or the person that placed the order to discuss the condition of the banner.”

• There will be a special voting meeting at 7 p.m. Friday to approve the 2026 general fund budget and sewer revenue fund budgets.

• Approved a motion to renew the agreements with Shiloh Service, Inc. to maintain the borough and police department IT and computer services.

• Council approved a $100 donation to American Legion Post 443 for the annual Polar Plunge Jan. 1. Proceeds benefit service dogs for veterans.

• Council’s reorganization meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 5. The newly elected mayor, council members and tax collector will be sworn in at that time.

• In the Vina March Senior Citizens Center report, Councilman Paul Trunzo noted that the group’s annual Christmas Party will be held Friday at Max and Odi’s. The group’s membership drive has begun. Dues are $10. Trunzo also reported that center officials are grateful for the borough’s assistance in funding for their new furnace. The center will be closed during the week of Christmas and New Year’s. It will reopen Jan. 6.