When: Paradise Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Feb. 18.
What happened: The sewer authority is increasing rates starting in the third quarter to help keep the system viable, Karen Farra, township manager told the board.
The cost: The rate hike will be $20 per quarter, increasing the quarterly rate to $166, Farra said. Residents who have already paid their sewer bill for the year will be assessed the additional $20 for the third and fourth quarters.
More: Additionally, the board voted to provide the township sewer authority with up to $1.2 million as a bridge loan while the authority is waiting to settle on a $1.25 million loan from S&T Bank.
Background: The authority received a $1 million grant from the Lancaster County commissioners in March 2023 as part of the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funding. However, this was not enough to cover the cost of the sewer plant expansion.
What’s next: Any money the township loans to the authority will be repaid after the authority settles on its bank loan.
Personnel: The board appointed Farra, township secretary/treasurer, as the new township manager replacing David Thompson. Thompson left for a position as assistant manager in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, closer to his home, Farra said. Farra will also continue her duties as secretary/treasurer for a total annual salary of $80,000.
