Trappe Council Votes to Move Forward With CTMA-Public Works Merger

After a lengthy debate by Trappe officials on Tuesday regarding the consolidation of the Collegeville-Trappe Municipal Authority (CTMA) and the Collegeville-Trappe Joint Public Works (Public Works), the board voted 4-3 to continue taking steps to dissolve Public Works, which provides public water and other services to residents of Trappe and Collegeville, into CTMA, which currently provides sewer services in the area. 

The board voted to approve Resolution 2013-11, amending the CTMA Articles of Incorporation in three ways; it extends the life of CTMA an additional 50 years, allows the authority to make repairs, cut grass and perform other duties that are normally the responsibility of Public Works, and allows the authority to lend money to either boroughs and associated emergency services organizations.

According to Trappe Solicitor David Onorato, giving CTMA permission does not mean that the CTMA must immediately start serving in the functions listed, but it means that it is able to. For example, CTMA is permitted to provide water under the current articles of incorporation.

"It gives the platform to which it can do more things if and when you authorize it to do so," Onorato said.

The talk of dissolving public works has been a contentious one among the council; Council President Fred Schuetz, Vice President Paul Edwards, and councilmen Lew DePrete and Marshall Stomel voted for the measure, and were supportive of moving towards an authority, which will allow the water, sewer and public services  in Trappe and Collegeville to be run as an independent entity, as opposed to a government-run committee.

Stomel said one of the positives to an authority was that it would allow the services in the borough to be run like a business, and that it is cost-effective.

Council members Nevin Scholl, Tammy Liberi and Cathy Johnson voted against the measure, and have expressed that the best decision is to dissolve the authority into public works.

Borough Council candidate Pat Websiter is also opposed to the measure, citing a 1990 settlement agreement that stated CTMA was to be dissolved into Public Works. 

Onorato said that the agreement can be changed at any time if both boroughs agree; Collegeville voted to dissolve public works in June.

At several times throughout the meeting, those in opposition to the proposed resolution noted that a joint committee provided greater governmental oversight over the functions.  Public Works is run by elected officials from Collegeville and Trappe; CTMA is run by by residents who are appointed by each municipality.

Keeping a joint committee will provide "greater accountability at a local level," Trappe resident Stu Strauss said.

Stay tuned to Patch in coming days for more on this ongoing issue, including a look at the process behind the decision, the hostile debate it caused between council, and a potential future roadblock.