The Munhall Sewer and Sanitary Authority is one step closer to becoming an autonomous entity following Munhall council’s vote to sell the borough’s sewer lines to the authority for $600,000.

The vote, taken at the Oct. 15 council meeting, was 5-0, with Councilman Rich Votedian and Council Vice President Jill Fleming-Salopek absent.

The borough and sewer authority had been working for more than a year to come up with a sales agreement that would allow the authority to purchase the sewer lines and to proceed with the capital upgrades required under a consent order the borough signed with the state Department of Environmental Protection in February.

At the time the decree was signed, the borough also agreed to pay an $8,500 fine. The borough could have faced fines in excess of $100,000, but the DEP was impressed with the borough’s plans to address the sewer problems and to form the sewer authority.

Controversy was created over the formation of the sewer authority in May and June when Munhall resident Shawn McCallister appeared at borough council meetings questioning why the two bodies had not reached a sales agreement and accusing council of creating the authority simply to provide a job for former Councilman Michael Terrick.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08297/921970-55.stm ]