Authority_October_2020

PMAA 2021 Resolutions (adopted August 31, 2020) Resolution 1-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA urge the PA General Assembly and the U.S. Congress to address the underfunding of water and wastewater infrastruc- ture and to offset the billions of dollars necessary to rebuild and repair aging water and sewer systems. Resolution 2-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA urge the PA General Assembly and the U.S. Congress to provide financial relief to municipal authorities for revenue lost and additional expenses incurred due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, for reasons such as business closures, forgiveness of out- standing customer debt and provision of services without payment, and for expenses necessary to ensure the health and safety of authority employ- ees to continue operations to their customers. Further, PMAA urges that taxpayer aid for accounts in default equal any financial impact of extending restrictions of shutoffs for non-payment. Resolution 3-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support maintaining the wastewater nutrient reduction limits (6 mg/l Nitrogen, 0.8 mg/l Phosphorus) under the Chesa- peake Bay Program. Resolution 4-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA advise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen- cy and the PA Department of Environmental Protection that the Pennsyl- vania wastewater sector, already having complied with its sector’s nitrogen and phosphorus reductions three years prior to the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 2017 interim deadline, and seven years prior to the 2025 deadline, should not be required to impose any more stringent limitations on their rate payers while other sectors’ contributing nutrient and sediment loadings to the Chesapeake Bay have not met either their 2017 or 2025 requirements. Resolution 5-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the PA Department of Environmental Protection to base nutrient and sediment TMDLs on sound science, required regulatory procedures, and cost/benefit analyses as required by existing federal and state statutes. Resolution 6-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support the use of a viable water quality trading program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Resolution 7-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose legislation that requires municipal au- thority board members to be elected rather than appointed. This contra- dicts the purpose of authorities to operate as a separate entity in order to provide services without influence from the pressures of the policitical process. Resolution 8-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose legislation eliminating a municipal authority’s statutory right to charge reasonable and uniform rates to its customers to equitably divide the fixed costs of service incurred by an authority. Resolution 9-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation requiring incorporating municipality(ies) to provide public notice and hold a public meeting prior to entering into an agreement to sell or lease a sewer or water system owned or operated by a municipal authority or by a municipality. Such legislation must require the potential purchaser or lessee to attend the public meeting and respond to questions from the public. Resolution 10-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation to significantly increase the thresholds in Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Act. Resolution 11-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation to modernize Pennsylvania’s Separations Act, providing for and including a variety of delivery options as well as design build contracts. Resolution 12-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose legislation placing any municipal authori- ty under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Resolution 13-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose legislation that requires oversight by any commission over municipal authorities because the Municipality Authori- ties Act and other related laws currently provide a process for regulation and customer resolution. Resolution 14-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose legislation providing the Pennsylvania Auditor General with the authority to conduct or refer for a third party to conduct financial or performance based audits of municipal authorities. Resolution 15-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation placing strict parameters for commercial requests for documents under the Right-to-Know law. Resolution 16-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation which allows municipal au- thorities to enter into contracts when no bids are received. Resolution 17-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation adding public safety services to permitted projects under the Municipality Authorities Act. Resolution 18-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation adding deployment of broad- band internet infrastructure in underserved areas to permitted projects under the Municipality Authorities Act. Resolution 19-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA support legislation that allows municipal solid waste authorities and local government entities to impose necessary fees for recycling and waste management of electronic devices. Resolution 20-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA encourage the PA General Assembly and the PA Department of Environmental Protection to restore and increase funding for stormwater management planning and implementation. Resolution 21-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA oppose any federal or state environmental legislation, regulation, or policy which does not include a comprehensive cost/benefit analysis that identifies environmental benefits and economic impacts. Dedicated funding sources for these initiatives should be created within the authorizing agency or budgetary legislation associated with the initiative. Resolution 22-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA encourage the PA General Assembly to ade- quately fund the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Resolution 23-21 RESOLVED, That PMAA urge that any safe drinking water standards, including maximum containment levels (MCLs) or Health Advisory Levels (HALs) proposed and/or promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency or the PA Department of Environmental Protection, be fully researched and based on well-founded scientific principles and health based studies, and subject to public notice and comment. October 2020 - The Authority 15