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RESOLUTION TO CALL UPON THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE TO REJECT SENATE BILL 3870 AND ASSEMBLY BILL 5391

August 30, 2019 at 1:19 pm

The following Resolution #19-3412 was proposed by Kunz, who moved its adoption: 

 WHEREAS, the mission of the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority, having offices at 424 Hurley Drive, Hackettstown, NJ, 07840 is to provide safe, clean reliable and cost-effective drinking water and quality wastewater/sewage management services; and

WHEREAS, the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority believes that the public has a right to vote on important community concerns such as the ownership of its water and sewerage systems; and

WHEREAS, the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority believes that ratepayers of water and sewer systems should not be burdened with costs unrelated to the operation and maintenance of those systems; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 3870 and Assembly Bill 5391 eliminate the public referendum currently required for the sale of a sewerage system and so deprive the public of the opportunity to decide about the ownership and operation of one the most basic and important of local services; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 3870 and Assembly Bill 5391 permit approaches to valuation of a sewerage system that will unfairly inflate the sales price and burden ratepayers in the selling community and elsewhere in the State with paying for inflated cost; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 3870 and Assembly Bill 5391 tilt the playing field in favor of an investor-owned utility purchaser; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 3870 and Assembly Bill 5391 discourage municipalities from fully exploring the viability of other approaches to owning and maintaining a sewerage system that may be less burdensome to ratepayers, such as continuing to own and operate the sewerage system, regionalizing with other public units, entering into shared services agreements, or entering into a sales agreement with other public agencies such as authorities; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority calls upon all Members of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly to protect the best interests of ratepayers and preserve, for the public good, public ownership and operation of sewerage systems to vote “No” on S3870/A5391.

 This Resolution was seconded by John DiMaio and upon roll call vote carried:

 AYES               Kuster, Harper, John DiMaio, Kunz

NOES               None

ABSTAINED      None

ABSENT           Jerry DiMaio

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the forgoing is a true and accurate copy of a Resolution adopted by the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority at its meeting on August 13, 2019.                                                     

 ________________________________

Kathleen Corcoran, PE, PP, PMP

 

Executive Director and Secretary

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