Saturday, March 3, 2012

Muhlenberg, PMUA Hot Topics in March

Two much-discussed topics - Muhlenberg and PMUA - are about to get a lot more talk this month, though no imminent action is expected on either one.

The fate of the Muhlenberg campus has suddenly become the subject of an intense publicity campaign, with outreach to officials, bloggers and the community at large. A web site called "Muhlenberg Moving Forward" has been created to highlight a report on future prospects for the former hospital site. It needs to be read by all, both those who still have hopes for the return of a full-service acute care facility and those who just want to find out what Solaris is promoting.

The web site lists a full calendar of informational meetings this month as well, for interested parties including property owners around the site and a block association. If you don't have time to read every section of the web site, at least check out the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. As it states and as I found out from the PR person who contacted me, at present there is no application before the land use boards.

At the Planning Board meeting Thursday, it was noted that each member had received a letter from the PR firm. Planning Director Bill Nierstedt had picked up an erroneous  reference to the group having already talked to the Planning Division, which was deleted.

On Friday, a City Council schedule of ward meetings was changed from what Plaintalker was told last week. Instead of meeting in the four wards by turn, the new schedule calls for the first one to be in the Third Ward, on the subject of Muhlenberg. See the new schedule here.

Naturally, residents who organized to protest the 2008 hospital closing and who still meet to work on its restoration are keenly watching the situation. See the "Muhlenberg Independents" blog here

No application has been submitted through the Planning Division as yet. Plaintalker hopes to focus in on the topic more through the land use process than through all these other meetings.

In contrast to this broad PR effort that even included chatting up Dan in his hospital room, the other entity under scrutiny this month, PMUA, has been less proactive with the public, to the extent that the governing body formed a PMUA Task Force last summer to study the organization. The task force findings will be made public at a special joint meeting of the council and authority at 7 p.m.on March 19 at Washington Community School. The notice indicates "formal action may be taken."

The PMUA's past close-to-the-vest approach sparked another citizen movement, DumpPMUA, that continues to pepper the authority with Open Public Records Act requests for documents that reveal its workings. As much as some want Muhlenberg to reopen, many want PMUA to shut down. A recent pledge of greater transparency with ratepayers was offset by a controversial settlement with its two former top officials, in a split vote by its board of commissioners. Just as Muhlenberg seems to be on the cusp of unknown change, the same is true of the authority responsible for providing solid waste and sewer services to all city households.

It's a lot to monitor.While Plaintalker and other bloggers will do their best to provide context, if you are interested as a citizen, it behooves you to pay attention in person as best you can. Mark up your calendar, ask Siri to remind you, whatever works - March is the month to channel your inner watchdog.

--Bernice 

3 comments:

  1. Thank goodness we do not have to worry about the Community Room in Teppers and more because it has been assigned to oblivion.

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  2. PMUA Commissioners' compensation is limited to $4500 from all sources by Statute. The Commissioners have been receiving, and continue to receive Medical, Prescription, Dental and Vision FAMILY coverage. This years premiums will be as follows:

    Toliver $15,876
    Mitchell $22,344
    Brown $ 7,200
    Brokaw $16,148

    Then there is the questionable payment by the City to the PMUA of $1,200,000 which appears to be illegal.

    The payment to Watson and Ervin is nothing more than a gift. An examination of their contracts provided no basis for the award.

    These free wheeling Commissioners have endangered the jobs of all the sincere hard working people at the PMUA. They are responsible for rates which are 2 to 4 times greater than those of neighboring communities. Every citizen should be interested in bringing this scandalous and unnecessary conduct to an end. Everyone is encouraged to attend the Monday, March 19th, meeting, 7 pm at Washington school at which time the Council appointed committee will report its findings based on its study of the PMUA. Bill Kruse

    ReplyDelete
  3. The land use priorities for the Muhlenburg site are least costs to city, via public services use and highest tax generated income to the city.

    ReplyDelete