This article shall be known and may be cited
as the “Intermunicipal Water Supply Agreement with South Middleton
Township.”
The background of this article and the legislative
intention of the Board of Supervisors (“Board”) in enacting
it are as follows:
A. The Township of Dickinson is a municipal township
of the second class.
B. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
has provided for intergovernmental cooperation in the performance
of governmental functions and powers by the Act of December 19, 1996,
P.L. 1158, No. 177, § 1, as amended, 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 2301
et seq., as amended.
C. The Intergovernmental Cooperation Act authorizes two
or more local governments in the commonwealth to jointly cooperate
in the exercise or in the performance of their respective governmental
functions, powers or responsibilities, so long as both municipalities
adopt an ordinance so providing.
D. Presently, the Township of Dickinson has no public
water supply source and the Board of Supervisors has determined it
to be more economical to purchase water in bulk quantities from South
Middleton Township under an intermunicipal agreement, rather than
developing its own water supply source.
E. The Board of Supervisors has determined that the acquisition
and construction of public water facilities within the Township of
Dickinson is in the public interest.
F. The Board of Supervisors intends to repeal Ordinance
Number 2 of 2001.
The covenants, terms and conditions of the intermunicipal
agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A are hereby incorporated herein
by reference.
The duration of the agreement is perpetual unless
and until terminated by either party.
The purpose of the agreement is to obtain an
economical source of public water for distribution within the boundaries
of Dickinson Township under the rate structure set forth in the intermunicipal
agreement and in the quantity allocated under such agreement. Except
as set forth in the agreement, it is the intent of the Board of Supervisors
that the Township of Dickinson have its own separate, autonomous,
public water supply system.
The public water supply system will be financed
by a rate system for consumption, and by fees and charges authorized
by the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act, 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601
et seq., as amended, together with developer contributions. It is
anticipated that no general tax revenues will be utilized in the operation
and maintenance of the public water supply system. The Board of Supervisors
shall be authorized, however, to borrow from the Township’s
general fund on an initial basis to fund organizational expenses and
to facilitate proper construction and operation of the system, so
long as any such monies are repaid out of rates received from consumers.
All real or personal property utilized in the
installation, operation and maintenance of the system will be acquired,
managed and disposed of by the Dickinson Township Municipal Authority,
a separate and distinct entity created and incorporated by the Board
of Supervisors of Dickinson Township.
In the operation of the public water supply
system, the Dickinson Township Municipal Authority shall be empowered
to enter into contracts for policies of group insurance and employee
benefits, including social security, for its employees, if any.