After resignations, controversy in Milesburg, water authority looks to build its own space
Amid turmoil in a small Centre County borough, Milesburg’s water authority took the first steps Monday to get a meeting space that’s separate from the borough’s building.
The authority unanimously voted during a short meeting Monday night to advertise for bids for construction of a commercial building in the lot next to the borough building. Water authority manager Paula Hall, who until earlier this month had been borough manager as well, said she’s been in contact with an architect about a modular building.
The authority unanimously approved advertising for bids for the project. Once they receive the bids, Hall said the authority can decide what they want to do.
The authority has a 20-year lease on the borough building. Hall said the water authority would still utilize that space in some capacity.
Hall said the authority will not need a loan for the project, as they already have money in their accounts.
“We have the money to do it,” Hall said.
The sewer authority also has its own office and meeting space.
Although the water authority and the borough share a lot of resources, they are two different entities. The majority of the water authority members are also borough council members.
Until a few weeks ago, the two entities also shared employees. Earlier this month during the borough council’s reorganization meeting when a new council majority was sworn in, Hall resigned as borough manager, a position she held for 34 years. Four other employees followed her lead and resigned from the borough. The five said they’d remain water authority employees.
Through a Right to Know request, the Centre Daily Times obtained a list of water authority employees and their salaries for 2023 and a portion of January 2024. Hall’s hourly pay rate as the water authority manager/secretary-treasurer is $30.25. The hourly pay rate for four other employees — two of which are part time — range from $13.25 to $29.25.
The CDT filed a similar RTK with the borough; the borough filed for a 30-day extension to produce the records due to a few reasons, including staffing limitations.
The borough council hired a new borough manager and a temporary part-time employee to help in the office a week after the staff resigned.
