The protest at Timberly Farm in Plumstead is officially
over.
Supervisors waived late fees for sewer bills that
residents of the 60-home development off Meetinghouse
Road have long charged were too hefty
— and that some had refused to pay or only partially paid.
Timberly Farm, which has had its own township-run
sewer treatment plant, was hit this year with quarterly charges of $320, compared to the $120 they would have averaged with
Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority.
In August, a divided board of supervisors approved
a legal agreement that will tie the development onto county lines. But legal wrangling over the deal led to it not going before
a judge for approval until January.
In the interim, 19 homes in Timberly Farm held out
on paying their third quarter bills, or only sent in $125, said Plumstead manager Carolyn McCreary. They incurred late charges
that ranged from $32 for non-payers to $19 for partial payers.
The waiver was heralded by supporters as ending a
chapter in what has been a bitter feud. But one critic said Timberly Farm shouldn't be given a reprieve that others did not
get.
“It sets a bad precedent by awarding bad behavior.
It's just that simple.” said Supervisor Tom Alvare, who was among the group that fought the township's settlement with
the sewer authority in court. “To me, it's a matter of fairness.”
Dan Hilferty, who lives in Timberly Farm, said he
believes it was unfair to ask one development to pay far more than everyone else.
The 60 homes would already be on county sewers, if
not for the group that tried to intervene against the settlement, he said.
“It was basically folks who, rightly so, said,
"Why am I paying this if I shouldn't be paying this?' ” said Hilferty, who himself paid on time.
Supervisor Vince Formica said forgiving the fees
makes sense for Timberly Farm, considering delays in the legal agreement and the reasons behind residents' hesitancy to pay.
“There were a lot of things going on; they
were not scofflaws,” Formica said. “Given the history, it made sense to say, "Let's put everything aside.' ”
Hilferty said residents who were holding out will
now settle their accounts, though they believe the $320 charge was excessive.
“There's no more protest,” Hilferty said.
“We just want to go back to living happily.”
Tuesday's vote gives the residents until Feb. 28
to make up all of what they owe, without being hit with late charges. Those who already paid fees will receive a check from
the township reimbursing them.
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