Summit Hill Borough Council, by a 4-2 vote, agreed to terminate the Summit Hill Water Authority effective June 1. The borough will then take it over and operate it as the Summit Hill Water Department.

Water authority employees will become borough employees at that time.The advertised ordinance called for the dissolution to occur Jan. 1, but the council was advised by its solicitor, Attorney Michael Greek, that it might take longer than Jan. 1 for transferring the deeds of property owned by the authority and checking if any approvals are needed by the state.In favor of the action were council President Jesse Walck, Michael Alabovitz, John O'Gurek and Bill Chapman. Opposed were Bill O'Gurek and Gregory Kosciolek. Council member Michael Kokinda was absent.The action taken Monday resulted in a delay in adoption of the borough's 2015 budget until the December meeting of the council. The proposed budget called for water department expenses of $313,991 and revenue of $358,200.Those figures were based on a full year of operation of the water department.The numbers will have to be adjusted since the borough isn't taking over the authority until June.Bill O'Gurek wanted the borough to table the dissolution until it more thoroughly reviews the matter.He said the borough had a joint public meeting with the water authority earlier this month and the water authority expressed complications that could arise from the council's action.Walck said, "The questions brought up at that meeting were grandstanding."O'Gurek also said that at the meeting, council members agreed there would be another joint meeting with the water authority.Alabovitz said he wanted that action to happen before the end of this year.Alabovitz accused the authority of "not cooperating" with the council.O'Gurek said he doesn't feel the council has been cooperating with the authority."You talk about cooperation," O'Gurek said. "You've got to understand they (the authority members) learned about this secondhand."He said, "I just think we're moving a little too quick."John O'Gurek said he was concerned about the transfer of water authority debt to the borough."My understanding is we can transfer the debt," Walck said.Bill O'Gurek made a motion to table the takeover of the Water Authority, and Kosciolek made a second, but the vote died 4-2.When O'Gurek said he felt there are too many "unknowns" for the council to take action, Walck said,"The only unknown is if they're going to cooperate."O'Gurek said he felt there hasn't been any dialogue between the council and the authority on the matter.