Summit Hill Borough Council won't be taking over the town's water authority after all at least not for the time being.

On Monday, the council agreed by a 4-3 vote to rescind an ordinance that would have had the water authority abolished effective June 1.The action not only delays any takeover of the authority by the borough until council reorganizes next January with at least two new members, but also gives the authority time to comply with some complaints that council members have with the authority.Among the complaints and reasons some council members want the authority to be abolished was that the authority in the past has not been cooperative with the council and that the authority holds its monthly public meetings in a locked back room of the borough hall out of sight of the public.Voting to keep the water authority operational were council members John O'Gurek, Billy O'Gurek, Gregory Kosciolek and council President Michael Kokinda. Opposed were Michael Alabovitz, Jesse Walck and William Chapman.Last November, the council voted 4-2 to abolish the authority and have the borough take it over. Kokinda was absent at that November meeting, and councilmen Billy O'Gurek and Kosciolek were opposed.Monday night's discussion on the water authority began when Kokinda asked for an update on the status of the takeover.Attorney Michael Greek, the borough solicitor, said he still has no documentation on the assets and liabilities of the water department and that he hopes to have pertinent documents later this week.Jim Yusella, an authority member, asked if a secretary could be hired, and would she still have a job if the council takes over the authority in June.Both Kokinda and Chapman said they don't feel the secretary status would change unless there were unusual circumstances.Billy O'Gurek said he feels the borough should try to resolve its differences with the authority before June 1. He said he would be willing to discuss the concerns the borough council has with the authority and try to resolve them. He said, "Taking steps to eliminate the authority could come back to bite us."Kokinda said four council seats will be decided in the upcoming elections. Two existing council members, Alabovitz and Walck, are not seeking re-election. He said waiting until the new council is seated might be best.Borough resident Joseph Kosalko said to the council, "It sounds to me like you're not sure you want to do it," regarding abolishing the authority.Resident Stanley Zuber said the council has other problems it is seeking to resolve without adding the water authority. He said, "We can't have the standard of living we have without clean water, and they (the authority) did a good job."John O'Gurek made the motion to rescind the ordinance that would dissolve the authority and make it become the water department within the borough council's control effective June 1. Billy O'Gurek gave the second.Yusella then asked, "Can we continue business as usual?"Several council members responded that the authority should continue functioning.Kokinda told authority members who attended the meeting, "Part of the problem is the way things have been done in the past." He said the authority hasn't been cooperative with the council.Alabovitz said that contrary to public belief, "The authority is not in great financial shape. They're getting by."John O'Gurek also directed his comments to authority members, saying, "There is a big communication gap with the water authority."He said snowplowing assistance is one example. The borough asked the authority, which gets free office space in the Municipal Building and uses such devices as the borough's copying machine at no cost, to help clear sidewalks of snow at the Municipal Building. The authority has refused to cooperate, he said.Walck said if the authority can show him where money for improvements to the lines exists, he is willing to consider changing his stance.Alabovitz said there are fire hydrants in the borough which haven't worked in 25 years or more. He said these hydrants are the responsibility of the authority.One man in the audience said the hydrants don't work because of the water lines."That's the point," Alabovitz said.