If directors of the Coaldale/Summit Hill/Lansford Sewer Authority don't formulate a written plan for improvements at its sewer plant, located in Coaldale, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection may not renew its permit to operate when it runs out in February.

Coaldale Councilman Francis Hutta attended a sewer authority meeting at the DEP's Wilkes-Barre offices May 6.During a Coaldale Council meeting Tuesday, Hutta said that DEP officials want to see a written plan by July 31, and urged the sewer authority to schedule a public meeting about the issue in June.Hutta said the sewer plant is more than 50 years old, and that during the Wilkes-Barre meeting, DEP officials presented a list of problems it's been documenting at the plant since 1991.Hutta said he feels that although all three entities use the sewer plant, each has its own billing and sewer line transmission fee."Our transmission fee is $75 (yearly), Lansford is $90 and I don't think Summit Hill has a transmission fee," Hutta said. "I think we need to regionalize the way things are done and create the written plan it's not just us, it's the generations coming after us."Earlier in the meeting, during public comment, Lansford/Coaldale Water Authority board secretary Robert Demyanovich updated the board on the status of the Phillips Street water line improvement, which he said has been in development for 10 years.The project involves replacement of a 12-inch main line, plus laterals to residences, from E Street to Fifth Street, plus new lines on Third Street, from Phillips Street to Howard Avenue.Bids for the project were opened April 22, with Bellview Pump LLC, Walnutport, with low bidder at $695,000.The base bid for the Phillips Street work in $635,320, and the Third Street project adds $59,694, Demyanovich said.He said that the project will begin as soon as the school year ends, and complete before school begins again in the fall.Council awarded a garbage contract for five years to Tamaqua Transfer, in the amount of $946,240.The current contract ends in July.In a related matter, council solicitor Robert Yurchak said he'd sent out 46 letters to people with delinquent garbage accounts.Council chose the first road work project, planning to pave East Phillips Street, also known as Pool Road, from the Schuylkill County line to the volleyball court.Councilman Mike Doerr, who chairs the streets committee, said that council will continue to prioritize additional road work.Coaldale will receive $57,669 in state liquid fuels money, which can be used for road repair.Council hired an auditor, Lettich and Zipay, Pottsville, with the cost not to exceed $5,000.During public comment, several residents complained about code enforcement issues and lack of enforcement.Council President Tom Keerans said he'd follow up on the complaints.Councilwoman Yvonne Stoffey said that she plans to ride along with the borough's code enforcement officer to learn how ordinances are being enforced.Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman addressed council, updating members on her office's ongoing campaigns against drug abuse and driving under the influence.She fielded questions from council about the Drug Overdose Response Immunity Act, passed by the Pennsylvania Senate in September 2014, which gives a person immunity from prosecution if the person is trying to help a person who is overdosing.Mayor Joel Johnson said he'd follow up with Holman, to learn more about having officers trained in the use of the drug Narcan, which helps someone who is overdosing on heroin.Holman said the war on drugs requires cooperation from community members."We don't need the drugs, we don't want the drugs," Holman said."If we all work together, we can get rid of the drugs."