West Penn Township officials have accepted a donation from a company embroiled in a lawsuit over water extraction.

By a 2-1 vote, the township's board of supervisors on Monday agreed to accept a $6,000 donation from MC Resource Development. Supervisor Anthony Prudenti was opposed.The matter came to light after township solicitor Holly Heintzelman said she received a letter dated May 31 signed by James J. Land Jr.Land owns a company that is a partner in MC Resource Development, the existing water extraction operation in neighboring East Brunswick Township, and is president and owner of Ringgold Acquisition Group II LLC at the proposed West Penn site on One Fort Franklin Road.In the letter, Land noted that the check and donation was from MC Resource Development, and not himself, and that it is the result of a promise made to the township roadmaster in 2015. He said that MC Resource Development made a similar donation at that time.Land said the donation is made to the general road fund, and should be used at the discretion of the roadmaster as directed by the board of supervisors. However, there is no requirement that it be used on Kepners Road.Prudenti said that while he hated to turn down money for the township, he was "very uncomfortable accepting money from MCRD.""In this particular instance, unless we're using it on Kepners Road, I do not feel comfortable accepting (the check)," Prudenti said. "Personally, I feel very uncomfortable with it."Supervisor Ted Bogosh said that a $6,000 donation to be used on township roads is "extremely helpful," and that "it is without any strings attached to it other than to use it on our roads."Prudenti said he just felt at this time that it's "inappropriate" to accept the donation.Supervisors agreed to take a short executive session to discuss the matter, and upon returning to the open meeting, the board voted to accept the donation.Afterward, Supervisors' Chairman James Dean said his vote to accept the donation will in no way persuade him to vote in any other way than to protect the health, safety and well-being of the residents of the township.Under public comment, resident Jamie Schellhammer expressed his dissatisfaction with the board's vote to accept the donation.Shellhammer told Prudenti he was proud of him "for not accepting that bribery check," but that he was "deeply disappointed" in Dean and Bogosh for voting to accept the donation.Resident Larry Stival said he agreed with Schellhammer, and added that "people are just going to remember that you took the money."