WYOMING — Early this year , the Wyoming Borough Council decided to end its contract to provide street services to West Wyoming Borough, its neighbor to the west.
And although there was no interruption in street services in West Wyoming with the borough having immediately contracted with Forty Fort for those services, questions remains as to what motivated Wyoming to terminate a contract which seemed to benefit both municipalities.
Wyoming Borough Council approved the move in December, with its solicitor preparing and mailing a letter on Jan. 10 reflecting the termination with a 90-day notice.
West Wyoming Council Chairman Gary Stavish said the council was surprised when it received the letter and had its solicitor respond, offering to negotiate the contract.
“We did not hear back,” said Stavish. “Nothing.”
The contract, in place for about three years, called for West Wyoming to pay $26,000 to Wyoming annually for about 20 hours a week of street department manpower.
During times when West Wyoming needed additional manpower, such as during a severe snowstorm, West Wyoming was billed for those additional hours.
At the time the agreement was put in place, Wyoming Borough hired an additional street department employee whose salary was primarily covered by the $26,000.
According to numbers released during the drafting of Wyoming Borough’s 2019 budget, the borough is experiencing financial difficulty and operating at a deficit.
“Wyoming ended the DPW contract with West Wyoming because my predecessor negotiated a bad deal for our residents in which West Wyoming was being charged $25 per man hour to perform DPW services when our cost was over $30 per hour, ” Wyoming Borough Mayor Joseph Dominick said. “I was elected to be the Mayor of Wyoming and I will continue to review and recommend termination of any contract that is not in the best interest of the Wyoming Borough taxpayers.”
“Cooperating and working with neighboring communities furthers the best interests of Wyoming taxpayers,” said former Wyoming mayor Bob Boyer. “It provides more effective and cost-efficient services. The bad deal for Wyoming residents is the failure to maintain a mutually-beneficial relationship with our neighboring community. This is a step back in progress for both boroughs.”
Stavish said he and other council members were surprised that, in spite of these difficulties, Wyoming Borough was in a position to eliminate about $30,000 in income.
“I’ve heard that they want their street department staff to fix roads,” said Stavish. “But, I don’t think they even have the equipment to do that.”
“The cooperative agreement for DPW services with West Wyoming was a mutually beneficial situation for both communities,” said former Wyoming mayor Robert Boyer. “Wyoming gained an additional DPW employee and thousands of dollars in revenue. Wyoming residents were able to use the West Wyoming composting facility for yard waste. West Wyoming maintained DPW services for their residents. The rate for services to West Wyoming was based on the hourly cost of providing an employee to West Wyoming at the time of the agreement.
“The state recommends that communities cooperate and work together,” Boyer added. “The program, focused on encouraging regional services, was a good idea for both communities.”
A new contract
In spite of disappointment over Wyoming Borough’s termination of its contract with West Wyoming for street services, West Wyoming had no interruption in street services and has contracted with Forty Fort Borough for those services.
The contract went into effect on April 25 for $36,000 per year.
Stavish said the council members believe the cost is more than reasonable and are happy to work with Forty Fort.
“We are now paying more for street services,” Stavish said. “But, we would have been happy to pay more to Wyoming Borough.”
Forty Fort Mayor Andy Tuzinski called the move a “win-win” for both communities.
“We’ll be able to hire an additional street department worker,” he said “And we’ll be sending workers to West Wyoming for 20 hours a week. You can’t beat that.”
Tuzinski said both Forty Fort and West Wyoming belong to the West Side Council of Governments, which provides opportunity for communication and cooperation between municipalities.
