South Whitehall commissioners voted recently to begin the process of terminating the board of authority which owns and oversees the water and sanitary sewer systems serving township residents.

Board President Christina “Tori” Morgan commented on the matter.

“On a day-to-day basis, absolutely nothing changes,” Morgan said. “Operationally, nothing changes.”

She added efficiency will increase as the level of bureaucracy decreases.

Although there was little discussion of the issue at the meeting, at a combined board of commissioners and board of authority workshop in January, Morgan said water and sewer operations would benefit from structural, organizational and staffing efficiencies if brought under township domain.

Dr. Rex D’Agostino, authority treasurer, had stated the BOA manages itself with a high level of fiduciary responsibility and has dedicated much time and effort to be as efficient as possible.

Morgan said the board of authority exists primarily for financial issues, such as obtaining bonds for new projects.

“We don’t have that situation now,” Morgan said. “The system is in pretty good shape with routine maintenance.”

When the dissolution is complete, its business will blend into the township’s board of commissioners, Morgan noted.

“We’ll have to feel this out a bit,” she said. “If it’s too much, we’ll have an additional meeting on topics of specific concern.”

Solicitor Joseph Zator listed steps the board of authority must take in the process of dissolution, including transfer of assets and regulatory permits.

The board of authority will no longer be allowed to enter into new contracts or assume new debts and the changeover is expected to take a few months.

The job of Authority Manager Peter Pineda will remain the same, although he will receive a new title, Assistant Township Manager Renee Bickel said.

Commissioner Matt Mulqueen offered his thoughts on the matter:

“The same people who fix the system today will fix it tomorrow,” Mulqueen said.