CHAMBERSBURG – The Chambersburg Borough Council met last night and fluoride in the water was supposed to be a discussion point, but last minute information shifted things a bit.
Council was looking at whether to upgrade the fluoride system that adds fluoride to the water in Chambersburg.
A number of communities have been having a tough time getting fluoride from different vendors.
Austin Rosenbaum, Chambersburg Council Member, said, “We were unsure if we could continue getting it, is the first thing. But there are different types of fluoride, and the kind that the borough uses is a liquid form, and that is probably the hardest form to get right now. And so we might have to, if we keep doing it, we’d have to change to a powder form, but that would completely change all the equipment we would need to buy. So we’re waiting a couple more weeks until we get more information back, because we don’t want to go and spend $200,000-some for the kind that we have, and then we can’t get it, and then we have to retrofit and spend a bunch more money to get a different kind. So that’s why we wanted to delay the vote, and we kind of got that information right at the last minute.”
What is the general consensus from the public?
Tanya Nitterhouse of Chambersburg said last night, “Let’s get the kids trained to brush their teeth. Let’s give them the proper fluoride in the toothpaste, not what’s being put in my system. I am not happy with the notion that the government can dictate one more chemical that I am required to ingest. I’m a human being. I have to have water. I can’t drink out of the springs at my home anymore, and I can’t drink out of the creek like I did when I was a little kid.”
There are also apparently plastics in the water.
Michele Jansen of News Talk 103.7FM pointed out, “That was a fundamental, principled approach. I mean, honestly, fluoride in the toothpaste isn’t going to work, because you’re not supposed to swallow toothpaste. I mean, that’s the whole thing, and that’s different than the ingesting fluoride to get it to help, especially with kids and their teeth, then the brushing of and trying to protect them from the outside. It’s actually two totally different ways of protecting teeth. But I get the fundamental principle, what she’s saying, there’s always the cost benefit. I’m glad you guys decided, let’s take our time and not make a quick decision, because you do have to consider the costs of this, putting aside the whole argument on the fluoride itself, that’s really important, and that’s part of the analysis these guys have to make. And I appreciate that they’re taking their time and looking at it. Honestly, I still fall down on the side that overall, fluoride has provided a lot more health benefit, and it’s not to say that there’s no risks, but I still think it’s worthy of more discussion on both aspects.”
Rosenbaum said, “I would say the majority of the people that came wanted to have fluoride. I do know that there were tons of people that I’ve received calls from and emails from that did not show up, that do not want fluoride in the water. So I would still say this is, I think, very much a 50/50 issue. And I think 50% of people, sadly, are probably going to be upset with whatever decision we make, and the other 50% we’re gonna make happy.”
Council also talked about purchasing power from a solar project in Kentucky.
Rosenbaum said, “It’s just a long term contract that we would purchase power through AMP, which we’re a partner of. They are all throughout the East Coast, and have municipalities that work with them, and they help people get power, and this is their project, and we would just be able to buy some of that power and send it to the borough of Chambersburg. It would probably be about 3% of our total need throughout the year. We’re not sure exactly how much we can get of it yet. The consensus was that it was a good price and a good thing. And so the council did approve asking to be a part of that project. I was the no vote. I’ll admit that. I’m not a huge fan of solar. I think there’s a lot of concern with solar, destroying our fields, destroying our mountain ground, so that’s just one thing. But the other thing is, when it gets down to the numbers I don’t think it’s as good a deal as we were being told, because I looked into a lot of the fine print and the reason we can get a better price in solar is because of tax credits. Basically, whenever you produce solar, the government’s like, hey, we’ll allow you to sell these tax credits that other people need. And so those tax credits are going to be sold in Virginia, and the price just keeps going down and down and down. And we’re being sold a number that, and it very well could be sell at the number they’re saying, but I just don’t think it’s realistic, from looking at the market and where the market’s been going, and I think it’s going to be a lot less. And I think we’re paying a lot more than what is anticipated. That’s just my opinion.”
The deal for the solar would be for 25 years.
Rosenbaum said, “Legislation can change. Those tax credits can go away. And what makes the deal good now could completely go away, in my opinion.”
Is there an exit strategy if the deals go sideways?
Rosenbaum said, “It’s not the end. I mean, it’s not like it’s the majority of our power. So our power isn’t going to instantly just go up an insane amount because it’s only 3%, but we’re on the hook. But we’re still on the hook. That was my concern. And I think solar is just very unreliable, because it’s only when the sun’s working well.”
Jansen said, “Look, you’ve got people coming out and saying, admitting, oh, maybe carbon is not so bad, because we need the energy, and you’re not going to get that from solar. You’re right. Tax credits are the big thing, and I find it just remarkable. Oh, we don’t want the government telling us what, or guiding or forcing us to put things in our water to maybe make us a bit healthier, but we want the government to dictate what we’re going to be using, what kind of things we’re going to be putting into place based on what they deem is worthy right now of tax credits. It’s like, can you not see the principle could be the same for either thing?”
There was also a change order for the Public Works campus.
Rosenbaum said, “It’s in a good way. It’s a subtraction of $12,400. We’re saving $12,400. We found some ways to take some stuff out to make it a little cheaper. So we’re working hard to be very efficient with that project.”
This week is a bulky item drop off week in the borough.
Rosenbaum said, “So if you live in the borough, you can drop your bulky items off at 725 Hollywell Avenue, which is the borough farm, and that is open from 8 to 3 April 20 through April 25 and that’s on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So please go there and drop off your bulky items that you’ve been holding on to.”
A review of the Parking, Traffic and Streetlight committee was also heard last night.
Rosenbaum said, “For the last 30, 40, 50 years, ice cream trucks have been actually banned in the borough of Chambersburg. They can’t go around with their fun music and stuff. That is technically not allowed in the borough books. So I looked at that, and I was like, I think we should allow ice cream trucks in the borough. So I brought that to the commission, and we voted last night as a council to propose an ordinance to change that. And so we’re advertising that, but we’re going to hopefully soon have ice cream trucks for our summer here.”
Original article online at: https://www.tristatealert.com/chambersburg-borough-had-to-delay-the-fluoride-vote-because-of-supply-issues