The future city of "Shenango" could be ruled by a council of 11, with most of the members coming from what is now Sharon and Hermitage, according to a plan offered Thursday to the Shenango Valley Intergovernmental Study Committee.

That plan doesn't sit well with representatives of Wheatland, the smallest community involved in the planning.

Representatives from Farrell, Hermitage, Sharon and Sharpsville also sit on the committee, which is examining consolidating governmental services and possibly merging into a single city.

James DeCapua, executive director of Mercer County Regional Council of Governments and chairman of the government structures and legal issues subcommittee, presented a proposed governmental structure for the city of "Shenango," the city's working name.

DeCapua said the population of the five municipalities is about 44,000. They would be divided into 11 wards of 4,000 residents each, with one representative from each ward sitting on city council, DeCapua said.

During a four-year transition period from the current communities to the city of the future, one council member from each current municipality would serve on council while six others would be elected at large, DeCapua said.

After the first four years, current Farrell and Sharpsville residents would each have one council member, Sharon and Hermitage residents would each have four and Farrell and Wheatland residents would share another two council members.

Wheatland Mayor Tom Stanton and resident Joann Jofery said the idea would never sell to Wheatland residents because they wouldn't have enough representation.

"Wheatland is going to get eaten up," Ms. Jofery said, pointing out Wheatland only has 750 residents.

Sharpsville Mayor Kenneth P. Robertson suggested mixing up the wards a little more, such as having the northern part of Sharon and the southern part of Sharpsville as one ward, rather than "continuing to draw these lines" around "lines we already have."

DeCapua said the subcommittee would put a lot of thought into the issue before making the final recommendation.

Also Thursday, the committee unanimously approved paying L. Robert Kimball and Associates, Ebensburg, $86,555 to design a sewer and water system for a consolidated city. Kimball's bid was more than the lowest bid --$68,175 from Gannett Fleming, Inc., Pittsburgh.

Hermitage commissioner Joe Augustine, chairman of the water and sewer subcommittee, said the committee interviewed four engineering firms. They chose Kimball because the firm has experience with large and small clients and different sewage facilities., he said. The firm has the most knowledge of funding and "objectivity and fresh thinking," Augustine said.

Farrell Mayor William Morocco questioned how not choosing the lowest bidder would appear to the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which is funding much of the study.

Augustine said the committee would not have interviewed anyone if they were just going to choose the lowest bidder. Denny Puko, director of the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission and member of the subcommittee, said each firm was individually ranked on their criteria.

The next meeting of the study committee will be at 6:30 p.m. June 26 in Hermitage Municipal Building.