Dave Gargano, a striking Wheatland Tube worker, has his priorities.

If the city of Hermitage sends him a bill to tap into the sanitary sewer line that is being installed on Sample Road, it will go to the bottom of the pile.

"I'm going to feed my child before I pay for some stupid sewer," he told Hermitage Municipal Authority board Wednesday. Gargano was one of a number of Sample Road residents who attended the meeting. "I'm not sure I'll be able to do this right now."

The good news for Gargano, of 3579 Sample, is that the city will not be billing anybody until at least next summer, but that didn't satisfy Greg Buchanan of 3462 Sample.

He said the city poorly timed its sewer project, with the local economy so poor right now, inflation rising and jobs being lost or in flux.

Buchanan said the city has provided no cost estimates to residents -- city officials believe 28 must tap in -- so they can plan for work they will have to have done. He also criticized the depth of the new sewer line and the condition of the road during construction.

Authority officials said they have not settled on an assessment, which will be based on a property's frontage, but are looking at charging $25 to $30 a foot, said engineer Joe Pacchioni.

Anyone with more than 200 feet of frontage would only be charged for up to 200 feet now. Any development of the property in the future would trigger an additional assessment, at a rate equal to the assessment charged now.

Residents will pay about half the cost of the construction, with the rest spread over the rest of the city in sewer fees, said Thomas Darby, authority manager.

Anyone who lives within 200 feet of the new sewer lines will have to tap in and pay a $1,000 connection fee. Residents will be responsible for hiring a contractor to run a lateral from their homes to the line.

The line is being installed 13 feet deep because officials decided that would be the best depth to ensure gravity flow from houses to the line, Pacchioni said.

Buchanan said making the line so deep eliminates the number of contractors residents can hire because they don't all have the equipment to dig that deep. But Darby disagreed. He said there probably are 20 contractors that could do the work, and residents will be sent a list of them next summer, although they can receive it now upon request.

Buchanan said he has 137 feet of frontage, will need a lateral 160 feet long and will have to have his septic tank pumped and plumbing changed. Using figures he and the authority gave, he would be looking at a total cost of about $7,000.

Pacchioni said it had been publicly stated that residents could expect to have to pay $5,000 to $10,000.

Buchanan asked if there were any grants available. Darby said the only grant available was a small one for a separate project on South Darby. Pacchioni added that the city's sewer bills are not high enough for the state's infrastructure funding source to be interested.

The timing of the project was the result of a state mandate to eliminate problems with failing septic systems, infiltration into sewer lines and insufficient capacity of pumping stations, officials said.

Buchanan said he agrees the project will be beneficial.

"We're fighting the cost," he said. "I'm just coming out of debt and looking at an additional loan."

Darby explained that residents will not be contacted about payment until after the project -- including building a new pump station on Sample -- is complete, probably in June. Residents will be sent letters notifying them of their responsibilities to tap into the system, and will have 90 days to do so.

While the $1,000 tap-in fee must be paid at that time, the assessment can be dragged out over five years at an interest rate of about 4.3 percent, Darby said.

He added that the city probably can make arrangements with anyone who cannot afford to pay, such as anyone in Gargano's situation.

Board member Ray Schauer said the authority has tried to be sensitive to homeowners' needs and costs, while adhering to state requirements.

"We are trying to do it right," he said.

Officials agreed the road is in bad shape, but asked residents to travel on it cautiously and said it will be resurfaced.

Darby added that the road base was much worse than officials expected, causing more damage. Much more of the road will have to be reconstructed than was planned. Pacchioni said the work could be done by the end of September.

The authority approved a $16,649 change order Wednesday to cover roadwork that hadn't been anticipated.

Gargano also complained of getting brown drinking water in his house since construction began. Darby said that should not happen because of the work and he will investigate.

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