17414_Authority_April_2024

!"#$%$&'('")*+,$)$-./+,01121 11 !" S olicitor ’ S c orner Navigating Governance: A Primer for New Municipal Authority Board Members As newly appointed municipal authority board members in Pennsylvania, you step into roles of ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ĞŶƚƌƵƐƚĞĚ with the welfare of your community. zŽƵƌ ĚƵƟĞƐ ĞdžƚĞŶĚ ďĞLJŽŶĚ ŵĞƌĞ ĂƩĞŶĚĂŶĐĞ Ăƚ ŵĞĞƟŶŐƐ͖ ƚŚĞLJ ĞŶĐŽŵƉĂƐƐ ĞƚŚŝĐĂů ĐŽŶĚƵĐƚ͕ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ƚƌĂŶƐƉĂƌĞŶĐLJ͕ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ĐŽŶƐĞŶƐƵƐͲďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶͲŵĂŬŝŶŐ͘ dŚŝƐ ĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽīĞƌƐ ŝŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƚŽƌLJ ŐƵŝĚĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ ĮǀĞ ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ŝƐƐƵĞƐ LJŽƵ ǁŝůů ĞŶĐŽƵŶƚĞƌ ŝŶ LJŽƵƌ ƚĞŶƵƌĞ͗ ĂĚŚĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĞƚŚŝĐĂů ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ͕ ĮůŝŶŐ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ĚŝƐĐůŽƐƵƌĞƐ͕ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ĨŽƐƚĞƌŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƐĞŶƐƵƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟnjŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶŐͲ ƚĞƌŵ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ LJŽƵƌ ĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƚLJ͘ If you have not yet served in a ƉƵďůŝĐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ private enterprise to public service ŵĂLJ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ ƐŽŵĞ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐĞŶƐŝďŝůŝƟĞƐ LJŽƵ ŵĂLJ ŶŽƚ ŚĂǀĞ expected. For example, many new authority board members express some surprise with the detailed ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŽĨ ůĞƫŶŐ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ Žƌ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ ŽŶůLJ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ a public bidding process and having to choose the lowest responsible bidder rather than the most experienced or ŚŝŐŚůLJ ƋƵĂůŝĮĞĚ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚŽƌ ʹ ŝĨ ƚŚĞLJ ĚŝīĞƌ͘ KƚŚĞƌƐ ŵĂLJ ďƌŝƐƚůĞ Ăƚ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ to disclose some aspects of their ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ůŝĨĞ ŽŶ ƉƵďůŝĐ ĨŽƌŵƐ͘ ŶĚ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ Ă ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ with other board members or the ĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƚLJ͛Ɛ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐƚĂī ŵĂLJ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ŶĞǁ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ͘ WD ŽīĞƌƐ here some entry-level guidance for your success. LJ ^ĐŽƩ d͘ tLJůĂŶĚ͕ ƐƋ͕͘ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ ^ŚĂƌĞŚŽůĚĞƌ͕ ^ĂůnjŵĂŶŶ ,ƵŐŚĞƐ͕ W͘ ͘ ĚŚĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚŝĐĂů ^ƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ͗ hŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ WĞŶŶƐLJůǀĂŶŝĂ WƵďůŝĐ KĸĐŝĂůƐ ƚŚŝĐƐ Đƚ The cornerstone of public service lies in upholding ethical standards. /Ŷ WĞŶŶƐLJůǀĂŶŝĂ͕ ƚŚĞ WƵďůŝĐ KĸĐŝĂůƐ Ethics Act provides rules for ŝĚĞŶƟĨLJŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚƐ of interest. Before any vote in a ƉƵďůŝĐ ŵĞĞƟŶŐ͕ ŝƚ ŝƐ ŝŵƉĞƌĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ĚŝƐĐůŽƐĞ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ resolve them transparently. By doing so, you uphold the public's trust and ensure decisions are made in the community's best interest. dŚĞ ĚĞĮŶŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ ͞ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͟ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝĐƐ Đƚ ŝƐ LJŽƵƌ ƐƚĂƌƟŶŐ ƉůĂĐĞ͘ The Act prohibits authority board members from using the power ŽĨ LJŽƵƌ ŽĸĐĞ Žƌ ĂŶLJ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶƟĂů ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ LJŽƵ ŵĂLJ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ LJŽƵƌ ŽĸĐĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ƉĞĐƵŶŝĂƌLJ ďĞŶĞĮƚ ŽĨ LJŽƵƌƐĞůĨ͕ LJŽƵƌ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ family members, or a business in which you or your immediate family member is associated. If you feel uncertain, consult your authority’s solicitor, whose duty it is to help you ŝĚĞŶƟĨLJ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ LJŽƵƌ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚƐ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͘ Ƶƚ ĚŽ ƐŽ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŵĞĞƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ǀŽƚĞ͕ ŶŽƚ ĂŌĞƌ͘ dŚĞ ŵĂŝŶ ƚĂŬĞĂǁĂLJ ƌĞŐĂƌĚŝŶŐ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚƐ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĚŝƐĐůŽƐĞ Ă ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ǁƌŝƟŶŐ ďĞĨŽƌĞ Ă ǀŽƚĞ is to be taken on the item, at which ƟŵĞ LJŽƵ ŵƵƐƚ ĂďƐƚĂŝŶ ĨƌŽŵ ǀŽƟŶŐ͘ The advance disclosure requirement obligates you to review the agenda in advance and discuss and resolve LJŽƵƌ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚƐ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ŵĞĞƟŶŐ ƟŵĞ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞdžŝƟĞƐ ŝŶǀŽůǀŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝĐƐ Đƚ ĂŶĚ ǀŽƟŶŐ͕ ďƵƚ LJŽƵƌ ŝŶŝƟĂů ĐŽŶĐĞƌŶ ŝƐ ŬŶŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ Đƚ applies to you and working with the authority’s solicitor to manage the ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ ƉƌŽƉĞƌůLJ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ ƉĞŶĂůƟĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŵŝƐŵĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ LJŽƵƌ ŽďůŝŐĂƟŽŶƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝĐƐ Đƚ͕ ƐŽ avail yourself of the opportunity to ŵĂŬĞ ƟŵĞůLJ ĂŶĚ ƐŽƵŶĚ ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶƐ͘ dŚĞ DƵŶŝĐŝƉĂůŝƟĞƐ ƵƚŚŽƌŝƟĞƐ Đƚ ;͞D ͟Ϳ ŚĂƐ ĂŶ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ƉƌŽǀŝƐŝŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŽĚĞƐ͕ ůŝŬĞ ƚŚĞ ŽƌŽƵŐŚ ŽĚĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ &ŝƌƐƚ ůĂƐƐ dŽǁŶƐŚŝƉ ŽĚĞ͕ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ŚĂǀĞ͘ WĞƌ ^ĞĐƟŽŶ ϱϲϭϰ;ĞͿ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ MAA, no authority board member may directly or indirectly be a party to or be interested in any contract or agreement with the authority. Such a contract would be void, and criminal ƉĞŶĂůƟĞƐ ŵĂLJ ĂƉƉůLJ ƚŽ ĂŶLJŽŶĞ evading the MAA’s requirements on ƚŚŝƐ ƉŽŝŶƚ͘ /Ŷ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ͕ ƚŚŝƐ ŵĞĂŶƐ LJŽƵ ŵĂLJ ŶŽƚ ĂďƐƚĂŝŶ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ǀŽƚĞ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ĂůůŽǁ ƚŚĞ ďŽĂƌĚ ƚŽ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞ Ă ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚ ƚŚĂƚ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ Ă ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŝŶ ǁŚŝĐŚ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͘ While both the Ethics Act and MAA ĂƌĞ ůŝƩůĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ĐŽŵŵŽŶ ƐĞŶƐĞ ƌƵůĞƐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ĂĐƟŶŐ ŝŶ LJŽƵƌ ƐĞůĨͲ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞdžŝƟĞƐ requiring close analysis. It is best to ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞ ĂŶĚ ĂĚĚƌĞƐƐ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ŝƐƐƵĞƐ promptly and forthrightly. &ŝůŝŶŐ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŝƐĐůŽƐƵƌĞƐ͗ EĂǀŝŐĂƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽŵƉůĞdžŝƟĞƐ Municipal authority board members ĂƌĞ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ƚŽ ĮůĞ ĂŶŶƵĂů ƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŽĨ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͕ Ă ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ŐŽǀĞƌŶĞĚ ďLJ ǁƌŝƩĞŶ ŝŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶƐ͘ ŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ŽŶ ƉĂŐĞ ϱϱ͘