Harmony Borough Council on Tuesday became the second member municipality to approve Western Butler County Authority's proposed Act 537 plan.

The WBCA, which handles sewage for Jackson and Lancaster townships, Harmony and Zelienople, passed an ordinance granting WBCA the ability to submit its sewage facilities program plan to the Department of Environmental Protection — but not without reservations.

The plan updates the current 22-year-old plan, which was adopted in February 1999, according to the DEP. Although fine details of the plan were not immediately available, the WBCA's plan comes as the newly revived authority plans to expand the sewage plant in a multimillion dollar project.

Council members raised their concerns over the cost of the project alongside issues over the text of the resolution approving the plan, ultimately approving the resolution by a 6-1 vote.

“This is an extraordinary amount of money and I don't think the phasing” is a wise use of the money, councilman Don Sims said. “There is no dollar amount on the resolution. You have no price not to exceed.”

Matt Racunas, borough solicitor, said the resolution doesn't provide a set dollar amount because the plan must be approved by DEP before its implementation. “The alternative is we provide our own sanitary means,” he added.

Councilman Jason Sarver agreed with Sims, and asked who oversees the WBCA's spending. Greg Such, council president, noted the authority has a board with similar responsibility to the borough council, and would take on that burden.

Following the vote, Sims said he will be “really holding the board to managing the money” wisely, to prevent rate hikes by WBCA customers. He said he wished the authority could find a better-phased plan with a lower cost. “But I do agree that when you flush, it needs to go away,” he said.

In passing the resolution, Harmony joined Jackson Township, which took that action in January, as the two member municipalities to approve the plan.