Officials of municipalities served by the Butler Area Sewer Authority are rightfully concerned about the authority's problems with the state Department of Environmental Protection. The authority's failure to meet a DEP deadline tied to keeping stormwater from the authority's sanitary sewer lines has resulted in DEP ordering that no new sewage permits be issued until a new agreement about the situation is in place.

That has shut down the new-construction season in the BASA service areas of seven municipalities, including the city and Butler Township. The situation never should have been allowed to reach its current status and DEP, as well as the authority, must shoulder the blame for that.

What started as a meeting with good intentions Monday evening provided solid evidence of why municipalities that BASA serves are somewhat out of the loop about authority issues and problems.

Monday's meeting, which was attended by officials or residents of the city, East Butler, and Butler, Center and Summit townships, exhibited a lack of planning and preparation. The most eye-opening aspect of the session was that no one from BASA was invited, even though BASA was the subject of the meeting.

Granted, the initial purpose of the meeting was discussion about whether there ought to be a change in municipal representation on the authority board. But prior to the meeting, no one involved in scheduling the session did the basic legwork of obtaining a copy of the authority's charter, which municipalities served by the authority are entitled to have — and which they should have had on file since the authority was formed or since the municipalities became part of the BASA service area.

Considering BASA's problems with the DEP, it was no surprise that Monday's meeting shifted quickly from authority board representation to the authority's problem with the state environmental agency. However, there was little new insight or understanding that could be gained regarding that situation without anyone from BASA in attendance to answer questions or explain not only the new-permits ban but also possible benefits or problems that would be tied to a change in board membership.

Those in attendance decided to schedule another meeting for 6:30 p.m. May 22 at the Butler Township Municipal Building, this one hopefully with BASA representation. It was stated, however, that the meeting would be held with or without BASA's participation.

BASA should send representatives to that meeting as a matter of courtesy, even if the permits issue is resolved by that time. But there is nothing prohibiting municipal officials from also attending authority meetings to have their questions and concerns answered on an ongoing basis.

Based on Monday's discussion, it is obvious that there has not been enough active interest in authority matters by municipal officials.

That Monday's meeting was built on a foundation of good intentions was commendable. That municipal officials didn't follow up on an attempt to obtain a copy of the authority's charter after BASA failed to provide one provides a glimpse of why Monday's meeting accomplished little or nothing.

Municipalities that BASA serves have a right to be up to speed on all developments affecting the authority and, thus, them also. It is to be hoped that the errors surrounding Monday's meeting will provide the direction to get things right next time, even though the timing of that upcoming meeting — about a month and a half after Monday's — sends out a troubling message regarding officials' sense of urgency to the BASA issues.

Meanwhile, it is to be hoped that BASA's April 18 meeting with the DEP in Meadville, Crawford County, regarding the building permits moratorium will be better organized and more productive than Monday's. If not, the permits moratorium could remain in effect for a long time.