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Opinions expressed in editorials and commentaries are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Tube City Community Media Inc. or its directors. Responsible replies are welcomed.

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A lot has happened since we wrote an editorial June 9 about the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County's plans to demolish the remaining portion of the old water treatment plant near the 15th Avenue Bridge.

Our editorial, and the Daily News story on which it was based, sparked a movement on Facebook and Twitter (hashtag "#savemckeesporthistory") by White Oak artist Jenni Dangel to get the municipal authority to halt its demolition plans to see if the building could be reused.

A public meeting about the roundhouse (and historic preservation) will be held at 7 p.m. June 25 at McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center.

In the meantime, the MAWC, which provides water service to McKeesport, Port Vue and surrounding areas, has put on a clinic on "how not to respond to public concerns."

There has been a feeling over the years in McKeesport that the MAWC, which purchased the city's water system in the 1980s, treats the Mon-Yough area as an unwanted stepchild.

There also have been accusations over the years from the Post-Gazette --- see, for instance, Rich Lord's 2010 series of articles, "The Network" --- that the MAWC is run for the benefit of a clique of Greensburg and Mon Valley "insiders" with little outside input, and --- from the Tribune-Review, among others --- that it's tone-deaf to its customers.

I'm afraid that the MAWC's behavior over the past week has done little to dispel those suspicions.

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First things first: I have deliberately been trying to stay out of this controversy, because Jenni is a member of the board of directors of Tube City Community Media Inc., which oversees the Tube City Online website.

The Tube City board is not taking any action or any position on this topic; we do not lobby public officials, and I have not spoken to Jenni about this issue. We only provide a forum for commentary and information. Jenni has been very clear that she's acting on her own.

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The so-called "roundhouse" is a distinctive round building that was part of McKeesport's original water treatment facility, which at one point included a giant public swimming pool. The plant, constructed in 1908 in response to a public health emergency in McKeesport, is recognized as a historic landmark by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

Of the effort to preserve the building, two fair criticisms could be made.

One is that there is no clear re-use plan for the building if it's not torn down. And, along with that, the building is located on private property, within a water-treatment facility, and with limited parking. Security and safety concerns would make it difficult to re-use the building for any purpose that requires regular access from the general public.

But it seems that all Jenni and other preservationists are asking is for the MAWC to delay demolition to see if it's worth preserving the building.

MAWC has done a good job at not letting public pressure (from Preservation Pennsylvania and other groups) bother it; crews from a Fayette County demolition company have been removing the inside of the roundhouse all week.

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The other fair criticism that could be made is that preservationists only stepped forward after MAWC made plans --- and indeed, awarded a contract --- to tear down the building. It's a little late in the game to come to the roundhouse's rescue.

But on the other hand, who would have expected the MAWC to tear down a building that was a recognized historic landmark? And certainly, who would have expected them to do that without at least consulting the public?

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And there's the whole problem. In Rich Lord's 2010 stories about "The Network," he linked prominent public officials and attorneys, including the board members and managers of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, as well as the prominent law firm of Dodaro, Matta and Cambest, which represents the McKeesport Area School Board, among other clients.

Lord made clear four years ago that some members of "The Network" didn't appreciate or welcome public comment or input, and it's worth asking if anything has changed.

Well, earlier this month, the McKeesport Area School Board was fined $250 for violating the state's Open Meetings Law.

Allegheny County Judge Paul F. Lutty Jr. warned the district that it will face substantial fines if it doesn't shape up; the school district, he said, is a repeat violator.

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When members of "The Network" do face public scrutiny, they trip all over themselves, it appears. And the MAWC's public statements about the roundhouse demolition have indeed been contradictory and comical.

Over the past week, for instance, they have accused Jenni, and the nearly 800 people in her Facebook group, of spreading "rumors" on "social media." In Thursday's Post-Gazette (the story doesn't appear to be online), the MAWC's executive director said the agency is not demolishing the roundhouse. He said they're only tearing down two floors.

Well, sure, it's essentially a two-story building, but they're only tearing off two floors. So that's all right, then.

Except, I think, most people would argue that if you tear off the part of the building that makes it distinctive --- the top part --- then any historic significance is gone.

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And there's another slight contradictory detail: the MAWC's PR person put out a press release which stated that the agency "has started demolition" of the roundhouse and noting that the agency will use the space for other purposed "after the demolition is complete."

So, the MAWC's press releases say they're demolishing it. But the MAWC's executive director says they're not demolishing it; Jenni and her friends are just spreading rumors on the Internet.

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All of this would have been avoided if the MAWC had been a little more open and forthcoming, but those qualities don't seem to be strong suits. Remember, for instance, how the MAWC handled the announcement in November that a filtration system had failed.

The MAWC was supposed to put out a boil-water advisory. Instead, it failed to properly warn the public of the possible danger, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

DEP spokesman John Poister told KDKA-TV the authority's physical response to the emergency was "right by the book," but what little information they released to the public was flawed.

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When Rich Lord wrote his stories about "The Network," I was somewhat critical, saying that I had "a hard time seeing anything to get upset about."

I said that I viewed companies such as Resource Development & Management (which runs the MAWC, and which Lord put at the heart of "The Network") as a symptom of two issues --- America's mania for privatizing public services, and the ridiculous patchwork quilt of inefficient little municipalities and competing government agencies that run Western Pennsylvania (sometimes badly).

But I think I owe Rich and everyone else an apology. Re-reading his stories, I guess I missed one of the points he was making --- there's an arrogance and high-handedness to the way this "Network" operates, at MAWC and elsewhere: "We know what's good for you, and we'll tell you what you need to know. Don't worry your pretty little heads about anything."

That attitude has been much on display throughout this controversy.

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McKeesport and vicinity are areas where citizens are reluctant to offer ideas or suggestions --- they'd rather just moan and complain. And government, in general, in the United States is viewed with hostility and suspicion --- which explains why we keep privatizing everything.

Yet in a little bit more than a week, Jenni Dangel has put together nearly 800 people who are concerned, engaged and offering their talents and ideas --- for free! --- to a quasi-governmental agency.

Instead of viewing people such as Dangel --- who is, after all, a customer --- and these other citizens as a nuisance, I would hope that MAWC would view them as a resource that needs to be cultivated and encouraged.

It seems to me that MAWC --- and most of our local municipalities and authorities --- should be welcoming that kind of interest and support, and not turning their backs.

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Opinions expressed in commentaries are those of individual authors, and are not necessarily those of Tube City Community Media Inc., its volunteers or directors.

Tube City Community Media is committed to printing viewpoints from residents of McKeesport and the surrounding area. To submit a commentary, email tube city tiger at gmail dot com, or write to Tube City Online, P.O. Box 94, McKeesport 15134.