Boiling over: Water forum results in fed-up officials’ sudden departure
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008
TONTITOWN - Representatives of Washington County and the Washington Water Authority stormed out of a Tontitown public forum Monday night stating that they had had enough "badgering"from Mick Wagner, a consultant for the Tontitown Water and Sewer Commission.
"We'll try in another setting. This just isn't going to work,"Washington County Attorney George Butler said as he, Josh Moore, executive director of the Washington Water Authority, and Wayne Blankenship, Washington County grants administrator, gathered up their papers and left the Tontitown City Hall.
Wagner defended himself stating that he was only asking tough questions that needed answers.
"It appears to (Washington Water Authority ) that they have been put in a difficult situation,"Wagner said. "If you can't answer the questions, don't come to the party."
The meeting was called by Mayor Joe Edgmon who said the purpose was to give Tontitown citizens the opportunity to ask questions to both parties regarding water service in the city. Currently, Washington Water Authority operates some water service lines in the southeast part of Tontitown. Both parties had been in discussion on whether the city's Water and Sewer Commission could take over the lines.
Wagner, City Attorney Mark Dossett, commission Chairman Bill Brandt and commission Vice Chairman Gene Baker sat at the front to help answer any questions or facilitate any discussion. Dossett said at the end of the meeting that all four reluctantly did so when Edgmon asked them to at the beginning of the meeting. He said all four of them originally attended the meeting as concerned citizens.
"It needs to be known that we were asked to sit here,"he said.
Wagner and the rest of the commission are trying to figure out a way to get the authority to let the city take over any water lines within the city limits so the customers could get adequate flow for fire hydrants, which would lower Insurance Services Office ratings and lower homeowners insurance premiums for residents. Residents with water service from the city also pay less than customers of the water authority.
The history behind the situation dates back to June 26 when Tontitown water and sewer commissioners complied with a new state statute that required individual water authorities to submit master water plans to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and allow for comment from neighboring systems. When Tontitown submitted its plan, it included recommendations that the city eventually take over Washington Water Authority customers in the southeast part of town.
Moore was asked by Tontitown citizens as well as members of the commission why Washington Water Authority customers within the city limits are paying around $84 a month in rates while the average Tontitown water bill sits around $33 a month, a 218 percent difference.
Wagner pointed out that currently Washington Water Authority customers across the county pay basically the same rates because the authority divides its $22 million in debt service equally across the board, meaning Tontitown authority customers are paying for the construction of water lines in places like Greenland and Winslow.
"For the citizens of Tontitown it's in their best interest to be served by Tontitown water. Their bill will be 200 percent less, and they'll have fire protection,"Dossett pointed out. "It has ruffled some feathers, and it probably will continue to ruffle some feathers."
Currently, the authority can only borrow enough money from its lending agencies to build lines that deliver fresh water for home purposes only; it cannot build lines to support fire protection needs. Moore said there are some solutions available to install proper pipes for fire protection to authority customers in Tontitown. He said the city can put in a system that's solely for fire protection or it can partner with the authority on a project to upgrade the lines.
Wagner and the commission have asked the authority what deal needed to be worked out to take over the lines. In an e-mail from Moore to Butler, which Wagner received under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and read out loud at the meeting, Moore stated that he "wouldn't go for anything less than (Tontitown) paying the entire debt service off, if then."The e-mail went on to say that "This may take a nice friendly visit from (county Judge Jerry Hunton) with their mayor and water commission chairman to make them understand that they are dealing with the county and trying to do anything forcefully will be dealing with the county as a whole."Moore's e-mail also alluded to the fact that he thought Hunton's comments in the past showed that interlocal agreements with the county, such as police protection and road department service, with cities can be re-evaluated when difficult situations arise.
Wagner asked Moore if the e-mail meant the county would consider severing interlocal agreements because the city is asking questions. Moore said that was not the case.
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