BCWA Poppasquash Debacle: One More Nail In The Coffin?
For more than three years now, some of us have tried to warn the citizens of Bristol, Warren and Barrington that there were serious problems at the Bristol County Water Authority. Bristol Town Council Chairman Ken Marshall not only refused to give any credibility to our cautionary calls, but even went so far as to state at the Forum held 2-1/2 years ago that it reminded him of the "Spanish Inquisition!"
Anyone who dared to come forward at town meetings with a question was vilified and labeled a "troublemaker." All three Town Councils repeatedly reappointed directors that were at the root of the problem.
The fact that there is no water for the residents of Poppasquash is indeed a travesty. And it is only the tip of the iceberg. The Anawan Club is suing the BCWA; the state of Massachusetts is suing the BCWA; the Franklin Court issue has still not been rectified; the low-pressure area still has not been addressed; the infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes; there is no money to complete the East Providence interconnect (yes, the one that we were told was completed 2-1/2 years ago); and that is just the beginning.
It was good to see several residents from Poppasquash come forward to speak at the recent Bristol Town Council meeting to voice their concerns regarding the Bristol County Water Authority's recent removal of the fire hydrants in the area. Many were left scrambling for new insurance policies, and were notably discontented with the action and subsequent explanation.
To say that the pipes were placed there 100 years ago is hardly an explanation as to why they have not been maintained. There was testimony given that a builder had been given the authority to come off of these existing pipes to service a new development in the 80s. How does this happen?
Here is the link to the town meeting and the discussion starts at 1 hour 43 minutes into the tape. www.bristolri.us/videos/brtc08-29-12.wmv.
There is a workshop planned to discuss BCWA issues and I hope that as many ratepayers as possible plan to attend and ask questions. The date and time is to be announced. I will post it as soon as it is available.
Many changes are being implemented at the BCWA due to the new directors that were appointed, and we applaud these actions. However, they cannot perform miracles overnight! In order to really grasp the scope of the situation at hand, ratepayers MUST insist on a complete forensic audit of the Bristol County Water Authority Act funds starting in 1993. This is the only way they/we can begin to understand the depth of this problem. Not only do they deserve answers, they deserve to know just how far-reaching the problems are and what will be "turned off" next.
Fortunately, this is an election year. You will have the opportunity to vote out many of the elected officials who have refused to act in your best interests, but have chosen to support the "old boy network" instead.
Is it time to turn to the PUC?
Gary Morse
3:58 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
The root of the legacy problems at BCWA sits squarely with bad legal advice from their attorney, Sandra Mack.
Let me rephrase that, the legal advice was what Pasquale Delise wanted to hear, but was bad for rate payers (as the Poppasquash residents are now learning).
In a recent BCWA meeting, attorney Sandra Mack tried to explain away the lack of proper funding for their statutorily mandated infrastructure fund as "we had a special waiver from the state".
With all due respect to the BCWA Board who were there listening to this, nobody bothered to ask "what waiver".
Then there was that statutorily mandated "plan" due for over 18 years, but never completed. Where was Ms Mack's $475 per hour expertise on that minor violation of RI law.
Then there was that submission to the Water Resources Board for $1.5 million to make upgrades to the water treatment plant. The problem being that the statutes mandated that the Shad Pipeline had to be installed first before the money was handed over for the WTP upgrades.
It appears the Shad Pipeline will never be installed, but we now have $1.5 mil in improvements if the water ever starts to flow.
And on that $4.9 mil in the Chapter 595 BCWA bond that some are claiming as being legally available to cover Poppasquash upgrades, that is also totally bogus.
The list goes on, but there is only so much space to post.
BristolRI02809
10:09 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
To noboby's surprise, we have fat cat Gary Morse sitting in his Barrington waterfront mansion complaining about his fellow millionaires lack of fire hydrants in Bristol.
Here's some advice for you and your fellow millionaires Morse: If you can afford a mansion, you can afford to pay the extra cost of insurance because of a lack of hydrants.
Go cry to your fellow teabaggers at your next republican state committee meeting.
Lorraine F
11:17 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
BristolRI
I think you have something useful to say, but on every blog you post on, you do nothing but name call and gossip.
I'm in agreement with many of the issues you appear to post on, but your credibility is so low because all you want to do is insult.
We need some credibility to support Democratic ideas. I think you have a lot to contribute.
Gary Morse
10:58 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Actually Bristol, for once I'm in agreement with you. Sorry you didn't understand this.
My point is that the so called millionaires (your term) should be responsible for the required upgrades in Poppasquash the same way rate payers are in other towns.
The problem you seem not to understand is that BCWA got away with decades of mismanagement because they had council members like Ken Marshall who would give them a free pass on things like not having a statutorily mandated infrastructure plan.
The handiwork for this always finds its way back to Sandra Mack's legal opinions. She was after all representing the interests of all rate payers
It's nice to know we finally agree on something.
TERRY SOUSA
11:52 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
CALLING PEOPLE FAT CATS AND TEA BAGGERS DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEM AND OFTEN IS A SIGN OF ENVY, JEALOUSY OR EVEN WORSE.
ASSUMING A POPPASQUASH RESIDENT'S HOME IS APPRAISED FOR TAX
PURPOSES AT $2,000,000, THE ANNUAL REAL ESTATE TAX IS A COUPLE OF
HUNDRED DOLLARS SHORT OF $25,000 YEARLY, OR 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS
OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD.
HOW ANYONE CAN CONDONE COLLECTING THESE FUNDS YEAR IN AND YEAR
OUT WHILE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO ADEQUATE FIRE PROTECTION IS A
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BLATANTLY POOR GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT ON THE
PART OF THOSE ELECTED OR APPOINTED AND CHARGED WITH THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF OVERSIGHT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF BRISTOL'S CITIZENRY. PROBABLY INDEFENSIBLE AND DERELICT WOULD BE
MORE DESCRIPTIVE.
TERRY SOUSA
NATIVE BRISTOLIAN
marina peterson
12:03 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Well Said!!!!
BristolRI02809
12:29 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
If you can afford a multi million dollar home, and $25,000 per year tax bill, a few thousand bucks more per year in insurance would be chump change to these Poppasquash residents.
You teabaggers need to stop your whining, and go help your hero teabagger Romney hide more of his billions in Swiss bank accounts, or better still, try to pry your overweight backsides away for the computer for a few hours and watch the Patriots game.
marina peterson
12:54 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Spoken like a true liberal. Anyone who is successful should be exempt from receiving fire protection from their town. That sort of thing is only for the down-trodden. They should just go out and get their own.
Margaret
1:51 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
you've had too much--you are now vomiting the koolaid
LIVES AT RISK! what don't you get?
who cares about few thousand bucks or insurance?
Trolling here is one thing--your ignorant posts are just beyond
Please learn to civilize your keyboard stroking
If Poppa residents merit less than adequate fire protection because some entity didn't do their "due diligence", who is next?
what neighborhood can now sleep "safely"?? Was the lack of proper testing & maintenance isolated to Poppasquash?
Is your street safe? My house? Your Mom's??
BE SERIOUS! LIFE in DANGER!
Shameful your ID here since you represent nothing of any Bristolian I have ever known.
Ray Andrews
2:32 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
If people are paying the same tax rates, they should expect the same services.
Gary Morse
2:47 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Ray,
What I want BCWA to do is promote one policy for all rate payers on these infrastructure projects. Further, if Bristol town officials demand curb to curb paving (a very expensive luxury), but the other towns do not, some adjustment might be in order to help out the BCWA budget here.
This is one of those unintended consequences of what appeared to be a good idea years ago.
I am trying to help out an elderly lady on fixed income in Barrington get her hookup, but she cannot afford the street improvement charge BCWA wants from her. This is a charge over and above the cost to get the connection into the house.
One policy needs to be enforced for all three towns.
Pete Hewett
2:42 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
failure to use your real name when uttering such venom reflects more than a lack of self confidence. It is indicative of a lack of character and courage. This bristolri02809 gives sincere, concerned and patriotic citizens of a liberal persuasion a very bad name. I would say shame on him/her, but such cowards have no shame.
As for the fire hydrant matter, I have one obeservation in addition to the concerns already expressed both on this blog and at the recent Bristol Town Council meeting.
If I am not mistaken I thought I heard one of the town councillors state that the town is billed for each every fire hydrant we have. I am not clear whether the cost is a one time installation fee or whether we are charged annually by the BCWA for each hydrant in place. If these hydrants were installed back in the 80's and more since and none of them are effective and their ineffectiveness was known at the time they were installe, then does the town no have a legitimate claim against the BCWA for monies had and received? Is there a basis for the town making a civil claim or perhaps even a criminal claim depending on who knew, what and when and yet proceeded to put hydrants in place and perpetuate what some might suspect is fraudulent. Insurers of homeowners on Poppasquash and the homeowners themselves could have somthing to say about being so significantly duped.
Pete Hewett
Gary Morse
5:06 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Pete,
You make excellent points. P Delise did nothing about the statutorily mandated plans, and the old board allowed this to go on.
Worse yet was that BCWA's attorney did nothing to inform the board of their fiduciary duty to abide by the RI General Laws in this matter.
It was her duty as an officer of the court to ensure the RI General Laws were being followed by the Board.
So now she refinances some BCWA bonds, and all is to be forgiven.
JACK
7:10 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
hey TEABAGGERS poppasquashers want to be private