TOPICAL TEABAGGER

There are a couple items with this article; 1) very much like the three communities of Barrington, Bristol and Warren, they cover the cost for the video tapping of the town meetings for the public to stay informed. I sat @ the of the BCWA meetings and heard quite often that nobody took interest in the meeting ... well, it has been tested that people do care ... about picking up the cost and continue to provide the services for transparency purpose. b) can we be appreciative that a private citizen with the support of volunteers students and a faculty member (Mr. Latessa) took the initiative that for so long was lacking!?
Thank you to Marina, the students and Mr. Latessa for your time and services. Let's hope that your efforts have not gone in vain.

The BCWA should start paying for this is; Why they can match funds to the tune of I think it was $14,000.00 for a fish ladder after the last rate hike, had no problem with $500.00 for Union outing every year because "It is the way it has always been done since we formed the BCWA" according to the board at the time. Since rescinded, after public outcry.

$75,000 for 4 new Vehicles to a Business that was leaving Warren in the middle of a financial crisis and 12% rate hike at the time that supposedly was a perfect fiscal storm. Pay raise for the past Director who they were following around to make sure he was doing his job according to the Board in the paper. Lavish pat on the back dinners for employees and board.

Pension mismanagement and not even knowing some of the rules for years. No problem with calendar contest because it is one of the good things they do, according to the Board. Always hear about money to this day being spent because it helps the BCWA image.

If this Board with new members does not give Marina and These students a "letter of appreciation" for this work and fund it from now on, shame on them and maybe the wrong people are at the helm. All the above can be found in past minutes of the meetings. The right for the people to have open meetings, especially those who cannot attend all the time needs to be done no matter the cost. The BCWA past on transparency has been disastrous to the point of tyranny to ratepayers.

Thank you Marina for taking the time, effort, and finance to make this happen. It showed BCWA that this is a doable initiative.

It should be noted that it was many of the old guard who voted against. The vote was:

In favor of funding:

Robert Allio,
Joseph DeMelo
Kevin Fitta
Allan Klepper,
Raymond Palmieri

Opposed -

Frank Sylvia
John Jannitto
William Gosselin
Paul Bishop

Thank you Mr. Klepper for your "good sense" tie breaker vote in favor.

Those who opposed might want to explain to rate payers why transparency continues to be thought of as a bad idea at BCWA.

I also want to thank those who voted to fund this initiative. Thank you for posting the list Gary.

I will be out of town next week for the BCWA meeting on the 12th and I hope that some of the ratepayers will attend and hold them accountable for their promise to continue the taping. It has been an invaluable resource to all of us.

With so many issues on the table right now, THM in the water, Poppasquash, funding for East Providence/Pawtucket connection and of course the major rate increase.... the public must be kept abreast of the progress.

Let me try and figure this out. $375 per hour for a lawyer, and they can't come uo with $40 dollars a month for filming meetings that would prove to the citizens of three towns that they are trying their best to upgrade the department and keep the rates low. What am I missing ?
Great job Marina, sorry that the BCWA has thrown you and your students to the wolf's. Where will they find someone else for $40. Stupid.

Confused isn't the word. It is now time for the Town Council to step in and tell the people from Warren who they placed on the BCWA to stop the stuppidness of the BCWA or get off the board. This is really getting to me. $40, for the citizens to see what they are doing. I guess it can not be much. And what has the great Ms,Marchand have to say about the filming. Isn't she in charge. Lets knock this this **** off, and answer to the citizens of Warren We pay the taxes.

Just got back from out of town. I have heard that the BCWA is planning on hiring two more executives at $100,000 plus benefits. One will be a project manager (I thought this was in the job description of the Operations Manager) and one will be an MIS person. Guess their salary is built into the rate hike.

I know that they are asking for the three towns to approve new legislation which re-allocates the 6.9 million that was for completing the Shad and other projects. I would sincerely hope that the three towns don't even consider approving this legislation until the legislation that Tony Teixiera's ad hoc committee worked so hard on last year is passed. This was the revisions to the BCWA Supply Act that covered terms of office of directors, mandatory bid process for legal and other services every three years, stipulates that both chairman AND vice-chairman are elected (and must be from separate towns), along with six or seven more vital revisions. This legislation somehow got "lost" on an attorney's desk and was never presented last June. When it surfaced this year it had NONE of the vital changes included, save for one minor one. In my opinion, this must be passed before any other legislation is added.

Marina
The BCWA wants to hire two more excecutive's at $100,000 apiece plus benifits. This company is a run away freigth train and no one is going to stop it. It just keeps going and going. It would be nice if it dropped $40 on the way.