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City Council Report, Jan. 4, 2010 meeting In last night's meeting
By Ed Waggener In last night's Columbia City Council Meeting attorney Damon Talley of Hodgenville, KY clarified a 25 point "Steps to Combining Utilities in Columbia and Adair County. The draft plan, he said, is a general one, and minor changes may be needed along the way. Talley told the Council that the combination he envisions will take place in two steps:
A major step in the merger is already half complete, with the transfer of the Adair County School District to the Adair County Water District, a move requested initially by Mayor Patrick R. Bell, and which was hastily approved by the Council, the Water District, the School Board, and Adair Fiscal Court in a move to put the safety and health of the school kids first. The transfer of the Bypass Side of the campus was finished during the Christmas recess by the Adair County Water District, in time for Monday's resumption of classes. That area of the campus now receives fresher water from the ACWD's new 12" waterline, with pressure now more than adequate for firefighting purposes. The Greensburg Street side of the campus, including the Central Office, John Adair Intermediate School, the Raymond Lacy Building, Colonel Wm. Casey the Adair County Middle School, Family Resource Center, and the bus garage will be switched over when school is out of session this summer. The change, however, while benefitting the school system and the county water system, actually means a slight degradation in the water quality for the city system, as less water courses through the ancient city system. It's a problem expected to accelerate in a few months when the 12" ACWD Bypass waterline is complete and million gallon tank is put into use at Holladay Place. Water which previously came through the city system to be returned to the county's south side will no longer do so, and water quality, already a major issue, will degrade at an even faster rate. No quick fix, General Manager Lenny Stone tells council While the Adair County Water District already has plans to correct the problems of the Columbia distribution system, it will be no quick fix, Adair County Water District General Manager Lenny Stone told the Council. He said that in the short term, regardless of who owns the city system, water quality issues are likely to get worse. But, he said, the Adair County Water system has resources to accelerate the improvements. Stone said that feeder lines from the Bypass can provide fresher, higher quality water to several sections of Columbia to give almost immediate relief to areas on the north and west sides of Town. Overall, City rates will have a slight increase after merger Stone and Mr. Talley also addressed the issue of rates. They will be slightly higher when the county takes over the system for several classes of city customers, though not all. The highest increases will come for a few very small users and for those using the most water. The differences range from a lower rate, post merger, for customers using 2,000 gallons of water, to $4.65 per month for customers using 6,000 gallons of water per month. The Columbia-Adair County Utilities District, the new entity, will be regulated by the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which requires all customers to pay the same rate, Mr. Talley told the Council. Councillor Taylor: System has problem but is not broken Councillor Edwin Taylor, posturing a negotiating position and seeming to be in a state of denial about the dire circumstances surrounding the Columbia Water Department, told Mr. Talley that the City system "has problems, but is not broken." In a similar vein, Mr. Taylor wanted assurance that the city would continue to have a say in the operation of the Columbia-Adair County Water District (CACUD). Mr. Talley told Mr. Taylor and other Council members that wording would be put in the agreement asking that the board of the CACUD would make every effort to see that members of its board include city representation, he made it clear that the appointment of the CACUD's board will be at the discretion of the Adair County Fiscal Court, not the CACUD board. Mr. Talley said that he would think it politically prudent for the County Judge Executive to have member from Town on the board, but that the final decision on the makeup of the new board would be in the hands of the Adair Fiscal Court. There is no way, he said, for the agreement to be structured to make that city representation as certainty.. While there was posturing, as well, to have the new board have a 3-2 county to city representation, the size of the two entitites is not at that ratio. The county serves approximately four times the number of customers served by the city. The ACWD has approximately 6,100 customers, while the city has approximately 1,600. The county system is growing at a fairly brisk pace, while the city system has plateaued and can take in no new territory. Councillor Parson makes show of independence The most pointed questions on the merger came from Councillor June Parson, who asked, among other things, for detailed up-to-date operating statements, detailed lists of assets, and detailed lists of liabilities. Councillor Parson asked if a feasibility study would be done on the merger, and was told by Mr. Talley that a feasibility study could be done, if the City wanted to bear the cost. But he said that usually, when circumstances had reached the stage they have in Columbia, both parties already know the benefits to obtained with merger, and would consider a feasibility study an unnecessary expense. Councillor Parson's show of independence is not without risks. If she can show that the Columbia Water Department's problems can be fixed, and an independent system with lower rates can be maintained, the independence may pay off politically. On the other hand, if the questions she raises delay merger and the upgrades now planned by the Adair County Water District, she, and those who support any delays for more study, could see themselves with ownership of the greater crisis expected in the City water system later this summer. RIght now, that ownership lies more with the Mayor and administrative, who took full responsibillity of the situation when the old Columbia Utilities Board was abolished at his urging. The Mayor now advocates a position that is at the same time generally viewed as progressive and at the same time is a face saving way out of the dilemma. Expediency would seem to favor Mayor Bell's position at this time. Councillor Parson leads delay on application for Pineview grant Councillor Parson led a Council delay to Mayor Pat Bell's request that he be authorized to apply for $1.8 million in grants to supply sewer and water to about 80 homes in the Pineview area on the southwest side of Columbia. Councillor Parson said that getting the grant could affect applications for grants to rehabilitate service for existing customers. Councillor Charles Grimsley said he thought the funding agency would be willing to answer Councillor Parson's question, and advocated delaying the proposal as well. While Mayor Bell asserted that he did not believe the application for the Pineview would have any effect, whatsoever, the proposal died for lack of a motion. He said the application would be a progressive move, looking to future growth, as it had always been since he took office, he said. The failure to secure approval for the application at last night's meeting apparently stemmed, at least in part, from the Council's growing resentment that the proposal, like others made by Mayor Bell's during his tenure, was not part of the printed agenda presented to the Council and to the media prior to the meeting. Lynn McLean reappointed to Housing Commission Mayor Bell proposed, and the Council unanimously approved, the re-appointment of Lynn McLean to a new four year term on the City Housing Commission. Second readings approved for Madison and Adams alley closings The Council heard second readings on the closing of Madison Alley between Burkesville and Monroe Streets and for the closing of Adams Alley off the east side of Campbellsville Street, beside the new addition to City Hall. Both measures were unanimously approved. Zoning clarification for Janes Appliance gets 2nd reading OK The Council also unanimously approved the second reading of a measure to clarify the zoning for Janes Appliance on KY 55 South Road to Highway oriented commercial. Council votes to replace totalled cruiser The Council voted unanimously to replace a City Police Cruiser totalled in a December accident. Chief Mark D. Harris said that the city had received $11,000 in an insurance settlement. The new cruiser will be purchased through a state contract. The cruiser will come from Don Franklin Ford in Columbia. The voice vote was 6-0. All members of the City Council were present, including Craig Dean, Charles Grimsley, Joe Moore, June Parson, Edwin Taylor, and Linda Waggener. Also present were City Attorney Marshall Loy, City Clerk Carolyn Edwards, City Police Chief Mark D. Harris, City Planning and Zoning Commissioner Roy Rademacher, Adair County Water District General Manager Lenny Stone, and members of the media. Joe Moore moves adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:15pmCT, on a signal from Mayor Bell, by Councillor Joe Moore, who said, "I move we adjourn." About your Columbia City Council The Columbia City Council meets each first Monday in the Council Meeting Room, City Hall, 115 Campbellsville ST, Columbia, KY.The meetings are open to the public. Mayor Patrick R. Bell. Councillors June Parson, Linda Waggener, Craig Dean, Charles Grimsley, Joe Moore, Edwin Taylor. City Clerk Carolyn Edwards. City Attorney Marshall Loy. Assistant City Clerk Sonya Roy. City Police Chief Mark Harris. City Sewer Superintendent Bo Murphy. City Water Superintendent Dana Rogers. City Sanitation Department Superintendent Kenneth Dulin. City Street Department Superintendent Donnie Rowe. City Events Planner Rhonda Loy. This story was posted on 2010-01-05 06:26:14
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