I wasn't at the meeting last night. For some reason I thought it was in the auditorium, went there, and it was closed and dark. I did not see any signage or notice of the meeting so I thought it had been cancelled.
The fact that there were only 3 or 4 concerned citizens that attended is bothersome and puzzling. Maybe the people have just given up. BCWA has squandered money for the last 20 years, failing to pay down their debt in a timely manner. Yes, we now have new management, but the decisions on spending money do not seem to be tightened at all. The Union contract was lucrative, especially considering the fact that it includes GUARANTEED jobs at GUARANTEED pay for union employees no matter what course the water authority should ultimately take. There will be NO layoffs if the plant is closed and BCWA becomes a distribution center.
Two new executives will be hired at a cost of $100,000 including benefits.
When asked about the increases on Wednesday night Ms. Marchand said that after the initial 12% it would probably be 4% ad infinitum because the authority has no money.
BCWA has come full circle and embraced the recommendations of our citizen's watch committee presented at the January Forum in 2011. Two years of "spinning" and calling people names, threatening to sue ratepayers who asked "too many questions" and, not only that, they "weren't born and bred here", and here we are. We are now being advised that it is more economical and results in safer, purer water, to purchase water from Scituate and Pawtucket instead of trying to process our own. Duh!
It will be interesting to see how the ratepayers react when the first bills come rolling in. Folks, it's too late then. Speak now or suffer the consequences.
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