February 11, 2018
Dear Bayview Water & Sewer Board Members,
It is easy to make it sound like you are doing a
wonderful job because everything negative is the fault of someone else. According to campaign promises, the previous
board did nothing correct. The audits
were late, the water and sewer rates were raised, with limited justification,
and it was said we lacked transparency.
However, the lateness of the audits did not show any wrong doings with
financials. The water and sewer rate
increases were long overdue, and needed, just to keep the district sound. We operated on a “pay-as-you-go” platform. The only time the previous board members
discussed business, was at the monthly meetings.
Now you, the new board members, are making big
changes, which you promised you would do.
However, these changes, for water only, are coming with a 2.8 to 3
million dollar bond (loan) price tag and a possible increase in the base water
rate of 100% (from $24 per month to $48 per month).
1)
You want us to respect your position and
actions, however, I find it extremely difficult -
a)
When you make repeated decisions outside
of the monthly board meetings.
b)
Spend money at an alarming rate for
labor that was previously done by the in-house employees.
c)
Respond to questions of concern with
sarcasm.
d)
Imply this is the first time inspections
or ideas were ever done or considered.
2)
Hire a contractor who
a)
Does not do manual work himself but
instead hires outside labor.
b)
Never says “I don’t know” or “I’m not
sure”. Instead,
i)
Implies the previous workers didn’t do
their job.
ii)
The system wasn’t kept in working order.
iii) Manual
Switch in main pump house was disabled.
(1) Was
he trying to operate a switch that had a 10 minute safety delay?
c)
Says a meter is needed to monitor the
effluent to the leach fields.
i)
There is a meter. It just needs a new battery.
d)
Said the triplex generator failed to
start during the last power outage.
i)
The triplex works on a float system –
the generator starts when the float indicates pumping is required.
e)
Says the system is old.
i)
Yes, the system is old but why can’t items
be replaced as needed and not be
replaced as wanted?
Instead of taking offense at every question, why
don’t you analyze the reason for the questions?
Instead of publicly calling people “Trouble Makers” and “Liars”, why
don’t you find out the actual truth of the entire situation? There are not any Bayview Water & Sewer
District customers who would want to harm the system and to think otherwise is
ridiculous and being uninformed.
I currently feel there is only one board member, who
not only truly cares about the district and the job, but who can actually look
at a situation and analyze it with fact and not emotion; one who diligently
works to do a job without violating the trust of the people.
Many campaign promises are gone and it has become a
“do as I say, not as I do” situation.
Where’s the transparency, secure financials and customer service? Those were your words, which you used on the
campaign trail, that have now gone by the wayside.
We are not a district of thousands so these great
improvements are going to come at a huge cost to each rate payer. When the previous board raised the rates due
to economical increases, we were attacked by you, the same people who now want
to raise the rates so drastically. There
is a huge difference in making repairs and replacements, as needed, versus
making elaborate changes because it will make everything the latest and
greatest.
Sincerely,
Marsha Ritzheimer
