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County Needs To Table Water District Vote

To The Reader’s Forum:

The County Legislature needs to table for at least a month its vote on the expansion of the North County Water District while it shares more information. Let me be kind and say the communications regarding this meeting have been inappropriate. I have been supportive of the efforts to improve North County, and all county, water supplies, but the hearing scheduled for March 27 is a problem for everyone.

The “Notice of Public Hearing” sent as post cards to some affected tax payers is inadequate or misleading. The Notice does not provide any information for the recipients of the cards for locating related information of any kind.

A map of the proposed changes was not available on the Water District web site as of 3-24-19, although past maps were there. State Environmental Quality Review Act documents were not available. Cost accounting document(s) were not available.

The second paragraph of the post card is confusing at best. What are the anticipated costs to tax payers county-wide? Did each receive a notice? How so? What are the anticipated costs to Township residents? Did each receive a notice? How so? Will you be using eminent domain or other method to force individual home owners along water-main routes to connect? How much will you charge them or will they need to have available? $3,000 per household? More?

Where does the Public Hearing on Wednesday fit within the process of the Legislature denial or approval of continued water district development? Is the hearing just “a chore” and you plan to vote a few minutes later? What provision have you made for hearing persons not in attendance? Your answers need to be convincing.

The legislature needs to table this matter, reconnect with its citizens, and try again later.

Mike Wilson,

Sheridan

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