Water, a vital source
www.eldialogo.com
As the principal sources of sewage pollution in the Connecticut and Chicopee rivers, Holyoke, Springfield and Chicopee are facing a very important environmental issue. It’s a problem that our local government has addressed several times. The situation here is: Do the local citizens understand what is happening? What does “the largest source of sewage pollution in the rivers” mean?
According to Stan Freeman, from Masslive.com, the problem is rooted in the construction of sewer systems around the early 1900’s. Overflow pipes and drainage lines were built so they would carry away sewage and excess water from rainstorms. Now the combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are the major source of pollution in many U.S. rivers. Fixing the problem, Freeman says, is costly.
Even more problematic is the dramatic, post-rainstorm growth bacteria, sometimes up to 250 times the safe level. Hepatitis gastroenteritis, lung, eye or ear infection could result for swimmers in such conditions.
Both Mayor Michael Sullivan and Bill Fuqua, Superintendent of the Department of Public Works, hired Tighe and Bond Consulting Engineers to evaluate the condition, structures age and equipment at the City’s wastewater treatment plant, its seven wastewater pump stations, and the South Street Grit Chamber. They made recommendations to fix the problem, and with them, the city developed a request for private companies to bid on the job.
Aquarion, a water supply company, was the only company that had bid for the project. Most of the City Council members are requesting more information about the process. The council claims that the Mayor is not presenting them with other options; especially, about how much it will cost if the city decided to do the project, and not privatize with Aquarion.
The allegation of the council is that from the beginning the DPW superintendent Bill Fuqua and mayor Michael Sullivan have not presented two options; they had only concentrated in presenting Aquarion’s proposal.
The City Council members were not provided with a draft contract on time for them to ask questions and learn more about the 20 year contract the Mayor is requesting the Council to approve.
The members stated that the City Council's authority to approve contracts with a lifespan of more than 3 years (power contained in the Code of Ordinances for the City of Holyoke) was stripped away from them by special legislation; giving the Board of Public Works the authority to approve a 20 year contract.
This special legislation was proposed by the Mayor as part of a home rule petition and approved by the legislature. When this special legislation was proposed, a requisition was made that the City Council's authority to vote up or down on a privatization contract would remain unaffected, but a legal opinion from the City Solicitor says that the City Council lost its authority in this Special legislation.
The City Council voted 14-1 earlier this year to call upon the legislature to modify the Special legislation to reinstate the powers of the Holyoke City Council; however, the Mayor refused to sign this home rule petition.
The City Council members proposed that no sewer rate hike should be approved unless: 1. the Mayor approves the home rule petition to reinstate the authorities of the Holyoke City Council; 2. the legislature adopts the home rule petition; 3. it is signed by the Governor; and 4. that it becomes effective.
The City Council also argues that the Federal Government is enforcing a mandate with no funds attached. The City of Holyoke is the poorest city of Massachusetts; it is the council opinion that the city should seek federal funds to alleviate the huge expenses of this project.
The Holyoke Residents for Open Government (HROG), a group formed by resident homeowners have many questions as well. They argue that the residents need better understanding of the issues in order to develop an opinion.
According to the group, it was through a local newspaper that they learned about the municipal government’s inclination to privatize the project. They also stated that the public meeting organized by the city was not publicized enough for residents to attend. The group attended the Department of Public Works Commission meeting and petitioned that the commission extends the time for residents to learn more about the project and to comment about it. Another meeting will take place on November 29, to discuss whether or not the commission will extend the time for the residents to review and comment on the contract.
HROG stated that the City is guilty of sitting on this problem and waiting until the last moment to find solutions of such an important environmental issue.
Now the city wants the residents to blind-sign a 20 year contract with a private institution that does not have more than three 3 years of managing water waste plants altogether. We want answers before we commit.
The final questions are: Should the city do it by itself? Should it privatize?
