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One of the more effective hits on
former Mayor O'Brien's 2013 campaign was unfounded assertions that
he was cutting a deal with the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) to sell
the city's water department --- the city's most coveted natural resource.
None other than ex-Congresswoman
turned lobbyist Nancy Johnson was trotted out by the Republican campaign to
falsely and deliberately spread the rumor that Mayor O'Brien was getting rid of
water assets to the tune of $80 million: a big lie that had its origins in
former Mayor Tim Stewart's talks with the Metropolitan District Commission
(MDC) about the city's regional water assets.
Now comes a plan from the second
Stewart administration to sell off a piece of the city's water resources in
Southington in exchange for a cool $ 1.2 million from that town's government.
Southington now pays New Britain a $106,000 annual lease for the water rights.
Mayor Stewart, quoted
in her weekly newsletter, assures us that our neighboring town
wants the Patton Brook Well for its water plan and that continuing the lease is
not an option for either town.
According to the Mayor's office,
Southington offered to buy the Patton Brook parcel for $200,000.
Miraculously, Erin Stewart claims she negotiated a sale for $1 million more,
adding one-time revenue to the city, but eliminating the $106,000 annual
income after 2014. The Stewart administration insists that the city is
not selling any more water reserves at this time.
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Reservoir near New Britain and
Southing line (www.lenard-eng.com)
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Not so fast. The devil is
in the details here. And it will be up to a public hearing and the Common
Council to get these details and more answers that weren't provided in the
Mayor's braggadocio about her negotiating skills.
Will that $1.2 million sale price obligate New Britain to do infrastructure work on the city's dime before the sale goes through? If that is the case the city's return on a sell off of one of its natural assets may not even be close to $1 million. And lost forever is the $106,000 annual income from the longstanding lease with Southington.
There are also questions as to
why the sale income would go into city's general fund instead of the water
enterprise department fund as would be customary in transactions involving the
water department. The Board of Water Commissioners reportedly approved
the deal but with only three members present and one of those Stewart-appointed
members abstaining.
No one questions that the city --
the structural deficits acknowledged by the current and past mayor -- could use
revenue over what property taxes and state aid provide. But the selling
of public land and natural resources for short term gain is a risky proposition
that may cost the city more in the long run.
The public needs to know a lot
more about this sales contract with Southington before it is approved by the
Council and signed by the administration.
By: John McNamara
Re-posted from http//nbpoliticus.blogspot.com
John: the repairs needed to put the well back in use requires an excess of one million dollars of repairs with Farmington offering to purchase this well for an approximate 30 K but Major Stewart negotiated the higher figure you quoted. This is just a well and not what O'Brien was attempting to sell to the MDC. Also the state required Farmington to have this well in good repair as a emergency back up for their water needs. This sale is without the repairs that forces Farmington to due the repairs at their cost.
Erin has made a good deal in this matter!
fs
John: the repairs needed to put the well back in use requires an excess of one million dollars of repairs with Farmington offering to purchase this well for an approximate 30 K but Major Stewart negotiated the higher figure you quoted. This is just a well and not what O'Brien was attempting to sell to the MDC. Also the state required Farmington to have this well in good repair as a emergency back up for their water needs. This sale is without the repairs that forces Farmington to due the repairs at their cost.
Erin has made a good deal in this matter!
fs
nbpoliticus | June 30, 2014 at
11:45 pm | Tags: environment, water
| Categories: City Hall, Environment,
Municipal Budget | URL: http://wp.me/pWyF4-1iY
3 comments:
Frank:
I don't know why you even publish the political rantings of this evil person. His prevarications and hatred of anyone not a democrat are nothing but garbage. He is trying to remove the memory of the ineptness and the stupidity of the O'Brien Administration. After what O'Brien and his henchmen did to the taxpayers of the city of New Britain, it will take decades from which to recover. It's fortunate that the voters of NB turned out to defeat O'Brien. Who next will Lil' Mac trot out to ruin the City? DeFronzo? Trueworthy? Bielinski and her nepotic tricks? Carlozzi?
Lil' Mac is a human piranha who feeds exclusively on lies, innuendo and hatred. Don't dirty your blog with his trash talk, Frank !
You shouldn't let democrats voices be heard Frank it is below you.
Its' a bad deal though and NB should keep it we may need it one day and it is making us $ every year. Don't let thses assets go!!!
Mac is such a liar!
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