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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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'Biggest decision for city in decades' is proposal to join regional pipeline, says Flint mayor
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com The Flint Journal
on March 16, 2013 at 10:30 AM Print
FLINT, MI – Mayor Dayne Walling said the biggest financial decision Flint has seen in decades will be at the forefront during a special city council meeting Monday, March 18.
Walling, citing numbers from the city’s finance department, said Flint would save $19 million over eight years if it joins the Karegnondi Water Authority rather than continuing to purchase water from Detroit.
“Every analysis keeps showing the same result – that the new raw water pipeline is the cheapest source and it has the additional benefits of partial ownership and economic development,” Walling said. “This is the single biggest decision for the city of Flint in decades.”
Karegnondi is the regional water authority that includes Genesee, Lapeer and Sanilac counties and the cities of Flint and Lapeer.
The authority was created to build a new water pipeline to Lake Huron, allowing the communities to supply their own fresh water instead of buying treated water from the city of Detroit.
“My concern has been that staying with Detroit doesn’t give us the ability to control the cost Detroit passes on to us,” said City Council President Scott Kincaid. “I’ve never been a fan of staying with Detroit.”
Kincaid was one of three council members who wanted to approve the deal last week.
Councilmen Bryant Nolden, Bernard Lawler and Sheldon Neeley – who all voted successfully to delay the decision – could not be reached for comment. They said they wanted to review the costs comparisons before voting.
Walling said joining the Karegnodi would come with a fixed, 25-year rate, which is better than Detroit’s fluctuating rates.
“We need to make financial decisions in the long-term interest of our community and it is cheaper to go with the new pipeline,” he said.
If city council approves the Karegnondi proposal, Flint would purchase 18 million gallons of Lake Huron water daily through the pipeline. The raw water would be treated at the city’s water plant and then distributed to Flint customers.
Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright previously said the city would pay roughly $6.4 million annually for water service if it joined the pipeline – a nearly $4 million savings on what it pays Detroit for water.
The pipeline would take three years to build and Flint would have to get water from Detroit during that time.
“It is expected that necessary costs incurred prior to the time when water is provided by the new pipeline can be structured into the bond financing and repayment schedule so Flint’s customer aren’t paying for both Detroit and KWA at the same time,” Walling said in an email to MLive-Flint Journal.
Part of the push to approve the deal is because the KWA is ready to start construction on the pipeline. There’s also some anxiety from city officials after Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Keyvn Orr as emergency financial manager in Detroit.
“It’s a concern for me that the city of Flint residents are allowed to use the water supplier that’s best for this community,” Walling said. “I don’t want the state to be put in the difficult position of balancing Detroit’s interests and Flint’s interests against each other.”
Flint emergency financial manager Ed Kurtz still has not made a recommendation about where the city should get its water. He did not return a phone call seeking comment from MLive-Flint Journal.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for MLive-Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:02 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Neeley was on his radio show a week ago and was angry that Kincaid had lobbied to support the pipeline. The three that held up the vote should be ashamed of themselves. Good politicians always lobby and seek support. Obviously Neeley in his attempt to discredit Kincaid also did some lobbying himself to slow the vote. They have had these facts and figures for about 2 years and were just afraid to commit.
Neeley is apparently distressed that Flint no longer controls the water and has lobbied and argued for more seats on the final board that would give Flint control. A it is the City of Flint will have one third of the seats for the Karegondi Water Board.
Flint has never had control. Detroit charges Flint far more than any other user because Flint is the furthest from Detroit. According to Wright, Flint pays nearly 3 times more than the wealthier Oakland because of the distance factor. The distance factor is missing in the Karegondi proposal. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:11 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Detroit water line is aging and Flint has experienced at least two large interruptions in water service because of this. Detroit was supposed to provide Flint with a secondary source of water over thirty years ago and never did. Because of this failure the State of Michigan has required that Flint upgrade the water plant for over $40 thousand . And that upgrade only allows the use of the Flint River for a short time. The county built several new water towers for storage in case of another disruption in the water supply.
Howard Croft spoke to council about meetings with the DEQ regarding the use of the Flint River for a water supply. According to Croft, that cost will amount to $48 to 128 million. The dams for the Kearsley Reservoir and the Holloway Dam Reservoir would have to be repaired. There would have to be a 2 year study to determine exactly what pollutants existed in the Flint River and then upgrades to the water plant to remedy those pollutants.
The Water in the Flint system would only serve Flint and does not have the capacity to serve both Flint and the county. There needs to be studies of the flow in case of prolonged drought.
Can you imagine the anger of the sportsmen if Flint started draining the Holloway Dam area of the water to meet Flint's needs. Same thing happened in Las Vegas when the lack of water and started to use their reserve water supply. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:33 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Detroit has offered to build us a secondary water line, but Flint would bear the entire cost.
Detroit was only able to reduce the increase this year because they borrowed money, shifted costs from the water to the sewer and reduced their staff. Continued use of Detroit is projected to include double-digit increase in water rates for the next 10 or more years. Currently Flint is also paying for water lost in the Detroit water system, which is said to be very high.
The previous council voted to support the water pipeline. Wright could have gone with that vote, but it appears he wanted a consensus vote. If Flint were to join after the plans were downsized for a smaller system, then Flint will have to pay to have the plans reconfigured. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:40 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Ever researched the existing pipeline from Port Huron? If I remember correctly, it started out as Flint's pipeline, then when it reached Imlay City, Flint "ran out of money" and let Detroit finish it. Look into Sam Catsman & several area real estate moguls. Shady council members are not a new phenomenon. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 5:22 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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It started out as a Flint pipeline until it was discovered that Catsman and his real estate agent was buying all of the land needed because he was leaked advance information. Bob Leonard was an assistant prosecutor assigned to prosecute the case. The scandal ended the pipeline for Flint and the project was sold to Detroit.
Fonger did a story recently on the issue. |
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Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:34 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Chemo brain isn't as bad this morning; I think Claude Darby was the real estate name I couldn't remember yesterday. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:40 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint City Council modifies water pipeline proposal, sends measure back to committee
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com The Flint Journal
on March 18, 2013 at 8:41 PM, updated March 18, 2013 at 9:07 PM Print
Flint City Council altered a proposal to purchase water from Lake Huron as part of the Karegnondi Water Authority rather than continue to buy it from Detroit. Council also approved sending that proposal back to committee for further discussion during the finance committee meeting on Wednesday, March 18.
MLive.com File Photo FLINT, MI – A decision about Flint getting water from Lake Huron will have to wait for another day.
At a special Flint City Council meeting, Monday, March 18, council decided to change the amount of water it wants from the pipeline and then sent the proposal back to the finance committee.
Monday’s special meeting centered on a proposal to get 18 million gallons per day from Lake Huron as part of a 25-year deal with the Karegnondi Water Authority instead of continuing to purchase water from Detroit.
An amendment to change the amount to 18 million gallons of raw Lake Huron water per day to 15 million gallons per day passed by a 6-2 vote, with Councilmen Joshua Freeman and Bernard Lawler voting against it.
City council then approved sending the proposal back to the finance committee, which will meet Wednesday, March 20, at Flint City Hall.
“What I was encouraged to see was that there was six council members support 15 MGD,” Mayor Dayne Walling said. “What I see emerging is a consensus for the pipeline.”
Walling, citing numbers from the city’s finance department, previously said Flint would save $19 million over eight years if it joins the Karegnondi Water Authority rather than continuing to purchase water from Detroit.
Karengnondi is the regional water authority that includes Genesee, Lapeer and Sanilac counties and the cities of Flint and Lapeer.
The authority was created to build a new water pipeline to Lake Huron, allowing the communities to supply their own fresh water instead of buying treated water from the city of Detroit.
Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright previously told the council that Flint would pay roughly $6.4 million annually for water service if it joined the pipeline – a nearly $4 million savings on what it pays Detroit for water.
The county said it will pump 42 million gallons per day from Lake Huron and they're ready to start construction on the three year project. The authority needs to know if Flint is on board – and at what capacity – before work begins.
Wright said on Monday Flint could go with a smaller or larger pipeline and the overall cost of the project would change accordingly.
A reduction in size of the pipeline has a drawback though, Wright said.
“It does limit the capacity for future expansion,” he said.
Lawler said he voted against the amendment to change the amount of daily water purchased for a simple reason.
“I’m not certain that the 15 (MGD) is an accurate number,” he said. “I’m going to be looking for some more accurate numbers.”
Dominic Adams is a reporter for MLive-Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:34 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Flint City planners predict a 20,000 loss in population before 2020. They also estimate today's population to be in the 97,000 level. This means Flint will become part of a Metropolitan county system and will lose much of their autonomy. For example Flint will no longer control their CDBG and other federal HUD grants.
While this cut might be appropriate, time is running out for the project. Lawler needs to make a decision and stop being so afraid. |
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Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:40 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| What is current amount of use--or what we get--daily from Detroit? And how much of that total is wasted in numerous ways? The amount we save from going to Port Huron could be used to repair local water pipes, etc. |
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Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:41 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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DWSD thought it was okay for Jones to be paid for working two full time jobs, too, one for them and one for Flint. I see this as a conflict of interest from the start. The sooner Flint cuts ties with them the better!
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http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/detroit_claims_karegnondi_wate.html
mlive.com
Detroit claims Karegnondi water pipeline plan in Genesee County 'rife with financial discrepancies'
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on March 19, 2013 at 5:45 PM, updated March 19, 2013 at 6:15 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The city of Detroit is blasting plans to build a new water pipeline for Flint and Genesee County, saying the proposal is "rife with financial discrepancies and false assumptions."
In a news release issued Tuesday, March 19, Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department said the economic benefits of the pipeline don't justify the expenditure and said the cost of the project "would easily exceed $375 million," far more than the $274 million estimated in reports commissioned by county Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright.
City of Flint and county officials called the news release inaccurate, said it was issued after erroneous information in it was pointed out months ago, and accused Detroit officials of trying to delay a vote by the Flint City Council before the state's new emergency manager law takes effect on March 27.
On Monday, March 18, the Flint City Council put the decision on committing to the pipeline and the Karegnondi Water Authority on hold. Some officials believe the council will not have the authority to act on the issue after the new law kicks in.
Detroit's news release said it based its assessments on a report by Tucker, Young, Jackson & Tull Inc., which was commissioned by state Treasurer Andy Dillon's office to evaluate the KWA plan to build a new pipeline.
City and county officials have talked for decades about constructing a pipeline to Lake Huron to supply the area with fresh water, a move that would cost Detroit its biggest customer.
County officials have said they will build the pipeline regardless of what happens to the city of Flint, saying the access to raw water will be a key to future economic development here.
Bill Johnson, a DWSD consultant, said estimates for the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline are "at least $100 million off," and said, "Flint can't afford any additional cost burden" given the city's financial condition.
But both Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and emergency manager Ed Kurtz each said the claims from Detroit are riddled with errors and false estimates.
Walling called the claims "propaganda" and a "text-book scare tactic" with the clock ticking on the Flint council.
"The KWA represents a better way of doing business ... Our current estimates for the KWA project (are) solid," Walling said.
Kurtz, who has stopped short of publicly endorsing construction of the pipeline, said he has "every single confidence our numbers are right."
Wright said the estimates from Detroit were either prepared by someone "incompetent" or were "intentionally wrong."
The drain commissioner pointed to the opening of bids for the construction of the pipeline intake as evidence that the county's projections are on target. The low bid on the intake -- $26.7 million -- was less than county estimates.
Wright said it appeared that Tucker, Young, Jackson & Tull Inc. inflated the cost of the pipeline during a presentation to the state in December, overstating the cost of engineering and pumping stations for the project.
The DWSD news release said Detroit "continues to seek an agreement with Flint on a new 30-year contract," offering "real cost-savings options of as much as 30 percent."
"Under the planned structure in which DWSD becomes an independent public authority, a provision exists for Flint and Genesee County to have a seat on the board," the statement said.
Tuesday's statement by Detroit is not the first time DWSD has warned Flint and the county that they have underestimated costs associated with building a pipeline.
In 1998, DWSD also warned that county officials were off on estimates for constructing a pipeline by $100 million soon after city and county officials started meetings aimed at building the project.
At that time, the county estimated the pipeline cost at $270 million while Detroit warned the cost was closer to $370 million.
© MLive.com. All rights reserved.
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http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/genesee_county_board_chairman_26.html
mlive.com
Genesee County board chairman: Water pipeline won't be delayed for Flint
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on March 19, 2013 at 2:30 PM, updated March 19, 2013 at 2:37 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The Flint City Council hasn't made a final decision on joining in the construction of a new water pipeline to Lake Huron, but county Board of Commissioners Chairman Jamie Curtis isn't losing any sleep about it.
"I'm not going to watch this county lose an opportunity because of politics on South Saginaw Saginaw Street," Curtis said before the Flint council decided Monday, March 18, to change the amount of water it wants from the pipeline and then sent the proposal back to its finance committee.
The city still must decide whether to join in the regional Karegnondi Water Authority instead of continuing to purchase water from Detroit and some county officials, especially Curtis, have been impatient waiting for a final decision.
Flint's amended capacity agreement changes the amount of water the city wants from Karegnondi from to 18 to 15 million gallons per day passed the council by a 6-2 vote.
Curtis and county Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright have said previously that the county plans to build the water pipeline with or without Flint.
"I don't care what they do, but I will not stand for any additional delays," Curtis said.
The county has already solicited bids to build the pipeline intake and could break ground on the job next month.
L. D'Agostini & Sons Inc., a Macomb-area contractor, is the low bidder on the that project, offering to build it for $24.6 million.
© MLive.com. All rights reserved. |
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Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:49 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| City officials will diddle around until it's too late to join the KWA. Then some people will wonder how much cash changed hands to keep Flint with the Detroit system. People will also wonder if Jones working for both Flint and Detroit had anything to do with it. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:15 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Henderson and Kaffer: Where to find the cash to help fix Detroit?
9:53 AM, March 17, 2013 |
By Stephen Henderson and Nancy Kaffer
Detroit Free Press editorial page editor Stephen Henderson and Free Press editorial writer Nancy Kaffer discuss the naming of Kevyn Orr, a Washington, D.C., lawyer, as Detroit's emergency financial manager.
Nancy Kaffer: So Detroit finally has an emergency financial manager.
Kevyn Orr's credentials are impeccable, but, of course, his real work is yet to begin. A high-powered bankruptcy attorney who worked on the restructuring of Chrysler, Orr says he'd like to avoid a Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filing in Detroit. Orr believes that given two options, reasonable people will choose the less painful -- in this case, a voluntary restructuring of pensions and municipal debt, not the less-collaborative solutions that would come out of a bankruptcy court.
But that's counting for an awful lot from other parties, something Orr and Snyder can't control. Yet renegotiating the debt and restructuring liabilities, including the reportedly drastically underfunded pension systems, has to be one of Orr's top priorities.
• Full coverage: More about Detroit's emergency financial manager at Freep.com/detroitEFM
Stephen Henderson: Well, he said as much in an interview with the Free Press editorial board Friday. And what choice does he have? Detroit's retiree health care costs, for example, have soared by $50 million, to $177 million, in just the last few years. That's just the part we're funding. If we were actually paying down the liability over time, we'd have contributed another $158 million to that.
Overall, Detroit's debt and long-term liabilities consume close to 42% of the general fund, which means everything else (police, firefighters, EMS, transit, DPW, etc.) has to split what's left. And it's getting worse -- the city will need nearly $2 billion in additional debt and liability payments over the next five years.
That's the definition of unsustainable. The question is: What do you do about it?
Nancy: And there's the rub.
Pension benefits are protected by the state Constitution. So altering them means that retirees have to agree to changes. Detroit has a retirees association -- the Detroit Retired City Employees Association -- that can negotiate on behalf of its membership. But there are a few things to think about, here: When we talk about reducing pension or retiree health care benefits, we're talking about dramatic changes to the lives of people who don't have very much. The average Detroit pensioner isn't spending his or her retirement on a yacht eating caviar. So there's that.
But, Orr said, reasonable minds can reach agreement. And it's likely that most pensioners -- like most bondholders -- would rather take a deal from Detroit's EFM than take their chances in bankruptcy court.
Do you know what would help in all of this? Money.
For example, if you had some cash, and we're talking hundreds of millions, it's possible you could fund the unfunded portion of the pension and retiree health care funds. Then, potentially, Orr could transfer pensions to the state's system, the Municipal Employees' Retirement System -- something he didn't discount on Friday.
But where to find the cash?
Stephen: Orr said Friday that he believes the city is sitting on some untapped revenue opportunities: uncollected taxes, unpaid costs and fines from the courts. But that won't generate enough money in the short run to make the kind of difference Detroit needs.
You've got to look at assets. And during Friday's editorial board meeting, Orr used a phrase that Detroiters ought to start embracing: undervalued assets.
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, for example, is considered a "jewel" by many Detroiters because of its supposed value. But the truth is that all its revenues, about $800 million annually, stay in DWSD. They're of no practical use to Detroiters. To boot, DWSD is saddled about $6 billion in debt, and has at least $2 billion in backlogged maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
Orr suggested Detroiters could get more out of their ownership of the department. Leveraging the asset better could result in a more substantial return.
A lease, like the one being discussed by members of the regional water board, could generate as much as $50 million a year.
A sale (even at a deeply discounted price of say $1.5 billion to $2 billion) would give you plenty of cash to restructure the city's long-term liabilities.
You could do the same kind of analysis with the parking department or other assets. Orr said the key is to do a cost-benefit analysis that includes looking at the benefits of ownership to citizens (the Zoo and the Detroit Institute of Arts, for example, have premier cultural benefits that might argue against sale) to determine what can be done.
If Orr can convince Detroiters to see the potential of their assets differently and simultaneously get enough liquid from those assets to make substantive changes to the city's debt burdens, he'll achieve instant hero status in my mind.
Nancy: That's it? He'll probably get that handled by lunchtime.
I kid, I kid.
(Since we're talking about DWSD numbers, let's not forget that a consultant's report found that DWSD spends 44% of its revenue paying its debt. So there's that.)
Getting Detroiters to be OK with the sale or lease of the Water Department will be a Herculean, or perhaps Quixotic, task. Some residents have a strong emotional attachment to the Water Department, but you're absolutely correct: It's one of the city's few resources that could bring in a significant amount of cash.
Which would be a good thing, since another problem Orr will face is the cost of retiree health care. A recent report by Michigan State University Professor Eric Scorsone found that Detroit's unfunded health care liability was $4.9 billion, more than twice the amount of bonded debt the city carries. This is a problem.
There are two ways to cover the costs of retiree health care: prefunding and pay-as-you-go. Guess which one Detroit does? Yes. The latter.
Prefunding retiree health care is a little tricky, because setting aside the right amount of money requires a fairly accurate calculation of how many people are likely to get sick in any given year, and how sick they're likely to get, then set aside the funds to cover those costs. There's always room for a year's costs to exceed expectations, but prefunding the account means you're better prepared to absorb the majority of the costs.
Setting up an employee VEBA (voluntary employee benefits association) isn't as attractive for municipalities as it is for private businesses, largely because the main benefit of a VEBA is that contributions are tax-free; municipalities don't pay those taxes, so that doesn't apply. However, a VEBA prefunds health care and can't be tapped to plug a deficit. So it's something to think about. But it does take cash to set one up.
Cash really does rule everything around us, Stephen.
Contact Stephen Henderson at shenderson600@freepress.com , or at 313-222-6659. Contact Nancy Kaffer at 313-222-6585 or nkaffer@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nancykaffer. |
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Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:49 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Stephen: Orr said Friday that he believes the city is sitting on some untapped revenue opportunities: uncollected taxes, unpaid costs and fines from the courts. But that won't generate enough money in the short run to make the kind of difference Detroit needs.
You've got to look at assets. And during Friday's editorial board meeting, Orr used a phrase that Detroiters ought to start embracing: undervalued assets.
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, for example, is considered a "jewel" by many Detroiters because of its supposed value. But the truth is that all its revenues, about $800 million annually, stay in DWSD. They're of no practical use to Detroiters. To boot, DWSD is saddled about $6 billion in debt, and has at least $2 billion in backlogged maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
Orr suggested Detroiters could get more out of their ownership of the department. Leveraging the asset better could result in a more substantial return.
A lease, like the one being discussed by members of the regional water board, could generate as much as $50 million a year.
A sale (even at a deeply discounted price of say $1.5 billion to $2 billion) would give you plenty of cash to restructure the city's long-term liabilities.
Detroit needs Flint-Flint does not need Detroit
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Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:51 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Water supply issues continue in Flint
Posted: Mar 20, 2013 3:39 AM PDT Updated: Mar 20, 2013 8:30 AM PDT
Posted By Wesley Goheen, Managing Editor - email
By Andrew Keller, Multimedia Journalist - bio | email
FLINT, MI (WNEM) -
A big decision is hanging in the balance regarding the future of the water supply through Mid-Michigan's biggest city.
The Flint City Council postponed the vote to join a new pipeline from Lake Huron.
Now the city of Detroit, where Flint has been getting its water, is weighing in.
Some Flint City Council members have demanded to get their hands on a report that they believe could tell a different tale about a new pipeline that would supply water to the city.
WNEM showed a copy of that report to some council members.
Flint City Council members say the decision they make on whether to join a countywide water pipeline will have a monumental impact on the community.
"This is the biggest decision that we, as a council, would make, because we're talking about the next 25 years for the city of Flint residents," said City Council Member Bernard Lawler. He says city leaders needs to look at all the facts.
The report is paid for by the state, and it looks at the cost of building a water pipeline from Lake Huron to Genesee County. That report claims the pipeline would cost $100 million more than estimates provided by the county.
The report was completed by Detroit engineering firm Tucker, Young, Jackson and Tull, and they estimate the project would cost $375 million, a big jump from the $274-million estimate provided by Rowe Engineering, the firm Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright chose for the project.
Wright says the Detroit firm is way off and feels this is a ploy to deter Flint City Council members from a project he feels will save residents over time.
Wright also says the two companies got together a few months back and actually ironed out the discrepancies. But none of those changes are reflected in the report put out by Tucker, Young, Jackson and Tull.
Wright went on to say that he did say Flint's water supply future will be the city council's biggest decision and it needs to be the best.
Detroit water department officials say they'll cut the price of water by up to 30 percent and also allow Flint to have a member on Detroit's water and sewer department board.
Copyright 2013 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved. |
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Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:55 pm |
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