News-Record.com

Mark,

Can you fill us in a little on who the "Greensboro" is that is objecting to clean water? Bureaucrats? Elected officials? Have the objections been voiced formally? By whom and with whose sanction?

Roch:

Rather than rehash something that space on Sunday A1 in the paper a while ago and a considerable amount of space on this blog, I'll refer you to the background link in the post.

But yes, city bureacrats and councilmen are raising the main objections in Greensboro and other places. Alan Williams, who runs the Greensboro's water department, is particularly out of sorts about them.

Thanks, Mark. It's still not quit clear though. The background link has Williams expressing his objections to you (and no mention of city council people by name.) Have any objections been formally expressed from city staff or council persons? To whom and by whom?

If you are asking has the Greensboro City Council done a formal resolution - not to my knowledge. Although, I do know that some city and county governments have - Rockingham County for example.

And when I was writing my original story, at least two council members expressed concern that this was being dropped on the local governments - i'm not going to out them here without going back and looking at my notes to make sure I have their sentiments right.

However, more broadly, the cities and counties in our region that would be affected by the new rules have formed a compact and have been negotiating the rules with DENR. And I can't find anyone who belongs to that compact who likes what they see.

I suspect you will see the more formal on-the-record in-writing / during public hearing objections come now that the rules have been published.

What I'm wondering is, other than to you, have city employees or elected officials conveyed their objections to the people or bodies considering this matter?

Yes - for most of the past decade. These rules would have been published a couple years ago if the city and the others hadn't intervened. These are rules that have been under development for quite a while. There has been disagreement behind closed doors.

Now that disagreement is about to become quite public.

Well, how about shedding some sunshine on this? I am disturbed by the notion that individual council members and city staff are taking a position on the rules without public directive. It is not the water director's place to lobby one way or another on an issue as if his position doesn't have the sanction of the public. Ditto for city council members.

Unless and until city council hears comments from their constituents in an open forum, publicly deliberates and takes a formal position by a vote for which they can be held accountable, their "backroom" dealings are a betrayal to the public and should cease.