Great Barrington — Six days before an upcoming special town meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 6 p.m., at Monument Mountain High School, the Prudential Committee has come out against the town’s potential merger and purchase of Housatonic Water Works (HWW) and the Great Barrington Fire District (GBFD).
The special town meeting was scheduled after resident Sharon Gregory filed two separate petitions for residents could vote on the town purchasing both HWW and the GBFD to merge the two water utilities.
The first petition asks that the town acquire GBFD for a sum not to exceed $2 million, while the second asks for the town to acquire HWW for a sum not to exceed $2.3 million.
Fire District Commissioner and Chair Walter “Buddy” Atwood has previously stated multiple times in interviews and public meetings that GBFD has no interest in acquiring HWW.
A letter to residents co-signed by all of the members of the Prudential Committee was issued to residents on Friday, April 11.
Atwood, Kenneth Schumacher, Robert Hammer, William Foster, William Brinker, District Clerk Cynthia Ullrich, and District Superintendent Peter Marks all serve on the committee.
“If the votes to purchase HWW and the GBFD pass, customers of the Fire District and all town taxpayers will be supporting twice the operating costs, along with costs for infrastructure upgrades,” the committee states in their letter. “These costs are projected to be several million dollars.”
The committee does not give specifics or details about the cost estimate.
“Please note there is no quick fix for improving water quality,” the committee states. “There have been several ideas, theories, and misinformation available lately.”
In the letter, the committee does not reference or give examples of the “ideas, theories, and misinformation” mentioned therein.
The committee states that there are “some questions that need immediate answers” including:
- How are these purchases to be made when there have been no negotiations about price?
- Where is the money coming from to purchase the HWW and GBFD?
- Enterprise funds are supported solely by the users. Annual costs can only increase with the amount of maintenance and upgrades needed.
- Is there a plan for the management and staffing of the new entity?
- As a result of the town assuming ownership of HWW, how long before water quality in Housatonic improves?
