I've been very reluctant to get involved in city politics since
stepping down from Council in December, but I'm growing
more and more concerned about the 50\u00adyear water supply
strategy proposed by the Rivanna Water & Sewer
Authority. I believe the citizens are being asked to pay for a
pig in a poke, and I have to speak out.

I learned earlier today that Council is preparing to vote
Monday night on a resolution endorsing the current water
supply strategy. This set off alarm bells so I went online
and read it\u00ad\u00adand learned that the resolution makesno

River. Instead the entire focus is on building an enormous
dam and pipeline and protecting the Moorman's River\u00ad\u00ada
lovely resource but one that primarily benefits well\u00adheeled
private property owners and those with the transportation
and the means to purchase a trout fishing license.

on City Council. At no time was I presented with accurate
information on the costs of dredging while I served on
council. I was told that it was impossible to dredge the
South Fork of the Rivanna River for less than $200 million
and that the costs might be as much as $225 million.
Lately, the public has received information that three,
private, LOCAL firms are eager to do the job for between
$25 million and $28 million. There is no way that I would
have supported the current water supply strategy

2) I am deeply concerned about the class implications of a plan that privileges the Moorman's River over the Rivanna. The Rivanna is a public resource\u00ad\u00adthere are miles of trails alongside it. The common people of Charlottesville fish in the Rivanna every day\u00ad\u00adand they aren't sport fishing,

they're trying to catch dinner. Yet the water supply strategy
endorsed in the resolution (it does not qualify as a plan)
completely abandons the Rivanna to the degradation that
results from silting\u00ad\u00adin effect abandoning a city resource
and the needs of city residents, potentially tripling or even
quadrupling already high water rates\u00ad\u00adto turn the
Moorman's into a theme park "scenic river" which can only
be enjoyed by a well\u00adheeled minority.

I am certain that the city manager has justified voting on
the resolution on Monday on the grounds that the business
community, the state, and our partners in the county need
to be reassured that the city council "stands firm" on his
water supply strategy. I can assure you they do not.
Rivanna has three years to present a plan to the state.

I am equally sure the city manager has responded to
councilors' fears or questions about dredging by saying
"we can fix it tomorrow." Well, I sat on that dais for
four years and I'm here to tell you that "fixing it tomorrow"
is a loser of a strategy for creating public policy. Not just
because "tomorrow never comes" but most
importantly because, in this case, the people who will pay
the price are the ordinary ratepayers of Charlottesville and