08/21/2008 12:36 PM
"Wynne Kirschbaum" <surgwk2@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: 07/18/08 Pre-trial Hearing
To bring
everyone up to date...
Good morning,
We are not done with our water
solving issues here in Bolton Valley. In fact, things are heating up again!
Jason Williams and I went to a
requested pre-trial hearing at the state house in Montpelier. We were
accompanied by persons from the state water authority, Geoffrey Commons,Special Counsel for the
Dept of Public Service, and Larry
Williams representing Catamount Water and Sewer.
We had a chance to speak on
behalf of everyone here regarding our petition and request for financial
compensation in respect to our water bills.
In short, Jason and I were more
prepared than was expected by the legal authority overseeing the proceedings
and were asked to restructure the petition.
Prior to the meeting, I was sent
information provided by the state regarding articles and subsections describing
governing rule/law overseeing water and utility companies. With this, Jason and
I researched and found Catamount to be negligible in every one of the
paragraphs sited. We referred to 3-4 articles and their subsections regarding
the purity, quality, infrastructure and maintenance. Clearly, we were ready!
To date, another petition was
resubmitted and I have been in communication with Geoffrey Commons, special
counsel, Dept of Public Service. Our hope is to establish a meeting between
Catamount Water and Sewer with Geoffrey present, and make requests for future
maintenance, direct and continual contact with the Public Service Board
directly overseeing Catamount Water on a routine basis and reporting findings
to us, as well as addressing the question raised about future water concerns.
As we told, Catamount hopes to alleviate the water runoff issues with well
water. This would help the MCL issue BUT the raised question is what supply
will wells give us once the added infrastructure is raised, i.e. new living
facilities etc. If not enough, will we have to return to some run off water
usage? If so that will put us right back to where we are now.
I am waiting to hear of the next
sched. pretrial hearing date
and a response from Geoffrey Commons. We continue to come up with new questions
and ways to address that water issues here. Remember, to date,
the water authority/Public Service Board was not directly involved with us or any water utility until it became
a documented problem with notification from one of the residents/consumers. We
want that to change and make them directly responsible...in contractual writing!
Additionally,
Trisha Coats, representative from the
offices of Congressman Peter Welsh, has called me on several occasions to ask
what Peter could do to help. He is national and one thing I have been educated
to, potable water issues go beyond the boundaries of Bolton Valley. In fact, I
was told by several authorities that almost most cities in the country are troubled
with the same issue of obtaining safe, pure, drinking water! So, I suggested
that Peter work on providing a tax break/credit to families/homeowners toward
the purchase of a water filtration system for the home. This would included
monies toward replacement,as
most systems need to be maintained and updated within a few years. I have
submitted a letter to him and we will wait for the response.
As promised, I have not gone
away. Continue to talk to each other, read the website and make comments to me.
I will keep everyone updated as things progress.
Wynne Kirschbaum
68 Snowdrift Lane
Bolton Valley, Vt 05477
434 4051