8 OCT. 29 - NOV. 4, 2014
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
You may have heard
about a recent court filing
involving PWC and the City
of Fayetteville. As Chairman
of the PWC Board of
Commissioners, I'd like to
explain what it is all about:
The Fayetteville City
Council has taken actions
during the last year that
have caused confusion
about the authority of
PWC's Commissioners
regarding who has the ultimate responsibility for our utility services.
We are concerned that this uncertainty may interfere with our normal
operations and our ability
to effectively serve our
customers.
That's why we have asked
the court, whose purpose
is to interpret the law, to
clearly define who has what
roles and responsibilities
regarding PWC.
What actions have the
city council taken that have
caused the commission
concerns? Here is one
example: The council recently announced it would not honor its agreement
with PWC to pay its share ($70 million) to help fund new sewer lines that
are necessary because of the city's Phase 5 annexation program. We had
relied on that agreement and a
change would hurt our ability
to effectively plan ahead — and
it could hurt our customers,
too. Without the city's
contributions, rates will most
likely increase.
For more than a century, PWC
has operated independently
and free from political
influence, in accordance with
the charter established by the
North Carolina General Assembly. That model has worked well — PWC is
consistently recognized
for its financial stability,
low rates, reliability and
outstanding customer
service.
With new questions
being raised about the
commission's authority,
we have asked the court
to settle this issue. In
addition, we have asked
the city to participate in
mediation in the hope
that we can resolve these
concerns
without going to court.
For information and updates
related to this, please visit
www.faypwc.com.
PWC's Court Filing:
Clarifying Our Responsibilities
BY MIKE LALLIER
whenpigsflybbqfestival.com
All proceeds benefit Communties In Schools of Cumberland County
www.cisofcumberland.org • 910.221.8800
Thank You, Event Sponsors!
• 5K registration at
www.WhenPigsFly5k.com
• Beer sampling with purchase of souvenir glass
• Free admission for 12 and under
• Activity filled "Kid Zone"
Rick Hendrick Toyota/Scion • WKML/BOB FM • Our State Magazine
Valley Auto World • A+ Moving & Storage • Healy Wholesale
ANICO - American National Insurance Co. • Cape Fear Staffing
Up and Coming Weekly • Advisors Financial Group • Bells Seed Store
Allstate Workplace Division • First Citizens Bank • HealthSmart
Hutchens Law Firm • Junior League of Fayetteville • VIF Education
Mark III Employee Benefits • Moonlight Communications • SfL+a
Music
Music Music
Sponsored by AROC,LLC
OPINION
MIKE LALLIER, CHAIRMAN, Fay-
ettevlle Public Works Commission
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin-
gweekly.com.
