Where to begin??? It appears that, at the advice of their attorney, the BCWA has decided not to settle their obligation with the Anawan Club. Kerching!!!

For the BCWA to NOT tape this important meeting so that ALL of the ratepayers could view it online is unfathomable! Our taping committee was assured that the taping would go on after they advised us that they wanted to look elsewhere for this service. At this time of year, when everyone is very busy with family and the holidays, I believe that they were counting on a poor attendance last night. There were about 6 people there that were non-related to the meeting.

At our forum two years ago we talked about the cow manure getting into the water (the famous slide of the cow on the hill) and explained how it would be more economical to purchase water from other sources and have the plant be a distribution point. This was exactly the plan stated by the executive director last night, including the reference to the cow manure!

She also said that there will be no layoffs and that people will be cross-trained. The new union contract that she negotiated prohibits layoffs and also stipulates that if an employee is re-assigned to a lesser paying job, he/she gets her same rate of pay.
"Modifying" the Bristol County Water Act should be interesting. How do you take funds that were voted on by the people for one purpose, and redirect them to something else?

Rate hike hearing is tonight, 12/20 at Mt. Hope HS 6:00PM.

28% RATE HIKE OVER 5 YEARS. FOR DAY TO DAY EXPENSES ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

All utility companies have this same scam going. They all give their customers tips on how to save. Buy this bulb, use this shower head, etc, etc, etc. Then once they get everyone saving they raise the rate because customers are using less? The PUC is part of this little scam too. You end up paying more for using less & the utilities end up getting more for putting out less. Scam Scam Scam

Any comments about their meeting on Thursday. I wasn't able to make it, but I would appreciate someome filling me in.

@Bob ... not sure if you read this yet but it has some info & comments ...
http://www.eastbayri.com/news/water-rates-would-rise-31-percent-under-plan/#comment-1055

Gina, than you for the information. After reading it I bcame ill.
1. Pam Marchand, no cut contract.
2. Unon, no layoff contract. Pam Marchand states that the contract was good!
3. Sandra Mack rehired. No bids? Sounds like a no cut contract.
4. Two more workers for $100,000 a piece. Is this also no cut contracts or is the purpose of the hireing to leave Pam Marchand with very little work?
5. Not one elected official from Warren at the meeting. Scarry!

New BCWA Motto, NO CUTS, MUCH GLORY.

Yep led down the primerose path yet again, only to end up at the sewer outlet known as the BCWA "CashCow" Inc.

BCWA stands for Because Cash Washes Away. They sure as heck spend it hat way.

BCWA is asking for a 31% rate increase over the next five years. The facts supporting the needed rate increase are based largely on trust from the community that the money will be spent on ratepayers behalf, and not on BCWA insiders, as has been their history.

BCWA is now extending an "olive branch petition" not only to rate payers, but also quietly to the RI General Assembly. There is $6.9 million dollars in funding that BCWA is attempting to retain that will require an amount of trust from state taxpayers, and also the RI General Assembly.

In 1993, the Bristol County Water Supply Act was codified into RI law on a basis that the state would get something in return for handing over $16.1 million in state funding to BCWA. The $6.9 million is over and above the previously received $16.1 million

Through 19 years of legal maneuver by BCWA, the state got nothing for their investment.

BCWA just reappointed their attorney, and will march to the state house with a petition that they can now be trusted.

Is the BCWA Board indifferent to common sense?

The three towns need to step in, dissolve the BCWA and hand over the assets to the PWSB.

If the local politicians can't see that customers are being swindled then they are in on it.

People are using too little water so rates must rise but then they will give discounts to people who use less water?

Are ratepayers here so stupid that they will swallow that? No.

Marina, could you read the union contract and post the truth, not made up fiction that you love to post. Also you didn't post the truth about the taping of the meetings. You been crying wolf to much people don't know when your telling the truth

Well Mr. Brian Mellor aka (union President) Do you read your own contract? Do you have a link to the taping of that meeting Marina is talking about? The layoff clause is true as well as the temp pay she quotes. The only one having trouble as usual with the truth is you!! Naturlly no facts.

BCWA 2012 Union Contract

Section 30 Lay-off

It is hereby agreed that, during the life of this contract, employees with twelve (12) years of continuous service ot hired prior to May 9, 1987 will not be subject to layoff. Employees with ten (10) or more years of service on May 8, 2000 are no0t subject to layoff during the cycle of this contract.

That = 27 Employees hired before 2000 and 13 of those hired before 1987

Section 14 Temporary Transfers

If employees are temporarily transferred from the department in which they are employed regularly to another department paying a lower wage, there shall be no reduction in wages; and, if employees are temporarily transferred to other jobs or departments paying higher hourly rates, they shall receive such higher rates while so employed. Any employee may be transferred to another position for a period of time not to exceed six (6) months. Temporary transfers of six (6) months will not apply when the transfer is to replace an employee who is absent because of illness or injury. An employee on a temporary transfer continues to accumulate seniority in the department where he or she is regularly employed.

Hmmmm Wonder if there is some secret "Homeland Security Contract" Like the Janitor one the last time. Please enlighten us oh wise Union President lol.

Jack, First of all you don't know the number of union employee's. If you know how to read, read the contract as there are employee's subject to lay-off. You must be having tea with Marina because both off you can't gasp the truth. You don't understand the contract and you claim to have knowledge of contracts.

Jack can you tell us what firefighter was drinking alcohol on the job and also what firefighter was escorted off the base by security.

Jack, you haven't answered the question? Do you know who was involved? Were you taken off patch? Jack I don't have to explain anything to you , I know what the contract reads I guess you don't. Also I hope your new house has better water pressure,

Jack is there a reason why your using your name backwards?

This may be a crazy question but has the water authority ever considered purchasing water from Fall River ? Tiverton uses their water in the north end They have extra capacity.

The City takes its water from two protected sources, the North Watuppa Pond and the Copicut Reservoir.

The City owns both reservoirs, along with much of their watersheds. No activity is allowed on these 8,500 acres that would endanger the high quality of the City’s raw water supply.

Joe Our water is now 100% from Providence. The BCWA is no more than a pumping station masquerading as a water company. problem is not where we get it from its a BCWA out of control "cash cow" breaking the back of ratepayers in the tri-town area and taxpayer's in the whole State with an enormous liability.

It is a dinosaur that should have been put out of busines and taken over by the State decades ago. Foolishly 3 small towns consisting of 50,000 customers total thought the were Bane Capitol without the expertise, financial resources or just plain business smart could run it. They failed enormously and will not like all politicians admit they were wrong.

Jack , I usually agree with both of you on many topics, but the one that you are having with Brian Mello makes no sense. All Brian can do is tell the BCWA what the union wants in the contract. It is the BCWA that can either say no or yes to the demands. If the BCWA was stupid enough to let the union have what they wanted, then God Bless the Union and to hell with the BCWA. I stated before that I never worked as a union employee, and I have seen over the past ten years unions taking all kind of cuts, at contract time. They either take the cut or go on strike. They lose either way. If you or any other citizen doe's not like the contract, then blame Pam Marchand and the authority for letting the union have what they wanted.

Bob thanks for understanding the union contract. The union gave up a lot because of the economy. some members are subject to lay-off based on senority, we pay more for health ins, less sick time, wage freeze for two years, less pay for overtime etc. It was a fair contract and the union understood and gave up much but some people would like the ratepayers to believe the opposite. We have no control over non-union employees.

Well, I most certainly said to wait a while before throwing rocks. But I see the info that has come forward wasn't very good. It was expected though. Perhaps the three Towns need to really think about if it's a good option to even try saving this present system under BCWA control. If they don't have enough money for everyday operations, that's a death sign in my eye's. Asking for more money just for operations means that everything else they have on the books will fall into limbo...Not a good sign at all. Might be time to consider turfing this whole place to some other authority or enterprise.

John, How would this be done. How would it be started, by whom? It seems the most sensable thing do to stop this run away train.

I've been saying to close it down and give the assets to the PWSB for over 2 years now. I'm happy to see some others at least put that under consideration now.

The BCWA has squandered a valuable asset to the point where it is no longer viable. They should be taken to task for that.

Instead they need money to connect to Pawtucket. Wait till they tell us that the cross bay pipeline needs replacement. The area will go back to being a hot spot for well diggers.

Saint Delise! This is going to be the new name given to Pasquale Delisi by the citiens of Warren, Barrington and Bristol, after her Royal Majesty, Pam Marchand, and her nine court jesters get done with increasing cost of the water rates over the next five years for just treating Water brought in from other towns. The BCWA must be done away with now, before it buries all tax payers.

Why you cannot believe the BCWA

Then

1. Per Sandra Mack’s “"14 answers" document she handed out at the January 25, 2011 East Bay Patriots Forum: "Redundant transmission pipelines are critical to the ability of the authority to deliver water 24/7 every day of the year. Remember that the authority’s connection to Providence water supply lies under Narragansett Bay. Because it is under the bay at depths down to 160 feet, inspections and repairs are very complex and will require extensive time to accomplish. Based on industry standards, a pipeline such as this will have a life expectancy of 50 to 65 years with systematic inspections and necessary maintenance."

http://bristol-warren.patch.com/articles/water-authority-answers-14-questions-on-shad-pipeline

And now, on Page 28 of the BCWA plan regarding the useful life of the East Bay Pipeline, they say it's 80-120 years. Because they want to say this now
so that they don't have to put any money into it.

It would appear some is lying about the pipeline. Was there no actual lifetime in the original contract? Or did some pipeline fairy sprinkle magic dust on it extending the lifetime by 55 years. What a patent that dust would be.

Christmas day and all you people can do is spend your time carping? How sad your lives must be.

Back to BCWA.

Here are some facts:

The BCWA 2011 Performance Audit outlined in detail their high labor costs:

http://bristol-warren.patch.com/articles/water-authority-performance-audit-shows-excessive-labor-costs-2

The new labor contract locked in those costs with a "no layoff" clause where it appears not a single production employee will be impacted by the shutdown of the water treatment plant.

The benefit packages are still out of line with benefits provided in the private sector, and even with most government sector jobs.

I admire the union for its work on behalf of its members. It's management and the board I call into question who have failed to examine parity with water authorities like East Providence. They have never done that simple task.

Then there is the statutory mandate of the 1993 Bristol County Water Supply Act. That mandate required ongoing legal advice by their attorney who was charging BCWA $495 per hour.

At this point, it appears not only is BCWA relying on $6.9 million in state taxpayer money they may not be entitled to, it also appears BCWA might actually owe money back to the state ($1.7 million) for transfers in 2001 for work on the water treatment plant before the Shad Pipeline was installed.

This is the mess we have, in part, because BCWA is not under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and instead run by unqualified volunteers.

BCWA should finally be placed under the PUC for the sake of its rate payers.

@ Bobby Venice, my second attempt at answering you, sorry This site doesn't agree w/my computer at times. It would take a Legislative change and a three town vote in agreement to send the BCWA packing down-stream. Question is do the Towns give the New Director the chance to prove she might be able to make this work, or do they really consider not throwing any more money at this place and turn it over to a (United Water) type outside contractor to run? The Three Towns have a serious amount of consideration to give to this request, this is just money for everyday operations, "That's not a good sign"....these funds don't account for any other projects or issues that may arise during their request time or unfinished projects that presently have no funds. While I would like to think the new director has the ability to pull this place out from under the rock, it's really not looking good overall. If you do the math, that is a very big chunk of cash, even after being spread out over five years. The issue is Pasqual, left this new Gal with nothing to work with, she has no choice but to ask for the funds.