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minutes 10-27-99Page 6 of 48
<br />nightmare trying to keep these two separate because of the way the billings would come in.
<br />One suggestion that we’d like to make, and I don’t know if this would be appropriate at this time, but I
<br />would vision the more efficient thing to do, instead of merging Sewer with Water Supply, would be to
<br />consider merging Sewer with Wastewater, removing them from Public Works, sitting up a Commission
<br />similar to our Commission, that can set rates without the political pressures that a Council would have.
<br />And I think that would be the greatest step, the first step. At some point in time in the future, maybe it’s
<br />a good idea, in the future, to merge Sewer with Water, when Sewer is stable. Right now they’re not
<br />stable. You’re going to take an agency not stable, and you’re going to take an agency that is stable, and
<br />the combination is going to be one agency that’s not stable. I don’t know how to say it, except left alone,
<br />we’re operating efficiently. Put us together and you might diminish that efficiency, and then not only
<br />5,000 people suffer, 34,000 people would suffer because that’s the amount of customers we have.
<br />Now, looking at our pros and cons. I know this is a one-sided thing. It was written by us so it has to be
<br />one-sided, right, but we try to think about the pros too, and as I mention on the pros section, there are
<br />some common things that we do, but it’s counteracted by the fact that it’s different and unique. For
<br />example, we have a micro lab that we test 153 samples every month. Sewer Department needs a lab too.
<br />Can you imagine testing sewer samples and water samples at the same lab? The possibility for cross-
<br />contamination would be great. You would still need to maintain two labs. It can’t be done in one lab. It’s
<br />just not a good thing. We are certified by the Board of Health based on certain conditions, and it’s just
<br />not a good idea to combine testing of sewer and water in the same lab.
<br />Again, the Sewer Department is subsidized by the County. If the expectation is for us to subsidize what
<br />the County does now, then we just can’t. We won’t have monies for projects. We won’t have monies for
<br />a lot of things. It’s just not a good idea. I won’t go over any more of the pros and cons because I don’t
<br />want to read it. You can read it for yourself, but I certainly will answer any questions that you may have.
<br />RAY: I’d like to get Public Works up. Jiro, I don’t know if you or Peter, but I’d like you folks to
<br />respond, to be part of this discussion, and then we can ask both of you questions. The first thing, I’m
<br />sure, we’re all most interested in is are we on the same page, or not, or where are we in this process.
<br />Either you or Peter, or both.
<br />SUMADA: First, let me apologize to the Commission for being a little late and missing some of Mr.
<br />Pavao’s testimony.
<br />I think Peter Boucher has prepared, kind of, our pros and cons, and I reviewed it a little bit, and it
<br />appears to be fairly objective, but in broad terms, and I think we can present that later. Overall, I guess,
<br />the main thrust of what we’re trying to do, as far as this initiative boils down to me, in my mind, and Mr.
<br />Boucher has additional information, basically four main objectives, and for us, I guess we view it as a
<br />major advantage of combining the two different agencies of Wastewater and Water Supply.
<br />First of all, as Mr. Pavao has indicated, we are having difficulty collecting delinquent fees. Our total
<br />accounts receivable is about $1.4 million. That’s even the ones that are monthly coming up, our total
<br />accounts receivable.
<br />RAY: Jiro, I don’t want to interrupt you, but you did miss some of Mr. Pavao’s initial testimony, but he
<br />did lead in with the billing segment, and what you guys are working on, so I’m sure we’re really
<br />interested in what your thoughts are on that, as far as addressing that particular issue. The billing, in
<br />other words, what they presently have in the works and how they might be able to help.
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