Shortly after the Town Council approved the 2015 municipal budget that includes generating $4.5 million in revenue from the sale of town property, Council Majority Leader Jim Connor said that if that revenue was not raised that way there was a plan to use cash reserve funds from the Water Pollution Control Authority to “fill the hole” in the budget.
After that statement Town Attorney Tim Bishop pointed out that the WPCA, a separate entity from the town, using its cash to pay for town general operating expenses would be prohibited by law.
Now it is expected that the money to cover the $4.5 million budgeted revenue still will ultimately come from WPCA, but only after it pays the town to buy the land on which the WPC facilities sit.
The sale of that property to the WPCA has been mentioned as a possibility by Mayor John Harkins’ office. WPCA member and Town Council Chairman Joe Kubic (R-9) said on Monday that he fully expects that sale to take place.
Joe Kubic, WPCA member and Town Council chairman, listens to talk about the effect of raising sewer fees during the WPCA meeting June 2. Greg Reilly photo.
It is just a matter of making sure the sale is at the right price, Kubic said.
Councilwoman and WPCA member Stephanie Philips (D-3) said Monday that she does not think there are more than three votes now on the WPCA in favor of buying the land from the town.
On the $4.5-million revenue question Chief of Staff Marc Dillon said that the plan for that revenue remains the same — raising it through the sale of town-owned properties, and the WPCA land is one of the pieces that possibly would be sold.
If the revenue is not raised from property sales, “Obviously we would come up with a Plan B,” Dillon said.
Councilmen and WPCA members are the same
The Town Council would be responsible to approve the sale of town property, and the WPCA would be responsible to approve the purchase of the property. Because the WPCA is comprised of the very same 10 people who make up the Town Council, it appears that the councilmen will be negotiating with themselves on any possible WPCA deal.
Currently the town’s chief administrative officer, Steve Nocera, is working on a possible WPCA deal, on behalf of Mayor John Harkins, and presumably Nocera would remain involved in the negotiations.