Utility: Reports lacking detail

By Terry Witt

A government utility executive conceded Monday he had not always given county water board members accurate or timely information, but said he didn’t do it intentionally, and he is correcting the problem.

Charles Sweat, operations director for the Florida Governmental Utility Authority, said the problem was not fraud, as he felt one member of the Water and Wastewater Authority (WWA) had suggested.

“I provided information provided to me and we have found that some of the information was questionable,” Sweat said.

FGUA owns and operates 11 community water and sewer systems in Citrus County. The county is preparing to buy the systems.

Sweat and other FGUA executives attended the WWA board meeting Monday.

To provide better information to WWA, Operations Manager John Dunty has been moved into a position to assure more accountability in field operations, Sweat said.

“We’re going to make sure we have enough people to do what they should be doing so we don’t have this conversation ever again,” Sweat said.

But WWA took measures of its own to ensure it receives accurate information on time. WWA voted unanimously to adopt its own system of tracking requests for information from FGUA and other utilities, as well as the responses.

Utilities Regulatory Director Robert Knight will document his requests for data and distribute them to WWA members. Sweat and his assistant, Bernadine Flood-Nichols, also will receive copies

FGUA will be expected to provide the requested information at least a week before the next regular WWA meeting. If the utility is unable to meet the deadline, utility officials must say when they will respond.

Sweat’s admission that not all the information he provided WWA was accurate or timely came moments after he had been criticized by some WWA members for failing to give them reliable answers to their questions about the way FGUA operates.

Alternate member Don Cox failed to win support for a motion to recommend that Sweat no longer serve as the FGUA’s contact person with the water board. Cox said Sweat had consistently given the board unreliable information, and he wanted him removed to avoid further problems.

However, Assistant County Attorney Michele Lieberman said WWA had no authority to enforce such a recommendation. She said FGUA is a governmental body, just like WWA, and it has no ability to control whom FGUA hires or fires.

“I don’t think we have any business meddling in the operations of FGUA. If they’re dissatisfied they can fire him,” Lieberman said.

Cox also tangled with FGUA attorney Brian Armstrong when Armstrong said Cox had overstepped his regulatory authority by doing independent research on FGUA. Armstrong said Cox had gone so far beyond the scope of his duties that he might be asked to remove himself from issues relating to FGUA.

“You’re not the judge, jury and executioner,” Armstrong said.

Cox shot back that he had gathered most of his information from FGUA records and he challenged Armstrong to tell him what was wrong with that.

“There was nothing on my part to go outside the information you provided,” Cox said.

There was good news from the FGUA discussions.

Sweat announced that permits had been secured to drill a well and build an expanded treatment plant in Sugarmill Woods. He said the well drilling crew should arrive on Thursday. He said the well is expected to have the capacity to pump 600 gallons of water per minute, but he won’t know the well’s true pumping capacity until tests are completed. He said it could exceed 600 gallons per minute.

Sugarmill Woods was one of the FGUA communities that began having pressure problems during drought conditions earlier in the year. Some community members were worried that the Chassahowitzka community water system might come on line before pumping capacity was added. Sugarmill will supply the water for Chassahowitzka.

GUEST OPINION: Groundswell is simmering over control of FGUA

By ROBERT ANDERSON


A spectator groundswell is simmering in their arena seats and approaching a low boil over what faction, public or private, to see who will assume control of Lehigh Acres water and sewer infrastructure in Lee County, either the county, East County Water Control District (ECWCD) or a private water/sewer service.

The Florida Governmental Utility Authority has demonstrated its inability to adequately address and correct matters as they relate to water, sewer availability, pressure, quality, hydrants, mains and house hookups. Thus, the county stated it might want to buy the faltering FGUA, in reaction to numerous consumer complaints, and ostensibly implying (but not officially stating) that it can do a better job. However, knowing now the ECWCD wants to study the idea of purchasing this infrastructure, ECWCD District Manager, David Lindsay has stated.

Also we have learned FGUA will not be using their $54,000 fine that they received last year in the project agreed to by FGUA, ECWCD and Lehigh Acres Watchdog Inc.

Instead doing a project with ECWCD in which allegedly harmed by FGUA dumping of efferent, FGUA is removing 14 citizens off septic on to sanitary sewer instead of the water quality project in Charlie Matheny Park that was agreed upon.



In the other corner another new player, Aqua Florida Utilities Inc., a 100 percent all-water company with almost a million customers in seven states. Aqua Florida Utilities has contacted Lehigh Acres Watchdog Inc. and wants to give detailed presentations to residents of issues and an outline what they have to offer and eventually plan to propose.

We, in Lehigh Acres, are the primary pawns, having ringside seats for this contest, and all of us long for the match to begin in earnest. However, it appears that the FGUA is reluctant to adhere to the rules of engagement. In fact, the only sparring we've seen so far has been disparagingly outside the ropes.

All the contestants agree that FGUA has failed on several levels of service. Thus, the question is which contender is most likely to satisfy, once and for all, the whole of our water and sewer needs? And, that is not to say that other top-rated companies can't throw their hats in the ring. After all, isn't the spirit of competition the bulwark of the American way?

On a more serious side, our cynicism is not intended to diminish in the least the gravity of the sad state of our water and sewer situation in Lehigh Acres.

Our group, and to a great extent the primary others, seeks to have a clean, clear, informative and fair airing from all sides.



That would also be with East County Water Control District that wants to a study on the feasibility them owning and operating the system, which isn’t too bad of an idea, but does the ECWCD have enough bonding ability to handle such a big debt or could Aqua Florida Utilities Inc. buy the system with cash.

To dispel the caveat lingering about, that because Aqua is a corporate, publicly traded utility, it would be merciless in clobbering us with higher rates.

This is a baseless, empty scare tactic, since we've been assured that every rate increase sought must be reviewed, assessed and approved by the Public Service Commission.

While our county commissioners have remained virtually silent on this issue, we nonetheless choose to refrain at this time from raising our voices an octave or two. Our objectives are rousingly clear and elegantly simple: to get the best and most efficient water and sewer service for our community at a fair cost.

Therefore, in a nutshell, we ask you, Lee County Commissioners, Board of Supervisors of the ECWCD and Aqua Florida Utilities to speak forthrightly to the citizens of Lehigh Acres, letting the real contest begin.

In the meantime, we remain squirming impatiently in our seats at ringside, waiting to hear what FGUA has to do to hinder this contest.