Commission would be burden for village board

Because I cannot attend the public hearing on the proposal to abolish the Public Utilities Commission, I am choosing this method of voicing my concerns. Admittedly, I have relatively little knowledge of what is involved in overseeing our public utilities. However, I believe there is little argument in the fact that this is one area of our community of which we can be most proud. In the most recent Long Range Plan for Bath, the utilities won high marks. Having said this, I must say that I was totally nonplussed when I read that the Board was considering taking over complete responsibility for oversight of the commission. With so very many areas of our village in need of aggressive attention, with a village economy which is in need of resuscitation, why would the Village Board feel it would need to take on an added burden, one which takes time and specialized talents to understand?

Village trustees are elected for twoyear terms. It would be possible to see a completely new set of faces every two years. This could pose real problems with no continuity in the ongoing workings of the utilities of our village. Heretofore, I assume that the Board has appointed commission members they felt were qualified and dedicated to the task. Looking at the current members, I certainly believe that this has been the case. I do not understand what has motivated this Board to consider this drastic action at this particular time.

That the Board has a most difficult task in running our village, keeping our public areas safe and secure, our streets in good condition and at the same time keeping our taxes reasonable cannot be argued. I cannot believe that they feel they have extra time, not to mention added experience, to add to their current responsibilities by taking over the Commission.

I am sure upgrading our utilities system weighs heavily on those with this responsibility. I would feel much more comfortable knowing that our present, knowledgeable utilities commission members were working handin hand with the elected Village Board to provide for continued excellent utilities service. To do this may require hard decisions. Listen to those who have the experience and expertise. This is not the time to take on added responsibilities when so many areas of our community desperately need attention.
Sincerely,
Mary F. Paddock
Bath