I stopped by City Hall and expressed my concerns to Mayor Jackson on Monday since I would be out of town on Tuesday and could not make the Italy EDC meeting.  While I appreciate that some of the citizens would like a community center, I feel that the Italy Economic Development Corporation needs to take a step back and consider some issues that are more vital to our future economic development. 

Back in the early 90’s Italy had compliance issues with the sewer plant.  I watched, over the span of several years, as the City Council members tried to patch the issues to satisfy the State of Texas, while watching out for the City’s finances.  This went on for several years until the State forced the City to build a new sewer plant at a steep cost.  After I was elected to the Council I cast votes for water rates and fees to pay off the bonds that the City sold to finance that debt.  The City legally entered into that debt and we have to pay our debts, I have no regrets about those votes.

The City has been, and is walking on the edge of obtaining, treating, and safely and efficiently supplying water to its citizens.  The EPA and TWC/TRNCC or whatever they call themselves now have been on a campaign to get everyone off well water for many years.   While the City has done a great job patching up an old and weakening system, it’s catching up with us.  Dean and his crew are doing a great job working to keep us going. 

We are nowhere close to being able to afford the cost for surface water.  I don’t know if we’re suffering from a shortage of available well water, but I do know the storage and delivery systems we currently have are not what we need for the future.  New jobs and new businesses take plentiful water and a way to move it from wherever to the tap.

Before we commit more money for a building that will be empty more days than it will be used, I believe the Italy EDC needs to schedule a joint meeting with the City Council and whoever else needs to be in the meeting.  They need to discuss where the City is at with water and where we need to be in the near future.  We don’t need to wait until it becomes a critical issue or the State tells us what to do again. I would hate for the opening of a new community center to be marred by the conversations about higher water rates and fees when we could be using some of the EDC funds to secure the infrastructure that we’ll need for the City’s future.

The funds that the Economic Development Corporation tax generates will not pay for much of the cost of what the City needs to do.  But isn’t water more important to our future?  As I said to the Mayor, “I have to say this out loud”.

Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe everything is fine and we can afford both.