Dolphin Talk Letter to Port O Connor:
Citizens of Port O Connor and the Port O Connor Improvement District, I write to you in hope of finding common ground for calming the storm that is developing over the bay around Port O Connor, Texas. The storm is caused by poor communication on all sides.
First, I want to thank the current board for their service to our community. Hopefully they will receive this letter as a helpful tool in working with their neighbors, the electorate.
The President of the Improvement District is correct in stating “the board encourages all citizens to be involved and knowledgeable about the District and its operations”. This is a point well taken. How can this be accomplished?
The past town hall meetings would have been perfect for providing information that would have encouraged all citizens to become involved and knowledgeable about the District and its operations. The Board could and should have provided detailed printed materials concerning:
1. Long term master plan for the water district
2. Identity and prioritization of improvement projects and their respective costs with start/ end dates
3. The future water/sewer rate analysis for servicing the bond debt
4. A board approved plan stating where the money acquired from the sales tax increase would be spent
5. Projected water/sewer rates going forward to service the proposed new bonds
This information would have given the voters the vital knowledge necessary to evaluate the two ballot initiatives intelligently. Instead, the voters felt a general lack of confidence in the management of the district and a NO vote was a consequence.
In addition, the audience requested a copy of the TECQ letter stating the improvements were mandated by TECQ and since no TECQ letter has been produced to date, additional questions of transparency have been raised.
These short falls in public relations and lack of factual disclosure by the district prior to the election caused the voters to reject the debt and sales tax request. The lack of a written master plan and supporting financial plan (including future rate projections) created a void in keeping the meeting on a track to promote understanding for the factual need for both ballot initiatives to pass and ultimately led to the current grass roots rate role back petition to the TECQ. If the District puts the initiatives on the ballot again there has to be an appropriate rate plan with the necessary information provided to the voters to vote yes.
We, as US citizens, expect good clean potable water and sewer services. BUT, everyone should also understand there is a cost to achieving that goal and be willing to shoulder their part of the responsibility of paying for these services. And when a community looses confidence in the management of any governmental entity, the voters look for recourse and ultimately speak at the polls. Now is the time for the District to pay attention to the information needs of the voters and the value of a well informed electorate. Hopefully we can begin anew and the board will consider and implement the suggestions made.
Inviting the TECQ to Port O Connor to settle this matter may not be the best solution and could make things worse. All concerned may regret allowing the TECQ to become involved; we should solve these issues ourselves!
How do we come together as a community and resolve these issues and prevent more government involvement in our Port O Connor affairs? Last week’s water district newsletter was a good beginning in better communication. Thank you for recognizing a need to disseminate information. I am suggesting another newsletter be sent immediately addressing #1 -#5 above.
These are the questions that need to be answered. This information will allow the voters to compare the costs of the bond funding projected future rates to the user rates to fund the necessary improvements.
In my opinion, the sales tax increased should be passed only if the board of directors passes a resolution to use the sales tax funds for debt service or specific projects only as shown in a master plan. These funds should not be used for the district’s administrative or operational overhead. This was a major concern expressed by voters at the town hall meetings last fall, but not addressed by the board.
As a good will gesture, I propose that the board of directors roll back the rate increase that was initiated in January and allow the voters to read and understand the new information describing the need for the improvements and the proposed debt and taxes to pay for the improvements.
An additional aid to good communication would be the development of a website for the District to post all the information, projects and challenges of providing water, trash and sewer services to Port O Connor. This would be a real time solution to providing transparency and information sharing.
Lastly, I would like to ask that the Port O’Connor Improvement District employees and board members treat each customer with respect and ask the same of all of Port O’Connor residents when interacting with the District and its employees. The employees of the District need to treat each resident as a valued customer and not an inconvenience or aggravation when they come in to pay their bills or ask a question. The residents are customers and voters and ultimately control the Water District. Respect and appreciation goes a long way in all situations.
WE ALL SHARE TOGETHER THIS OUTCOME IN BEAUTIFUL PORT O’CONNOR. LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE THIS!
February 5, 2014
Respectfully, Joe Wiat
Dear Editor,
The Calhoun County Historical Commission deeply appreciates Marty Strakos’ generosity with COASTLINE TRAILERS for donating the replacement pole for the Ed Bell Historical Marker located at Indianola, Texas. Historical Markers bring history to life. Soon to be installed will be the Port O Connor Cemetery Marker for public viewing.
With appreciation,
Mary Belle Meitzen, Chair
Subject: POC MUD
Can somebody tell me why ?
Why is it when this little MUD district calls for a vote to raise taxes (and they are voted down by the public) How can they raise the rate 40.00 something dollars on their own?
Why even have an election and waste the money if you can just raise the rate.
Where is the money they receive going? When my budget at home needs an extra influx of cash I can’t just give myself a raise. I have to cut back on something to make ends meet.
They say they are doing it for the people in the community to upgrade the system. I feel the if that were the case the first thing would be to cut the waste and mismanagement on their part before demanding a raise from the public so they can continue as the status quo.
This increase in the rate is a joke. The people that can pay the bill will, but what about the people that can’t ? Some people will have to take money set aside for food and medical just to keep water flowing to the home. The rate hurts the ones that can least afford it, the retired, the disabled, and all the people living on a fixed income.
I feel as though I am being robbed at gun point (give me your money or I cut your services and have your house condemned by the state as unlivable), what choice do you have other than pay up. You will come with the money, no matter how bad it hurts.
As far as I can find on the internet Port O’Connor has the highest rate in the state of Texas.
Port Aransas as of 2/11/14 has a rate of $31.00 for 2,000 gallon minimum for sewer and water, and they are located on an island. Rockport has a rate of $32.37 for 2,000 gallon minimum. Palacios has a rate of $32.00 for 3,000 gallon minimum.
There is another rate increase coming again in May if the next tax rate is voted down. Are we going to be paying 200.00 or more before it’s over with?
The only way this is going to change is by the people, we are going to have to make our votes count and do a little house cleaning of our own and vote in some people that want to work for the people of Port O’Connor rather than set up there and try to build their own little empire at the peoples expense.
Marshall Bradford
Warrior’s Weekend Housing Preparations
Dear Editor,
Spring and Summer are fast approaching and with the change of Seasons comes many of our community-wide events. One of the most cherished events is Warrior’s Weekend. The amount of preparation that goes into an event like Warrior’s Weekend is tremendous and takes many volunteers giving much of their time. So it is never too early to begin.
Last year, over 1,000 soldiers and family members attended, not counting the many volunteers. I have personally been involved for several years now, through Tigrett Real Estate, in finding housing for those soldiers and families, as well as volunteers, not staying in our hotels or coming in on buses. Thanks to a generous outpouring of support last year we were able to house over 380 people (soldiers and their families) and at least 20 volunteers including the sand sculptors. It took over 150 places to house this number and when all was said and done we had just one bunk room left over!
We are beginning to build our inventory for this year and making a list of specific features of the properties so that we can match the soldier’s needs to the places in which they stay. At this time, we are asking anyone who would like to participate in this heartwarming event to call me at 361-983-2671. We can use almost any type of space: an entire house, a bunk house, an upstairs or downstairs arrangement, a guest room, etc.
As always, I look forward to working with you to make this year’s Warriors Weekend scheduled for May 16,17,18, the Best Ever!
Thank you for your patriotism and your continued support.
Sincerely,
Bill Tigrett
361.983.2671 Office
“Taxation without representation is alive in Texas.”
And that is especially true here in the township of Port O’Connor. I’m what you would call a part time neighbor, and we part time neighbors account for the majority of residential property taxes collected in this area. We are really the majority in regard to taxes. The problem is we have no vote or say so in how our taxes are used in this area, because this is not our permanent residence, and in Texas you only have a vote where you permanently reside. I know it doesn’t sound fair, but that’s the way it is here in Texas. To me, it’s taxation without representation. We do though have a say so in things that involve rate increases, such as the recent doubling of our water and sewer rates. A fifty dollar rate increase may not mean much to some people, but it means a lot to the older citizens of this area and to people that like to take the family our to dinner every so often. My hat is off to Mr. Leon Brown for his efforts in appealing this increase. He can be reached at lsbaw@tisd.net or 361-983-2060 to offer your support.
W.D. Smith Jr.
Shame on the Board of Directors of the Port O’Connor Improvement District
…for their actions and lack of actions and lack of actions to allow “our district” through the years to be in this state of non-compliance and threatening our community with Bond propositions and Rate Increases.
It was your job as directors to ensure that our systems were in compliance and maintained the necessary upgrades. What happened? You’re to blame!
Why don’t we have recourse against the engineers hired by the board to ensure compliance, and more importantly, why don’t we have recourse against each director.
I am ashamed of each director and hope all in our small community tell the Directors NO! and Enough is Enough!
This is my money, and your money, the directors don’t pay our bills. Stand up Against the Directors.
Written by another upset resident
Problems with Methods of Operating:
Like many others in Port O’Connor, I have problems with the Port O’Connor’s Improvement District’s methods of operating. Last year, I went to the District because my water was undrinkable, it tasted like dirt. I told them I thought it was because we were at the end of the road, and they never flushed (or whatever it is called) to clean out the lines. All we at the end of the road got was the crud from the leftovers. They finally came down and flushed it out, into my neighbor across the street’s ditch. Then, this past summer, I was in Speedy Stop to get a fountain coke, and the machines were off and had a notice from the District posted that we were not supposed to be drinking the water. Supposedly, this notice went out Friday, but people at Speedy Stop told me they didn’t get the notice until Saturday or Sunday. When I went down to voice my concern about undrinkable water with no notice, they informed me they had no way to notify the customers, except thru the businesses and post office. I asked why they didn’t send out mass emails, and they told me it was impossible. At one of the meetings when I voiced my opinion about the quality of the water coming from my pipes, a District employee told the gathering that he had been to my home and that I didn’t have dirt coming out of my faucets..when I replied that I had not said I had dirt coming out, that I had said the water tasted like dirt, a Board Member told me to shut my mouth. After the meeting, one of the gentlemen on the board whose name I don’t know, came up to me and apologized for that Board Member’s incredible rudeness.
A lot of the people working for the Improvement District, and some of the board members are so insufferably arrogant it is extremely distasteful. Like big government, they forget that they were elected to represent the citizens, and start thinking that their job is to tell us what WE are going to do and getting angry if we question that.
Marilyn Miller
Dear Port O’Connor Improvement District Customers:
It is no secret that the District recently imposed a substantial rate increase. The increase was required so we could begin to fund several critical projects, projects that we simply have no alternative but to go forward with in order to remain in compliance with state law and to handle the growth in our community. These projects were discussed at community meetings and they are listed in this month’s newsletter.
Funding capital projects with utility rate increases is not ideal. It is an inefficient means of funding these projects and places the heaviest burden on the District’s customers.
This fall, the community was given the opportunity to raise the funds and spread the costs in a different fashion by issuing tax-backed bonds and adopting a sales tax. The District has about 1,700 rate payers, but over 3,000 property owners. While we understand those who live and vote here are naturally wary of increased tax burdens, in our situation, asking those who pay property and sales taxes to share the cost of these necessary improvements would have avoided the need for the rate increase. For some homeowners, passage of the bond issue and the sales tax would have saved $300 a year, versus the current amount paid annually on monthly utility rates. Evidently we did not do enough to get that message out, as neither initiative won voter approval.
Obviously, the rate increase is not popular. A petition is currently circulating that seeks to challenge the increase before the TCEQ, which is the District’s primary regulator. Joining this effort is certainly your right as a citizen and I have not discouraged anyone from participating. I ask you to consider a couple of things. First, keep in mind that it is TCEQ which imposed most of the requirements the District is attempting to meet with its new projects. Next, before adopting the increase, the District went to the community with alternatives in the form of the bond issue and the sales tax adoption; the community chose not to use those alternatives. Finally, the District has few other sources of funding with which to meet the TCEQ mandates.
If the appeal goes forward, the District must oppose it; it simply has no other choice. This is not an objection to customer involvement. The board encourages all citizens to be involved and knowledgeable about the District and its operations, and to exercise their right to speak out and disagree with decisions that we have made.
The rate increase is very much an unwelcome burden. It is frustrating for customers to have to find additional money to pay the rate increase every month, and it’s frustrating for the board to have to implement the rate increase. Where the necessary funds to finance the improvements will come from is ultimately your decision.
We are moving forward to bring both initiatives back to the voters as soon as possible. We will again be holding town hall meetings to discuss the projects along with the bond and sales tax proposals. I urge you to attend. Also, I urge you to contact me or another director if you have questions or if you would like a presentation at your club or organization on the issues facing the District, the proposed improvement plant and the different financing options.
Sincerely,
Teddy Hawes
President- Board of Directors
Port O’Connor Improvement District
To the Editor:
The support and care of the many friends of Clarence Albrecht meant a tremendous amount to him during his illness and continue to help us since his death. Words can not express our deep appreciation.
We also would like to say thank you to Dr. Paul Bunnell and the staff of the Memorial Medical Center and to the staff of the Port Lavaca Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. They were not only professional; their supportive attitudes helped all of us through a difficult time.
Friends and family who visited Clarence in the nursing facility and hospital were wonderful, and those who honored him on Saturday in Port O’Connor have helped us focus on many wonderful memories of his life.
Thank you,
Naomi Albrecht
Janice Albrecht Stalder
From the Editor:
The Dolphin takes no position, for or against, the actions of the Port O’Connor Improvement District Board. It is our policy to give readers their say on issues affecting our area, but we have omitted any names that have been used disparagingly.
The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.
Letters to the Dolphin:
Dolphin Talk
PO Box 777 Port O’Connor, TX 77982
dolphin1@tisd.net
