The Whole Truth
Submitted By Leon Brown

In a recent edition of the Victoria Advocate, Teddy Hawes wrote a Letter to the Editor and in most part, telling the rate payers of Port O’Connor that myself or Marshall Bradford must not know the truth.

Teddy Hawes clearly stated “Tom Ekstrom, Doyle Adams and myself – did in fact vote against the proposal put forth by Leon Brown and his Port O’Connor Watchdog Group concerning the rate appeal. Brown’s proposal did not offer a viable solution that would meet the requirements or needs of the district.

Here is one point that is clearly evident and so clear when we all pay the ridiculous water and sewer bill is that, Yes, Teddy Hawes, Tom Ekstrom and Doyle Adams DID VOTE to Raise our Rates effective January 1, 2014, close to a 60 percent rate increase…here is the right question…Was the 60 percent rate increase a viable solution for the rate payers of POC?

I believe possible mis-management was the culprit of the rate increase. POC this water and sewer district is YOUR district, not the district of Teddy Hawes, Tom Ekstrom and Doyle Adams.
This past December, I was in Austin, Texas at a hearing being conducted by the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) regarding a similar petition that I filed. During the hearing, the Administrative Law Judge informed the parties that attorney fees and related cost of Rate Hearings could well exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars, $200,000.00.

Teddy Hawes stated to the Advocate “ I would also like to point out that the Board did not vote to spend $200,00.00 for legal fees: it voted to reject Brown’s Proposal.
Here is my simple proposal, which is Public Record; 1.) Reverse the rate increase, 2.) Keep the money already earned from the rate increase, and 3.) No future rate increase until 2017. That’s It! Just Plain and simple! …Make the District revise its budget and spend within Budget!

Teddy Hawes, in the Septembers 2014 Board meeting (public record) did in fact voted to spend over $100,000. 00 of public funds to fight the rate increase.

Now; Teddy Hawes, Tom Ekstrom and Doyle Adams… just want me to drop the petition!

If Teddy Hawes, Tom Ekstrom and Doyle Adams want to do what is right…Let’s give some financial relief to our customers!

Leon Brown

First Seadrift Christmas

The picture is my son, Kidron Lehtinen, age 8, and new student at Seadrift School 2nd grade.

Our family just moved to Seadrift and my mom took a small stroke which required a fight to Nova Scotia for The holidays. It also meant that our kids didn’t have much under the tree.

Kidron won this giant stocking at Dicks Grocery in Seadrift after spotting a little elf and filling out a ballot. They REALLY made this little boys 1st Christmas in Seadrift memorable and ours too!

I’d like to thank them.

Krista Lehtinen

Editor:

In response to a letter in the Victoria Advocate on Jan. 20th by Mr. Marshall Bradford, I would like to point out that three board members, Mr. Tom Ekstrom, Mr. Doyle Adams and myself did in fact vote against the proposal put forth by Mr. Leon Brown and his Port O’Connor Watch Dog Group concerning the rate appeal.

Mr. Brown’s proposal did not offer a viable solution that would meet the requirements or needs of the District.

I would also like to point out that the board did not vote to spend $200,000 for legal fees; it voted to reject Mr. Brown’s proposal. In response the district made a settlement offer that would save further legal fees by allowing a third party appointed under direction of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to evaluate the District’s currents rates and determine if the rates need to be adjusted. If the study finds the rates are too high, we would lower them accordingly.

Mr. Brown rejected the offer so the next step will be a Technical Conference mediation with all parties involved.

It’s important to remember that it is Mr. Brown and the Watch Dog group that brought this proceeding before the Public Utility Commission. Mr. Brown can discontinue his appeal at any time and save the district additional legal fees. Mr. Brown is on the board and can participate as a board member in a public and transparent review of the rates.

There are only two ways the district can finance the Capital improvements needed to support the large weekend and summertime population. It can levy property taxes or adjust rates. Because the tax base more equitably spreads the cost among the people who use those improvements, the District asked voters to approve tax bonds on two occasions. Mr. Brown’s Watch Dog group opposed both initiatives.

Teddy Hawes
President, Board of Directors
Port O’Connor Improvement District

Relay For Life

Greetings everyone,

Please consider joining me to support the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer through the Relay for Life. It is the signature event of the organization and gives us the opportunity to honor cancer survivors, remember those who have lost the battle, and educate on early detection and prevention of cancer. The Relay for Life is also an opportunity for the citizens of Calhoun County to come together and demonstrate a united effort for a most worthy cause.

The Relay begins on April 10 at 6 p.m. and concludes at 1 a.m. on April 11. You can register a team or join an existing team at www.relayforlife.org/calhouncotx. Should you have any questions on registration, please contact Veronica Keller @ 361-935-8032 or veronica.keller@alcoa.com.

If your business or organization would like to sponsor, provide volunteers, or make a donation, please contact Veronica Keller.

Also, I encourage those who have battled cancer and won to join the Survivor’s team to represent one of the reasons we Relay – to Celebrate survivors! Survivors, we want to acknowledge your victory, and give you a chance to share your story with us.

Thanks so much for your consideration.

Veronica Keller
Co-chair – Relay for Life 2015
Thank You

This is to say a big Thank You to Doug McCune.

As everyone who comes into the hardware store knows, we have a three-legged cat named Brat. He is getting up in years and his eyesight isn’t good and he is getting forgetful. He went out of the store on Friday afternoon and didn’t return. We figured the worst had happened to him.

Monday morning Doug came in and asked if we still had a three-legged cat and Clara Paulk told him yes, but he was missing.

Long story short: he found Brat and brought him back home to the store. Big relief!

Many, many thank to Doug
.
The Gang at POC Hardware

My Answer to the Rate Hike

I have been asked so many times about this fight over the rate hike and the fight to have it reduced back to the level prior to the hike in rates. I just want to see if this will help to make it a little more clear about what happened.

First came the bond election in 2013, that didn’t pass, so we were slapped with the rate increase in January of 2014 by our board of directors.

Second Mr Brown filed an appeal to have the rates reduced. When the board was notified of the appeal and things looked as it might happen, the board set in motion a process to try and have the appeal stopped. On May 8, 2014 at the board meeting it was decided to set in motion the process for hiring Special Counsel to defend the district in the rate appeal. Doyle Adams voted no,,, Tom Ekstrom abstained from the vote, the rest of the members voted yes.

Third. At the September 11, 2014 board meeting discussion took place regarding the need for outside counsel to defend the rate increase, anticipated expenses ranged from $50,000.00 to over $100,000.00 for the rate appeal. ( Now again this is your money ) Again Doyle Adams voted no,,, Tom Ekstrom again abstained from the vote and the rest of the board voted yes. ( They are going to use your money to pay a law firm so they can keep your money and not reduce your rates??? )

Fourth. At the December 11, 2014 board meeting I had this discussion put back on the agenda because two new board members had been elected to the board. At this meeting Leon Brown and myself voted no to the hiring of counsel and spending your money in a court case. This time Doyle Adams changed his vote to yes,,, Tom Ekstrom changed his vote to yes,,, and of course Teddy Hawes voted yes to waste your money on a court case so as they would not have to give any of our customers any relief on their water bill. (Spend your money to keep your water rates inflated???)
Now my question is, for this amount of money, what could we do for the people that are paying the bills and keeping this district operational ???

Marshall Bradford,
Director. POC-ID

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
P.O. Box 777
Port O’Connor, TX 77982
dolphin1@tisd.net