1993/12/20Clinton working on 1994 budget Page 2
35& Pius'
Tax
December 20, 1993 Vol. 83 No. 353
Economic council asks city and county
to u lawsuits p t over water service on hold
By TWILA VALENTINE
The Economic Council of Okee-
chobee is asking the concerned parties
for a 90 -day moratorium on the law-
suits and controversy over the forma-
tion of a utility authority. Their request
came about as the Okeechobee County
Board of Commissioners met In regular
session on Dec. 16. and were beginning
to discuss the steps that would have to
be taken to take over the Okeechobee
Beach Water Association.
For more than two years, the City of
Okeechobee, Okeechobee County and
the private water association have been`
attempting to form a utility authority.
Negotiations over time have broken
down and have resulted in a series of
lawsuits which have been filed between
107 S.W. 17th St. Suite D, Okeechobee, Fla. 34974
the three parties.
Monica McCarthy Clark. the chair-
person of the Economic Council, pre-
sented members of the commission
with a letter the council had sent to
members of the city council asking that
the commission and beach water, along
with the city. set aside a 60-day perlod
to investigate to the current
water and sewer problems.
The council is suggesting that a
committee be formed consisting of one
member 'of the commission and one cit-
Izen appointed by the "commission, one
member of the city council and one cit-
izen appointed by the council and, one
person representing the beach water
association. v
Please see ECONOMIC/12
Disputes over water
leave citizens wondering
authority was made. ..i•
During 1993& matters between the
two governmental units and the private
company played out on almost a month z'
ly basis.
Okeechobee City Mayor James Kirk,
Okeechobee County .Commission,
Chairman Charles Harvey, and Jack
Coker, a member of the board of dfrec
tors of the water association met
By TWILA VALENTINE
As 1993 draws to a close, customers of
the Oloeechobee Beach Water Association,
Inc. wonder where their drinking water
will come from next year, and how much It
might cost.
As 1993 draws to a close, residents of
the City of Okeechobee and Okee-
chobee County wonder how many addi-
tional dollars will be spent in the next
year on the myriad of lawsuits and throughout ,the,falt of 1992, try toy w
countersults between, the two g overn- reach ari nt conce�rning,the fora t,,
mental enUties. r mation ofa c uttllly aut�rority The,,;.
An agreement between the. City of Indh!idnal approach was trled,whenthe,
Okeechobee. and Okeechobee Beach task force'fallbd In its efforts. k-w rt
Water Association under. which the asso- Shortly after the first of the year of
elation agrees to purchase water as a bulk 1 '1993; that' `a'1lignce rcapt i {a, mr aJo
customer from the city, Is scheduled to stunt hrrg Block and, the', three, telt they n
expire on October 1. 1994. could go nd further. Things to a, y
Early negotiations between the, two ,dead stop h
entities failed to come to an agreement In April the' stockholders of thel.
during 1991 and the private water con- Okeechobee Beach Water Assoclatlon
pany dropped out of the negotiations met to vote on whether or not to
and in May 1991 announced plans to approv the board of directors to enter
build their own water plant. Time, they into a franchise agreement with Okee;''
felt, was of importance since it needed to chobee County. The stockholders`
be completed and ready to go on line by approved with only one dlssentlng vote
the end of September 1994. on April 26
About the middle of 1991, members Then on April 29. it a meeting of the
appointed by the city government. the county eonunlselon.; the county adopt
county government and the beach water
formed a Water and Sewer Task Force
with the ultimate goal of forming a utili-
ty authority. systems m the unincorporated areas of
The group met through the balance of Okeechobee County.
1991 and part of 1992 and then meet
toga ceased when no progress toward an
ed an ordinance granting the private
company a non exclusive franchise to
operate and maintain water and sewer
Pulse see WATER/12
az y
e News
(813) 763 -3134
br! holds meetktp of
"�boari! of tr9t�ors to
F f tan 0keechoaee Cots>h+
okeedlrlbee tint opts caunty odnanoe'"'
prardl g a 'tlan osboii ve *Navies to Okeechobee
Beach WatileAti4ittationieiditi suocessore to operate
u` fttatt trtwate rsndsewer s y,, s
R9 of Okeddhobee County I
a„
fax v d V tl
Fb006 Department of
'Envirt°114titaf Ffnofetglortttottt Iseuk o penis 10
Ck+ B eac11 VaterMaodatbn
ttf a and p epzarea defense o1
Okeeti iobee Coil* over the
and OBWA for additional
Deparanertl of :Community
i .lrrterveltor Clly,
brOka t
e for a
adiiilrilettitNeiSI
.0 Ce
s� G do 5..i Q oN Vg 0
pt� tt r N r1 N a q %S. 9.3 0
o G cmia 5 .3 Non
N� N cv O
o ij (11 N n it p. o� q' N• O. V
aaG w r
os �W "�c��'��.
�S K o �J^ ,w� fl- .p �N V
7
4,), M M 5, o f` o o w n o G a .2 0 a 4p
S n n y ts, C o 5 G �O N o D
o G o O- p si c. 51:4 s o
5 5
o .,G`�. °g Qa 0 a o r. (au a4 0 0. o Co �o^ n gi q o t o y p c
t). TA 0 0°'a a d0. no 0 o
Sro, A V f A
d 0 0' A .ti
0 0. 4
0
7 N
n
I`I
CD
k 8 c 4 E5' c 0 0 0 '`ii X04 CD
Qty K S 8 n o p a O O A' g 12. O j 03P.,70-`) aq w o
`'C AW O p- n pQ11 iti
2. 7 a 4 C Oq s. w A E 7 F.,. I A m m «`S O eC C
O W E A r► A n r o w C C O 1. .i
0 V A p o t w A O O N w W 0 O 0 0 b W if fli E.
w. C c n O A O
O.. A 0.04. 04 T 1 t FA at p r A 0.04 A A •y M '•7
O r# o
b Q A Q r" 'CJ C 0 tO w C, n. u
0 A w O O 5. n 0• m ..w A- l g O O W 1.O O A a
r r. pD ..rx FA r.A pt 0,0 0
p A W 0� CP1,w OR QC�'�e Li GL
Ogn: A g a n `u1 1 4�y 0 .q� a C M"►•
A C C. fo i n Al E O CIA R W 2 O 't' IFS: Cy mni O n E A
A
�O9 s C f co 3' A 1 pp �s r I �A.f:igr ry ruV b
A 401 t O q C 0 '!7 r► p l A► A h -I i r. p A A A .ti
'1 Q pg`mpt ..t- C mq 04
O' 0 4 A n o O, rt M A rt O i r. c A t g a 1-1 A O pt rr `C r
A c d 0 A� a
A A O• at C A °.,r°1- 0: i A 8 A .^T .p (0,* ,y ij
:5 n d z n M a F A �n C A O W O f O t f o I (1 OR .7 to pt •l i h O el, A
Q—�. ern :X