The Southwick Board of Selectmen hope to resolve the issue of a bill for water used at Whalley Park. (File photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – Members of the Board of Selectmen are hoping to solve the water bill issues for Whalley Park sooner rather than later.
The board discussed the situation at last night’s regular meeting and it was decided that Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart would meet with the Water Commission and Finance Commission. Stinehart was asked to report back to the board in two weeks with payment options.
Who will pay a nearly $70,000 bill for water is the main topic of debate. The bill was inherited by the town when it accepted the park from John and Kathy Whalley last October. The Water Commission last week absolved the Southwick Recreation Center – which had tapped into the water with permission from Whalley, said SRC board members – from any fiscal responsibility. The commission also said it would shut off the water July 1 if the Parks and Recreation Commission, which runs the park for the town, did not make a payment.
“We can’t shut off the water to a brand new park that all this money was spent on for the fields,” said Selectmen Chairman Russell Fox.
Park and Recreation Commission Chairman Kelly Magni maintains that the commission should not have to pay for water it did not use and for which it had not been billed. The water bill was addressed to former property owner John Whalley.
Board members Joseph Deedy, Tracy Cesan and Fox agreed the bill needs to be discussed with the selectmen, water commission, and parks and recreation commission.
“And I would love to see the Rec Center throw in some money as a donation,” said Deedy. “They did use some water, even if they didn’t know about it.”
The SRC Board said they were unaware of the connection to Whalley Park until this past April. Board President Kirk Sanders said the connection was made through an agreement between Whalley and SRC summer program volunteers last year.
Deedy said the board needs to facilitate a working session with the interested parties and come to a conclusion about how to pay the bill.
“The bottom line is we need to clean up this mess,” Deedy said.
Fox agreed a solution was needed.
“We are going to have to get everybody together on the same page,” Fox said. “The town is responsible and there should be a shared sacrifice all the way around. We need to resolve it.”
Cesan said she made a request to Fox several weeks ago to bring all the groups together.
“I requested through the chair to have everyone come to a board meeting and was denied,” Cesan said.
Cesan said she did not support the decision of the water commission in removing any responsibility from the SRC.
“And in no way do I believe the commission should place the bill in the Park and Recreation Commission’s hands when a private entity used some of that water,” she said.
Deedy agreed and said he also did not want the money coming out of a fund Whalley gifted the town for park maintenance.
