February 21, 2008To the Editor:
On March 11 from 6AM to 8PM you can vote for or against the Sparta Ordinance creating a utility to pay Blue Diamond a $1.44 million contract the first year, $1.5 million the second and $1. 56 million the third for garbage pick-up and to pay all additional surcharges and fees that become applicable.
The choice is simple:
If you think that all Sparta residents should be forced to pay for the Blue Diamond contract whether they use it or not, vote YES
If you think that all Sparta residents should have a choice and not be forced to subsidize others, vote NO.
If you think government should not intrude on yet another facet of our daily lives, and that we are smart enough to handle personal responsibility on our own, vote NO.
If you question the origin, the timing, the motivation, or fallout of this ordinance and/or the relationship with Blue Diamond, vote NO.
Township Manager Henry Underhill never attempted to negotiate a bid for a contract that would allow an opt-out for those who did not want to contract with Blue Diamond. Over two years ago he was directed by the then mayor and town council not to pursue any negotiations that did not accommodate an opt-out clause because they felt it was unfair and would be unsupported .Mr. Underhill ignored that advice and only entertained an interest in a contract in which the fees would be based on the entire town’s participation- potentially a new customer base of 6,000 households for the company selected- and for the town of Sparta to manage under the same parameters as property taxes. A lien would be imposed on a homeowner with a delinquent account. When questioned about the need for additional township office staff to implement this, it was stated that there are presently staff that apparently have the spare time to devote to this project. Blue Diamond has said they would have certainly offered an opt-out policy had they been asked but they were not. Mr. Underhill’s ineptitude and arrogance permeates the entire process that led up to the creation of this ordinance, including ineffective resident communication, and a questionable on-line survey. The ordinance was approved quietly and the notification of the approval was a small notice in the newspaper. When the public rebelled, Mr. Underhill begrudgingly held follow-up public forums that were a theatrical sham. He and his three supportive members were blatantly rude and condescending. He had apparently presumed that residents would go along with his plan- or just not notice during the convenient distracting Christmas season. Otherwise, he would have (and should have) placed the question on the ballot last year when we were voting for Town Council members. It would have been prudent and fair-not to mention cost-effective. An austerity-conscious manager would have thought of that. An up-front one would have insisted on it. The town clerk’s office estimates a $17,000 bill for the March 11 referendum expenses. I am sure that one of the credentials of a Town Manager is a clear grasp of fiscal conservatism … And I would also imagine that he promised to uphold that. However this referendum is resolved, we should not have to pay this charge for the Town Manager’s ineptitude even if it was it unintentional. And we definitely should not have to pay for his deception if it was deliberate
Mr. Underhill has seemingly minimal ties to Sparta. He is aggressively pursuing other job opportunities out of state. He does not have the burden of selling a house in a slow real estate market as he is a tenant in Sparta … so he can relocate quickly.
Please vote on March 11.
It’s your choice. ….It counts.
Lynne Cavanaugh
