FLOOD OF SUPPORT

Eleven cities vote to form water agency; Queen City says 'no' to proposed company; Residents consider vote to be 'ridiculous'

The city councils of 12 local towns stirred the waters Thursday in the fight over water rights and affordable water rates, with 11 of them voting to re-create the Wright Patman Regional Water Supply Agency. Only Queen City officials rejected the measure.

Queen City unanimously rejected the proposal, saying it was too vague. They are looking to join in with the Western Cass Water Supply Co. The alternate plans with the Western Cass Water Supply could be complete within the next five years.

Queen City officials seemed skeptical of the Wright Patman proposal, primarily because its main advocate is Mike Huddleston, who has also been a spokesman for the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir to provide water to the Dallas metroplex.

"We don't know our obligations under the (Wright Patman) proposed resolution," said Queen City Council Member Buddy Quarles.

One council member, Fran Wyatt, compared it to "buying a pig in a poke if we vote for this."

Probably the most discussion came in Wake Village where after taking less than 15 minutes to meet, discuss and vote, the Wake Village City Council agreed unanimously to join the agency.

Just prior to taking the vote, Wake Village Mayor Huddleston took a few minutes to make some general statements about the proposed agency.

"If any of us haven't had the opportunity to see how important water has become to practically every city in the last couple of years, we've come to realize it now," he said.

Huddleston said water has become so important that even major metropolitan areas, like Dallas and Fort Worth, have expressed interest in Lake Wright Patman.

"To ensure we have both the quantity and quality of water we need, we thought it best to form this agency," Huddleston said. "We can work together and when we come together, it's for the best interest and benefit of us all."

Huddleston went on to say that the agency will be structured to make sure all the member cities, as a whole, maintain control of the agency.

"We will also seek to explore different options in making sure citizens have water now and in the future," he said.

Huddleston added that if each of the member cities all agree to pursue a specific project, then each city would sign a participation contract. However he said that "if a city doesn't feel like it will be beneficial to be in a participation contract,they don't have to sign on to one."

Huddleston further addressed prior concerns about the agency giving its member cities new broad, sweeping powers.

"These powers actually aren't new," he said. "We already have these powers as a city."

After some short discussion, the council agreed unanimously to pass the resolution.

After the meeting, Wake Village resident Libby Farmer passed out a list of 24 questions she would like the council to answer, one of which involved whether money would come from the city's treasury to finance the formation of plans and specifications for starting the agency.

Wake Village resident Emily Ligon was disgusted with how the meeting was conducted, without citizen input.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of," she said. "Why don't we have a vote on this agency?"

Maud City Council members unanimously passed a resolution supporting the creation of the water agency. However, their passage carries a stipulation or codicil drafted by Council Member John E. Coleman.

Coleman's motion included language that says the council's joining the agency does not bind it to any commitment; it has the freedom to withdraw from it at any time; its representatives to the agency are appointed by the Maud Council; and finally, any matters concerning money must be approved by the city council.

"My only concern is the city of Maud, and I was elected to do what is right," Coleman said, following the brief council meeting.

About a dozen Maud residents attended the meeting. Maud residents had presented a petition to Maud City Hall requesting a referendum on the issue. The number of signatures, 130, represented at least 20 percent of the approximately 500 registered voters living in the Maud city limits.

Despite the ability for the city to pull out of the agreement, Jamie Caudle is concerned about any loss of Maud city money that was invested in it if the arrangement sours. Caudle and others voiced their opposition to the formation of the agency, saying that they need more information and they fear that it is associated with the controversial Marvin Nichols Dam.

"People are trying to tie it to Marvin Nichols. It's not," said Council Member Charles Speights, who says he would be against the dam. Speights says much of the opposition to the agency is from people outside of Maud who have wells.

"Those people with wells, they could care less about the price of water," Speights said.

Maud Mayor Robert E. Wells told a vocal resident, Hershell Robinson-who is challenging Wells for mayor-that he wants to ensure that water is around for future generations of Maud residents. Robinson alleges back room deals associated with the secrecy surrounding the water issue.

"If they have a gag order, how are they getting more information and people on board?" Robinson asked.

Last year, 76th State District Judge Jim White implemented a gag order to help ensure that an impartial jury hears evidence in a pending civil lawsuit filed by Maud and six other cities, including New Boston, Wake Village, Hooks, De Kalb, Avery and Annona. The lawsuit was filed against Texarkana, Texas, and Texarkana Water Utilities in March 2002 claiming that the seven cities are being overcharged for water by TWU. The gag order, which prevents further public discussion, could possibly be in effect until October.

Coleman said he has done some independent investigations into the matter.

"We would like a lot more information and we would like to pass on more information to the public," said Council Member David Gipson. Gipson said he has gleaned information from observing other cities.

Gipson said he is frustrated that council members are bound by the gag although the gag order, on its surface, is limited to the litigation. Robinson says the water agency has nothing to do with the lawsuit. When arguing with council members, the two sides reached a stalemate.

Len Caudle worries that farmers have no say in the matter at all.

In New Boston, the vote was unanimous to accept the resolution and all five city council members were present. The meeting lasted only three minutes.

In Annona, Mayor George H. English called the vote "historic" even though the council had already voted for it back in February.

"I believe this is a historic moment to secure for our town the future of water for our grandkids in the surrounding communities. We also wish to own our own water rights," said English, who has served 10 years as mayor.

"One of the things I like about (the water plan) is that it's bringing the smaller cities together."

Mayor pro tem Earnest Edwards then added, "The more people we bring into this, the stronger we all will be."

On Tuesday, a group of five petitioners presented a list of 20 registered voters' signatures to the Annona city secretary. The petition requested city officials to hold a referendum so Annona residents could vote on whether to allow the city to participate in establishing the agency. The petition was offered too late to be on Thursday's agenda.

The city of Redwater also passed the resolution unanimously. Two council members-Judy Fagan and Johnny Whitley-were absent. Former Redwater mayor and current Council Member Beverly Phares said Thursday night's simultaneous meetings were "a sign of unification."

Mayor Chuck Bradford explained that voting for the proposal did not financially bind the city of Redwater to the water project.

"We are just looking into becoming a participating member. If we become a participating member, then we would be financially bound."

Elsewhere, the vote went as follows:

ATLANTA

In Atlanta, the proposal passed with a unanimous vote of the four city council members in attendance. Council Member Bobbie Pope was absent.

AVERY

The Avery City Council adopted the resolution with a 6-0 vote in a meeting that lasted only two minutes. Council Member Kelly Robinson was not present at the meeting.

"It's for the good of the people," Mayor Billy Trimm said. Council members declined comment.

CLARKSVILLE

The Clarksville City Council voted 5-1 to approve the resolution during its 10 minute meeting. Council members Monica Thompson, Jack Parks, Jerry Phelps, Ken Bishop and Bruce Johnson all voted for the resolution. Council Member Charlie Wright voted against the resolution. Council members Harold Griffin and Junaita Chivers were absent from the meeting.

"It would be in the best interest of the community to furnish the best possible water at a reasonable rate and allow for future growth," Clarksville Mayor Ann Rushing said during the meeting.

DE KALB

The De Kalb City Council voted unanimously and without any discussion to approve a resolution to join the agency. City council member Dennis Wandrey was not in attendance.

Mayor Paul Meadows said he is still in support of the resolution, which the council had previously approved at a Feb. 5 meeting.

"I still feel very strongly that this is something the city needs to do to have a consistent water supply for many years to come," Meadows said.

HOOKS

In the special business meeting that lasted just a few minutes, the Hooks City Council unanimously adopted the resolution. One council member, Stacy Franklin, was absent.

Hooks Mayor Pro Tem Steven Foltz declined to comment on passage of the resolution.

"I can't comment due to the gag order," Foltz said.

NASH

The Nash City Council adopted the resolution unanimously with all five council members present. The meeting lasted less than three minutes.

"In approving this resolution the city of Nash joins 11 other cities who will be participants in this agency to assure water supplies and wastewater facilities to meet future demands in our cities," said Nash City Administrator Elizabeth Lea in a prepared statement. Lea released the statement immediately after the meeting.

"We join together to provide for optimal development of facilities and water resources for the benefit of our existing and future citizens. As members of this agency we will be able to take a regional approach to water supply planning for the future and this will enable us to collectively and cooperatively investigate, pursue, negotiate and acquire water rights and additional water and wastewater facilities for the benefit of our existing and future citizens," the statement said.

(Texarkana Gazette reporters Greg Bischof, Aaron Brand, John Bridges, Lori Dunn, John Fooks, Bob Krayl, Pam Kumpe, Lisa Bose McDermott, Jan Shirley, Jennifer Thomason and Clarsksville Times reporter Sharon Mitchell contributed to this report.)