"Against Consolidation of EPCOR Wastewater Districts"

Discussion in 'Sun City General Discussions' started by Ida Eisert, Jan 11, 2017.

  1. Ida Eisert

    Ida Eisert Guest

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    Sun City Home Owners Association

    A CALL TO ACTION!

    [​IMG]

    STOP SUBSIDIZING OTHER NEWER EPCOR DISTRICTS

    IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR CASH - TAKE THE FREE BUS!

    Voice your opinion

    “Against the Consolidation of EPCOR Wastewater Districts”
    What: Corporation Commission Open Comment Session
    Where: Arizona Corporation Commission - 1200 W. Washington Street, Phoenix
    When: Monday, January 23, 2017 - Buses leave the Bell Center at 6:30 a.m. and will return
    to the Bell Center at 1:00 p.m.
    Why: To voice your opinion "Against the Consolidation of EPCOR Wastewater Districts"
    How: Six free buses departing from the Bell Center - Seating is limited to
    350 Sun City residents
    RSVP: To make an email reservation, respond to Rerservations@suncityhoa.org.;
    include your phone number. To register in person, visit SCHOA:
    Thursday & Friday, January 12 and 13 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m

    Monday & Tuesday, January 16 and 17 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

    No Email? Call 623 243 7552

    A "Paper" copy of your reservation is your "Ticket" for the bus.

    If you register by email, you will receive a confirmation email "ticket."

    If you register at the SCHOA office, you will immediately receive your "Ticket."

    If you register by phone, you MUST pick up you "Ticket" at the SCHOA office.

    SCHOA, RCSC and RCA (Retirement Community Association)

    are making this opportunity available to Sun City residents

    "At No Charge!"

    SUPPORT SUN CITY!

    FIGHT SUBSIDIZING "OTHER" DISTRICTS!

    [​IMG]

    SCHOA is Committed to Keeping YOU Informed!

    * * * * * * * * *

    Sun City Home Owners Association

    10401 W Coggins Drive

    Sun City, AZ 85351

    (623) 974-4718

    (623) 977-7095 - Fax


    Hours Monday - Friday; 9:00 A. M. - 3:00 P. M.

    (Excluding Holidays)
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  2. Ida Eisert

    Ida Eisert Guest

    SCHOA, RCSC and RCA (Retirement Community Association) joint effort! Get the word out! Let's get those buses filled!
     
  3. aggie

    aggie Well-Known Member

    I applaud all those that rose before sunrise to attend the ACC EPCOR Rate Case Hearing in Phoenix Monday morning. There were many speakers and many reasons given for rejection of full consolidation beyond the standard "Sun City seniors are on a fixed income and can't afford the increase." Although I was unable to attend in person I was able to watch most of it live on my iPad and then caught the rest on my PC last evening.

    Here's the website for the hearings if you missed it: Arizona Corporation Commission Just go to the 2017 hearings archive near the bottom of the page.
     
  4. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Thanks aggie, I've been hoping someone would post some impressions. I didn't know it was broadcast...I'll look at the website.
     
  5. SCR

    SCR Active Member

    How many buses went to the ACC hearings, and how many people?
     
  6. aggie

    aggie Well-Known Member

    I have heard that there were 200+ residents attending and 4 buses. This is not a firm count but what I've heard so far.
     
  7. Adam560

    Adam560 Member

    There were 6 buses. Probably around 250 people.
     
  8. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    The video only shows a small portion of the crowd so it's hard to tell. After watching the video my feeling is they will go with consolidation. A few people who want it from other communities pointed out that it is unfair to charge one community a different rate than others for the same service. I don't think anyone from Sun City made a compelling reply against that, such as to say our services are different. Some did say we are helping pay for the other communities that have a better system but it was not clear on what was lesser. One said we won't need the high estimation of repair because our system was built better to start with, but most of the complaints were that Sun City residents can't afford it. Would they really care about that?
     
  9. SCR

    SCR Active Member

    That was not a bad representation, but if there is another hearing you can bet there will be more people showing up who
    want consolidation. A second wave of Sun City residents should be solicited now to attend the next hearing instead of waiting
    till the week before the hearing.

    I agree that it appears that consolidation is inevitable, but instead of comments that Sun City is on fixed income, the residents that
    show up have to offer more than that for a reason not to consolidate.

    As for everyone receiving the same services, this is not quite true. Each of the communities other than Sun City, Sun City West,
    and Youngtoqwn, have all had waste treatment plants built to service those communities. Sun City, Sun City West and Youngtown
    have all been using the Tollison waste water treatment plant for 50 years with a long term contract. The other communities
    all had waste water treatment plants built for them. None of the communities are interconnected. That means that each
    community is a stand alone entity not connected to any other community's waste water treatment plants or services.
    Therefore, each community does not receive the same services, Anthem for instance, has a 23 million balloon payment due for
    their waste treatment plant. Tollison on the other hand has been existence for 50 years or more and I know of no balloon
    payment required to pay for that plant.

    Another issue is the age of the waste water infrastructure. There are absolutely no facts to support the fact that because our
    waste water pipes are 50 years old that failure is imminent. This is nothing but a scare tactic. When have you ever heard of
    waste water piping failure? Water mains (provide water) have failures.

    Using the argument that Sun City is on fixed incomes will fall on deaf ears. However, the other communities do have the ability
    to increase their incomes by getting raises, getting second jobs, and conservation.

    Another issue is the fact that rates are based on an average of 7000 gallons of water usage. I haven't used 7000 gallons in one
    month in the 19 years I've lived here. I'd be willing to bet that the other communities use more than 7000 gallons a month and
    thus should be charges accordingly. If you use more water, you have more waste and thus should be charged more for waste
    water services.

    Epcor says they have a program for those who can't afford to pay for their water and waste water services. If you chack their
    website I think you'll find that the amount they are talking about is so small it wouldn't even be worth your while to apply for it.
    Also, Epcor offered rebates to anyone who installed a low flow toilet EXCEPT FOR SUN CITY. Also, Epcor is installig smart meters
    in Canada so that their Canadian customers only get charged for actual water usage and thus waste water charges. Why isn't
    Sun City and other communities getting smart meters? You should be charged for the exact amount of water you use which
    should also be reflected in waste water rates.

    Just to clarify, I don't believe that Epcor is the one who is asking for consolidation. From my understanding, it is the ACC who
    has mandated that Epcor provide different scenarios for charging customers for water and waste water. Epcor is only
    providing different scenarios because the ACC told them to.

    Each community that Epcor serves is a completely separate entity with completely different water and waste water needs. None
    of these communities is connected to another. A failure in one does not affect any other community. Again, therefore, each
    community is not receiving the same service.

    The ACC is attempting to solve an issue that has been brought about by the development of new communities that had multi million
    dollar waste water treatment plants built to service those and only those new communities. The Sun Cities get no benefit from
    these new facilities and therefore should not have to pay to subsidize them.

    There are more facts that do not support consolidation, but they are too numerous to go into here. I've personally sent
    several 5 page letters to the ACC that details my objections to full consolidation and they can be found on the edocket web site.

    If anyone wishes to use my comments at the next hearing they are free to use them.

    Again, I stress that preparations for the next hearing should begin now, not a week before the hearing.
     
  10. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Those are good points. Something like that is the needed response. Saying we can't afford it from a fixed income is not a strong reason.
     
  11. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    God love you all for your efforts, but...the real issue here is what the ACC really should exist for? Years back they were here for the rate payer, to insure monopolies couldn't/wouldn't gauge us. It worked like a charm, at least until the boys started taking dark money.

    It's now become just another tool for these monopolies to use to insure steady revenue streams. Shameful would be a kind assessment for those elected over the last 5 years. Hell, two of the jackasses that were bought and paid for three years back didn't even bother to come down to the hearing room.

    Hang on to your hat boys and girls because this Andy Tobin lead charge to create "fairness" for those living out in the sticks and all those little water companies is only the start of huge increases. You ain't seen nothing yet and they could give a rat's ass how we feel.
     
  12. Ida Eisert

    Ida Eisert Guest

    6 buses approximately 300 ... + people that drove.... there were 2 overflow rooms.
     
  13. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Again, kudos to SCHOA and Greg for putting this together; lots of work and well represented. Sadly though, the ACC has become a cesspool of cronyism. They took a great buffer for the people and allowed it to become water carriers for the utilities companies.

    Imagine buying a profitable company and being guaranteed a great return on investment...no matter how poorly you ran the company. Then throw into the mix the concept of consolidation (being pushed by the ACC) where you could buy up more small companies and insure even bigger profits.

    The reality is as consumers, we have no free choice. We can't take our business elsewhere, because they are a monopoly and buy the rights to own us. That was why the ACC was started in the first place.

    And if you love the word irony, this one may be the granddaddy of all time: The ACC is made up of 5 died in the wool republicans who tout the free market system. They yammer about pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and no handouts. Right; because this consolidation effort is socialism at its finest. It's forcing those of us in Sun City, Sun City West and Youngtown to pay for the builders who didn't want to pay high land prices and subsequently build in outlying areas. It's subsidies of the highest order with guarantees for return on investment and little incentive to be efficient.

    Congrats to those serving on the ACC and turning it into the best governance money can buy...and by God, 4 of the 5 have been bought and paid for by the companies they are now taking care of.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2017
  14. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Sad. I'll be quiet now (hangs head and weeps)
     
  15. aggie

    aggie Well-Known Member

    SCR wrote:
    I went over our water bills for the past 3 years. Our highest bill ever was for 6000 gallons in April 2014 and our average is just over 3000 gallons. Just think of all the winter visitors that are gone for 4-6 months yet are billed year round for 7000 gallons use per month for a vacant property. It's too bad that we can't be billed for what we use. Doing so would probably cause EPCOR to raise rates even higher to earn a profit for their only shareholder....City of Edmonton Canada!
     

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