Monday, November 17, 2008

Water Rights And A Second Opinion

It looks like finally the city will be getting a second opinion regarding the purchase of additional water rights. This agenda item will be voted on tomorrow night.

I cannot begin to tell you how often citizens have asked for this.

Since this water rights situation hit the big time, Water Right Solutions from Helena has been the city's consultant.

The Commission has been unrelenting in having absolute faith in Dave Schmidt of this company and not asking for a second opinion. As recent as the Oct. 21 meeting, commissioners were placing their total confidence in this fellow. This is well after Water Right Solutions indicated their principals, who include Dave Schmidt, have a conflict of interest. It seems that Mr. Schmidt and others will receive a fee from the sale of these water rights to the city.

After all this time, I wonder who's idea it was to finally get a second opinion?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess I’m a little dense . . . We have water rights that have been the City’s since Paris Gibson. Now we are relinquishing those rights and then turning around and purchasing those same rights. Subsequently we are paying a commission to the people that recommended that we give our rights away and now spend a million dollars to buy them back. In my opinion something is very wrong here, we have paid the consultants for several years worth of study on the water rights. How many months, years does it take to research water rights that have not changed?

Anonymous said...

The musical chairs will stop and
a key member of the city staff WILL
be without a seat, guess who?"

Anonymous said...

Well there are actually several individuals who will benefit big time from the sale of these Giant Spring water rights, but not the shareholders or the city residents. Guess who will be going to jail????