HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2011.01.20 - 10359MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION # 11021
BY: Commissioner Shelley G. Taub, District #16
RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — Support for Creating a Regional Water and Sewer
District
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS the governance of public institutions should be based on the guiding principles of
integrity, legitimacy, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, as well as fair and equitable
representation; and
WHEREAS a Michigan House Select Committee conducted an extensive study of the Detroit
Water and Sewerage Department, including examining 13 municipal water systems across the
country and based, in part, on those findings legislation has been proposed in the State of
Michigan to establish a more representative governance structure for a regional water and
sewer district and a regional board that represents an eight county area; and
WHEREAS currently the Detroit Water Board is composed of seven members, appointed by the
Mayor of the City of Detroit, that includes four Detroit representatives and one member each
from Oakland, Wayne and Macomb Counties; and
WHEREAS the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department serves 126 suburban communities in
eight counties, with more than 75% of its 4.3 million water customers residing outside of Detroit;
and
WHEREAS House Bill 4112 has been introduced — the Regional Water Quality Authority Act —
that proposes to keep ownership of the Detroit Water and Sewerage system with the City of
Detroit, but would transfer decision making to an Executive Committee that is elected by the
Authority, which is comprised of 126 community customers, with the City of Detroit being
designated as a permanent member; and
WHEREAS HB 4112 provides that the nine (9) member Executive Committee will be composed
of mayors and township supervisors selected from the 126 member Authority, with each serving
a two (2) year term; and
WHEREAS HB 4112 creates an Executive Director position that reports directly to the Executive
Committee. The Executive Director will be in charge of handling the day-to-day operations with
oversight by the Executive Committee; and
WHEREAS HB 4112 provides that the Executive Committee will control the bidding and
contracting process, adopt budgets, establish rates and fees, and determine policies of the
Authority; and
WHEREAS HB 4112 provides that the Executive Committee may borrow money and issue
bonds to finance projects for a period of up to fifty (50) years; and
WHEREAS HB 4112 provides that all current labor contracts will be honored by the Authority;
and
WHEREAS a Detroit regional water and sewer district, with a regional board that provides fair
and equitable representation for all of the consumers within the regional, would provide a
governance structure that provides appropriate oversight, greater accountability, cost savings,
transparency and efficiencies for all of the rate payers within the region.
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
support House Bill 4112 - the Regional Water Quality Authority Act — and the creation a Detroit
regional water and sewer district Authority, with a nine (9) member Executive Committee and
Executive Director, and urges the Michigan Legislature to enact such legislation and the
Governor to enact this legislation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT copies of this adopted resolution be forwarded to the
Governor of the State of Michigan, the Oakland County delegation to the state legislature,
Representative Kurt Heise, Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner John P. McCulloch,
the Mayor of the City of Detroit, the Michigan Association of Counties, the Michigan Municipal
League and Oakland County's legislative lobbyists.
Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution.
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Resolution #11021 January 20, 2011
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.