“Forget it, Jake. It’s just Palmyra”

“Nothing Good Happens after Midnight.” Or so our parents have told us. Late last week, using tactics that would make even the hard-core ‘climate-gate’ operator to say; “wow”, the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors used arcane parliamentary procedure (including a rule that empowers the chair to call a vote even when a motion hasn’t been seconded) to move forward on a joint water authority with neighboring Louisa County.

Fluvanna does not have the money to build it themselves because several years ago they chose to use a bond issue to borrow the money to build a High School instead of the water supply infrastructure based on statistics reminiscent of Michael Mann’s hockey stick graph which told the voters they needed a new High School because of population spikes (years earlier) and that a new High School would “create jobs” (a quote from then FluCo admin Cabell Lawton to yours truly). Once it became clear that the only jobs the HS project created were for the contractor friends of Mr. Lawton, they find themselves back at the water supply issue.

One plan presented would have created a, relatively, quick stop-gap solution by tapping into a nearby correctional facilities’ water supply but it was dismissed as not robust enough of a plan to attract the Commonwealth’s (taxpayer financed) support. The concept of a major investment in a joint water authority that would take water out of the James River, pump it across the width of Fluvanna to Louisa where it would be prepared for drinking and sold back to Fluvanna County had been in the works for some time having been originally proposed by Louisa as their commercial and residential needs grew and it now comes back into the spotlight. This plan is said to create three times the water for Fluvanna that is currently used by the commercial area of Zion Crossroads in Louisa. Thus the Republicans on the board wondering what guarantees they can install that will make sure this is going to be commercial and not residential developments which would just create more strain on the county rather than alleviate it and one of the Democrats (Mike Sheridan) recusing himself because he owns property along the pipeline route the 5-person board was deadlocked 2-2 and a tie is as good as a “no”.

So here we find ourselves at last week’s meeting. Having already having removed a vote on the project from the agenda because one of the opposing Republicans supervisors were away, supervisor Tony O’Brien emerges from a three-hour long closed session and asks to call a vote on it anyway. O’Brien is heard (as reported by Bryan Rothamel for the Free Enterprise Forum blog) on the recordings of the meeting saying;

“I think there is an opportunity to get something done. It may not be the best timing but I also think it may eliminate some headaches.”(emphasis added)

The second Republican Supervisor Don Weaver asked what he was talking about. To which the recording hears O’Brien shuffle a paper and say, “I’m taking about this”, presumably the (joint water authority) amendment.

“As far as I’m concerned the meeting is over,” replied Weaver.

O’Brien replied, “Well, it isn’t, because we haven’t adjourned yet. Think about what I’m asking. There is a controllable situation (emphasis added) right now and there is not a controllable situation, potentially not a controllable situation. That’s why I’m asking the question.”

Weaver said it didn’t matter because O’Brien couldn’t get a second without his support.

O’Brien said, “I don’t necessarily have to have one. But again, that’s why I’m asking.”

Chair Mozelle Booker was then told by the county attorney Fred Payne that she could recognize the motion without a second, so she did and it passed 2-1.

Asked by Christina Guzeman of the “Fluvanna Review” about taking the vote without the second opposing Republican, Bob Ullenbruch, in attendance, Chair Booker said; “If it was that important to him, he would have made it a point to be here,” despite the fact that it was not on the agenda (having been removed at the request of Supervisor Ullenbruch we find out later).

There are still two more votes on the parts of the plan including special use permits on the agenda for the county’s December 2nd meeting and it’s sure to be more robustly attended by citizens wondering what the zeal for more water than seems to be needed is all about.

We’ll keep poking around, unless someone tries to cut my nose off.

Listen to my exclusive interview with Fluvanna Superisor Bob Ullenbruch.

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