To the Editor:
This is the reply to Bob Iadicicco’s letter in which he wanted to correct me on an error in one of my letters. He said, “It is correct that the Town of Oak Bluffs has not paid the wastewater bill for town facilities for the past several years, but there was never a town meeting vote on that issue. Further, the wastewater commissioners never condoned that nonpayment. We have consistently insisted that the town must pay for its usage. However, we have no means to force the issue.”
To paraphrase the late Senator Moynihan, Mr. Iadicicco is entitled to his own views but not his own facts. Here is a paragraph from The Times story published 2/23/11 (“Oak Bluffs voters make mid-year budget cuts”) regarding an Oak Bluffs special town meeting where the town voted not to pay half of its waste water bill for the year.
Wastewater commissioner Bob Iadicicco responded [to a decision to cut $9,000 from the budget to pay town wastewater fees]. “One of the selectmen came to us and said ‘can we have some relief,’” Mr. Iadicicco said. “Somewhat reluctantly, we agreed. Don’t ask for a rationalization.
“Revenue over the past few years has been somewhat higher than our expenses and we have built up a little bit of a surplus. That’s why we decided to be generous.”
At the next town meeting in April, the town voted to not pay the other half of its wastewater bill and all of the next year’s too. Also the fact that wastewater commissioner Gail Barmakian is also a selectman makes his statement seem even more foolish.
It’s time for wastewater to paid by a per gallon price.
Erik Albert
Oak Bluffs
