Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Jackson walking away from West Rankin fight.

There are two items of interest on the agenda for today's meeting of the Jackson City Council.



Attorney June Hardwick is returning to the municipal court bench since Gerald Mumford became Hinds County Attorney.   Set them free.

What is intriguing is item #31.  Is Jackson giving up its fight to stop the West Rankin Utility Authority from building a wastewater treatment plant?  Is a settlement in the works?  Public Works Director Robert Miller justified the decision in a memo included in the agenda packet:

Since 2014, the City of Jackson has been actively opposing the issuance of a National Pollution Discharge and Elimination System ("NPDES") permit to the West Rankin Utility Authority.  The permit allows the West Rankin Utility Authority to construct its own wastewater treatment plant in Rankin County.  By building this wastewater treatment plant, the West Rankin Utility Authority ("WRUA") would be capable of treating all of their wastewater and would no longer need to use the City's Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant.  The plant would allow them to terminate their wastewater treatment agreement with the City of Jackson and cease sending their wastewater to the Savanna Street WWTP.  Because the WRUA shares proportionately in the cost of operation and maintenance of the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant and shares proportionately in the cost of capital projects, WRUA's termination  would cause the portion of the operations and maintenance costs and capital project costs to rise for the remaining customers.

The City filed comments opposing the issuance of the permit and participated  in a public hearing, opposing the issuance of the permit.  The City appeared  at the Permit Board meeting where the permit was approved.  The City requested a formal hearing before the Permit Board in which the City  presented  its  opposition  to  the  issuance  of  the  permit.    The  Permit  Board  voted  at  the conclusion of that hearing to issue the permit.  The City appealed the decision of the Permit Board to  the  Chancery  Court  of  Hinds  County,  Mississippi.    The  Permit  Board,  Department of Environmental  Quality, and the West Rankin Utility Authority sought to have the appeal  transferred  to the  Chancery  Court  of  Rankin  County,  which  the  Hinds  Chancery  Judge granted.   Before  the Chancery  Court  of Rankin  County,  the City  filed  its  appellate  briefs  and appeared  before the Rankin Chancery Judge to argue the appeal.   The Rankin County Chancery Court affirmed the decision of the Permit Board to issue the permit.

The appeal is now before the Supreme Court of Mississippi.  The Department of Public Works and its counsel who is representing the City are of the opinion that voluntary dismissal of the appeal is in the City's best interest at this point.  The City's best prospect for maintaining the WRUA as a long-term  customer  is  to  demonstrate  that  it  can  provide  reliable,  cost-effective  service  at  a predictable  price that will  be less than the cost of the WRUA constructing  and operating  a new wastewater  treatment  plant.  Continuing to oppose the WRUA's  NPDES permit will continue to antagonize them and complicate the City's presentation how a renewed relationship will be to the benefit of the WRUA and its customers.
Kingfish note:  The decision to drop the appeal is somewhat unexpected.  Smart play? Stay tuned.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Essentially doubling or even tripling the cost to consumers....of both plants.

Not in anyone’s best interest.

Anonymous said...

Smart play. The mayor needs to work this out with the Rankin mayors. I think he has shown that he is a smart man willing to make tough decisions. Jackson can not afford to lose WRUA fees and WRUA cant afford to build that plant.

Now the question is how far will CRF push the Rankin mayors to build that plant?

Kingfish said...

Will Carl Ray allow the Rankin mayors to make a deal, though? That tis the question.

Anonymous said...

Saw in the paper that one of Chok-a-blok's big wish list items for the Legislature is to okay the installation of red light cameras.
Never mind the fact that they were rejected by the Legislature and are illegal.
Hey, you've got to squeeze more money from the rubes somehow, right? How about collecting the fines from your constituents, Mayor? You know, the ones that choose not to pay. How's that working out for you?

Anonymous said...

Not a bad move. The problem is that it is not entirely about cost. I believe it has already been determined that the new facility will be more costly that using Jackson. It's more an issue of control and not being left in a horrible situation. The city hasn't shown ANY inclination, ability, or anything to correct their sludge problem. Communities in Rankin county do not want to be at the mercy of a city who hasn't shown any ability to maintain their treatment facilities.

Anonymous said...

Isn't June Hardwick a little old to be writing the name of our country as "Amerikka?"

Anonymous said...

Here is a novel idea. Give people driving in Hinds County with Hinds County car tags tickets for expired tags. Never mind they can't afford the high cost of the tags, but stick it to them. Next time you readers are riding around, look at how many are expired or have the annual stickers removed probably by thieves who also can't afford them.

Anonymous said...

Smart move with West Rankin. Dumb move with Hardwick. There is balance in The Force.

Anonymous said...

9:51- Jackson has not shown any inclination....to correct sludge problem? Have you been hiding under a rock? The city entered a contract, over Mayor Tony's objection because it didn't cover his supporters investments into him, but still awarded a contract. The work has been underway for months, facing a December deadline. Much news coverage (forgive me, the coverage wasn't in JJ, so maybe you missed it.) Article last month that the deadline will not only be met, but work will be completed before the deadline, largely because there was not as much sludge as originally estimated.

Kingfish said...

Missed that one. Thanks. I'll dig up some updates on it. Blessed is he who chastizeth...

Anonymous said...

June Hardwick is a total moron. Although she is nice enough as an individual. However, she is still a complete dummy. Nor could she ever reason and negotiate anything. Hard to believe she passed the Mississippi bar exam.

Anonymous said...

I remember when she ran for city council seat for ward 7 haha... she received about 9 votes and those were probably voters that checked the wrong box. Funny enough she actually thought she could win. Hey, at least now she gets to be a "public servant" to steal the word from a liberal local publication. Honestly June = joke!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Note to the Antar apologists: if this guy really cared about his constituents more for more than pandering purposes, he would not protest the President when in town. You can be assured that Barak Obama would not lift a finger to help a city if the roles were reversed.

No business will locate in a city with a mayor involved in the Malcolm X movement. Jackson is toast.

Anonymous said...

I was not a Chokwe supporter during elections but he has surprised me on several issues for the better. However, his protest or hissyfits sure won't help the city. First off you should never enter into a public protest or display as a elected official that is suppose to represent all citizens. This was his mistake. He's a elected official paid with tax payer money. He needs to grow a set and get on with it. Nothing personal just politics. Rookie mistake.

Anonymous said...

But what's most important to consider, here, is whether or not Rankin County is going to put some poison in that water, to get rid of all of them in Jackson, because they couldn't get rid of them any other way.

Anonymous said...

I'm just curious if Rankin County have it's way will the taxes increase in that county? If so they probably should try to see which option is the best for the citizens instead of a couple of head people making a decision.

Anonymous said...

I was not a Chokwe supporter during elections but he has surprised me on several issues for the better.

Which specific decisions?

Anonymous said...

Can someone provide a reference to Mayor Lumumba Jr. being involved in the “Malcom X Movement” — whatever the F that is?

Anonymous said...

2:09 Malcolm X was long dead before Antar was born . . . or are you just trolling?

Anonymous said...

<<<<<>> I Think They Spelled Republic Of New Afrika incorrectly..

In reply to 8:07 above, I said...

I would surmise the apple didn't fall far from the tree, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lumumba Jr. has used the "FREE THE LAND!" mantra more often than Lumumba Sr. ever did as Mayor of Jackson. So you want a reference, here is a good 'un.



http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2013/05/free-land-by-any-means-necessary.html

Pappy Odaniel said...

Rankin County is building a new WWTP. It has nothing to do with the high price paid to Jackson and everything to do with the money to be made by the usual suspects. They have no clue what they are diving off into. The estimates I've seen from various outlets is nowhere near the actual cost to build a WWTP and the necessary infrastructure to redirect the existing system to the new facility. But the reddest county in this state sure does love a bond! Urrbody gone get paid!

Anonymous said...

@ 8:07pm

Here is what you asked for...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_New_Afrika

Anonymous said...

This is more about Lumumba not wanting to get slapped down by the Supremes than it is an effort to make nice and negotiate with Rankin County.

Rankin County is going to build the new facility. Period. And as growth continues there the cost metrics will come down.

Anonymous said...

Look up your new aktivist judge on YouTube. She was part of daddy’s administration

Anonymous said...

Hey Kingfish... have you considered updating your blog to allow people to reply to posts made be other people and possibly add photos? ( asking for a friend....)



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