Water freedom for the Country Club of Jackson moved one step closer to reality after the Legislature passed SB #2433 last week. The bill allows CCJ to operate its own water system.
The Country Club of Jackson was built before it became a part of the city of Jackson. Since it was not a part of the Jackson water system, CCJ built its own system. CCJ has two deep water wells with treatment plants and a 100,000 gallon elevated storage tank (the giant golf ball). The homeowners association employs a water systems specialist. The system is designed to served the country club and the neighborhood. CCJ residents used the system until Jackson annexation occurred upon which CCJ switched to municipal water and sewer services.
The water system still serves the actual country club and must meet Health Department regulations. Current usage is probably 4% of the estimated capacity.
The steady stream of boil water notices frustrates Jackson residents and CCJ members are no exception. Unlike their fellow Jacksonians, CCJ members actually have the means to fix the problem. However, state law is standing in their way. Enter State Senator Walter Michel (R-CCJ), the author of SB #2433.
The bill exempts homeowners associations from utility regulation if they meet certain criteria:
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the distribution of water by an eligible homeowners association only to its residents, irrespective of the subdivision's location inside of an area subject to a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity held by an eligible municipality. Additionally, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any entity supplying water to an eligible homeowner's association for purposes of supplying water only to its residents. These provisions shall not apply whether an eligible homeowners association elects to provide water to its residents on a full-time basis or opts for an emergency connection to a private water source for use only when water from an eligible municipality is unavailable, unreliable or unsafe.
The bill clearly applies only to Jackson as it defines "eligible municipality" as any city with a population of more than 100,000 and homeowners associations as those created before 1970 and built outside municipal boundaries.
The bill passed the Senate 40-12 and the House of Representatives 77-36. But for State Senator Michel and State Representative Shanda Yates, the Jackson delegation voted against the bill.*
State Senator Michel said he sponsored the bill at the request of the CCJ homeowner's association.
The bill is due from Governor Tate Reeves by March 9. History and text of bill.
Kingfish note: What will probably happen is CCJ will only use the system in case of emergencies such as boil water notices or loss of water service. The Mayor can take full credit for this bill. A group of people with the means to operate their own system and get a bill passed went out and did so. The bill went through "clean", probably because the Mayor insulted the legislature so much.
*
38 comments:
Party line/racial line nay votes.
Free the water, not "free water."
When there is a boil water notice they couldn't just switch a valve to the CCJ system and expect clean water. The lines are already contaminated, i.e. it would be closing the barn door after the horses departed.
How naive. Switch over and don't look back.
What does the CCJ plan to do about sewer when Jackson says it can no longer use its sewage infrastructure?
@9:39 AM Their greens and fairways could always use a little extra nutrition.
9:38 posted my exact thought. Water systems (as in this case) are not like motorcycle gas tanks where, on the fly, you simply flip a lever to switch over to a reserve tank.
How many of the no votes belong to the Jackson Country Club? Probably very few if even a single one. None of them would have met the, ah, stringent requirements in place before or even after annexation.
9:38 THANK YOU. I really hope someone informed them of this.
I'm sure they will find a way for the state to subsidize some of the cost. :)
Wait, they can’t do this because they are the only people in Jackson actually paying their water bills.
10:02 - Pay attention! The opening post says they have a water system manager employed there, not a blog manager.
So this is the important stuff the legislature takes up!😜
No wonder we’re last in almost everything, except getting billions in Covid relief from uncle sam that they haven’t figured how to divvy up yet.
9:39 - That would not be legal and Jackson, under the mayor's leadership, is all about legal.
What does the CCJ plan to do about sewer when Jackson says it can no longer use its sewage infrastructure?
Petty retribution despite revenues earned but completely plausible response to the majority white neighborhood by the black Napoleon Mayor.
“A throne is only a bench covered with velvet.”
-Bonaparte
Mayor Richard White was seen at Home Depot buying large diameter PVC water pipes and a trencher.
10:13 - We’re not last in everything,but in enough things. We aren’t last because of the legislature. We’re last because the state has too many net negative citizens that won’t work, won’t get an education, won’t contribute to their communities or, for that much, even their families. They don’t have any semblance of a moral code, don’t have any respect for themselves or others. They would rather wallow in misery than to aspire to anything above materialistic lust. That is why we are considered last and will continue to be until that part of society changes or leaves.
@9:38 is partially correct. A lot would depend on if it was a mandatory boil water notice or a precautionary boil water notice. But the CCJ would have to close a few valves, then flush the system. After doing so, their water operator would take samples and get them cleared by the MSDH (takes 48 hours). Then it would be suitable to lift the boil water notice.
I understand the frustration of CCJ resident, but I don't understand the need to have your own water system when the federal government is injecting almost 1 billion dollars into the Jackson water system. It doesn't make fiscal sense to pay for those costs of having your own water system when you should have reliable, clean water soon.
Baptist and St Dominic did this years ago, long before the clown show made it to the center ring. Seems to have been a wise decision.
@11:26 as Jackson has shown many times in the past, just because you throw big bucks at something doesn't mean the money will be used wisely or as intended.
@11:26am
It takes 5 years (50 months) for COJ/Mayor to fix a simple collapsed bridge (see most recent Northside Sun), even after it has been engineered and bid, partly because they let time limit for using available funds expire. How long could it take the same incompetent clowns to replace miles of water and sewer lines? An eternity... of shootings, carjackings, potholes, sewer ponds and more bridge failures.
Amen 11:02 am
Who is it exzactly that owns the water lines that CCJ would use to distribute it's private water?
I'm having a hard time seeing how the City of Jackson could or would allow a private operator to use city owned and maintained lines to deliver private water to former city water customers.
9>39 - sewer is not rocket science. The sewage produced from the CCJ residents will still flow into the existing sewer lines to the treatment plant in south Jackson. CCJ residents will be billed for disposal of their sewage. There are several entities in Jackson that provide their own water but have their sewage disposed of by Jackson - for starters, try UMMC, St. Dominics, Baptist, and a few industrial operations.
Know its hard to fathom, but people think about these things before learning of the problem by reading comments on a blog site, andn they don't have to be particularly smart to do so.
Rest assured, the sewage will not be backing up onto the fairways (like it used to from the city dumping sludge from the water treatment plant into the lines) and creating an unplanned 'hazard'.
11:02 Hard to get a decent primary education in a state that's ACTIVELY trying to kill it for all but the segregation academies. They can't wait to suck up all that voucher money.
You dropped your ignorant privilege. Run back to your gated community precious.
@12:46 PM couldn't wait to raise the race card. Bless its heart (didn't want to ass-ume its pronoun).
@11:02 AM won the internet today.
Look at all the democrats voting against this!
They want the CCJers to suffer as they do.
Let these domocrat legislators eat cake.
@1:17 Didn't drop any race cards. That's you just connecting dots. We all know the education plan. The cigar boys haven't made it a secret.
"I understand the frustration of CCJ resident, but I don't understand the need to have your own water system when the federal government is injecting almost 1 billion dollars into the Jackson water system. It doesn't make fiscal sense to pay for those costs of having your own water system when you should have reliable, clean water soon."
March 6, 2023 at 11:26 AM
Well aren't you crafty!!! ...and subtle! Why do I get the feeling that you work for someone who's been contracted to help "control Internet dialogue" for Jackson (or for some entity making money off Jackson)? And why do I get the feeling that you're writing from another continent? (I won't point-out what you did wrong. Maybe your Supervisor will, though.)
Anyway, CCJ residents are smart enough to know that no matter how much money, and how many experts, get sent into Jackson, the money and expertise will be wasted. Through a mixture of incompetence, laziness, theft, malicious intent, and deliberate Demolition by Neglect, that billion will largely be made to disappear.
For decades - at least half the lives of even the oldest CCJ residents - various government monies have been lavished upon Jackson and its feckless inhabitants. And things have only gotten worse. A tour of the "Farish Street Entertainment District", or of the two recently-renovated (mostly with government "incentive monies")iconic downtown skyscrapers (whose sales-at-auction were recently highlighted by Kingfish), would hint at what one should expect.
If CCJ residents cannot be assured reliable water service, they will leave Jackson. They will PROBABLY leave Mississippi. (Cashiers, North Carolina beckons, as do various golf destinations in Florida) If Mississippi is lucky, those CCJ people will merely move to Madison's Annandale. However, established patterns would predict that the majority will leave the state - following their cousins - following their children - following their dreams.
From the viewpoint of those inhabiting the poison-saturated (but pretty, exclusive, and secure) world of the CCJ, it DOES make "fiscal sense" to spend a few thousand Dollars, per-residence, to be able to remain in those residences. Replacing those residences, in states with better demographics and prospects, would mean tying-up hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of extra Dollars.
The choice is between an assessment of maybe 10k-per-household, for reliable water service, vs having an additional 250k (or more - maybe much, much more) tied-up in the purchase of a new home outside Jackson.
CCJ people are not my kind of people. But I can anticipate their trepidation, upon envisioning removal to new milieus - social circles where those CCJ Frat Rats and Sorority Suzies (virtually all of them Ole Miss grads), would have to hold their own, socially, with Frat Rats and Sorority Suzies who'd gone to Duke, Vanderbilt, and SMU. Can you imagine? That 10k - or 20k water system assessment, begins to look like the 'Bargain of the Century'.
What's Lumumba's version of Correct the Record called these days?
Jackson officials, nor State officials for that matter, have ANY control over the spending of those federal dollars for the Jackson water system. Now, if you wish to argue that Jackson officials will take over the water system again 10 years down the road when the water czar leaves, then go right on ahead but inform yourselves before spouting from the mouth about who will control those federal dollars - you look foolish.
EPA laws will not allow the not collecting waste water and sewage. So is not really possible to cut off use of sewer lines for treatment. Most system have water and sewers tied together and water can be cut off water if any part of bill is not paid. Having billing system is a problem.
So the consensus among the racist mayor's camp is something along the lines of, if we have to drink sewage, by golly the CCJ should have to drink sewage as well?
How adorably communist and on brand, of them.
11:02 is spot on, which is why MS needs to invest in getting those who refuse to help themselves (in a constructive manner) out of the way: more capacity for our prison, rehab, and mental health systems. The worst of this segment of the population is roaming the streets causing harm to themselves and others. This isn't rocket science.
@11:10 AM - No, they are all called "precautionary alerts," and advise to boil water per the DOH guidelines. @9:38 AM is correct.
Can’t they just dig a well and have their on water with out all this hoopla?
11:02 for Mayor! If you don’t work and contribute to society, GTFOut!
And still no one has asked why the residents got off the CCJ well system for their drinking water.
Nor does anyone ask about how it is tested,how often and by whom?
EPA DOES NOT REGULATE PRIVATE WELLS!
The rest of us (who don't have well water) don't care that the EPA does not regulate them 8:55.
If I had well water, I'd be asking folks in a non-blog forum.
Post a Comment