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Culpeper supervisors won't revisit water/sewer plan

Culpeper supervisors not interested in revisiting public-private partnership for water-sewer infrastructure

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

Date published: 10/8/2008

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

Culpeper Utility Partners came before the Board of Supervisors looking for a second chance yesterday, but got a solid rebuff instead.

The company's plan to build $100 million worth of water and sewer infrastructure for Culpeper County was voted down in September. But Steve Vento, the head of the group, told supervisors yesterday that he now had both overseas and Washington investors who were willing to finance construction at absolutely no risk to county taxpayers.

That presumed risk was the primary reason the Culpeper Utility Partners' plan, made in conjunction with the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act, died last month.

"Reopen the door for further negotiations," Vento said. "Allow your staff to negotiate."

When asked if he now had financial letters of intent from his new backers in hand, Vento said he did not, but assured supervisors that he could have the necessary documentation within 30 days.

That didn't impress anyone on the board, especially Supervisor Larry Aylor, who told Vento that he should have had financing secured before bringing the plan to the county.

And Aylor said he didn't think the county should be bogged down in negotiations with Vento's group when other firms might come courting.

"Like I told my daughter: You can't find Mr. Right with Mr. Wrong on your arm," Aylor said.

Vento offered no hint of how investors would recoup their money in a stagnant building environment where there is virtually no demand for sewer and water taps. Still, he was anxious to get a second chance at finding a way, saying that he had worked with the county in every way he knew how.

"Everything the Board of Supervisors has laid out, we've done," Vento said, adding that his group had already invested about $1 million in developing the plan.

He was reminded that Utility Partners still owes the county about $99,000 under the PPEA law for work planners have done in considering the plan.

Vento added that he was speaking for Culpeper Utility Partners, not Angler Development. He said Angler, which was an arm of the partnership, has been hit hard by the building slowdown and is in the process of being sold to a Pennsylvania firm.

When Vento concluded his appeal, Board Chairman Bill Chase asked if there was a motion to rescind last month's action. The question was met with only blank stares and silence.

Vento would not comment after the meeting, except to say, "It looks like that puts an end to it."

Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com

In other action at yesterday's Culpeper County Board of Supervisors meeting: County Treasurer David DeJarnette said his office is still trying to collect about $2 million in unpaid real-estate and personal-property tax bills. "It's tough out there in the collections arena," DeJarnette said, adding that his office is for the first time considering contracting with an outside collection agency. He said delinquent personal-property tax totals had risen about half a million dollars over last year. School Board Chairman George Dasher said both the county's new schools are now in full operation and running well. He said sewer problems at Eastern View High have been cleared up and a traffic light is being installed on the Sperryville Pike near Yowell Elementary School.

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Date published: 10/8/2008