Community
Guckian vows to open Sewer Authority dialogue
Jan 26, 2010 | 419 views | 6 
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Guckian, who also works full-time as Governor Donald Carcieri’s Director of Advance, is up for reappointment to a five-year term on the WSA board, a position he has held for the last three years. He currently serves as board secretary.
Guckian, who has mounted bids for the School Committee and the City Council in the past, told the council and the audience, comprised of several Governor Francis Farms residents who are irked at the prospect of paying more in assessment charges than their neighbors whose sewers were installed several years prior, that he’d push for ratepayer concerns to be addressed by the board.
Several of the residents had a list of questions in hand, but Councilman John DelGiudice, the council’s appointments committee chairman, said the interview to confirm or reject Guckian’s reappointment was not the time or the place to perform an “inquisition.”
Saying the City Council public hearing to address concerns with the WSA on Dec. 16 was unproductive, Guckian promised to work toward creating more opportunity for ratepayers to communicate with board members.
“I did not think the meeting was all that effective that night,” said Guckian, who pointed out that although question upon question was asked, no time was allotted for the WSA to answer them. Guckian said he would like to see a forum where questions could be asked and then answered by the professionals at the WSA, or environmental groups like Save The Bay.
Guckian also said that he had increased the frequency and effectiveness of communication with the state’s congressional delegation, which led to the securing of federal grant and bond money. Guckian also successfully pushed the WSA to update its Web site, and to do a Potowomut Feasibility Study, which looked into the practicality of bringing sewers into that area.
With respect to increased communication with the ratepayers, Council President Bruce Place (Ward-2) and Republican City Councilman Steve Colantuono (Ward-1) both agreed with Guckian, saying that there should be a forum for residents to address the WSA board. Current WSA board rules don’t allow for public comment.
“Not to put this situation on you, but I think this list of questions needs to be addressed,” said Colantuono, who represents the Governor Francis Farms residents on the city council.
Place agreed.
“I would suggest that Mr. Guckian bring that list you have back to the board and have an open hearing to answer the questions you have,” said Place.
Contacted yesterday, both council members C.J. Donovan (Ward-7) and Donna Travis (Ward-6) said they were unsure of how they’d vote with respect to Guckian’s appointment.
Donovan said he was conflicted on the upcoming vote at next month’s meeting. On one hand, he sees Guckian as a “very forthcoming, respectful, helpful gentleman.”
Yet Guckian’s vote in favor of a fine on residents who choose not to hook up to the sewer system, Donovan said, troubles him.
“It doesn’t help. When I do make my decision, it doesn’t help that he voted for mandatory tie-in fines,” said Donovan.
Travis said the job of a WSA board member is usually hard and always unpopular.
“The WSA is under attack due to the problems they’ve had under previous executive directors and board chairmen. I don’t think we can blame one person for the problems at the WSA,” said Travis.
The council will vote on Guckian’s appointment on Feb. 1.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.
The plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. The plaintiff's goals are accomplished if the defendant succumbs to fear, intimidation, mounting legal costs or simple exhaustion and abandons the criticism. A SLAPP may also intimidate others from participating in the debate. A SLAPP is often preceded by a legal threat.
htt://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participatio
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/article_6468b04c-07e4-11df-9925-001cc4c03286.html#user-comment-area
http://www.riaclu.org/News/Releases/20061127.html
Let's do what people in Gov. Francis Phase II did and let the WSA know their threats are not acceptable.
Let's tell Donna Travis we don't want MANDATORY HOOK UPS.
We deserve answers to why the former chairman used the word "bankruptcy" when descibing WSA.
We need to ask the city council what they are going to do to clean up the mess at WSA.
What was the Mayor Avesdian's part in this fiasco? The Mayor's name is all over the paper trail.
We need new leadership in the Mayor's office and at the WSA.
The WSA now wants us to approve reappointment of one of the Mayor's cronies. I don't think so.
The hubris of the WSA board of directors is palpable.
Let's send a message to our inept Mayor that the taxpayers of Warwick are going to take the city treasury back.
$6 Million dollars, anyone?
Gee, I was at the meeting and I thought the points made were good and it was an effective meeting. Any time the citizens ask good questions, the meeting is effective. The last thing we want right now is to have an environmental group come in and offer pablum about why the residents of Governor Francis should be targetted with the costs of prior WSA failures.