As you know, the lease of the city’s water and sewer system with LCA was important to the City to allow it to address its massive pension liability and to avoid significant tax increases to our residents that would be needed to fund that liability. The lease is a very lengthy and complex document which provides for limits on rate increases while allowing for recovery by LCA of capital improvement costs to the water and sewer systems and for limited annual inflationary rate increases. The letter from LCA however is disingenuous because it advises of a switch to monthly billing based on a rate schedule without disclosing that the new rates will be substantially higher on an annualized basis compared to current bills. The new rates will increase fixed charges 107% for the average residential water and sewer customer which is estimated this year to cost an extra $13 per month.
The City has retained special counsel to deal with this and other issues and we believe that the large rate increase buried in this letter is unjustified and does not reflect the terms of the lease. We intend to take any and all legal remedies that are available to the City to prevent this unreasonable rate increase and we will do so promptly, well in advance of the August billing cycle. We are as frustrated as our residents and we are working with our counsel to move quickly to address this rate increase. We know that we are not a wealthy City given the average household income. We know how difficult a rate increase can be on our residents. Our goal is to allow the City to continue on its successful path of economic development and not do anything to make our City a less attractive place to live and work.
We will take quick action against this unfair rate increase and we know that we have the community’s support in doing so.
10 comments:
They hired the same firm that they used to negotiate the lease in the first place? What’s up wi that lol???
Bernie, I am wondering if my emailz to Jenna can be used in this breech of contract. I have even went in to council chambers with my hole house filter and exclaimed in chamber, What We Drinking. The manufactures specs for the filter was six months. The filter I produced was only one month.
Since than I have reproduced and engineered a drinking water filtration system with a multi stage byproduct removal system.
Don't Drink The Water and be carful of bathing?
republican redd
humanist by design
not a party favor
Did Allentown provide accurate numbers to prospective bidders? So who ultimately pays for the pension bailout?
@7:15
Why can’t you write normally? Are you some sort of alien or kook?
You’re very bizarre....typical uneducated city dweller.
If you’re trying to be funny or cute you’ve failed miserably!
George you attend Duch School Spelling in Bethlehem ?.
U 2 733 and 758 be very glad I am assuming you drink from the bedlum water authority parcel!
As for spelling and grammar thanx help not needed and this water issue is a serious one and the toxins infect many in different ways. I have had contact with LCA on three different occasions to no avail and the last time they put me in contact with a loved ones daughter that is purely a conflict and I never answered her. Pryor to that the new hire and I had correspondence and nothing but the same shit the public has been drinking out of the bubbling boiling pot o blue juice brewed ala palumpa and crew of criminal acting under cover under colour of law as officers of the pa court?
republican redd
humanist by design
not a party favor
O by the way I do have some of them old pure it ton porno magz from my youth that my babbiez momma didn't get to in itz tantrum about inanimate object.
@8:12
If you’re the one who sits in the front row at city council meetings and videotapes it, you’re a whack job!
George I have told you many times that you need to write in a way that can be understood. You just ignore me. I am going to start deleting you. I do’t like the anonymous personal attacks, but I want people to discuss the topic, not you.
Unfair to Allentown residents. All LCA customers should be on the same payment schedule and rates. There will be a court injunction to halt this move, and ultimately the city will win this lawsuit.
It seems like they’re targeting the poorest people to pay for their bad decision. The LCA doesn’t fall under the Pennsylvania Utility Commisions rules being they’re a private company. They can shutoff your water during winter months leaving you with no heat which Public Utilities have to follow multiple acts passed to protect the customers and utilities. My water/heat was shutoff for $115.00 during the winter and it’s still off because of a late payment. I paid the bill but didn’t have an additional $100.00 to turn it back on. I’m not a welfare recipient..just somebody who fell victim to a bad economy.
So, this is my LCA story. I’d like to thank Allentown City Council, LIEsel Gross, Senator Pat Browne and Home Depot for cheap 5 gallon buckets so I can flush my toilet.
Christopher Glennon
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