1.19.11 Former Charlottesville City Council member Kevin Lynch and Citizens for a Sustainable Water Supply Plan’s Dede Smith join Coy to continue the discussion of the water supply news. Both Lynch and Smith were present at the vote last evening to rebuild the dam at Ragged Mountain, and both guests feel like the effort to push the motion to a vote was clearly planned a and describe it as a blindsiding of Mayor Dave Norris. The plan to extend the existing dam, championed by the Mayor, appears to have been abandoned, but the City Council did not necessarily side with the proposal of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Find out where we go from here, as well as all of the details of this new plan, the “third plan” as Coy calls it, in today’s conversation.
Listen to the WINA interview (link above)where Dede Smith is shocked that councilors actually voted on something shows a profound misunderstanding of procedure. Ken Lynch doesn’t bother to correct her- knowing there was nothing unusual, illegal, or against the rules. The real story is that the Norris plan is dead, the only support for it (other than the mayor) is Edwards-who has been said so little in public about the Norris plan it would be tough to prove she was there from review of the audio podcast.
Dede Smith says they can only build a 30 foot concrete dam, nope she’s got it wrong again. They can build the earthen dam to that height as well (it is quite valid to point out they probably won’t)- she leaves out that the earthen dam cost estimates have been lowered .
Kevin Lynch shows his arrogance saying he didn’t think the Supervisors hadn’t “properly articulated” to him in a private meeting why they want the earthen dam. Um Kevin you’re not an elected official anymore and don’t get a vote. I got to wonder why the Supervisor met with a city resident who didn’t like their plan to begin with. They should get hazardous duty pay for that meeting. Lynch’s crowning folly is to assert that because Norris has work really hard to understand and therefore we should all listen to him- thus dismissing official who disagrees with Ken and the Mayor as intellectually inferior or possibly corrupt.
Dede Smith justifies not building the dam by saying that in the future some glorious water saving technology will be invented that will render all this unnecessary. Of course it will Dede- BTW where is my jet pack or my flying car? She dismisses UVa’s support of the earthen dam. According to her they comprise 11% of all the water used but the fact they want the County plan is dismissed out of hand.
The County, UVa and now a majority of City Council don’t want the Norris plan
NBM (Not Betty Mooney), the University didn’t say it wanted anything. Leonard Sandridge did. Don’t spread lies. I don’t think the Board of Visitors has discussed the issue in any of its meetings.
As a professional in natural resources protection and a scientist, I am not surprised by, but truly bothered by Ms. Smith’s divisive agenda of misinformation on this issue. The facts make the case to beef up the Ragged Mtn dam and divert water while seeking to dredge in the longterm.
I am even more disheartened that Norris now endorses her. After her unforgettably devastating display of leadership and abandonment of responsibility as City School Board chair, and now with the months of ranting and grandstanding to City Council in this dam debate, I am now firmly sure for whom I will not extend my vote. The prolonged legacy of disfunction incurred by City Schools and Charlottesville educators and students since Smith’s brief tenure should not be overlooked. The Scottie Griffen disaster was completely avoidable by, long ignored, and grossly mismanaged by City School Board under the leadership of Ms. Smith. It was an opportunity to accept and repair — to LEAD. Instead, Ms. Smith simply turned around and walked away. My child’s school is STILL trying to dig out of the wasteful, shameful muck which Ms. Smith left as her direct legacy.
Mayor Norris: I hope that you seriously rethink your allies. Szakos and others made the right vote re: the Ragged Mtn Reservoir plan. Endorsing Dede Smith is a grievous mistake.