Town council’s action threatens my hometown

I am writing to you as the operations superintendent for Indiana American Water’s Mooresville District. I am also writing this letter as a concerned resident of Mooresville — someone who was born and raised in Mooresville and who has chosen to raise my own family here.

My wife, Jamie, and I have three children, Jordan, Coleman and Abigail. All three have proudly attended Mooresville Consolidated Schools.

My family has a long history in Mooresville and the Mooresville business community. My grandfather, Herschel Coleman, started the Coleman Agency in 1921, providing insurance and real estate services to the Mooresville area.

My dad, Paul Bryant, joined the agency in 1962 and continued to provide those services until retiring and selling the business in 1997. Those two men worked to provide benefit to the Mooresville community through operating a reputable business and through their contributions to many of Mooresville’s service organizations for more than 75 years.

I share that commitment for the Mooresville community and have lived by it every day working for IAWC in Mooresville for the past 20 years. My three employees here at the water company, Patty Seidl, Kip Davis and Jessie Harris, also share that commitment. They, too, were raised here in Mooresville and graduated from Mooresville High School. They are raising their families in the area. As a team, we take great pride and satisfaction in providing quality, reliable water service to Mooresville residents and local businesses. It is not a job that stops at 5 p.m., but is a way of life. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly. It’s important to point out that water service has been provided by a private company in Mooresville for more than 60 years.

We were surprised last fall when the Mooresville Town Council announced its intentions to pursue a purchase of the local water system. We did not hear from council members before the vote, and we have not heard from them since. The local water system is not for sale. The town’s only option is to try a hostile takeover of our company using government’s power of eminent domain.

The town council continues to move forward without public input. The town council has refused to meet with me or anyone else from IAWC. It has structured its takeover process to limit or deny public input. Mooresville residents and businesses should be given an opportunity to weigh in on this important public issue and have their questions and concerns addressed directly by the decision-makers — our elected council members.

The town council owns and operates the wastewater system. While pointing the finger at our water rates, members have been silent on their own wastewater rates and performance history. The town nearly doubled wastewater rates in 2010 — for an annualized rate of increase that is twice that of local water rates.

IAWC continuously surveys its customers to ensure we are meeting their service and quality needs. Over the past month, many of our Mooresville customers have told us they are happy with the water company and are fine with our service and water quality. They do not support the town’s proposed takeover.

Our elected leaders are taking a great risk with our tax money and our future in Mooresville. The council’s action will cost local taxpayers millions of dollars in consultant and legal fees. These types of government takeovers always result in higher taxes or higher water rates or both.

IAWC would like to meet and hear from Mooresville customers and we would like to answer any questions you may have at a community meeting Feb. 20. It will be held at 6 p.m. at Mooresville Public Library, 220 W. Harrison St. Also call me at 317-831-3385, ext. 2 or at 317-407-8642 or go to www.mooresvillewaterfacts.com. We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mooresvillewaterfacts, and you can email me at james.bryant@amwater.com.

Troy Bryant

Mooresville

Published February 13th, 2013 in The Reporter Times