January 13, 2000

Dear Mayor Bauman:

At its meeting of January 12, 2000 the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood Association Council discussed the issue of how the City of Madison should finance the upgrade of water utility services (to reduce lead levels) to comply with federal and state rules.

The members of the Council agree, and feel strongly, that community-wide finance is appropriate, and that the main obvious alternative (charging all or most of the cost to the present owners of affected houses) is inappropriate. Our most important reasons are:

Expert opinion has refuted the argument initially advanced, that homeowners' own health interests require the change. Rather, on the basis of their personal interests most homeowners would, quite rationally, decide not to replace lead service pipes.

On the other hand, federal and state requirements make it a community requirement that Madison upgrade the water services. Testimony given at the January 4, 2000 public hearing made it clear a) that most other Wisconsin communities have already brought their water supplies into compliance; and b) Madison faces large fines for non-compliance that would stretch on indefinitely. Clearly, Madison has no alternative to compliance.

Two principal methods of compliance are available: chemical treatment (with orthophosphate), or simple replacement of all remaining lead service pipes to houses. As was made clear on January 4, were the chemical method selected, the cost would automatically be shared as a water utility cost on a community-wide basis. The DMNA Council joins with many others in urging that the chemical treatment method not be adopted as it would further degrade our lakes. Therefore, we support lead-pipe replacement as the correct solution. However, we think it would be quite wrong to use selection of the pipe-replacement approach as a reason to load most or all of the cost on particular households in particular neighborhoods.

We strongly agree with the positions articulated by you, Mayor Bauman, at the January 4 hearing. As a result of recently imposed federal and state standards, Madison faces a utility service problem that should be viewed as a community problem, and should be funded on a community-wide basis. For Alders to view the question mainly on the basis of whether their district is affected (the apparent pattern on January 4) would be to diminish Madison as a community. Part of being a community, and a good one, is to share the community's costs. Were the costs of utilities; education; police services; amenities like the library, the arts, and the parks system; Madison's expansion as the population grows; and improvements in our transportation system to be viewed and apportioned on the basis of narrow neighborhood interests and direct benefits, Madison would be a poorer place. We appreciate your remarks on January 4, and we hope that your position will prevail.

Sincerely,

William W. Barker
President, Dudgeon Monroe Neighborhood Association

xc: Members of the Madison Common Council

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