News

McGrady still pushing regional water solution

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 21, 2018

State Rep. Chuck McGrady infuriated Hendersonville City Council members last year when he filed a bill in the Legislature that would put the city water system under state control.

“That morphed into a study committee,” he told those council members earlier this month, without mentioning that the city’s effort to enlist other municipalities statewide helped derail the bill.
That conflict notwithstanding, McGrady may have been on friendlier ground at Hendersonville’s City Hall than he will be later this month, when he visits the Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. In December Asheville and Buncombe appointees killed McGrady’s regional sewer authority effort in a 10-1 vote that stunned Henderson County officials. McGrady and Henderson County Commissioner Bill Laplsey watched in disbelief when the governing board of the Metropolitan Sewer District rejected a proposal to merge the MSD with Henderson County-owned Cane Creek Sewer District and place more Henderson County appointees on the governing board.
McGrady said that outcome, which county officials believe was engineered by Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, proved that he needed to speak directly with elected bodies in Asheville. He was scheduled to deliver his message promoting a regional solution to water and sewer lines to the Henderson County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday and has a place on the agendas of the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners after that.

‘Perhaps stars can align’
“As for water and sewer issues in Henderson County, I wonder if there isn’t an opportunity here,” he told Hendersonville City Council members. “Etowah sewer, Laurel Park water, sewer to Edneyville Elementary and the Justice Center and the MSD rejection might make it possible to explore some resolution of all the issues. Perhaps the stars can align.”
Stars in alignment was not the image Hendersonville city officials saw a year ago when McGrady threatened a state takeover of the city water system. Council members sat stone-faced during his pitch for unity and offered no comment or questions when he was done.
“It showed his frustration at the court’s reversal at some of the decisions,” Councilman Jeff Miller said later. “It was kind of a pep speech for the city and county and municipalities to all work together. He knows we’re already working toward solving some problems there. I think this (joint water) advisory committee is working. I’m pretty excited about how that’s going, to be honest. It may be the city and county can work something out there to help.”
Hendersonville operates a water system in which seven out of 10 customers live outside the city. Council members are sensitive to the politics of that. They’re looking now at higher rates for inside and outside ratepayers to cover $40 million worth of investment in water and sewer system over the next five years.
“Council doesn’t want to work from a bully pulpit with water and sewer,” Miller said. “We don’t want to overcharge anybody but also we don’t want to undercharge and not be able to take care of the system. … One of the most important things we can do is maintain a great water supply and provide sewer services where they’re needed and where it’s proper.”