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Topic: Linda Pohly on Flint's vanishing pipe lines

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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Linda Pohly

FUN WITH NUMBERS: or, the Curious Case of the Vanishing Lead Lines.

KAREN WEAVER PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2, 2018 still on City website:

“Existing City records indicate there are about 12,000 remaining homes in Flint with lead or galvanized service lines. This year, the mayor’s FAST Start program will continue work to replace any lead or galvanized lines outside homes with copper service lines. AECOM’s Flint team will manage the project, directing contractors and crews working to reach the goal of replacing at least 6,000 lead-tainted pipes outside homes in 2018 and completing the project in 2019.”

CITY OF FLINT PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 23, 2019:

“Overall, to date, service lines to 7,957 homes have been identified as lead and/or galvanized and have been replaced, including 1,729 homes found this year (sic). The efforts are a part of Mayor Karen Weaver’s plan to determine if water service lines are made of copper, and replace service lines made of lead and galvanized steel.”

The City has paid the former project manager, AECom, over $5 million to remove and replace those 1,729 lead lines.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL seeking a Project Manager to remove remaining lead lines, apparently posted January 23 or January 24, 2019, now on City website:

”The City estimates that total number of homes that may need to be explored to determine service line material content will be between 24,700 and 28,400. As 20,463 excavations have been completed as of the time of this RFP, the City estimates that 4,569 to 8,269 homes may require excavation and/or service line replacement in 2019. In addition, current estimates are that, at most, approximately 2,000-3,000 lead or galvanized steel service lines remain to be identified and replaced.”

I learned to subtract at Civic Park Elementary School.

February 2, 2018. 12,000 lead lines

January 23, 2019. -1,729 lead lines removed

Should be 10,271 lead lines remaining less than one year later, but the City says that we have “at most” 2000 - 3000 left.

So, in one year, somehow, between 7000 and 8000 lead lines have mysteriously vaporized from our water system.

So tell me, why should we trust the City more than the State?
Post Fri Jan 25, 2019 7:24 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Council meeting $6 million State won't pay!
Post Sun Jan 27, 2019 4:18 pm 
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D

Linda Pohly is sharp! Many lines with records of copper were dug up anyway while those in obvious need weren't touched. Landscapes ruined which will be an additonal cost to repair while those needing to be replaced go untouched. Also still treating lines with phosphates further damaging plumbing pipes and fixtures and making drinking water unhealthy. Thousands of dollars owed on water bills by residents going unpaid. Flint management is worse than atrocious!
Post Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:04 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Linda Pohly I have read the amendment to the settlement agreement several times. It is long, dense, and will require Quite a bit more time to review, analyze, and understand.
I do not understand how the council members could possibly understand the impact of this agreement in the two or three hours they had to absorb it. I think most of them did not read it. There simply was not time. I note that several council members have been criticizing other members for not reading the original republic contract when they voted to extend it. I sure hope they drop that particular line of attack.
One interesting thing is that the city was required to provide quite a bit of information to the state of Michigan and the natural resources defense council no later than February 12. They did not even present it to council for consideration until February 11. This must’ve been negotiated weeks ago, and then held until the very last minute
Post Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:55 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Were Flint water crisis funds mismanaged?
by Joel Feick Thursday, February 14th 2019


FLINT, Mich - How much money has Flint received so far to clean up its water?

Sen. Jim Ananich, (D) Flint: "$560-600 million."

Rep. Sheldon Neeley, (D) Flint: "Half a billion dollars is a lot of money.”

That’s taxpayer money money meant to pay for things like children's health, nurses and economic development.

According to Flint’s Chief Financial Officer, Hughey Newsome, about $167 million of state funding has been set aside for the city for pipe replacement and other water related issues.

Spending by Flint Mayor Karen Weaver's administration on replacing the pipes is now being called into question.

In a letter to the Governor and Attorney General, Flint City Councilwoman Kate Fields alleges there has been mismanagement of those funds.

She claims the city administration violated purchasing ordinances when the city paid a national engineering firm, a-e-com using money from the water fund.

The water fund is money paid by residents’ water bills.

Fields says the city charter says that money can’t be used to pay contractors.

Kate Fields, Flint City Council: "This money was paid even though the resolution that hired AECOM said they would be specifically paid out of federal WIIN grants and state grants. So there was no authority to pay them out of the water fund.”

But Flint’s chief financial officer Hughley Newsome disagrees.

He says the arrangement wasn't ideal but that he was within his authority to do it.

Newsome says " it was completely legal and approved by council.”


Flint’s CFO Hughey Newsome says paying a contractor with city water funds “wasn’t ideal”, but it was legal and approved by city council. An investigation tonight at 10 and 11 on @nbc25fox66

Some council members feel the city is wasting money by the method contractors are using to look for lead pipes.

When the pipe replacement program started, contractors used so-called "hydrovac" a method that uses high-pressure water to make a small hole in the ground to look for underground pipes.

That system was abandoned last summer.

Mayor Weaver who said digging the holes in a traditional way is safer.

Karen Weaver, Flint Mayor, "We are going to make sure we're addressing this issue. Not put dollars over the people. Not going to rush. Do things correctly. When we say ‘it's okay to drink’ we're going to make sure it's okay to drink".

Hydrovac costs about $300 per home.

Digging them up the more traditional way costs up to $5,000 per home.

So far, the state won't pay for the difference.

Kate Fields, Flint City Council: "How is the state going to reimburse for that $6 million? We don't have that kind of money. The state won't reimburse for anything other than the hydrovac.”

Newsome says the difference is closer to $5 million, but that it's being negotiated with the state department of environmental quality.

Newsome, says "That $5 million is in limbo. We expect that money will be freed up in a month or so.”

Joel: “The state will pay?”

Newsome "Yes".

The disagreement caused Flint City Council member Kate Fields to send this letter to the governor and attorney general asking for a meeting about what she calls financial and public mismanagement.

The attorney general's spokeswoman says they're received the letter and are reviewing it.

Fields says"To be fiscally responsible you don't incur a debt when there may be no way to pay for that debt. To me that's mismanagement.”

State lawmakers say there are several audits underway to see how the money was spent.

Sen. Jim Ananich, (D) Flint: "There's no playbook for this kind of stuff. Mistakes are going to be made.”

Rep. Sheldon Neeley, (D) Flint: "They're just allegations. I'm going to reserve judgement.”

Councilwoman Fields says there may be not enough money to fund the current pipe replacement program: "They want us to approve new contracts. I don't know how much is left in the kitty.”

Newsome says "There are discussions over whether we'll need more money.”

Any additional money would need to be approved by the governor and state legislature.

However, a spokeswoman for the governor says there will be no more additional funds for Flint water other than what's been previously approved.

Sen. Jim Ananich, (D) Flint: "state funds are not going to be unlimited. I've heard people use a disgusting term: Flint fatigue".
Post Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:01 pm 
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