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• For many years on the Common Council, I was a lone voice (sometimes with one or two added voices) objecting to specific water plant issues from the very beginning.
• I questioned the method used to select a general contractor.
• I questioned the use of a water plant employee “Design Team” that, in conjunction with the McMahon and Carollo engineers, made major design decisions. (Decisions by committee are the perfect way to diffuse accountability.)
• I questioned – and worked very hard against – the decision to use the Koch membrane – and to qualify only a single supplier to bid (which means it wasn’t a bid – it was whatever Koch wanted us to pay – and continues that way).
• I questioned the Mayor’s designation of the same Utilities Committee Chairman over and over – after it was clear the Chairman and the Director of Utilities had way too cozy a relationship.
• And I pestered the Post-Crescent until Steve Wideman was finally given the go-ahead to put together the first of his many helpful investigative reports in July, 2006.

If you type ‘water plant’ in the “Search Our Site” box, you’ll see a listing of several blogs about this whole business written over the last 15 months.

I’ll go back to the first one (August, 2006) – which could be repeated today. I was screaming about folks who just won’t take responsibility.

I was heartened to read comments from Menasha Mayor Joe Laux and his staff about their steam plant debacle, on the verge of seriously impacting their financial capabilities. “…we probably should have hired someone else to come in and rerun all the numbers…”

Similar circumstances surround the Appleton Water Plant escapade. Serious problems with the process. Serious problems with the results. Big big bucks. ($40 million here, $50 million there and pretty soon you’re talking some money – not to mention 25 to 40% increases in utility bills.)

Is there any chance we’ll hear similar mea culpas from Mayor Hanna, much less moves to reimburse ratepayers? We haven’t yet. I guess there are leaders. And there are leaders.

And you’ll see a similar theme repeated in this blog. And this one.

I like Mayor Hanna. I worked hard as his campaign manager for his first campaign in 1996. He’s a nice guy. But dang it, he’s not too good at taking responsibility. And that’s just not my kind of guy.

So here are the multiple bottom lines on this whole messed up fiasco.

• The Utility’s liability protection capped damages at $5 million. Specifically prohibiting any damages above the $5 million seems like a phenomenally extraordinary and incompetent recommendation early on. (I don’t know enough about it and will request a copy of the bonding contract and try to learn more.) 
• The city must commit to prosecute any criminal liability to the full extent of the law. That should not be arbitrated out.
• The community must have an explanation of every damn detail of wrongdoing – and who’s responsible. Now. Fast. Ok, we have to wait until the $5 million mess is arbitrated. A number of alderpersons (Baranowski, Clemons, Jirschele, Kalata, others?) – and a number of you – are putting pressure on the Mayor and the Utilities Committee and the City Attorney to get this done. Keep it up.
• Michael Buettner, Director of Utilities, came into a real mess and is doing a good job in sorting out the technical aspects of ongoing plant operations. He seems to be highly qualified – and doesn’t make excuses.
• It’s costing us ratepayers $10 - $14 million (??) to fix the mess. It makes me really mad and I hate it. But we’ve got to get over it. If anybody can’t or won’t pay close to the highest water rates in the state, he or she will have to pick up and move.

Lastly – and at this point, most importantly - the city and Utility absolutely must learn from this whole damned expensive debacle. Here’s how I put it in a blog exactly one year ago:

A couple of projects in Appleton come to mind that might have benefited from [the] learn-it-the-hard-way approach to facility construction.

• A $2M peak-energy shaving system that sits idle since six months after it was first cranked up. The same firm not only provided the initial analysis, but then designed and managed the project. Few checks. No balances.
• The $60M Appleton water plant debacle. Again, the same firm did the extensive initial analysis, then designed the plant, then made the recommendation that the now much maligned membrane company had satisfied their contract. No – I don’t think so….
• The upcoming Police Station. The same architects are doing the needs analysis as will be doing the design work. Is there a better way? 

Mistakes are made to be admitted, to be corrected, and to be learned from. Would that all public entities would learn from the mistakes of others.

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