Goodlander Explains Adams’ Issue

Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander (pictured) provides this background re: Councilman Steve Adams’ comments at last night’s council meeting:

“The issue is Judicial Confirmation of the bonding authority for the Wastewater Plant upgrades.  Judicial Confirmation is the request to the Judge to approve the bonding authority without going to an election because it is ‘ordinary and necessary’ to bond.  In this case the bond is for $33 million to meet EPA requirements.  In order to meet those requirements we need to start the improvements in May, if we do not do the improvements the fines can be $30,500 a day or a $1 million dollars a month.  Steve and his handlers believe that it should go to an election and cite the constitution as their reason.  Steve voted to approve the JD along with the rest of us.  Then he changed his mind and when we went before the Judge (Luster) he stood up and contested the JD.  The judge said he would give his opinion in 30 days.  When Steve contested the JD he became an adverse party to the city.  In other words he filed a lawsuit against the city.  When he was told that he could not sit in on the lawyers briefing because he was suing the city, he refused to accept the attorneys opinion. More below.

If the judge does approve the JD, he said he would file an appeal.  this would delay the improvements and could trigger the fines.  His statement in court was that the improvements were an “unfunded mandate” and that we should just ignore the Feds.  Good luck with that????? He apparently does not concern himself with the fines and the future, it is all about what he believes.

Thoughts?