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Friday, January 05, 2007

Ind. Decisions - Still more on: Appeals court to hear Lawrence utilities case

This ILB entry from Dec. 13th quoted an Indianapolis Star story that included this:

A controversial water company deal that prompted a federal investigation and left Lawrence residents paying some of the highest rates in the metro area appeared to be nearing an end Tuesday.

As the FBI closed its investigation without charges, Lawrence and Citizens Gas & Coke Utility officials announced they want to form a public charitable trust that would own and operate Lawrence's water and sewer utilities.

Today Kevin Corcoran of the Star reports in a story that begins:
A judge Thursday approved the sale of Lawrence's waterworks to a charitable trust, but the settlement is drawing fire from enough City Council members to block the deal.

A majority of council members say they would support hiring an appraiser to value the water and sewer assets in an effort to determine whether the $51.3 million purchase offer is fair. That's required by law before a sale can occur.

So is an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the council. And some council members say they want to examine other options before transferring ownership of the city's largest assets to a nonprofit operator.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 5, 2007 11:44 AM
Posted to Ind. App.Ct. Decisions