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MAUL <br />141997 <br />BOOK <br />68fr�'J i. 816 <br />Chairman Scurlock asked Director <br />Pinto when the <br />Commission <br />directed him to write the letter saying we were not going to <br />exercise the option to purchase, what the purchase price was upon <br />which the decision was based. <br />Attorney Sundstrom stated it was about $580,000, and that <br />was confirmed by Director Pinto. <br />Chairman Scurlock asked Director Pinto on what he based his <br />decision the price was too much. <br />Director Pinto advised that if the County made the purchase <br />at that time for that amount of money, it would be detrimental to <br />the other customers within the county system as that utility will <br />not support itself and will not support itself in the near <br />future. Staff, therefore, felt it would not be a cost effective <br />I <br />thing to do to the customers within the system. The other factor <br />is that the facilities that are presently there for treatment <br />have no value to Indian River County Utilities. We would be <br />faced with eliminating those facilities and connecting them into <br />our regional system. Director Pinto continued that Bent Pine <br />supplied information based on the value of their system, and <br />possibly it is a true value, but we could not afford to purchase <br />the system under those conditions. <br />Director Pinto then wished to comment on.the letter <br />informing us Bent Pine was going to increase their rates. He <br />emphasized that at no time has staff told them or anyone else <br />what the Board may do regarding a request for an increase in <br />rates. What was said was that we objected to them increasing <br />rates without going -through a public hearing process, and we <br />still do, and under the Special Act, by which we are regulated, <br />that is a violation of law. Staff did not look at the rates at <br />all as to whether they would or would not recommend them. <br />In regard to filing the annual report, Director Pinto <br />pointed out that much of the compliance we are talking about is <br />based on what we read in that report; so, the failure to file the <br />report leaves us in the dark as to how that utility is operating. <br />64 <br />M M M <br />