Dear Editor:
I would like to address recent letters to the editor regarding the unsolicited proposals Cape Charles has received that seek to potentially acquire the town’s water and wastewater utilities. First, I would like to thank the writer for expressing a genuine interest; and second, to apologize for not doing a better job of keeping everyone informed.
The writer’s comments and concerns were reasonable, as I’m sure it must be very unsettling to hear that this possibility is floating about, but not have the information to pass judgment.
But the fact of the matter is, the town is still a very long way from reaching any decision on this; quite frankly because we don’t have the information to pass judgment on it yet either. We also need much more expertise to properly evaluate the consequences of the different possibilities. So the town is currently soliciting for a third-party consultant who can help us (and the public) sort through it all. What all that means is that there is a huge amount of due diligence still left to do.
I anticipate this process may still take several more months before we can know enough to come before the public with enough detail and specifics to ask for their thoughts and input. We’d certainly be very shortsighted to consider anything as consequential as the sale of our public utilities without significant communication with and input from our residents and stakeholders. So please know that such public interaction will have to be an integral part of the process going forward, long before any decision is made.
Thank you all for your understanding and patience as we navigate these unfamiliar waters.
John Hozey
Cape Charles Town Manager
