Westminster weighs the possible ramifications

Westminster Councilman Brad Chastain believes the city’s fellow sewer authority municipality, Seneca, is attempting to scare his city with the threat of lawsuit.  “Bow down” is the way Chastain put it last night as to his thought as to what Seneca wants Westminster to do. Led by Westminster administrator Kevin Bronson, Chastain and the rest of the city council last night processed the situation facing the county’s sewer authority and how that is going to impact what Westminster pays for sewer treatment and, most likely, how much extra the city’s retail customers will pay.  At the heart of the disagreements is whether Seneca should be allowed additional seats on the JRSA policy board—considering that Seneca sends more wastewater to the plant and pays the higher treatment costs.  Contained in the November 9 letter from a Seneca’s outside law firm is a demand that, until board re-alignment is settled, the JRSA should not proceed with “any further votes”.  That’s concerning, says Westminster administrator Bronson, because of the importance with spending an estimated $50 million dollars to improve the system—some of those improvements insisted upon by South Carolina DHEC.  The JRSA has an 11-item capital improvement plan.  To meet that bill, the JRSA likely will have to go into debt, although it anticipates it can qualify for lots of state and federal assistance.  More to this story is airing today on 101.7/WGOG NEWS.