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Presentation to WUC Board Meeting - 3rd June 2010 Good Morning Chairman Lewenza , Board Members and All Present, At the outset of my remarks I support the CfO’s recommendation for the commission to participate in the City’s Shared services review. That leads me to the third party managed services that already exist. Once again I find it necessary to draw your attention to what I feel is the most unsatisfactory management dilemma that continues to haunt the WUC. Purchasing services from a third party without issuing an RFP is fraught with danger. I know that when I brought this subject before you at a previous meeting, assurances were given that the MSA was beneficial to this organization. I disputed it then and have no reason to change my mind. It is well to remind everyone that this board is directly responsible to the taxpayers. I must make it clear that I respect all of the professionals with whom I have had contact here in the WUC. However, they are employed by a management company, Enwin, which acts primarily in its own self interest. You are all very well aware that despite this board’s willingness to provide interested taxpayers with a copy of the MSA, Enwin refused. This forced us to pay for a claim under the FOI. Why the negative attitude by Enwin? It is this attitude that causes me and others to be distrustful of the management quagmire that exists. We have no access to Enwin’s costings for the services it supplies. The competence of their management is under wraps unobtainable by the public. For example it recently appointed a new highly paid executive whose salary and expenses form part of the basis for their charges. Would this board have made a similar appointment if it ran its own affairs? Why do taxpayers have to bear that burden? We have been told that while expenses connected with Enwin Energy Ltd have significantly decreased, the expenses of the WUC have increased. Detailed explanations are not forthcoming leaving the taxpayers to wonder why this is happening. It is totally unacceptable that a profit element has been introduced in the make up of utility charges. The fact that a dividend is declared and paid to the City is just a backdoor way of imposing extra taxation. I appeal to this board to make Enwin produce its books for public scrutiny. Our utility rates are too high just by reason of the profit element in the MSA. Let me be clear, I do not accept the costings that Enwin attaches to the items in the MSA. I believe that a properly staffed WUC could operate far more efficiently. The WUC is in a financial bind and every effort has to be made to mitigate the upcoming increased water rates. Enwin’s operations are shrouded in mystery. They hide behind the “We’re a private for profit company. The problem is that their only source of income is obtained from the citizens of Windsor. In the name of fairness this state of affairs must cease. Yes, seeking to reduce service costs is to be applauded but the exercise should encompass every avenue and the MSA with Enwin should be revisited.
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