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Government-Beat Reporting

Tempers are as water superintendent escapes ofcial reprimandAshley Kuenstler

Daily RecordLAWRENCEVILLE — Armed with only their voices and unwavering convictions, residents opened re

on Lawrenceville City Council members Tursday evening or the lack o reprimand against water superinten-dent Bruce Laslie.

According to council members, Laslie ell several months behind on the water bill or his business, TeSteak and Sandwich Shack. Procedures were not ollowed by the department and Laslie’s water was never shuto , despite not making a single payment or roughly 90 days. According to procedure, Laslie should have madearrangements or a payment plan but never did. His bill reportedly reached more than $3,000 be ore a paymentwas made.

Mayor Brian Straub learned o the delinquency just days prior to the October meeting and seemed to be just as upset as the audience members.

“Bruce, this situation was created by yoursel in the lack o payment and the lack o communication. Tatis inappropriate, especially since you are a city employee. Tere are others in the community that have allen be-

hind in that category and have had their water turned o ,” Straub said in October. “An inquiry will be made andwe will have more heated discussion. Answers will be reached and procedures will probably be changed. Brucewas raked over the coals very publicly, and I don’t agree with that. But reprimand will take place.”

Fast- orward to Tursday’s meeting, and more than 50 residents were in attendance to learn what thatreprimand would be. When Straub announced Laslie would incur “hundreds o dollars o late- ee penalties” andno o cial reprimand, an onslaught o dea ening yells and angered outbursts ensued.

“Where the hell is your integrity?” shouted one audience member. “It’s our taxpayer dollars and weshould have a say in this.”

“I guess the rest o us can run up our bills, too, or it’s discrimination,” yelled another.Lawrenceville resident Bob Craf criticized the council or its lack o action.“Some people, including high-paid city employees, have been allowed to amass a bill that would take me

10 years to accumulate,” he said. “What’s the result? More intense anger, disrespect and outright contempt or thelocal government than I have ever seen. Your credibility is now slim to none.

“Appropriate and de nite actions need to be taken in order or the public to rebuild their con dence andaith in you. Because right now, you don’t have it.”

According to Straub, Laslie agreed to a payment plan consisting o a $200 payment every week in addi-tion to his current bill. He justi ed his lack o o cial reprimand with the amount o “public humiliation” Lasliehas endured.

“Te man has to pay the bill in ull, he has to pay the penalty, and he has to ace the public humiliation,”Straub said. “He’s met his reprimand by this public display. It’s un ortunate that the situation was taken publicbe ore it was ever taken to me. Tat’s where my greatest disappointment lies.

“As long as [Laslie] meets his nancial commitment, then this is settled in the city’s eyes.”Audience members countered, saying Laslie’s position in the water department and blatant disregard or

its procedures should hold him to a higher standard.Alderwoman Shonda Curtis said the council has no authority to reprimand Laslie because no laws were

broken.“All we can do is make our own advisements, which we did last month,” she said. “We recommended that

he be relieved o his supervisory status until the council says he can have it back and his bill is paid. But that’s allwe can say. It’s ultimately up to the mayor’s discretion.”

Curtis continued, saying she could not support Laslie’s termination because he is the only person with theproper licensure to run the city’s water department.

“Nobody is irreplaceable,” shouted an audience member. “All o you can be replaced.”

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Alderman Don Go said the city is in the process o ensuring all o its employees have a backup withcomparable certi cation and abilities.

“We have a person now who has two o three licenses needed to do what Bruce does,” he said. “We’reworking on it.”

Straub de ended his decision, saying Laslie and his business are more o an attribute to the city than aproblem.

“Te city has to look at the broad picture, at its responsibility to operate,” he said. “Te city receivesnancial bene t rom sales tax revenue. Anywhere a dollar is spent, the city gets a penny. So the value o an

operating business like Te Steak and Sandwich Shack staying is operation is very valuable. Bruce was not takingmoney rom the city. It was a delayed payment.”

One audience member echoed Straub’s sentiments.“We’re not talking about a person’s personal nances, we’re talking about a business that is struggling,”

she said. “Tis business is trying to stay alive, and it takes the public’s support to stay alive. I think Brian made aair decision.”

While council members could not take action against Laslie, they did vote to approve a revised ordinanceor the shut-o procedure on delinquent water accounts.

Under the current ordinance, i an account is delinquent or ve days, the water department has theauthority to shut-o the meter immediately. Te same ordinance also states that the customer has the right to

request a hearing within 30 days o the delinquency notice be ore his/her water could be turned o .“As it stands now, it makes no sense. It’s inconsistent,” city attorney Mike Neal said. “How can you have30 days to request a hearing but also run the risk o having your water turned o in the rst ve days?”

Te new ordinance states that once a person receives a notice rom the city saying an account is delin-quent, that person has 15 days to pay the bill or request a hearing be ore the utilities committee. I the customerrequests a hearing, he/she must schedule the meeting at city hall within the ollowing 15 days.

Te hearing would consist o the utilities committee and the water customer with the mayor presiding.Te customer will be given the opportunity to present evidence as to why the bill is inaccurate. Te outcome o the hearing will be decided by the committee.

I a hearing is not requested and the bill is not paid in 15 days, the customer’s water will be turned o .Council members unanimously passed the revised ordinance.In other business:• e council agreed to accept bids for an engineering feasibility study — not to exceed $10,0-

tive to the city’s water-system expansion. Curtis was the sole vote in opposition.• Street superintendent Roger Wimberly said the city’s 20th Street project is 150 feet from com

date, the city has spent $105,773 on the project. Wimberly said he hopes to complete the project by Dec. 6.• e council approved the $7,500 purchase of a parking lot from Steve Boatman. e parking

needed to help accommodate employees in the downtown area. Straub said the purchase price will be repaid by parking permits in a little more than three years. Curtis and alderman Bill Carrithers voted against the purchase.

A special meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 2. Te next regularly scheduled Lawrenceville City Councilmeeting will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 9.