Lowry for Albemarle

(Charlottesville, VA) The following is the statement from John Lowry, candidate for the Samuel Miller seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, regarding the regional Water Supply Plan. The statement was delivered in from of the Albemarle County Office Building at 10:00am on Wednesday, June 3rd. John made his remarks after filing his Declaration of Candidacy for the November general election.

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good Morning. I am John Lowry, and I’m running for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

I have, just a moment ago, come from the Election Manager’s office. Clarice Shermerhorn has my declaration of candidacy. I will be on the November 3rd ballot for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in the Samuel Miller District, without party affiliation.

Our area, as all others in Virginia, is required by the state to have a fifty-year supply plan. In 2006, the parties concerned – county, city & the four Boards - voted upon and approved a plan. The regulatory authorities have issued permits for an expansion of the Ragged Mountain reservoir.

This is as it should be: Stated simply, the dam at Ragged Mountain has structural deficiencies. We must either fix the dam — giving us little or no additional capacity, or build a new one.

We are reminded of today’s news that if we do not get started now, we will begin to miss state-mandated deadlines. We can not wait.

Likewise, the present pipeline coming from Sugar Hollow reservoir is almost a hundred years old. It’s no surprise then, when I tell you that it leaks. Like the dam at Ragged Mountain, the only choice is to fix it, or build a new one.

Additionally, a separate part of the fifty-year plan is for a new pipeline to come from the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to Ragged Mountain. This way, the Ragged Mountain Reservoir will be fed silt free, extending its life for future generations.

These are the centerpieces of the current Water Plan, and I am here to tell you that I support the plan. Prudence tells us that it is time to move forward. After years of political football, it is time for responsibility.

It is time to move forward.

Sometimes it seems that when there’s a hard decision to be made, some of our local leaders decide that the right thing to do is to choose up sides, then fight endlessly, regardless of the realities.

So it seems when it comes to the Water Plan. That’s not fair to the people who live here. As a Supervisor, I’d like to change that mindset.

There are those who say that the current Water Plan should be scrapped. They say that conservation, and dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, is the best way forward.

They are both wrong and right.

They are wrong, because the question is “What will the our water supply need be fifty years out?” Will the next generation have safe water to drink?

The simple answer is that, in a growing, vibrant comminity, we must plan for more reservoir capacity.

Fundamentally, the question is not “more capacity OR dredging and conservation”? The answer is “more capacity AND dredging AND conservation”.

Where they are right, is that taking better care of our resources is important. That means taking care of what we have.

I have no objections to considering dredging the Rivanna Reservoir, particularly if the goal is to extend its lifespan. But dredging is not the alternative.

That said, how much will it cost? While many talk of costs certain, the reality is we will not actually know what price tags are until the components go to bid. However, I submit it is better to finance our plan sooner than wait to pass the burden to others. It will almost certainly be cheaper now rather than later.

I will note that on this issue, I am uniquely qualified. Financing the Water Plan will be done using debt. In my time on the Economic Development Authority of Albemarle, we have issued more than half a billion dollars worth of bonds to make our community better. I have nearly 35 years worth of experience in investments.

When it comes to financing the Water Plan, I can help our county, our region, and our community move forward.

The projects will be paying us back for decades to come. we must start now.

Most parties agree that for a fifty year plan and a growing community we are going to need more capacity for storage.

Around the edges of the agreed on plan, studies of alternatives for the SFRR can and should be done.

Getting a reliable set of estimates for dollar costs to the alternatives is reasonable and prudent.

Finally, success for our plan is rooted in capable management. As a leader you have to believe in your managers. The RWSA has talent that is responding to those whom they serve. I am optimistic about their abilities and I am optimistic about the Plan.

Thank you.

I’m happy to take a few questions now.