November 5, 1998
To the Editor,
The New Albany Tribune needs to check facts before they write their slanted comments. In 1987, under Mayor Charles Hunter, the present city engineer, the sewer system was controlled by the New Albany Board of Works. The Board of Works at that time was comprised of the present Mayor England, the present City Attorney and a third person who works for the present administration.
Records prove that for some reason, the EPA made an inspection in 1987 of New Albany's Sewer System, during this Board of Works tenure, and found many deficiencies that brought about the EPA changes that the city faces today,
I found out about the EPA charges later in 1988 in a letter from the EPA. Mayor England told me THAT HE FORGOT that he was one of three who was ACCOUNTABLE for this poor inspection in 1987. I guess they also just forgot to tell me about the poor inspection and left it up to the EPA to inform us. Mayor England's experience with the
Hunter administration was part of his successfull 1991 platform.
We immediately went to work on various deficiencies pointed out by the EPA, expenditures over the next 3 1/2 years on the sewer system, for engineers, for attorney fees and trips to the EPA office at Chicago, will show that our whole administration was working to cure the problems.
Negotiations with the EPA continued through all of this time, but to me they wanted too much commitment compared to other cities they had settled with. We could have signed that same EPA agreement that Mayor England signed, but it required the City of New Albany to spend too much money in too short of a time. It would not have been right to sign an agreement,knowing that they were expecting too much in too short of time.
Speaking for all past mayors, including the Democratic County Chairman Former Mayor Nash, we would be willing to spend monies for any justified repairs or improvements that the public and City Council would approve.
The public nor the city council would have provided extensive monies for these repairs until the EPA became involved.
I know first hand, because I put on money needed, $4.00 per month, per household garbage charge and lost the 1983 Election by 150 votes, when my opponent promised to take it off, but he didn't.
Former New Albany Mayor,
Bob Real
