Agenda - 12-06-2012 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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21 CONSOLIDATION AGREEMENT The agreement to consolidate the public utility facilities of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County contained several important provisions. Among them were: 1) both parties agreed that all facilities would be owned by the City, 2) the City agreed to pay the utility debt of the County, 3) the City agreed to provide water and sewage services to the consolidated area, and 4) all water and sewage operations would be financed through a separate utility fund. A fifth, and perhaps the most significant aspect to the merge, was the formation of the City/County Utility Commission (CCUC). Mr. William Hobbs, a former City/County Utility Commission Member, explained the main goal of Commission Members was to oversee the successful merge of water services, and make a unified system which was efficient in operation and cost. (Hobbs, Summer 94) The first 11 members appointed were: Thomas H. Davis, Flake F. Steele, Jr., William D. Hobbs, William H. J. Schultz, Willie E. Grissom, Leonard E. Warner, Jack L. Covington, Martha Lowrance, G. S. "Sol" Coltrane, Joe L. Pinnix, and John F. Watlington, Jr., who served as Chairperson until his retirement in 1986. (City/County Utility Commission Minutes, 37) The City Aldermen and County Commissioners each appointed five members, with the eleventh member being appointed by the Mayor and the County Commission Chairperson. This member would serve as the City County Utility Chairperson. Along with the formal provisions, there was also an understanding that the City/County Utility Commission would be run as a private enterprise. Therefore, the people placed on the Commission would represent no special interest groups, and all operations were to be financed by revenue generated from the services provided, not tax money. (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission) 7