To the editor:

I’ve been waiting to see if the majority on the Board of County Commissioners (BOC) have been swayed at all by the overwhelming, negative sentiment regarding the proposed agreement with ICWD…apparently not! They appear to have their heads down, plowing ahead to reach a water agreement with an entity from out of state, giving them access to Lake Adger’s precious water. I am astounded that they are ignoring the obvious will of their constituents in this fashion.

Do we want ICWD to have that big of a stake in our future? We certainly don’t want to be joined at the hip with them, over our water resources, for the next 75 years. Regardless of how favorable the proposed agreement appears to be to Polk County, the very fact that ICWD wants a term of 75 years should be a huge red flag. How can anyone begin to conceive what our needs might be in 75 years…it’s ludicrous!

When the previous commissioners purchased Lake Adger they did it with open eyes, recognizing the costs going forward for dam maintenance and silt abatement. It is my understanding these costs have been planned for in our annual budgets. Do we really need ICWD’s help in this regard? I would think not when you consider what we are giving up.

If the populace wants a county-wide water system, creating a water authority with the towns and the county as participants would seem far more logical than the direction the BOC is taking with ICWD. I really don’t understand why there has been such a push to create a county-wide water system in the first place. I thought the Visioning Survey indicated an overwhelming desire to keep the county’s rural character intact, but I digress.

How can the BOC possibly move forward with ICWD without getting some professional advice, looking for alternatives to the ICWD route, and protecting our assets?

I just don’t get it…

Bill Ennis

Mill Spring, N.C.