Support for that very controversial 'Vista Ridge' water supply deal is
snowballing ahead of tomorrow's critical vote at City Hall on a scheme
to jack up water rates by 16% over the coming to years to, in part, pay
for the $3.4 billion agreement, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
All of the local Chambers of Commerce, in a joint statement, urged City
Council to approve the rate arrangement, saying unless Vista Ridge is
approved, the Pentagon may begin pulling up stakes as the three big
military bases in the area when the next round of base closings takes
place in 2017.
"One of the primary reasons we support the SAWS
rate adjustment and infrastructure investments is because it allows us
to commit to our military installations that they would no longer be
mandated to operate under Stage 4 water restrictions, and allows them to
have a consistent, dependable source of water in the event of miltary
emergencies," said Richard Perez, President of the San Antonio Chamber
of Commerce.
The Chambers say a lack of dependable water is the
number one concern of the Pentagon as it considers whether to invest
more money into San Antonio facilities, and it has made clear that it
will not continue to support a major military infrastructure in the city
if it can't be assured of a supply of water.
The Defense Department has invested more than $2 billion at Ft. Sam Houston after
the BRAC made the decision in 2005 to consolidate military medical
operations and training at San Antonio Military Medical Center.
The Chambers say nobody likes to may higher rates, but they point out
the 'fundamental importance of water resources' which is needed to
attract businesses, create new jobs, and support existing businesses
looking to expand.
State Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio) has
said that when companies in the Rust Belt indicate a desire to relocate
to Texas, the first thing they're shown by economic development officers
in Michigan or Ohio are pictures of the 2011 Texas drought, where, in
many cases, water had to be trucked in to keep business operations
running.
“Without reliable water, sites like were we are
standing today would have a difficult time encouraging new businesses,”
Stephen Shadrock of the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce said.
North side Council Member Joe Krier echoed those concerns as he announced plans to vote for the project.
Conservation isn't enough,” Krier said, citing a demand by Vista Ridge opponents to
focus more on water conservation and adopting a ‘slow growth’ strategy.
“Hardly anyone who is familiar with our existing water supplies and
growth projections believes that conservation alone will yield the water
we'll need to accommodate our city's growth. We need new supplies for
our residents and the companies that either want to add jobs in San
Antonio or bring in new ones. Without water security, businesses would
eventually look elsewhere to expand or relocate. That result would hurt
all of us.”
Opponents, who have gotten far more vocal in the
past week, say Vista Ridge is simply a payoff to wealthy, powerful
developers who want to continue adding neighborhoods over the Aquifer
Recharge Zone and force working class ratepayers to foot the bill.
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