Gunnison news-champion., 1921-11-25
CITY LIGHT & WATER PLANT
Is FACING 4 CRISIS
continued from Firs. pacel

NtOnunuel from FlrNr fagel
Plant, and wide discussion by Mayor
Steele and other business men. and We
came to the conclusion that without a
doubt We should have been taken in
hand at much tendercr age and
initiated into the mysteries Of our
local government. Some amazing
statements were made concerning our
city finances and number of mys-
teries surrounding the tax problem
were unveiled.
We discovered that our light and
water plant was but little more than
making ends meet, with absolutely no
provision for replacement and emery
encics. Not because of Inefficient
management, for we have the best,
but because we are selling our pro-
duct too chcaply and not allowing for
at least $4,000 in city lighting and fire
protection. which the taxpayers are
receiving, but not paying for or credit
ing the plant with. 4 comparison
Of rates of various Western Slope
towns showed that Gunnison had by
far the lowest water rate on the slope.
Mr.. keenan, stated that the town is
growing by leaps and bounds. whereas
our water plant has now REACHED
] i
Our present power unit has a capa-
city Of $50 K.VA. The additional
buildings Mt the Normal, Just connect
ed up-four buildings with their
lighting, motors, water units, etc,
alone, if all used at once. Last Cat
tIemen's Day we saw the absolute cap
acity of the plant utilized and de
mand not supplied.
Suppose something goes wrong.
Gunuison will be up against it. No
reserve capacity, no substitute power
unit
Yes. 1t is very serious condition,
according TO the figures presented by
Supt. Keenan,, who did not pose as an
alarmist, but was dealing in cold
facts. He had figured out the cost of
a new unit of power 70 be built ad-
joining the present onesat the power
plant, including generators, engine,
pump, increase in reservoir capacity,
liberation plant. extension of water
mains, addition to plant building, etc.
This unit would be double present
capacity, making the total 450 X. w. A.
News-Champion will not give these
figures this week, but merely calls at
tention to the fact that some provi-
sion must be made. 1t is probably
public meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce will be called shortly to
discuss the matter.
In this connection, we might con-
slider the fact that our total town
debt, exclusive of sewer liability, is
about SOS. 900. On this debt $500
was paid last year, and the same in
1921. OF this debt only $4,000 is
chargeable against the L. & w. plant,
the balance being mainly old refunded
debts. The plant is worth about
S150,000, so in balancing the ledger,
we are really far to the good. If the
municipality wanted to sell its busi-
ness. If the town would raise enough
money to pay the IS. 900 a year which
the plant is saving in municipal light
and water protection, the plant would
long ago have paid up the whole
debt, but we preferred to keep taxes
down instead. We cannot expect to
always do this.
News Champion will be glad to
print articles on the subject by those
who are studying the question and
have the facts in mind.
Those meetings will be held every
Wednesday night thruout the winter,
and as long thereafter as may be