Hallsdale Powell Utility District - Outrageous Rates

11/30/2023

How many would participate in the monthly HPUD board meetings if it were live streamed with ability for public comment? Making it to a Monday meeting at 1:30PM is out of the question for 99% of us but they love saying no one comes to the meetings.

11/27/2023

To pretend the public isn’t engaged or care about the issues with HPUD is preposterous. Here’s an excerpt from the state meeting where Daren blatantly misrepresents, public interest and engagement.

Also the next board meeting is Monday, December 11th at 1:30pm. So make sure to take off your lunch and drive to Halls. Otherwise they think that you don’t care.

11/17/2023

We are searching for any $40 water bills with HPUD service. If you do find it… trap it safely so we can study it and find out how to reproduce it. No TWRA license or tag is needed.

11/16/2023

Must be that the community doesn’t have our priorities in line. We are complaining about $40 water bills.

11/07/2023

I was waiting for the video to be posted so I could clip this video of just the Hallsdale Powell portion from the Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation meeting. This way everyone can see exactly what was said.

Basically the state board said they really don’t have the ability to do anything since the 3 person HPUD board is supposed to oversee management and answer to the public as oversight. Given the prior examples of board members telling us that “if you don’t like it then you can move”, I guess we can look forward to increasees in water rates by 3% annually and wastewater rates by 4% annually through 2028.

Lots more pain for the community coming.

08/15/2023

📣📢 Save the Date! 📢📣

The TN Board of Utility Regulation is set to convene on October 26th. This crucial meeting will likely unveil the findings of the state investigation regarding Hallsdale Powell. Stay tuned for updates as we gather more information. Within a week or two of the meeting, a board packet should be released, and you'll also have the opportunity to watch the meeting online. Keep an eye out for the agenda link, and thank you for your active involvement in fostering positive change within our community!

08/13/2023

I keep going back to this…

I find it quite concerning that the manager of a utility district, responsible for overseeing $38 million annually, would exhibit such unprofessional behavior during a crucial state inquiry into their operations. This incident sheds light on the broader problems within the district itself. It’s crucial that those in leadership positions maintain a level of professionalism and accountability that matches the responsibilities they hold.

07/20/2023

Here is a fun look at Darren Cardwell (General Manager of HPUD) eye rolling at the state when initiating the investigation. This is the attitude of the management of HPUD to the state regulating body.

So if that’s the attitude to who is supposed to be regulating him, you can only imagine his distain for the customers.

07/20/2023

Thursday thoughts:

I felt the call this AM to once again address a few issues. It’s important to clarify first and foremost that the issues at Hallsdale Powell have nothing to do with the hardworking employees. They are not the ones making the decisions that have affected the community for over 20 years. They simply come to work every day, just like you and I do, and do as they’re told. Their contributions are invaluable to the community. 

Now, here is some food for thought. Just in the past 4 years the debt has skyrocketed from $138,783,291 in 2019 to $182,623,593 in 2022, representing a concerning 31.57% increase. 😳

Furthermore, there is a worrying trend of a massive jump in revenue due to continuous rate increases. The revenue total has increased from $30,301,397 in 2019 to $36,821,800 in 2022, marking a 21.52% increase while having a massive overage vs the actual operating costs.

Given these numbers, I strongly advocate for new management through an open job posting. It’s my opinion that the current management has lost the faith and confidence of the community and there doesn’t seem to be any genuine concern for the issues brought forth over the past 10+ years. The application focus should be on presenting a comprehensive public plan of action to address key areas of concern but not limited to water loss, water quality, infrastructure, sewer overflows, debt, rates, and most importantly, rebuilding community confidence, relations and trust. Transparency is crucial and all applications must be made public.

Let’s unite for positive change and ensure responsible competent leadership that prioritizes our community’s interests. I strongly believe that together, we can build a better future for our community.

Sincerely

Russ Rymer

07/19/2023

For those asking about the investigation into HPUD. Here is the information from the utility management review board meeting on 7/19. It seems they have placed Hallsdale Powell under aministrative review and they will have more information on their findings by next months meeting.

07/13/2023

Now take a wild guess which one of these five utility districts in the same county charges the most.

06/29/2023

https://www.wbir.com/video/news/local/hallsdale-powell-an-east-tn-water-company-faces-state-investigation/51-b919c825-5fe8-4196-ac3a-724e8d7b6ce5?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Several Hallsdale-Powell customers said they are frustrated by yet another rate hike.