6/01/2007

On moving targets.

For those late to the party, our City plans to build a coal fired generating station east of town right in our view of the Highwood Mountains. It is a part owner of a cooperative, SME, in the construction of this plant. When the City's ownership share of SME suddenly decreased from 25% to 15%, apparently without notice and apparently overnight, our City Manager replied, 'no worries, it's a moving target.'

Now I have never denied being a little slow on the uptake, so I won't apologize that it has taken me this long to dig into and fully digest Firefly's recent piece about this whole ownership change.
You see, it looks like an ownership change that came to us as a surprise might not have been such a surprise after all, at least not for City officials. A fair reading of the RUS Record of Decision, Part III, p.2, does lead one to wonder just when City officials learned that SME planned to reduce the City's ownership share to 60% of what it had been even though we had been paying 25% of the freight. So, like any FOIA-puke, I asked:

Hi Peggy,

Since I am assuming you have nothing better to do on what looks like will be a beautiful Friday, I have come up with another request for public information. If you would prefer this request to be in writing, please advise. Since we have been communicating well electronically, though, I will use this method until you suggest otherwise.

I would like to obtain copies of any and all correspondence, emails, memoranda, tangible items, and/or evidence or notations of oral communications documenting, arising out of, or otherwise relating in any way to the change in the City or Electric City Power's ownership of SME or the Highwood Generating Station from a 25% share to a 15% share, and any similar items documenting, arising out of, or otherwise relating to the change in the City or Electric City Power's projected load from the Highwood Generating Station from 25% of the output to 15% of the output.

In other words, and by no means intending to limit the foregoing request, with respect to this change in the City's share, what did the City know and when did the City know it?

As always, thank you for your assistance. I hope you have a great weekend.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Speaking of moving targets and quoting from that FOIA link, emphasis added:

"Part 4: Fee Limit

Enter a dollar limit for the amount of fees you are willing to pay. The agency will be told to notify you if the amount will exceed this. If you set an amount up front, the agency will begin to process your request and you can retain some control over the ultimate amount you will have to pay. "