The Authority's Authority

The development community's objection to Albuquerque -Bernalillo County Water Authority's conservation measures goes deeper.  It is indicative of why the Authority was created under direction and support of the developer lobby in the first place.  Not about the cost of rain gutters.  Ya think?

 From the Albuquerque Journal:

"We feel the water authority has overstepped its authority," said Katherine Martinez, Home Builders Association governmental affairs director.  Martinez said her group does not believe the utility had authority to pass the legislation, which places requirements on the construction of all new buildings within the authority's service area.     She said those requirements can be imposed only by cities and, to a lesser extent, counties.  "Nowhere in state law does any other entity have the power to change building codes," Martinez said.

The state's largest water  utility is now an entity without any regulatory power - outside the control of representative city and county government and disconnected from the normal planning tools of building, zoning and subdivision codes.   

As a practical matter, how do you implement water planning without those tools?  The water system is semi-privatized and it is increasingly difficult for the public to exert any control over management of the resource.    

I may actually agree with Katherine.  The Authority has no authority.  By design.

Comments

[The Disorderly Orderly]

Damn you Coco – your post’s title put this jingle in my head and I can’t get it out!
(not to be confused with The Delicate Delinquent – would that be you?)

Viva la Jerri!