Great Lakes Article:

Water Commission begins legal work
By Ray Barrington
Green Bay News-Chronicle
12/21/03

In a short special meeting on Friday, the Green Bay Water Commission started the flow of processes that may lead to suburban water sales.

The commission ordered staff to start legal work on agreements - picking up in some cases from where they left off when past talks failed - and started to look at its own negotiating teams.

They'll probably be led by commission vice president Tim Nixon. The commission has finished technical talks with the Central Brown County Water Authority and with Ashwaubenon. Now, it's going to look at the outlines of a deal.

Those outlines will go to the Green Bay City Council for its approval before being presented to the suburbs, Nixon emphasized.

"I'm a firm believer in getting the elected officials involved" he said.

By contrast, CBCWA members have signed their approval over to the authority.

The city needs to expand its water capacity for future needs and likely will need a new pipeline to Lake Michigan to back up the 1950s pipe. A larger pipe would serve city and suburbs.

The city has plans for a larger pipe, but has not filed them with the state Public Service Commission because of concerns the suburbs may, as they did earlier this year, file with the PSC to force Green Bay to serve them.