July 10, 2025

5 thoughts on “Town Manager Hozey’s Message on possible utility sale

  1. Economies of scale?

    We are talking about a FOR-PROFIT company here.

    Their concern is not the quality of quantity of water that the rate payers are getting here, it is about their bottom line and return on investment (ROI) to their shareholders.

    That comes straight out of the pockets of the rate payers, who are paying to keep some fat cat corporate executives fat and happy.

    And who exactly are these people accountable to?

    Certainly not the taxpayers or rate payers.

    This Hozey sounds more like a salesman for the corporate water company than he does a protector of the citizens of Cape Charles, but then he isn’t, is he, their protector, I mean.

    As to how this all works when a corporation with no accountability to the people becomes the owner of a vital necessity like drinking water, check out this article on the subject from the Long Island Herald titled “Customers say New York American Water is all wet – Five Towns residents take issue with skyrocketing bills and poor response” by Jeff Bessen posted August 9, 2018, to wit:

    More than 430 customer complaints have been logged by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky’s office as of Aug. 3, on the issue of exponentially higher water bills and poor response to the problem from New York American Water.

    An investigation by the New York State Public Service Commission has been launched about the higher rates.

    The Merrick-based company serves several South Shore communities, including the Five Towns.

    The Nassau County District Attorney’s office is also reviewing the complaints.

    “In recent days, our offices have received scores of complaints from customers, some of whom have seen triple-digit billing increases, yet all of whom report that their water usage has not increased commensurately, if at all,” Kaminsky and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen, both Democrats, wrote in their July 27 letter that called for a state probe.

    “Some of these constituents are elderly and live on a fixed-income, making these billing spike untenable and troubling.”

    In postings on the Lawrence District 15 Residents Facebook page, community members vented their frustration with the exponentially higher water bills.

    Rachelle Neuman said her most recent water bill was triple compared to the previous bill and the response from American Water’s customer service center was boorish.

    “Usually [it’s] about $100 but this time it was $300,” she said.

    “They told me that I used much more water.”

    “I know the water company was quite nasty and treated me like I was senile.”

    “Not OK.”

    “We actually called the water company earlier this week (July 30-Aug. 3) because our bill was so ridiculously high this month,” Helene Lanie Suerez Marlin wrote.

    “We didn’t realize that ours wasn’t an isolated problem.”

    “Our bill was almost double of last July’s.”

    “My husband received a call back saying they would look into it and get back to him.”

    “Called the water company as well, and got an epic runaround,” Lisa Sperling Schneider posted.

    American Water officials who said they received 400 complaints about high water bills from residents across the South Shore said that the increase in water use and the recently instituted “conservation rate” are the cause of the billing bump after a preliminary review of those complaints.

    Several elected officials including State Assemblywoman Melissa Miller and Assemblyman Brian Curran, both Republicans, met with American Water President Carmen Tierno on Aug. 2, where they learned that the utility would conduct an internal investigation.

    After the two-phase investigation is completed American Water would then educate ratepayers about the 4-year rate increase that the Public Service Commission approved on June 1, 2017 and in effect since last year, it increased American Water’s revenue by $3.6 million, according to a news release on its website.

    The increase was to offset the more than $136 million spent on upgrading treatment and distribution facilities.

    1. Lots of folks in charge never want to do the homework to look at all the pros and cons, and they don’t take the time to learn from others mistakes. Some don’t have enough common sense to filter out what’s good and what’s bad. I hope the town officials don’t become charmed by all this snake oil being poured out by Hozey.

  2. Not uncommon on Long Island The utility companies always hide behind subcontractors . Long Island ( where I am from ) is more notably known as Gambino Island . You have to ask , Why is Cape Charles needing or wanting to sell ? Who really is the beneficiary of selling ?

  3. Why isn’t the Town talking to HRSD about the wastewater system like every other town and the counties are doing?

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