July 12, 2001 – Joseph R. Thomas Jr., the new executive director of the V. I. Water and Power Authority, had good things to say Wednesday about the V.I. government, now that he has a plan for the government to pay its massive debt under his belt.
"The plan couldn't have been worked out without the governor and his tenacity," said Thomas, who praised the governor's grasp of the situation. "Juel Molloy and Kent Bernier rolled up their sleeves to craft a solution to the problem." Molloy is the governor's chief of staff and Bernier his economic adviser.
Thomas met with Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and administration officials Tuesday to formulate a plan to pay off the government's almost $26 million debt, and hopefully forestall a 2002 rate increase. The plan calls for a memorandum of understanding to be developed that will commit the government to paying its outstanding balance by mid-November.
Molloy is working on a plan to keep the government's payments current, Thomas said. (See "WAPA, Government OK Debt Payment Plan".)
"Most important," Thomas said, "is the credibility boost the plan will have for our financial standing, which has been slippery for years." When investors are interested in developing in new areas, Thomas said, "the financial health of a community's utility speaks volumes."
Thomas also had good things to say about WAPA. Shortly after assuming his post earlier this year, he said one of his first efforts would be to improve the utility's communication with the public by creating a Public Affairs Office.
"One of our main problems is we're not getting the message out. We need to communicate," Thomas said then, adding that he planned a speakers' bureau to give talks to the community. "We need to tell them what's going on before we're called into hearings. We need to issue position papers explaining what we are doing."
The new Public Affairs Office recently issued a release on the utility's levelized energy assessment charge and roll-in surcharge, and has more to come shortly on WAPA's accounts receivables, hurricane preparedness and strategic planning for the St. John water desalinization plant, Thomas said.
