City of Flint to Form Water Advisory Committee from Members of the Community to Share Updates and Concerns
Flint, Michigan – February 16, 2015 – In response to the recent concerns regarding water quality in the City of Flint, a water advisory committee of 40 citizens consisting of business owners, elected officials and members of various community organizations is being formed. The committee’s formation comes after the City hired the firm Veolia to provide an analysis of Flint’s water system as well as recommendations on actions to improve water quality. The purpose of the committee will be to provide the community with ongoing information on the City’s work to maintain a safe water supply and to improve quality.
In addition to gathering information from the City to share during their interactions with the community, committee members will also be expected to share the concerns they receive from the community in order for those concerns to be addressed. Mayor Dayne Walling pointed out that the level of connection between the City and the community provided by the committee is an important step toward ensuring that the public is engaged in this ongoing issue.
“Members of our community have concerns about the quality of their water, the costs associated with delivering it and the problems facing the infrastructure that brings it to them,” said Mayor Walling. “As we worked to address each of these areas in turn, keeping our residents, businesses and visitors informed on the progress being made and keeping a dialogue open to hear any new concerns is crucial.”
All meetings by the Water Advisory Committee will be open to the public and will be held at easily accessible locations throughout the city. Meetings will be held on a regular basis as work continues at least until the City is receiving its water from the Karegnondi Water Authority, which is anticipated to be in 2016.
The first meeting is anticipated to be during the first week of March, 2015. Letters have been sent to prospective members and confirmation is expected to be received by Friday, February 20, 2015. Any group who has not received an invitation and who would like to have a member participate can send a request to mayor@cityofflint.com.
A second, smaller group of experts in various areas surrounding water is also being formed. The Technical Advisory Committee will consist of members from the areas of health, government, industry, education and scientific research. That group will be announced later this week.
Groups and designated individuals asked to join the Water Advisory Committee:
Chair Public Works Cmte.
Concerned Pastors for Social Action
Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce
Hurley Medical Center
McLaren Flint
Genesys Health System
The United Way
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Tenacity Brewing (owner/city resident)
Master Plan Infrastructure team
Genesee County Drain Commissioner
The Torch (owner/city resident)
Flint Area Congregations Together
Flint Neighborhoods United
State Rep. Phil Phelps
State Rep. Sheldon Neeley
State Senator Jim Ananich
Governor’s Office
U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee
Genesee County Commissioner
Genesee County Medical Society
Kettering University
Mott Community College
U of M Flint
Consumers Energy
Flint River Watershed Coalition
Hamilton Community Health Network
COGIC Alliance
Flint Downtown Small Business Assoc.
Genesee Landlords’ Assoc.
Brennan Senior Center
Hasselbring Senior Center
Valley Area Agency on Aging
The Salvation Army
Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties
Genesee County Health Dept.
Jason Lorenz
Public Information Officer
City of Flint
(810) 237-2039
jlorenz@cityofflint.com
