West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District's Board of Directors recently authorized their attorney to begin mediation with the City of Kemp to establish a repayment schedule for expenses incurred in setting up water service to city residents. That could be a problem because Kemp officials claim they do not owe WCCMUD any money.

"The original agreement -- the only agreement that exists -- has no provision stipulating that we will pay them for anything," Mayor Laura Hanna Peace said. "We have never seen an invoice, bill or documentation from them so I have no idea what they think we owe or on what they are basing their statements."

Peace said Kemp officials repeatedly asked to speak to the WCCMUD  board and could not get on the agenda to do so.

WCCMUD constructed a pipeline to Kemp, but the water quit flowing in late December. A billing office established in Kemp by the utility also sits idle. The disruption in water service followed public statements WCCMUD and Kemp officials made revealing problems with the water service agreement.

Peace said that after WCCMUD General Manager Ciardo said in a board meeting that the district pull out of the agreement and only sell water to Kemp city officials became concerned about protecting the city's water supply.

The city if now producing water from its own plant, and it entered into a contract with the City of Mabank to purchase from the neighboring town if water supplies run short in the future.

Peace said Ciardo told Kemp officials the utility would cut off water on Dec. 21 unless they agreed to discuss repayment of an unspecified sum of money. Peace said WCCMUD officials called Kemp's water plant operator on Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. and ordered the water valve shut down.

Ciardo recentrly said in a board meeting that the water was not cut off until Dec. 21, according to a report by The Monitor.
WCCUD officials now refer all questions from the media to their attorney, Chad C. Rook, who has said in the past he would have no comment on negotiations with Kemp officials.