Harry 'Passes Buck' to George on Bad Russell City Water Problem
Daily Review, Aug. 25, 1950
Full Text:
Chairman Harry Bartell of the Alameda county board of supervisors today "passed the buck" to Supervisor George Janssen for the board's failure to reply to queries of the Eden Council for Civic Unity on the status of the Russell City water situation.
In a letter addressed by the board chairman to Paul Willetts, chairman of the Eden council, Bartell asserted that Willetts' letter of Inquiry dated June 24 "was, referred to Mr. Janssen and no record can be found of the letter."
The Willetts' communication of June 24 asked the board: What authorities have jurisdiction for issuing building permits in Russell City? Is there a reason for The refusal of such building permits in Russell City at this time?
Is it possible to say when the new water main to Russell City will be completed?
When introduced at a meeting of the county board of supervisors on Tuesday, June 27, the letter with its questions, particularly the third question dealing with the touchy subject of Russell City water supplies, provoked a stormy scene between Chairman Bartell and Supervisor Janssen in which the letter was huried back and forth across the conference table between the antagonists.
Bartell maintained the county has no legal authority for installation or maintenance of a domestic water system to Russell City and that the county is not bound by any promises to provide a water line to Russell City. Janssen disputed the latter statement.
When Jansson asked for board advice before replying to the letter, Bartell heatedly retorted, "I'll answer it." and the letter wound up before his place on the conference table.
Subsequently Willetts addressed another letter to the board, referring to his previous communication, and again requested answers to the three questions posed in the first letter.
It is in response to the latter letter, dated Aug. 10, that Bartell's reply comes today.
"Your letter under date of Aug. 10 addressed to the board of supervisors calling attention to your letter of June 24 requesting an answer to each of three questions which were, and still are, matters of serious concern to the citizens of Russell City has been referred to the writer," Bartell wrote.
"According to the records of the clerk of the board of supervisors, this letter was referred to Mr. Janssen and no record can be found of the letter. If you will let the writer have a copy of the letter addressed to me personally, I will see that you got an answer."
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