Water Logged

Since the Phil Templeton group, Citizens for Change, has decided to overrun Boone Town government on the issue of water -- its great abundance, in their view, and the “myth” of a water shortage – a few facts might be in order.

2003, late summer/early fall: Town of Boone, faced with low water flow due to drought, is forced to treat its supply for algae

2004, January: facing its own water crisis, the Town of Blowing Rock approaches Boone about buying bulk water. Boone wisely decides first to requisition an engineering report on Boone's actual water capacity before agreeing to sell bulk water

2004, October: Hydrologic engineering report is completed on Boone's water supply. Study forecasts future water needs of 6.8 million gals. per day (at current rate of growth). Town is currently permitted to draw only 3 million gals. per day from its sources. Town immediately forms a Water Committee, consisting of all Town Council members, the Mayor, and members of the community. Phil Templeton is appointed to the Water Committee by then-mayor Velma Burnley. The Water Committee will make recommendations as to policy

2004, Nov. 16: First meeting of Boone's Water Committee, with Phil Templeton present. A search for additional raw water supply is first order of business. Town also initiates discussion with ASU about "water interconnection" (and NOT as claimed on Templeton's website ... ASU does NOT repeatedly "offer" its water to Boone).

2005, January 19: Water Committee adopts draft water allocation ordinance, forwards to Town Council, which adopts it by unanimous vote on January 20, 2005 ("unanimous," including the vote of Dempsey Wilcox, who is now running against the ordinance as one of Templeton's anointed boys).

2005, July 19: Water Committee adopts unanimously (with Phil Templeton present) a recommendation to the Town Council for voluntary water conservation measures

2005, August 15: The last meeting of the Water Committee that Phil Templeton attends. In fact, of 14 meetings of the Water Committee since November 2004, for which minutes have been found, Phil Templeton attended exactly 5. He did not attend a single meeting of the Water Committee during all of 2006 or thus far in 2007.

How Citizens for Change are propagandizing about the water supply in Boone has more to do with wishful thinking than with scientific fact. Town Council member Lynne Mason lays out the facts about water on her website.