Master Water Meters in Bay City were a JOKE. Mr. James Palenick was looking for some more money to spend.

You see, Bay City Water Dept loses just over 20% of the water it cleans and pumps through the pipes. Avg water loss in a system this size is about 7%. The belief was the almost 14% was going to the townships and not being charged to the townships. (Forget that Bay City still has wood water lines in some places from over 100 years ago) *(yes wood, a whole truck load worth were pulled out of Tuscola Road From Center to Columbus Avenue during the States update 2 years ago)

Palanick, during the METER Implementation meeting... to get funding approved, told the Commission meters cost just over a million dollars to put in and need maintenance/replacement of about $200,000 a year. He had the Meter manufactures there to present information how they work.

So The question is (and was asked) how much can the city recoup by metering the townships? Answer: Less than $200,000 a year... IF, 100% of the water currently lost can be recovered. that's all 14% and the 7% a system normally loses.

SO... In order to just BREAK EVEN, the city would have to recover and charge the townships for all water loss, and have a 100% pure-no loss system in the city.

IT PASSED Commission approval, however, during implementation, it was found more lines went to the townships than was originally known about so... it cost $1,450,000 approximately to put in the meters. Overage of almost half a million dollars. So the $200,000 a year maintenance goes up too.

Results: townships are upset; because, now they have to pay for water loss into the ground in their system, yes this causes them to spend tens of thousands upgrade their home meters and fix repairs in their water lines, However, It also cost the City of Bay City More Too... to maintain the water meters as well as lost good will with the townships.

SO... This was a lose, lose for the townships, the city, and all Tax payers in Bay County yet the only one who benefited were the meter sales people who under Palenick pitched the sale to the commission of Bay City and who under Palenick, bought his idea to bring a "Fare Meter System" for Bay County.

Side Note, Prior to Palenick doing this, township managers and Bay City Mayor and manager use to meet once a month to discuss the greater good of our community. Palenick brought this all to an end when they told him not to do this because of the lose-lose proposal. He told them they didn't have to meet to discuss anything. They did stop. Even the County stopped talking with Palenick and told individual commissioners to get rid of him, he's bringing down the whole County by putting a wall between the City and the County.

Jim was just looking for some money to spend. He was spending all the money he could find.