May 7th, 2007

Dear Mayor and Council

Re: Lantern Festival losses

Over the past several weeks I have been studying Cumberland's Master Water Plan and as a result I have grave concerns about the loss the Lantern Festival has created once again this year. How can we justify losses two years running in light of the grave and urgent need to repair our dams and water lines?

To add insult to injury, the over $15,000 in losses reported at today's council meeting does not fully satisfy my inquiry as to the costs of the Lantern Festival. For example, the report presented does not include the cost of hydro to light the lanterns. I was told this cost was "minimal" but no matter how minimal it is I want to see the actual difference between January's hydro bill and February's hydro bill listed on the expense sheet as a cost of the Lantern Festival. Instead, there was no hydro cost listed at all.

The report should also include the total number of hours Recreation Center staff, Village Office staff and Public Works staff worked on the Lantern Festival and the total wages including benefits paid. I do not believe the figure of approx $1900 quoted in today's report is a full and accurate representation of that expense.

In a nutshell, what I am asking for is fiscal accountability.

The more than $30,000 the Village admits to have lost on the Lantern Festival over the past two years could have paid for a desperately needed water loss study so we could identify where our old water pipes are leaking; or it could have paid for a geotechnical slope stability study of our four dams; or it could have paid for a backflow and cross connection program; or it could have paid for a hydrologic watershed assessment; or it could have paid for source water sampling and analysis; all of which were recommended in the Master Water Plan and each of which was estimated at about $30,000.

As a taxpayer, I want to see my tax money spent wisely, and spending more than $15,000 each year on a Lantern Festival is not an example of wise spending in light of our crumbling infrastructure.

A concerned and long-time Cumberland resident...

Mary Lynn DesRoches, 2699 Windermere Avenue