Water, sewer cooperation critical for area business

The town and the county will meet again on Wednesday to move forward with an agreement to work together on optimizing our community water and sewer resources.

There are many issues that are in play when they come to the table to discuss the pivotal issue of joint water and sewer resources. The meetings to advance these discussions are historic and critical.

Considering that we have been working on this issue for 30 years according to most folks in our community, our current officials are showing the leadership that we have elected them to demonstrate.

The investment by the taxpayers over the past 30 years must be enormous, not only from the time spent on the issue but time that could have been invested in other productive concerns of our community. It is therefore important that we come to resolution on the issue, plant our feet, and move forward.

Fundamentally, optimizing the water and sewer resources for the community means that we are less exposed to having town and or county residents pay for redundant investments. This is a time for smart investment. This is a time for leadership. This is a time to reach across the aisle of historic division and find new solutions.

We face escalating costs and reduced revenue on many fronts. This is one issue that can and should work as a joint effort for the benefit of the voting constituents of Culpeper.

We are between two major hubs of economic development along the U.S. 29 corridor. Northern Virginia / Washington, D.C. and Charlottesville are growing toward Culpeper.

There is no debate that we will see growth. We have an opportunity to work toward smart growth. If we wait for growth to arrive then we risk facing less favorable results.

We have opportunities to recruit world-class companies to Culpeper — companies that could provide jobs that we need.

These new jobs could strengthen our community not only by bringing in more dollars but creating independence from out of the area employers. It could also decrease the need for residents
to “commute” hours and hours to work each day.

Those residents then do more shopping here, attend their children’s plays, concerts, and sporting events instead of watching them on the video camera later. This would help to sustain the retail and professional services companies that are the small business backbone of our economy.

However, there is competition for those companies by other communities. We are not the only place that is attractive. We need to be ready for those opportunities. Water and sewer is a critical part of that equation.

High-quality companies for our community could have many effects. They work closely with the community college to develop the workforce. This ultimately supports one of the strongest aspects of our balanced and rich culture. In addition, quality companies affect the high schools by helping motivate and challenge our local students to be prepared for good-paying local jobs. There is so much to gain and the time is now.

Communicate with your local elected officials. Encourage them to move forward and prepare Culpeper for the future that honors our centuries of rich heritage.

Jim Charapich is president of the Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce. His columns run each Monday.